Heartworms are in every U.S. state and other countries. In fact, heartworm disease is on the rise throughout the U.S. and areas that were once non-endemic. The American Heartworm Society offers multiple resources for veterinarians and pet owners at heartwormsociety.org. They include: Heartworm incidence map: updated every three years to highlight the average number of … [Read more...]
Do you want to be right or happy?
Michael Easter offers a psychology-based approach to conflict. He says psychologists theorize that our capacity to reason didn’t develop so we could find better beliefs and make better decisions. Reason likely evolved so we could win arguments. By inserting the question, “do you want to be right or happy?” Easter says we insert perspective into the equation. Source: Forge, … [Read more...]
What do when your anxiety sets in at a live networking event
Susan McPherson has thought about reconnecting live after so much time in a digital world. She’s found that people fail to maintain the right mindset about connecting and offers tips for getting back into the game. Source: Fast Company, April 2, 2021. Link. Being at the top of your game in terms of your well-being is not dependent on your role or the amount of stress you … [Read more...]
Deal with jargon problems
Jargon is a staple of the modern workplace. Sometimes jargon has a legitimate purpose, but overreliance on it and acronyms can make people feel excluded or lead them to disengage. If you’re concerned about possible negative effects of jargon on your teams, clients or organization, consider the following: Know your audience. There are times when using jargon can help you … [Read more...]
5 ways to master the art of bragging
Women have always faced unique challenges in the workplace, particularly when it comes to self-promotion, writes Charlene Walters, MBA, PhD, and career coach. She says modesty isn't always a good thing. Yet, according to a 2019 survey of working women, 84 percent said they feel uncomfortable talking about professional or academic accomplishments, and more than 69 percent said … [Read more...]
Changing feline eating habits can be good
Donna Raditic DVM, DACVN, CVA challenges traditional feeding habits and suggests encouraging diet variety for cats. She outlines rationales and benefits with catvocate Steve Dale. Source: Catster, March 31, 2021. Link. Think about what cats do in the wild. It makes sense to offer a cat two or three diets, each with different textures, tastes and smells (unless the cat is … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 1, 2021
Where veterinary medicine is (likely) headed over the next decade Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, February 2021. Link. Douglas G. Aspros, DVM, highlights four things he thinks are in the future. Some are driven by technology and others are systems-based. As always, changes in social perspectives and values will be key. Podcast: … [Read more...]
Deworming dairy heifers
Scott E. Poock, DVM, DABVP, discusses deworming with a focus on differences between confinement and pastures. He reviews worm life cycles and how infestation occurs. Source: American Dairymen, March 10, 2021. Link. If a heifer has been raised in confinement and hasn’t had exposure, you don’t need to waste money on deworming. By contrast, if heifers have been exposed to … [Read more...]
USDA hits pause on cattle tracking proposal
Reversing its position on phasing out metal and plastic identification ear tags, the USDA decided they can be used indefinitely on cattle that cross state borders, on cattle exhibited at fairs and on dairy cattle. all current APHIS-approved methods of identification may be used… until further notice” Source: Successful Farming, March 24, 2021. Link. “APHIS continues to … [Read more...]
Antibiotic-free production continues to evolve
Balancing human and animal health is the highest priority for antibiotic-free livestock and poultry production. Proactive measures have advanced rapidly in the poultry industry, including phytogenics, probiotics and prebiotics. Source: Feed Strategy, March/April 2021. Link. Lessons learned in the poultry industry can be applied to other species. I expect a steady pickup in … [Read more...]
Equine strangles. Identifying the chronic shedder
Strangles occurs when Streptococcus equi subsp equi, a gram-positive, aerobic coccal bacteria, enters the mouth or nose and attaches to the tonsillar crypts, writes Kate L. Hepworth-Warren, DVM, DACVIM. Chronic shedders are often the culprit in new outbreaks when horses suddenly develop signs of strangles with no known exposure. A chronic shedder also can make it difficult to … [Read more...]
Disease Du Jour podcast: New equine vet skill sets
Complimentary Sponsored Content The equine veterinary community is worried about two large problems when it comes to new veterinarians joining the industry. One is getting new vets who have sufficient skills to begin in practice. The second is keeping equine veterinarians to stay in practice within the first five years of graduation. Source: EquiManagement, March 25, … [Read more...]
Shoelaces smoked with bacon. Say what?
As if dogs needed more incentive to chew shoes, Oscar Mayer teamed up with Black Ops Productions to create 1,500 pairs of limited-edition shoelaces cold-smoked with Hardwood Smoked Bacon to capture their scent. Source: ADWEEK, March 26, 2021. Link. Fans have until April 1 to tweet with the hashtags #OscarCookMyKicks and #Sweepstakes. … [Read more...]
Healthy Puppy Month effort seeks to raise $20,000 for parvovirus research
Complimentary Content Revival Animal Health and Good Dog are teaming up to celebrate Healthy Puppy Month and raise money for parvovirus research. All month long, puppy owners and caretakers are encouraged to sign the Healthy Puppy Pledge. For every signature, Revival and Good Dog will donate $1 to Morris Animal Foundation, up to $20,000, to help fund parvovirus … [Read more...]
Embracing the digital pet ecosystem
The digital pet ecosystem refers to anything digital that connects you to a client and their pet, writes Bruce Truman. The time is now for individuals and practice teams to embrace the opportunity to meet client expectations for services. The new age pet parent wants engagement. They are interested in online chat or text services, monthly payment plans, loyalty programs, … [Read more...]
Why it’s vital to say “please” and “thank you”
There are those who were never taught basic etiquette and are ignorant to proper manners. Others have adopted bad habits and don’t even realize how they come across to people. And yes, some folks are rude and ungrateful; all they think about is themselves. While you may think that saying “please” and “thank you” is a mere nicety, failing to do so is more significant than you … [Read more...]
Study: Brand activism sways buying behaviors, brand impressions
Piplsay's latest survey finds that most U.S. consumers view brand activism in a positive light, even if questions about the reasoning and impact of the movement remain. The survey also found differences of opinion across gender and generational lines. . . . differences suggest that brand activism is still an important strategy, but one that must be undertaken with care, … [Read more...]
Pet products landscape is continuously evolving
“The omnimarket experience has redefined the way pet owners search for, find and buy pet products. It transcends retail channels and product categories,” shared David Sprinkle, publisher and research direction for Packaged Facts. He said, “. . . the humanization of companion animals is increasingly evident with pet food, especially evident with fresh pet food, with pet food … [Read more...]
Synchronous versus asynchronous
An educated industry colleague shared constructive criticism about semantics recently. It was aimed at two terms frequently used as tele-everything is developing in animal health and remote capabilities continue to expand. Veterinary practices have long been hands-on providing support and treatment in real time. Therefore synchronous. The pandemic increased the adoption … [Read more...]
11 trends that will shape HR in 2021
Brian Kropp, chief of HR research at Gartner, recently shared his top predictions of trends that will shape HR in 2021. He predicts it will be another year full of reinvention. Here are three of his trend predictions: Shift from managing the employee experience to managing the life experience of your employees Flexibility moves from location to time The … [Read more...]
Omnichannel, asynchronous, decision support, home delivery terms of future pet business
Opinion Changes to the ways we live and work could mean years of extra business for pet supply stores, says Erich Schwartzel. His article prompts reflection on how we got here from an animal health supply and services standpoint. Source: The long tail of the pandemic puppy business, Wall Street Journal, March 26, 2021. Link. Petco, the animal-supply retailer, was a … [Read more...]
This ain’t chicken feed
While poultry enthusiasts may be working for idiomatic chicken feed, there are recommended steps to decide what to feed chickens. Janet Garman helps make sense of all the choices. Source: Backyard Poultry, March 18, 2021. Link. The first consideration for what to feed chickens is their nutritional requirements. Chickens need protein, carbohydrates, and fats, along with the … [Read more...]
Spring into horse care as weather warms
Complimentary Commercial Content from SmartPak Christine Barakat and Dusty Perin cover laminitis prevention to mud management to vaccination scheduling in this volume of EQUUS Extra. Items include: 14 things to do for your horse this season Spring horse keeping priorities Reduce the risk of laminitis Source: EQUUS Extra, Volume 40, Spring 2020. … [Read more...]
Feeding cats. Enough or too much?
Regardless of how long they’ve owned them, cat owners often wonder if they are feeding their cats enough or too much. They also inquire about what brand to feed, wet versus dry feed and when to feed it. The Catster editors answer these questions in the article below. Source: Catster, March 18, 2021. Link. Also see: Optimal nutrition calculators for cats and dogs, Animal … [Read more...]
Why dogs chew their feet and what to do about it
All dogs chew and lick their feet. Finding the cause of foot chewing can be complicated, says Christopher Pachel, DVM. Among the reasons are anxiety, boredom, injuries, allergies, cracked nails and even food allergies. He offers these tips to help avoid problems: Feed a high-quality, well-balanced diet. Make sure your dog gets plenty of physical exercise, mental … [Read more...]
Canine parvovirus varies geographically
Canine parvovirus first emerged in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia in 1978, when a virus similar to feline panleukopenia virus crossed over from cats to cause a new type of disease among domestic dogs. An ongoing worldwide concern, CPV-2 has since mutated into three strains (CPV-2a, -2b, and -2c) that vary in prevalence geographically. Jonathan E. Fogle DVM, … [Read more...]
Facebook study of emerging trends in eCommerce and digital engagement [Infographic]
Opinion Most of us would agree that 2020 advanced asynchronous interactions provided by digital tech, internet services and eCommerce platforms. Still, some animal health pros remain reluctant to believe that veterinary tele-everything and omni-channel supply chains will continue to be successful and grow. Whether one likes Facebook or not, the metrics in the infographic … [Read more...]
The most comprehensive guide to evaluating Veterinary PIMS
Sponsored Content In general, veterinary practice information management software features include appointment scheduling, electronic medical records, prescription processing, reminders, client database, invoicing, accounting, inventory tracking and reports based on the data acquired ,writes William Forsey. There is no very best veterinary practice management software, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 18, 2021
The 5 best TED Talks to watch today Source: Forbes, March 5, 2021. Link. Topics include work stress, side hustles, anxiety gaps, teaching girls, freelancing. Four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their simple fixes Source: Stanford News, February 23, 2021. Link. “Videoconferencing is a good thing for remote communication, but just … [Read more...]
Jan Pol, DVM: 5 tips for hobby farmers to keep farm animals healthy
Nat Geo WILD’s Incredible Dr. Pol shares tips for hobby farmers. His perspective is multi-species and the tips focus on preventing health issues using vaccines, cleanliness and reducing animal interactions with new or wild animals. Source: Hobby Farms, January/February 2021. Link. The Incredible Dr. Pol is now in its 17th season on Nat Geo WILD <link>. … [Read more...]