Like a house built on sand, dairy cows with hoof problems won’t stand up to the rigors of dairy life and production. Research shared in this article shows that dairy farms need to carefully consider the timing of trimming interventions to optimize production outcomes and affect cow behavior. “. . . the timing of preventive hoof trimming during lactation can significantly … [Read more...]
Cheese, butter and yogurt products fueling dairy market growth (slideshow)
Cheese, butter and yogurt are fueling dairy products category growth, along with new dairy-based products designed to capitalize on convenience, health and snacking trends. Source: Feedstuffs, July 18, 2024. Link. “U.S. consumers are drinking less milk with each year, but overall dairy sales are on a multiyear winning streak.” … [Read more...]
Is the annual pork price peak behind us?
The yearly pattern in hog prices is largely driven by the yearly pattern in pork production, writes Ron Plain. He shares an overview of hog prices on the farm, in the futures and at retail. Source: National Hog Farmer, July 22, 2024. Link. Weekly pork production is lowest in the summer and highest in the winter. “Lower costs contributed far more to profits than higher hog … [Read more...]
The cure for high prices could be high prices in beef cattle market
Market data suggests beef producers should brace for significant expansion in cow numbers in 2026. Wesley Tucker provides a historical perspective and reviews beef market and herd number projections in the coming years. Source: Missouri Ruralist, July 22, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
One in 30 U.S. dogs test positive for Lyme
Valley Vet Supply’s Aimee Elyse Robinson reminds dog owners of the risks of Lyme disease, especially those that live and play in less manicured outdoor environments. The places dogs love to explore are the most likely environs for them to encounter ticks. These include farms, acreages and large urban green spaces. Consider this article for social media or newsletters, … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – July 22, 2024
Improving employee exit experiences, fawn response in pets, reigniting the startup spark, Morgan Stanley predicts pet services will anchor continued spending growth, catering to traveling pets and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, July 22, 2024. Link. NOTE: The FLOW Business conference housing deadline is August 19th. Current ticket prices are good through August 25th. … [Read more...]
How eliminating “just” from relationships improves connection
Small moments often have a big impact on those around us, even if they were no big deal for us. Kristin Hendrix writes about downplaying, which is taking something we’ve done and making it out to be nothing. She provides an interesting perspective worth considering when someone expresses gratitude over one of our actions. Source: Leadership Vitae, June 13, 2024. … [Read more...]
From bias to equity: unconscious filters prevent us from unbiased views
We all have filters that can prevent us from seeing the world unbiasedly, writes Sara Taylor, author of Thinking at the Speed of Bias. She shares that regardless of whether our actions are effective or not, whether they are biased or not, whether our decisions are equitable or not, they all originate with our unconscious filters. Taylor says that 85 percent of us cannot … [Read more...]
Toxic leadership
A good leader inspires, motivates, and guides their team towards success, writes Craig Wallace, KCAHC’s 2024 Iron Paw Award Recipient. Source: LinkedIn Pulse, July 2, 2024. Link. “The effects of toxic leadership can be profound for any collective effort potentially destroying an enterprise…” INSIGHT: Courage and action are required individually and by the organization. … [Read more...]
Veterinarians as pet care influencers are on a more crowded stage
There’s no question that veterinarians remain queens of the hill regarding authority on pet care, writes David Sprinkle. However, other sources of information are gaining ground among millennials and Gen Zers as specialty pet shops and the internet have gained influence in recent years. Source: PETFOOD Industry, June 26, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Sharing cases can create confusion
Sarah Wolff, BVM&S, provides two strategic approaches to manage client experiences when more than one veterinarian can service a client. “Worst-case scenarios occur when colleagues have conflicting approaches and clients are caught in the middle.” Source: Clinician’s Brief, May 2024. Link. Wolff shares the benefits and drawbacks of a) clinician-bonded strategies and b) … [Read more...]
Smart ways to handle too much business
Tom Seeko, CExP, provides good food for thought for veterinary practices and other pet services businesses in this article. He discusses options for addressing the challenge of too much business or the alternative of the status quo. “Choices . . . most of the stress that veterinary professionals experience is due to the demands and unclear expectations they put on themselves … [Read more...]
SBA’s Working Capital Pilot program for small businesses launched
A Small Business Association pilot program that offers a new line of credit with greater flexibility than a long-term loan was announced on June 6th <Link>. The article below explains the intent and we’ve included a link to the most recent SBA information. The pilot is touted as engineered to meet the needs of modern small businesses. Sources: White House … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 17, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 11, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the July 11th AHD Bulletin – Meeting customer expectations starts with employees. Link. Updated fluid therapy guidelines from AAHA. Link. Addressing common nutrition misperceptions. Link. ================================== The rise of pet product … [Read more...]
Morris Animal Foundation, Nestlé Purina PetCare to collaborate to advance care of aging dogs
A new collaboration between Morris Animal Foundation and Nestlé Purina anticipates being another step in the journey to unlock the potential of nutrition to enhance dog health and well-being through science. The collaboration will focus on deepening the scientific understanding of key areas impacting senior dogs, including healthy aging, longevity, body condition and … [Read more...]
Royal Canin and American Kennel Club renew multi-year agreement to sponsor the AKC National Championship
A five-year renewal of its multi-year agreement ensures Royal Canin will serve as the title and exclusive pet food sponsor of the AKC National Championship, the largest dog show in North America featuring thousands of dogs competing for the coveted title of America’s National Champion. The sponsorship will extend across several AKC programs as well. Source: PETFOOD Industry, … [Read more...]
Embark Veterinary announces 3 new tests for copper toxicosis
Breeders of Labradors and Dobermans can now test their dogs’ DNA to make informed decisions for ongoing breeding programs to reduce the risk of copper toxicosis in progeny. Dogs affected with copper toxicosis have difficulty excreting excess copper from their liver, which allows copper to build up until the liver eventually begins to fail. Source: Embark Veterinary Inc, July … [Read more...]
Don’t let cattle drink this pond water
No producer wants to think about hauling water in the summer. Yet, harmful algal blooms are a potential risk in freshwater ponds and streams this time of the year. They are primarily caused by cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae. Mindy Ward shares what the NRCS and CDC advise if animals are exposed to cyanobacteria and ways to reduce risks. Source: Missouri … [Read more...]
Battling flies this summer
Last week we provided tips to help manage flies in facilities <Link>. In this article, Bob Larson, DVM, asserts fly control strategies need to be flexible and may need to be changed. He discusses unique characteristics of the four common flies that pester cattle: horn flies, face flies, stable flies and horse flies. Source: Drovers, July 9, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Facing declining interest in vet practice ownership
Patty Khuly, VMD, MBA, shares her top four stumbling blocks to practice ownership in the article here positioned as a rebuttal to an article in The Atlantic <Link>. She writes about forces that affect the makeup of veterinary professional attitudes that alter attitudes toward entrepreneurship and, therefore, practice ownership. Regarding decreased aspirational … [Read more...]
Study finds each Beef Checkoff dollar returns $13.41
Statistics uncovered by an independent study indicate the goal to increase beef demand in the U.S. and worldwide is being achieved while providing producers and importers with an excellent return on their national Checkoff investments. Source: BEEF, July 10, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Boost beef-on-dairy calf value with good health records
With the beef-on-dairy market booming, dairy farmers using a beef-on-dairy program must seize every opportunity to market their crossbred calves effectively, writes Taylor Leach. This means ensuring the highest health and nutrition standards, plus maintaining detailed health and vaccination records. She shares what is important and what should be recorded. Source: Dairy Herd … [Read more...]
Biosecurity planning for secure beef supply
Foot and mouth disease fears have driven transdisciplinary approaches to biosecurity across livestock industry segments. The current issues with high-path avian influenza in dairy cattle underscores the importance of biosecurity planning as it is the leading protection against diseases. The Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program proactively established … [Read more...]
Handling the threat of ticks
While animal health pros may discuss the same topic multiple times daily, individual animal owners may only hear about the risks from mosquitoes, fleas and ticks once or twice a year and ignore the topic in their online streams or feeds. Dana Kneese, DVM, reminds us that animal owners need to know the types of ticks and what diseases they carry and understand the basics of … [Read more...]
Cultivated meat, microbial protein enter the pet food conversation
The potential for alternative proteins is gaining steam as cultivated meat and other novel proteins begin appearing as actualities in pet food formulas, rather than as hypotheticals, writes Lisa Cleaver. Source: PETFOOD Industry, July 2024. Link. With increasing pressure on the supply chain of animal-derived protein ingredients, <cultivated products> differentiate the … [Read more...]
Catnip. How and why it works on some cats
Cats get high off catnip by inhaling nepetalactone, the organic compound found in catnip which scientists believe their brain interprets as cat pheromones. Catnip sensitivity is hereditary, develops when cats mature to about three to six months and is inherited in only about 50 percent of cats. Source: Happy Puppy Tips. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider this for social media posts … [Read more...]
6 ways to bring strategy into work every day
David Lancefield shares six ways to incorporate strategy into daily practices instead of switching on autopilot and defaulting to habits that keep us focused on the familiar. He reminds us to be aware of our personal limitations and practices which prevent us from translating intent into strategic actions. Source: Harvard Business Review, July 12, 2024. Link. We have more … [Read more...]
Thriving leadership
Self-leadership is the foundation that qualifies you to lead others. The author shares five tips to strengthen your self-leadership. Source: Giant Leap Consulting, July 2024. Link. At their core, arrogant leaders are fearful leaders which requires exploring what’s driving the fears and working through it. What good have I done today? - Benjamin Franklin’s end-of-day … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 11, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 3, 2024. Link. This edition contains links to archived content in the Worth a Glance section plus links to previous years’ full editions as well as topic tags. ===================================== How to cope with post-vacation blues Source: Harvard Business Review, July 9, 2024. Link. Feeling drained … [Read more...]
Facility tips to help manage the impact of flies on cattle
Sponsored Content Got flies? Choosing fly control products is important, but proper facilities management along with product rotation and application are even more crucial for effectively controlling fly populations. Note: The management tips shared here also apply to anywhere flies and animals exist such as kennels, animal shelters, stables and backyard poultry … [Read more...]