Anaphylaxis is often misdiagnosed because definitive criteria to distinguish it from an allergic reaction are lacking. This article reviews anaphylaxis pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, treatment, and clinical examples. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, July/August 2017. Anaphylaxis is a severe condition that requires rapid emergency treatment. Because of the lack of … [Read more...]
Cat butt questions answered
Dr. Arnold Plotnick answers common questions about the posteriors of our feline friends including scooting, anal gland expression and wiping. Source: Catster, July 27, 2017. Fortunately, cat butt problems are a minor issue in cats. But, there are some conditions that can be serious, such as infections, tumors and anal gland abscesses. INSIGHTS: Consider sharing this … [Read more...]
Manage old soft tissue injuries properly
Tendon and suspensory ligament injuries plague horses performing in all disciplines. Even pleasure horses and pasture ornaments may fall victim if they take the proverbial bad step over rough ground conditions. These are every bit as painful as bone or joint disorders and can take as much as a year to heal. Source: Horse Network, July 28, 2017. The common practice of giving … [Read more...]
Veterinary nurse effort finds focus
A representative of the group working to change the title of veterinary technician to veterinary nurse and standardize credentials nationwide said today that they will initially focus on Indiana, Michigan and Ohio where they like their chances of success. Source: DVM 360, July 24, 2017. We have compared the curriculums of veterinary technology programs to human nursing … [Read more...]
How we search continues to change
Marketing a practice has really changed. Instead of putting an ad in the yellow pages and making sure the phone number is correct in the white pages, a hospital now has to be found on multiple platforms and be accessed in a variety of ways. These areas need to be managed on a constant basis. Source: MWI Messenger, August 2017, page 21-22. The next leap in accessing and … [Read more...]
Don’t apologize. Do this instead.
Excessive apologizing can take away others' confidence in you as a leader. Instead, practice moves like thanking people for waiting if you are late to a meeting rather than saying, “sorry,” writes Judith Humphrey. Avoid apologizing before giving bad news so you don't reinforce the negativity of what you will say, and focus on solutions rather than feeling sorry for not being … [Read more...]
22 plants you may not know could poison dogs (infographic)
Use this infographic to correctly identify which plants are poisonous to dogs so you know which ones to keep dogs away from. This information will make good content for websites, social media, newsletters and in puppy kits. Source: The Bark, July 20, 2017. A study found that one in 12 pets has eaten poisonous plants, with smaller dogs and puppies being particularly at risk … [Read more...]
Coaching: Help other success
Since I was a good salesperson I would work with my reps and close more deals for them. After six months of running ragged closing deals without improving the total district sales, I realized that once again I had misinterpreted the trainer’s advice. For the first time in my life, I began to see the real value of coaching as a skill that helps others succeed. Source: Vet … [Read more...]
Pig’s personalities may play role in welfare
Professor Kristina Horback is an animal-cognition expert with the Department of Animal Science at the University of California-Davis. She is building on her pioneering research that examines the role personality plays in the welfare and sustainable production of farm animals, like cattle, sheep and swine. Her work is driven by new legislative and marketplace demands to raise … [Read more...]
When goals matter
Steve Keating shares solid insight on goal setting for our personal lives. A solid goal-setting process begins by investing serious time considering what is important in your life. That might sound easy but here’s the deal – what is important in your life isn’t what you say it is. It is what you show it is. Source: LeadToday, July 13, 2017. Most people spend on average 40 … [Read more...]
Proven, free program brings back inactive clients
Churn can approach one-fourth of active clients annually. Normal reasons for churn include moving, pets dying, divorce, owner illnesses and others. An industry funded program, used by more than 1,000 veterinary practices can help bring your inactive clients back. Source: AAHA NEWStat, July 18, 2017. The program, Partners for Healthy Pets (PHP) is an alliance of 100+ … [Read more...]
What these sleeping positions tell owners about their dogs
Fun and thought provoking. There are many attributes in dogs’ sleeping behavior that can indicate their overall mood, health and state of mind. Some of these include the duration of their sleep, movement, frequency and location. One such attribute is the position in which they are sleeping. Source: Pet Pace, July 3, 2017. Sleeping positions and attributes can bring you … [Read more...]
Opinion – Veterinary distribution measured, supply chains challenged
Almost concurrently, I read about AVDA’s survey of veterinary distributors and a supply chain report on Amazon as a competitor, yet partner. The move to online is apparent in both articles and signals how much distributors are at the front line of a changing economy. Direct-to-consumer sales threaten their business models, which previously relied on shipping large amounts of … [Read more...]
All of us need to be in sales (video)
Sales is that five-letter word no one wants to mention. But, John Baldoni makes a case for everyone to consider sales as a reflection of you, your work and your commitment to customers. Source: SmartBrief, July 14, 2017. Re-framing sales then means re-thinking what you do. Very basically, consider sales as everything you do for a client -- service, execution, follow up and … [Read more...]
Poultry Health Today, editors’ picks
The editors of the Zoetis-sponsored publication picked the following topics as news you may have missed: IB called ‘eye of the storm’ for chicken health Medication shortage top issue for US turkey industry 'Old bug' with new name easily mistaken for E. coli peritonitis Source: Poultry Health Today, July 18, 2017. … [Read more...]
Start a meeting right
Too many meetings drag on without participants discussing the real problems that need to be addressed. People talk around the important issues during the meeting and then address them before or after it. This renders the meeting a waste of time and makes you, the meeting organizer, look bad. Combat this risk by explicitly asking that issues be discussed during the meeting, not … [Read more...]
Journal of Dairy Science, August issue quick view
We’ve linked to the table of contents for this research-rich issue. We always scan for papers that seem to be applicable to the more commercial animal health pros. The interpretive summaries and one paper are linked below: Interpretive summaries Short communication: Behavioral evaluation of the analgesic effect of flunixin meglumine in lame dairy cows Source: Journal … [Read more...]
Opinion – Bank ATMs turn 50
The authors have created an innovation-centric overview of the ATM. It is a fun read. I am old enough to remember when ATM transactions were free and ATM networks allowed for free transactions from a machine branded with a bank you did not use. Today, ATM fees range from $2.00 to $5.00, no matter how much cash you receive. The average is about $3.00 per transaction where I … [Read more...]
Rare heartworm surgery saves cat
Vets at UC Davis are claiming a medical first after successfully removing a 13 cm heartworm from a cat’s femoral artery. Source: NAVTA Animal Health Bi-weekly, July 18, 2017. NAVTA’s first post links to the story in Vet Times. … [Read more...]
Gratitude improves response to electronic communication
The speed of today’s communication has been blamed for poor spelling, bad grammar, little to no punctuation and a variety of other communication breakdowns. The sheer volume of emails needing attention can be overwhelming. So, anything that helps get your emails noticed and better responded to is very helpful. Source: Power Social Media, June 2017. Emails that ended in … [Read more...]
Dog writers contest underway
The Dog Writers Association of America announced that sponsors have added 11 new special awards to this year's writing contest and an additional $7,900 in cash prizes that brings the prize tally to $14,000. If you’ve been holding a story, now is the time to put pen to paper. Source: Germinder and Associates, July 10, 2017. The Dog Writers Association of America is the most … [Read more...]
Travel costs to increase next year
As you compile budgets for next year, be aware that travel costs are projected to increase across the board, according to a study by Carlson Wagonlit Travel and the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Travel Association. Source: Los Angeles Times, July 19, 2017 (paywall). In North America, the increases will be more modest, with airfares expected … [Read more...]
New ideas about implanting feedyard heifers
We don’t see a lot about implanting these days. This article features Merck Animal Health nutritionist Marshall Streeter, PhD, as he outlined some of the research conducted in preparation for release of a new heifer implant. Since most implant research has been conducted with from steers, Merck’s new data could improve our understanding of implant use in feedyard … [Read more...]
Practical advice about dairy cow care
“Cows should not spend more than four hours a day away from food, water and resting areas. The dairy producer gets four hours a day . . . the cows get the other 20,” espoused Gordie Jones, DVM, at the recent Western Dairy Management Conference in Reno, NV. He added, “Bottom line, if I can get your cow to go to bed for one extra hour with a full stomach, she will give 3.7 pounds … [Read more...]
Early weaning is hard on pigs
Speaking about his research findings, Adam Moeser, DVM, discussed the pathophysiology of stress-induced gastrointestinal disorders in animals and people during a recent meeting in Rome, Italy. He explained that during postnatal life, major developmental changes take place in the enteric nervous system of pigs. Because the GI systems are undergoing development during this time, … [Read more...]
Microchip comparison matrix
Microchipping remains a controversial subject with pet owners. To help, comparing microchips is easy with the chart in this infographic. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “A study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters showed that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 21.9 percent of the time, whereas microchipped dogs were … [Read more...]
Anesthetic monitoring: interpret the readings correctly
Monitors have improved veterinary medicine. But, a monitor cannot save a life unless the team member monitoring the patient understands the readings and can determine when the monitor is wrong. Any values differing from normal parameters should be investigated to determine whether they are life-threatening or merely glitches in the equipment. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, … [Read more...]
Anesthesia, quiz yourself
From adverse effects to age-related considerations, how much do you know about the many aspects of anesthesia? Veterinary teams and brave sales representatives can have fun with this quiz during a lunch and learn. Source: Clinician’s Brief, July 18, 2017. This self-quiz reviews 5 different aspects of anesthesiology in the small animal patient. For a complete discussion, … [Read more...]
Improve horse health with good fly control
House flies and stable flies have three prerequisites for successful completion of their life cycles: appropriate breeding materials, moisture and warmth, according to the Horse Industry Handbook. Eliminating any of these factors will minimize fly breeding. Source: AQHA Journal, July 13, 2018. Follow these simple tips for improving fly control Practice good … [Read more...]
The truth about tick control
Why clients don't buy tick control and other information is presented in this infographic. My pet never goes outside and other excuses. Source: Firstline, June 20, 2017. What veterinary clients don't know about tick control can hurt them. Here's a look at who's buying tick control, why clients resist and more. INSIGHTS: July and August are the heaviest summer vacation … [Read more...]