Most horse owners are comfortable with the basics of cooling off their horses. But, what does it mean, physiologically speaking, to say that your horse is “cooled out?” Joan Hiltz, VMD, shares her experiences. This information is useful for websites, social media posts and horse owner consultations. Source: Horse Network, November 6, 2017. Physiologically speaking, the … [Read more...]
7 things to know about Giardia in dogs
“Giardia is found in a lot of different locations,” says Tracey Jensen, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, founding partner of Wellington Veterinary Hospital in Wellington, Colorado. “Certainly, places where there is wildlife, particularly water fowl, or other dogs, so dog parks and places where there is standing water, can be areas where you can find quite a bit of giardia.” Giardia is not … [Read more...]
Don’t abandon postmortem exams
Postmortem remains the diagnostic gold standard. A recent retrospective study compared clinical antemortem and pathologic postmortem diagnoses in 1,000 cats and 1,000 dogs. The authors suggest that postmortem evaluation provides valuable information in nearly 50 percent of cases. Source: Clinician’s Brief, October 2017. In this study, total agreement between antemortem and … [Read more...]
Reminder: AAHA canine vaccine guidelines update
We learned of the latest updates to the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines last September. One of the significant updates was to make the guidelines available online for the veterinary profession. With almost twice the content of the previous version, AAHA’s revised and updated Canine Vaccination Guidelines include important changes and new recommendations that are important … [Read more...]
Mix sitting and standing for better health benefits
A lot of animal health pros sit for long hours in cars, airplanes, trucks and at desks. There is strong evidence that standing regularly is good for our health. A new study in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine shows you may be able to cut your risk of early death simply by standing every 30 minutes. Alyssa Jung’s article covers the benefits of standing desks and notes … [Read more...]
Fear Free Happy Homes newsletter now available
The Fear Free Pets movement is well underway. A newsletter is one of the tools available for pet owners. With the growing adoption of fear-free practices, we wanted to help expose animal health pros to some of the tools being used by Fear Free practices. Source: Fear Free Happy Homes, November 14, 2017. Become a Fear Free Happy Homes member today, and experience all that … [Read more...]
Eating “clean’ food wasteful, Iowa State says
We are constantly reminded of organic, all-natural and raised without antibiotics designations on food items. Beyond these definitions are even more food label considerations. New research from Iowa State University shows that consumers are unaware of the costs related to producing “clean” label foods. Source: Drovers, November 10, 2017. Ruth Litchfield, an expert on food … [Read more...]
World Antibiotic Awareness Week
This week is one that celebrates each year’s discoveries and updates on antibiotic use. Animal health pros are at the front of proper antibiotic use and education. 2017 is the third year that World Antibiotic Awareness Week is taking place, focusing on human health care, agriculture and the environment, and is part of the WHO global action plan, “Antibiotics: handle with … [Read more...]
Keep pets safe during cold weather (includes printable handout)
Just like people, pets’ cold tolerance can vary based on their coat, body fat stores, activity level and health. Be aware this and adjust accordingly. The AVMA website content and the PDF handout make the cold weather tips easy to distribute to pet owners. Tips include the easy to forget antifreeze clean-up warning and other excellent reminders. Source: AVMA, November … [Read more...]
Biosecurity takes a team
Diligence, teamwork, research, technology and collaboration are required to maintain biosecurity on farm and within the collective U.S. swine populations. Kevin Shultz distilled the frequently cacophonous elements of biosecurity efforts in this article. It truly takes a team willing to be cooperative, even though they are often competitive. Together, biosecurity remains a key … [Read more...]
Backyard chicken trend causes spike in infections, 1 fatal
This article explains why we have focused heavily on backyard chicken trends. The growth of raising backyard chickens in U.S. cities and suburbs brings a soaring number of illnesses from poultry-related diseases, some of them fatal. Since January, more than 1,100 people have contracted salmonella poisoning from chickens and ducks in 48 states, according to the Centers for … [Read more...]
3 tips to start your day right
Since we turned our clocks back over the weekend, these tips may help the chronological confusion for some of us. The first few minutes of waking up can set the tone for the rest of the day. Adding mindful habits to the start of the day can help you to feel more in sync with the sunrise. Source: Mindful, November 6, 2017: Elisha Goldstein shares 3 mindful actions to start … [Read more...]
Work/life balance benefits work performance
One’s mind and the body health are optimized by balancing work life with personal life. Finding this balance is becoming harder, not easier. We no longer leave our work in the office. It follows us everywhere we go. The growth of 24/7 connectivity – impossible a decade ago, but normal now – brings with it challenging problems. Source: LinkedIn, November 6, 2017. Where … [Read more...]
Helmet saves equestrian’s life (graphic pictures)
Animal health pros often support the equine sports. Noel Williams shares her close call with death and reminds riders to wear a helmet. It’s a universal truth that if you’re going to ride horses, you’re going to fall off horses. You just never know when a young horse, or any horse really, is going to overreact or when their antics might cause them to lose their balance and … [Read more...]
Canine body language important for health, safety
Reading canine body language accurately is important for patient health and comfort, veterinary team safety and proper client education and consultation. Clues such as proximity preference, food acceptance, postures and expressions improve understanding of patient emotions. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, September 2017. The more relaxed a patient is, the more likely an … [Read more...]
Ceva supports pet victims from hurricanes, helps mitigate heartworm risks
Craig Wallace, CEO & North America/Pacific Zone Director at Ceva USA & at CevaSante Animal tweeted information last week about one of his company’s latest relief efforts in support of pet victims of Hurricane Harvey. Ceva has proactively supported gulf coast pet victim relocations and heartworm prevention efforts. The areas of the country hit hardest by Hurricanes … [Read more...]
Prevent holiday hazards from harming family pets (photo essay)
As Halloween night turned to dawn, Christmas appeared in stores the world over. It is a reminder to prepare for our homes for guests and prepare to keep our pets safe. The AVMA offered the following tips to keep pets safe in 2013. They still resonate today. Source: DVM 360, December 18, 2013. For some pets, house guests can be scary. Pets shy or excitable around new people … [Read more...]
November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month
Older pets are just as loving and loyal as their younger counterparts. Plus, adopting a senior animal companion comes with some cool advantages: Grown-up pets don’t require the constant monitoring and training that puppies and kittens do. Many are already housetrained. Since senior pets are fully grown, you’ll be immediately aware of important information like … [Read more...]
Carbon paw-print from feeding meat to pets
We’ve studied the environmental impact of cow flatulence, water source contaminations from livestock and myriad other environmental effects of animal production. Now a 2014 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has surfaced to expose the carbon paw-print from feeding meat to pets. Source: Los Angeles Times, August 4, 2017. In short, Gregory Okin … [Read more...]
Ask a Cat Lady belts out feline distemper (includes video)
Sarah Donner, the Ask a Cat Lady personality, shares feline distemper facts, including a song she composed and performs on video. Sometimes known as ataxia or the cat plague, FPV spreads through fluid or fecal contact, in utero or via fleas. This virus can survive years in a stable environment, and it can be devastating when it breaks out. Source: Catster, October 26, … [Read more...]
Quiz: Contemporary fluid strategies in the ICU
Recent research shows that positive water balance and weight gain are actually negative prognostic indicators. This has forced practitioners to rethink the approach to fluid therapy for critical patients. Source: Clinician’s Brief, June 2017. Amy Butler, DVM, MS, DACVECC presents a case-based approach to test your knowledge of current thought on fluid strategies for the … [Read more...]
7 things to help with Halloween safety for pets (includes video)
Trick or treat! You can already hear the dogs barking and neighbors yelling for their cats to return and Halloween’s not here yet. The AVMA offers tips for pet safety when the spooks, ballerinas, superheroes and goblins press against your door in the coming days. Source: AVMA, web content. Former AVMA EVP/CEO Dr. Ron DeHaven is featured in a Halloween safety video available … [Read more...]
Opinion – Unlearn toxic masculinity
There is no doubt the Harvey Weinstein revelations have pulled discussions of sexual assault and harassment to the front of water cooler discussions. These stories emphasize the negative consequences of what some call toxic masculinity. Left without context that is presented this article, mindsets are cemented and generalizations get perpetuated. Source: The Cut, October 23, … [Read more...]
Composting pets now a reality
All dogs go to heaven when they die, of course, but they leave behind bodies. Rooted Pet, a startup in Seattle, Washington, intends to help with that. Composting carcasses is not unusual. Farms often use it to get rid of dead livestock and some states use it to manage roadkill. So, Paul Tschetter, a Seattle entrepreneur, helped create a process that he says is, “adding … [Read more...]
Don’t flush that fish
Pet fish aficionados in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex have a new hero in Eli Prachar. She and a partner have teamed up to create DFW Fish Rescue to take in unwanted water pets. In its first week, the pair has taken in nearly 200 fish and they’re working on a deal with a local animal shelter to expand capacity. Source: nbcdfw.com, October 19, 2017 and Dallas Morning News, … [Read more...]
Be stronger than yesterday: how to increase productivity
Recognize this? Your mind is commanding you to power through, but your body is slumped over your desk. You notice this behavior is happening every day and it’s becoming clear you’re mentally stuck in a rut wishing the week would just end. Bin Jeong offers a few tricks to break out of your rut and encourage a productive work environment. Source: Forbes, October 18, … [Read more...]
Opinion – Vaccine refusals rising in many parts of the country
PLEASE, ignore the political bent. Please! Consider how human behaviors and standards are consistently presented to us as influencing pet care decisions. Then mull over the information on the vaccine refuser and vaccine hesitant groups of persons. Source: Vox, October 3, 2017. Most research shows that parents who reject some or all vaccines are more likely to be white, … [Read more...]
November 2017 JAVMA
The recent hurricanes and related flooding displaced many pets. Multiple canine parvovirus outbreaks have been reported. We note the paper linked below in this issue of JAVMA. It is a timely retrospective case series and case-control study. Evaluation of mortality rate and predictors of outcome in dogs receiving outpatient treatment for parvoviral enteritis. Source: … [Read more...]
6 things you need to recover from every day
Being busy and being productive are far from being the same thing. Most people try to do too much. The desire to keep up us doing more, living less and deceiving themselves into believing we’ve made progress. True growth and success is always sustainable. Unless you adequately recover, your life is a mess. You must properly recover from the following things daily: Work … [Read more...]
Antimicrobial stewardship guidelines now available
“Key Elements for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Plans in Bovine Veterinary Practices Working with Beef and Dairy Operations” is the title of a new document recently created by AABP. It was compiled to help veterinarians with best practices for designing, implementing and monitoring antimicrobial stewardship programs with clients and to help beef and dairy operations … [Read more...]