Sponsored Content A recent survey <Link>* found that 50 percent of candidates who accepted a job offer between May 2022 and May 2023, backed out, then started working for another employer. Among nearly 2,000 respondents who recently started new jobs, 47 percent said they were still open to other job offers, and 42 percent believed they could find a better job if they … [Read more...]
Pet owners are NOT prepared to pay for veterinary care
Commentary including Sponsored Content “They didn’t say anything about this in the books,” wrote James Herriott in his 1972 bestseller, “All Creatures Great and Small.” Herriott introduced readers to the amazing variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice. He also introduced us to unrealistic expectations of animal owners. We submit that while the practice of … [Read more...]
7 pet insurance strategies can help your clients and grow your practice
Persuading pet owners to invest in pet insurance may be challenging, but it is important, writes Jennifer Guli. She offers some approaches and reminds animal health pros to tailor the discussion to individual clients instead of using a script. Source: DVM 360, September 27, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – October 2, 2023
IBPSA Pet Care Business Excellence Awards, storing employee information safely, small business grant for women, AI tools for better graphics and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, October 2, 2023. Link. Images from the 2023 IBPSA FLOW business conference are available in the Facebook group International Boarding and Pet Services Association members <Link>. … [Read more...]
Catching up with Veterinary Innovation Podcasts
Ivan Zak, DVM, and Shawn Wilkie remain dedicated to having good discussions with industry innovators. Their podcast series now exceeds 200 episodes and is an excellent library to monitor and gain insights about industry people and a cornucopia of new ideas, solutions and their motives. Recent podcasts covered: Hospitality as a discipline for animal health teams How … [Read more...]
NAVC shares 2024 VMX educational direction and World’s Fair style event plans
Complimentary content NAVC will host its 41st annual conference January 13 through 17, 2024 in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center and everywhere virtually. The first global veterinary conference of the year, VMX empowers the direction for the animal healthcare industry. Key continuing education session highlights include: Technology’s impact on … [Read more...]
October is National Pet Wellness Month
Pet health is important enough that the American Veterinary Medical Association and countless other organizations promote October with events and specials. Depending on your segment of the industry, there’s likely a site with resources for your specialty to help you communicate the importance of pet health with pet owners. Sources: AVMA. Link. National Today. Link. … [Read more...]
Veterinary Virtual Care Association announces 2023 Global Summit
The 3rd annual VVCA Summit is scheduled for four consecutive Mondays and will be held virtually. The event is crafted for veterinary professionals aiming to broaden their understanding and proficiency in the evolving domain of veterinary virtual care. The Webinar Vet will facilitate the event. Source: VVCA, October 2, 2023. Link. Dates: Mondays: October 30th, November … [Read more...]
Could one Walmart store change the entire pet industry?
Mark Kalaygian, Pet Business’ publishing director and editor in chief, shares his perspective and concerns with Walmart’s announcement to open its first Pet Services center in Dallas, Georgia <Link>. As pet owners trade down in the brands they feed their pets, retailers like Walmart will inevitably see more opportunity to steal those customers away from independent pet … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 28, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, September 14, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from the September 14th AHD Bulletin – The manager squeeze: How a new workplace is testing team leaders. Link. Most-read 2023 posts by Patrick T. Malone. Link. Use caution when feeding drought-stressed corn. Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary … [Read more...]
Beef-on-dairy: A revolution in American beef production?
Industry experts predict dairy farmers will produce 2.92 million beef-on-dairy calves this year and 3.22 million in 2024. And those numbers may be conservative, writes Greg Henderson. . . . sexed semen helps reduce the number of dairy cows needed to produce dairy heifers, thus allowing more dairy cows available for breeding to beef sires.” Source: Dairy Herd Management, … [Read more...]
First International Avian Influenza Summit takes place October 16, 17
The Center of Excellence for Poultry Science is hosting the new hybrid event. It is a global event made up of scientists, policymakers and stakeholders who are addressing the challenges posed by the highly pathogenic avian influenza epizootic. The conference is approved by the American College of Poultry Veterinarians for 14 credit hours for registered members. It’s also … [Read more...]
Chickens get worms. Deworming isn’t always easy.
Susan Brackney talked with poultry experts to understand why a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t exist when it comes to deworming chickens. . . . the FDA considers all chickens to be food-producing animals, regardless of how the owner views it . . . which limits my options as a veterinarian. . . “ - Megan Lighty, DVM, PhD, DACPV Source: Hobby Farms, August 7, 2023. Link. To … [Read more...]
Poll: Persistent hoof problems
A recent poll asked, “Which hoof problem do you encounter most often in your horses?” Hoof cracks and thrush were the top answers shared by 342 participants. Polls like this give animal health pros a look at horse enthusiasts’ perceptions and challenges with keeping their animals healthy. Source: The Horse. Link. … [Read more...]
New resource available: West Nile virus in U.S. Horses
Commentary West Nile virus may seem like just another preventable disease these days, but 24 years ago the story was quite different. For many animal health pros, WNV and the severe neurologic disease it causes was the biggest health threat the horse industry had seen in the 20th century. Not only a risk to horses, WNV affects many species, including humans. Stacey Oke, … [Read more...]
Dental treats. Every crunch counts.
Fifty-five percent of treats dog owners buy are for dental care. Caroline Coile, PhD, says yes, then reminds us about xylitol and shares perspectives on the benefits of dental treats as a secondary oral health approach. Every crunch counts. Dogs can chew, chomp and lap their way to cleaner teeth. Use treats as a preventative following a professional cleaning.” - Caroline … [Read more...]
Study finds vegan cat food beneficial
Results from a study in Australia contradict the long-standing opinion that cats are obligate carnivores. Examining seven general indicators of illness, researchers found risk reductions with a vegan diet for all seven general illness indicators. Commenting on their research and other studies, the researchers found the evidence remarkably consistent, “Nutritionally sound … [Read more...]
Conditions missed by skipping urinalysis
There are conditions that can be missed if urinalysis is not performed, writes Candice P. Chu, DVM, PhD, DACVP. She says these three results can be missed without urinalysis: Proteinuria Glucosuria: Fanconi syndrome Bacteriuria: Subclinical bacteriuria Source: Clinician’s Brief, September 2023. Link. Relatively inexpensive . . . urinalysis should be considered as … [Read more...]
Top 5 severe adverse effects of antimicrobials
ICYMI. Although mild adverse effects are reported with many antimicrobials, alarming and severe adverse effects are possible even with commonly used drugs, share authors Mackenzie Gray, DVM, and Kate KuKanich, DVM, PhD, DACVIM. They list their top serious antimicrobial adverse effects and prevention strategies to help ensure patient safety. Antimicrobials referenced with … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – September 26, 2023
Pet food market export growth, India's pet care sector growing with innovation and adaptability, ESG in small business, YouTube SEO, recycling efforts, small gestures employees appreciate and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, September 26, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
The new phone call etiquette: Text first and never leave a voicemail (video)
Heather Kelly shares when it is okay to leave voicemails, call multiple times in a row or take a call in public. She shares these four basic tips: Don’t use speakerphone in public Only answer when you want to talk Text before calling Don’t abuse video voicemail Source: Washington Post, September 25, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
7th Veterinary Innovation Summit seeks to collaborate and advance human, veterinary medicine
Registration is still open for the 7th annual Veterinary Innovation Summit. Sponsored by the North American Veterinary Community and the Veterinary Innovation Council, the event will focus on the future of animal healthcare and how breakthroughs in human medicine can be adapted to advance animal healthcare and vice versa. Source: NAVC, September 20, 2023. Link. We have … [Read more...]
Free calendar helps keep track of heritage, awareness months
The communications pros at Ragan developed a handy calendar that lists key heritage months and days. Source: Ragan, September 25, 2023. Link. The calendar isn’t a comprehensive list of every affinity event . . . It focuses specifically on heritage, gender and sexuality, and disabilities to cast a net that’s helpful for most communicators. Direct link to PDF. … [Read more...]
ER doctor: What AI startups are getting wrong about ChatGPT for telehealth
Commentary This article offers perspective as telehealth and virtual care become more prevalent in veterinary medicine and AI tools are being further developed. We noted the doctor’s considerable experiences with virtual medicine, the (missing) need for setting patient expectations, plus challenges when there is no doctor-patient relationship. All too often, I’ve cared for … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 21, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, September 14, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from the September 14th AHD Bulletin – Things that fit through a surgical mask. Link. Practical advice about heartworm preventative lapses. Link. Call to action: Educate the public about the cost of pet ownership. Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary … [Read more...]
The mythical performance curve for net sow output
Culling in livestock production is replete with indecision, reluctance and emotions for many producers. They’ve often worked hard for months or years to optimize their animals’ health only to be faced with removing an animal from the herd to realize increased economic benefits. Statistics require perspective from all sides, as well as accurate data collection. Dennis Dipetre … [Read more...]
Decisions abound when determining who should be raising replacement heifers
Joe Armstrong, DVM, shared various factors dairy producers must consider when deciding on who will raise their replacement heifers. Karen Bohnert shares excerpts from a recent podcast discussing economies, biosecurity, risks and available space. Source: Dairy Herd Management, September 12, 2023. Link. . . . it costs on average $2,000 to raise a heifer calf before she hits … [Read more...]
Cat treats evolving to become an important component of daily life
Includes Commercial Content For a cat treat to be considered functional, it must serve a greater purpose than a simple reward or snack given between meals, writes Dorothy Crouch. She says cat owners want to support the health of their cats through snacks that are tasty, satisfying and provide wellness benefits. Treats remain an integral tool to forging and cultivating the … [Read more...]
ElleVet Sciences releases CBD+CBDA study on dog drug interactions
Complimentary Commercial Content A recently published study suggests that CBD+CBDA are each metabolized differently in dogs, with P450 enzymes, particularly CYP1A2 and CYP2C21, playing major roles with CYP1A2 being the likely primary metabolizer of CBD. Pharmacodynamic modeling suggests minimal risk of significant interactions with other concomitantly used drugs at current … [Read more...]
2024 Call for Projects seeks to help advance the human-animal bond
Ceva Animal Health has launched a worldwide event that aims to discover and support new solutions for the well-being and care of companion animals and their pet parents. The company seeks to harness the expertise and creativity of individuals, startups and organizations with this effort. The goal is to address key issues in animal health and benefit companion animals … [Read more...]