Gail Damerow shares 10 reasons to consider raising and keeping backyard geese. Easy keepers with big eggs, geese are relatively disease-free and are extremely hardy. Long-lived, geese are intelligent and make good watchdogs as well. Source: Backyard Poultry, July 9, 2022. Link. As referenced in article: Raising healthy geese, Timber Creek Farm. Link. (commercial site) … [Read more...]
High priced eggs could make incubators more popular
About 40 million egg-laying hens were lost to avian flu disruptions <Link> in 2022 and the layer population won’t recover overnight. The growth in popularity of backyard flocks may continue to grow as consumers seek to reduce the costs of eggs. Egg prices at the grocery store were elevated throughout 2022 due to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among … [Read more...]
AAEP Commission for Equine Veterinary Sustainability created (video)
The AAEP has formed the AAEP Commission on Equine Veterinary Sustainability as part of a campaign to transform and sustain equine practice intended to reverse downward trends. The Commission will develop, oversee and assist with the execution of programs designed to increase the sustainability of equine practice for the betterment of the equine veterinarian and the welfare … [Read more...]
Dogs’ social lives and disease risks – Tips for canine and human safety
Dog parks, doggie day cares, boarding, competitions, retail stores and training classes all create environments where dogs with varied and unknown health histories interact. These situations create risk for dogs and owners alike. Consider these resources from the AVMA for social media and newsletters to help inform pet owners. Source: AVMA. Link. … [Read more...]
UC Davis researchers study telemedicine for cats
A team of UC Davis researchers measured how cats reacted to in-clinic appointments versus those conducted by webcam. The objective was to evaluate if telemedicine could increase access to care for an estimated 45.3 million feline-friendly households in the United States. A summary of the research results show: Researchers find that cats showed signs of increased stress … [Read more...]
Let’s get INTEGRATED! What is integrated medicine?
Complimentary Sponsored Content Drs. Jenifer and Jason Chatfield discuss integrated medicine with Michele Broadhurst, DC*, in the Chatroom. We noted the conversation at 30:40 about combining common prescription pain inhibition with animal-specific physical movement and adjunct treatments. . . . so would it be fair to say the prescription approach hides the pain where … [Read more...]
Pet wearable market to grow to $6.88 B by 2030
Pet owners’ concern for their pets’ welfare is boosting pet wearables market growth opportunities, according to Grand View Research. Despite being in its infancy, the pet wearable industry growth is evolving with the spread of artificial intelligence, rising internet usage and the creation of low-cost sensors, smartphone applications, GPS and other technologies. Source: Pet … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – January 16, 2023
Pet health trends, website and social media tips for small businesses, Pet Food Institute keeping pet food safe, dealing with Gen Z, 2023 pet tech trends and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites – January 16, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Important small talk
"How are you," are the three most useless words in the world of communication. The person asking doesn't really want to know, and the person responding doesn't tell the truth. Be interested instead of trying to be interesting.” – Patrick T. Malone Source: CNBC, November 11, 2020. Link. The key to making the most out of small talk, according to Harvard researchers, is to … [Read more...]
Considering access to veterinary care
Veterinarian shortages in the workforce and animal owner access to veterinary care will remain significant issues in coming years. Mark Cushing, JD, shares new and encouraging initiatives and experiments underway to solve access to care at a fundamental level beyond the plethora of call-to-action slogans. Cushing shares survey results from APG/O’Hara that indicate upgrading … [Read more...]
Galaxy Vets shares list of 60 veterinary conferences in 2023
Galaxy Vets released a comprehensive list and an interactive map of veterinary conferences for 2023. There are 60 events listed with descriptions, pricing and CE hours. Most events went back to the offline format, with no virtual options. AHD will keep this listing as a place keeper in the Worth a Glance section of the AHD Bulletin for your convenience and … [Read more...]
The new normal is, in fact, the old normal
These two reports from the National Retail Federation are good reads for animal health pros as strategies for 2023 get implemented and refined. NRF’s 2023 Big Show in New York City featured a live, free-flowing discussion between Walmart’s John Furner and Harvard Business School's James Cash. They covered change, the importance of long-term perspective, faith, perseverance, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 19, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 12, 2023. Link. Most read posts from January 12th AHD Bulletin – Social media users more inclined to browse than post content. Link. Place keeper:2023 Veterinary Conferences provided by Galaxy Vets. Link. ====================================== New strain of bird flu kills hundreds of snow … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 12, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 5, 2023. Link. Most read posts from January 5th AHD Bulletin – Handling tardy clients. Link. Clarifying the recission of the FDA VCPR waiver. Link. Does post-transport, pre-processing rest make a difference in calf growth performance. Link. Virus hunters spotting threats in new … [Read more...]
It’s not the cow. It’s the how . . . and the who!
Livestock play a major role in sustainable food systems globally. There are widescale efforts to improve livestock sector practices so that they are more sustainable, more equitable and pose less risk to animal and human health. The trajectory of the livestock sector’s growth can be improved by investing in sustainable intensification and climate-smart strategies, as well as … [Read more...]
Are beef-on-dairy calves being over-vaccinated?
Dan Thompson, DVM, PhD, shares industry concerns about the distinct disparities between the lives of full-blood beef calves and their beef-on-dairy cousins before they reach the feedlot. He reviews the likelihood of over-vaccination, overloading the immune systems and pain associated with near-weekly needle pokes. . . . during the first 90-100 days of their lives, … [Read more...]
Umbilical infections taking a toll on dairy calves
David Renaud, DVM, PhD, considers navel infections to be the most under-diagnosed disease in dairy calves, particularly in the first two weeks of life. Sharing research and on-farm experiences, Renaud and Matthias Wieland, DVM, say the symptoms of diarrhea and pneumonia are often readily seen but umbilical infections are rarely noticed. Renaud encourages veterinarians and … [Read more...]
Calving season begins
Calving season brings promise and challenges to producers and the veterinary teams who support them. An early calf born in Missouri reminds us of the need to help producers get ready for late winter and spring calving. Here are several calving resources we’ve shared in AHD posts over the last seven years. Source: Search results for: calving, Animal Health Digest. Link. … [Read more...]
Oral care; a New Year’s resolution for veterinary teams, pet owners
Opinion and Sponsored Content Asserting the importance of oral care is as important as discussing vaccines and flea, tick and heartworm prevention. Pet oral care is a critical component of healthy pet stewardship. Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT) remains an opportunity for veterinary clinics to educate pet owners on the importance of oral care at … [Read more...]
Lifescient, Inc., developing long-acting injectable drug delivery platform
Complimentary Commercial Content Seeking to relieve the challenges of daily dosing of prescription medications, Kamalesh Rao and his team at Lifescient have developed a promising drug delivery platform to administer medication via a long-acting injectable for companion animals. LAIs will offer: Freedom from the stress and commitment required of daily dosing … [Read more...]
CE – Tailoring services to clients’ needs
Sponsored Content – earn RACE-approved CE Credit Wendy Hauser, DVM, presents an online course that examines how to identify what clients value, and ways to create a tailored approach to create alignment and meet the needs of veterinary teams and pet owners. Client expectations have been evolving over the past decade. The ‘fit’ between veterinary hospitals and clients isn’t … [Read more...]
BuddyID™ announces a Partnership with FirstVet & the launch of BuddyID™ collar tag
Complimentary Commercial Content Microchip ID Systems, a leader in the animal microchip and companion pet registry industry, is announcing its partnership with FirstVet. FirstVet will provide telehealth services to Microchip ID Systems customers that register their companion animals to the BuddyID™ registry and sign up with FirstVet. The company is launching a … [Read more...]
Oklahoma kennels, groomers require canine flu vaccines plus influenza mapping
Taking a pet to a dog park, groomer or boarding business can put dogs at risk in areas where canine flu outbreaks occur. Businesses that group dogs together are requiring owners to get their dogs vaccinated with a canine flu vaccine. Source: KOCO-TV via AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief, January 3, 2023. Link. INSIGHTS: Canine influenza vaccine is a lifestyle vaccine … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – January 9, 2023
Gaining animal owner trust, 2023 in pet nutrition, transforming the pet care industry marketing, incorporating sustainable methods, Invoxia’s smart collar launch and more. . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, January 9, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
VetWatch shows more dollars YOY, fewer pets, fewer invoices
VetWatch year end report for the ~3,000 reporting practices shows: For the month ending December 31, 2022, aggregate YTD practice revenues are at + 4.5 percent net growth versus YTD 2021 Period performance growth in unique patients (pets) is at (-1.9 percent) Unique client and invoice growth posted (-2.0 percent) and (-3.1 percent) growth respectively vs PYTD … [Read more...]
Employee retention replaces talent acquisition as top HR priority for 2023
Phil Albinus shares key findings from a Lattice report showing human resource teams will focus on retaining valuable talent this year. He notes employee engagement and the growing pay transparency laws as factors for consideration. Absent the ability to hire talent from the outside, HR teams are investing in the people they already have.” Source: Human Resource Executive, … [Read more...]
Telemedicine veterinarian identified as new job type in TIME
Features Commercial Content TIME named telemedicine veterinarian as one of five jobs that didn’t exist five years ago. Brian Evans, DVM, from Dutch contributed information about the opportunity of telemedicine in the veterinary setting. He shared telemedicine is never going to replace real-life care. It’s always going to be an adjunct to in-person care, because telemedicine … [Read more...]
Social media users more inclined to browse than post content
A recent Gallup survey reveals Americans use social media more as information sources to find out what is happening with others and to hear what others think than to share their own experiences and opinions. Sharing original content is an exception. Younger adults are far more active than older adults across almost all social media platforms. The one exception is Facebook, for … [Read more...]
AVMA House of Delegates rejects midlevel practitioner idea, favors support for CVTs
The AVMA House of Delegates’ Veterinary Information Forum addressed the topic, The veterinary healthcare team—Is there a need for a mid-level position? during the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference, January 5-7 in Chicago. The consensus from conversations was that a mid-level practitioner would not be a smart solution to workforce or access-to-care concerns. Rather, time … [Read more...]
Does post-transport, pre-processing rest make a difference in calf growth performance
A Kansas State University research project evaluated the impact of post-transport rest periods on calf growth performance, mortality and morbidity. The findings show a rest period has little affect on calf performance. Additionally, calf response to anthelmintics and blood serum metabolites were not increased by rest periods. Source: BEEF, November/December 2022. … [Read more...]