Michelle Evason, BSc, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), says there is a global jump in the number of dogs diagnosed with leptospirosis, including some hot spots where lepto exposure and infections are likely to occur. Her article offers perspective on One Health concerns, hot spot areas and the ongoing need to embrace client education and use vaccine to prevent infections. . . . … [Read more...]
Vetoquinol announces 5 new Flexadin® products
Vetoquinol USA’s five new Flexadin® products will provide research-proven joint support ingredients to dogs and cats of all ages and life stages. The expanded line of products will be available October 1, 2022. The full line of Flexadin products makes it easy to find a supplement that matches the needs of pets. We now know that glucosamine and chondroitin are ingredients that … [Read more...]
Zoetis announced the U.S. commercial launch of Solensia™ (Frunevetmab injection) as the first and only monoclonal antibody treatment to control osteoarthritis pain in cats approved in the U.S.
Complimentary Commercial Content Zoetis has researched pain progression in cats and now knows that a protein known as Nerve Growth Factor is a key driver of OA pain. By targeting NGF, Solensia controls cats’ OA pain, helping them to regain their quality of life by increasing their mobility and improving their overall comfort. Source: Zoetis, September 26, 2022. Link. To … [Read more...]
More than 100,000 veterinary and pet professionals now Fear Free certified
Congratulations to Marty Becker, DVM, and the Fear Free organization for achieving this significant milestone in training animal health professionals at all levels about providing emotional wellbeing, enrichment and the reduction of fear, anxiety and stress in pets. Source: Cision, September 27, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – September 26, 2022
Keeping pet influencers in mind, grooming good and bad from dogs’ points of view, business tech, pet brands to watch from SuperZoo 2022, pet food as health food, and more . . . The recent IBPSA FLOW Business Conference benefited over 300 owners and general managers, 40 vendors and offered deliverables from 28 speakers. Hosted by the Chatfields, the conference <Link> … [Read more...]
How to keep your brain sharp; memory starts to decline in your 30s (3 videos)
Forgetting often happens simply because we’re not focusing. Paying attention to something long enough to really observe it is key to memory, but that’s being threatened by all the rush of modern society. You’ve got to make efforts to set up your memory and keep it working. You want to enhance whatever natural abilities you might have.” - Richard Restak MD. Source: TODAY, … [Read more...]
Don’t forget to inhale
Complimentary Commercial Content* Niklas Göke shared an excerpt from his new book, 2-Minute Pep Talks, now the #2 new release for Kindle books in the personal growth category. The excerpt is a transcript from pep talk #14. Living is exhaling. Don’t forget to inhale, writes Göke. . . . if do is all you do, it’ll be impossible to extract happiness from even the most … [Read more...]
How to know if it is time for a new job
Gregg Vanourek recommends reevaluating your job every couple of years and finding ways to enhance it while scanning for new opportunities. He shares his perspective on why people stay in a bad job too long and the effect it has on future opportunities. Source: GreggVanourek.com, September 23, 2022. Link. Most of all . . . stop drifting through your career and don't settle.” … [Read more...]
The elevator pitch
Earlier this month I shared the importance of opening a conversation effectively <Link>. Once that is accomplished, you have less than a minute to engage your audience and Carmine Gallo has excellent tips to help you to do just that. Source: Harvard Business Review, October 3, 2018. Link. What is your idea? If you can answer in one compelling sentence, you can hook … [Read more...]
A 10-point email audit for strategic planning
Covid-19 and its aftershocks threw a big wrench into marketing operations, but it wasn’t the only factor reshaping the email landscape. Corporate restructuring, the Great Resignation, a new focus on owned data, economic and political upheavals and the continued evolution of marketing technology all have left their marks on many email programs. Here's an email blueprint for the … [Read more...]
How to lead an operation model transformation
Commentary Businesses large and small are working to be more flexible, agile and responsive to changing marketplace needs. Words like pivot, nimble, elastic or resilient often show up in value statements and strategic plans. Learning how large companies approach these challenges can help educate animal health pros who want to streamline or update their business … [Read more...]
5 ways to relieve stress on calves during receiving
The difference between a stressful and a seamless receiving period can have a significant impact on future performance. Purina’s Chad Zehnder, PhD, shares five tips that can help reduce stress in receiving protocols: Be prepared Reduce stress on arrival Avoid the yo-yo effect Focus on fresh feed and feed type Don’t forget water* * Know how much water cattle … [Read more...]
Sustainability, one of the DFA Nerd Herd’s primary objectives
Dairy Farmers of America’s Matt Musselman shared sustainability initiatives dairy farmers are pursuing during the recent KCAHC Summit ‘22. Launched in 2021, the DFA Nerd Herd is led by farmers. They are supported by a team of engineers, nutritionists, veterinarians, technology experts, scientists and more to help educate consumers about how DFA farm families are using renewable … [Read more...]
7 arthritis risk factors
Virtually any horse who lives long enough will develop a bit of creakiness in at least one joint, writes Christine Barakat. She offers a rundown of events and conditions that put horses in a higher risk category for the eventual development of arthritis. Barakat’s comments about reviewing a horse’s past and present situation reminds us it is time for fall wellness exams, the … [Read more...]
Capsule camera allows an inside look at horses
Fascinating! Looking inside a horse’s intestinal tract may soon be as simple as getting him to swallow a tiny camera, waiting for it to pass through his digestive system and then downloading the images it captures along the way, shares Christine Barakat. Source: EQUUS, September 9, 2022. Link. Images captured by capsule cameras were clear and useful, showing all major … [Read more...]
The impending equine health care crisis
The supply of equine veterinarians is diminishing rapidly writes Emma Read, DVM, MVSc, Dipl. ACVS. She shares ways horse owners can help. Asking for help from our clients is not a comfortable position for . . . many horse doctors. Clients play a huge role in the much-needed transformation of equine practice. We can’t do it without them working together for horses.” Source: … [Read more...]
11 cat emergencies that need immediate vet attention
Eric Barchas, DVM, a frequent contributor to Catster, shares how to recognize an emergency and when to bring your cat to the vet ASAP for cat owners. . . . cats don’t come with warning labels, and a person who doesn’t know the symptoms can’t be expected to recognize them. . . “ – Eric Barchas, DVM Source: Catster, March 24, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Consider sharing this … [Read more...]
Chasing shadows and trancing: odd dog behaviors
We’re more observant of our pets since they came indoors to live with us. Repetitive behaviors get noticed, then studied and then there are attempts to explain them. We’re sharing Joan Kubicek’s article on Trance-like Syndrome, a usually benign canine quirk sometime called ghost-walking, weed-walking or simply “trancing. In a related topic, Karen B. London, PhD, addresses … [Read more...]
Resources for communicating with clients and each other
National Pet Insurance month often exposes reluctance from clients when veterinary teams assert the benefits of pet insurance coverage. Knowing how to get on the same page more efficiently can truly provide a win-win-win result. ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance offers continuing education courses to help veterinary teams improve their communication skills. Two such courses are … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – September 19, 2022
Flow Business Conference starts in Orlando today! Pet owners spending $300 per month, Fetch by The Dodo, Galaxy Vet’s approach to practice ownership, avoiding burnout, Amazon launching small business grant program, social media marketing for small businesses, rural DVMs needed, loyalty programs and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, September 19, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Microsoft exec: My 2-step rule for having hard conversations at work
Microsoft’s chief marketing officer asserts a better approach to handling difficult conversations at work. It starts with clear, confident communication. Source: CNBC, September 18, 2022. Link. The most successful people in the workplace are life-long learners. They are willing to ask a lot of questions and listen to other people’s opinions and experiences especially when … [Read more...]
5 ways to stop overthinking and make faster decisions at work
Decision-making can be fraught with overthinking, writes Melody Wilding. She shares five strategies to break the cycle of overthinking and make confident decisions in less time. Source: The INSIDER, May 27, 2022. Link. Daily strategies that can minimize getting bogged down in making choices: Let go of perfectionism Put the problem in perspective Let your intuition … [Read more...]
How to get better at learning
Being a quick study doesn’t mean you’re the smartest person in the room. It’s that you’ve learned how to learn, shares Ulrich Bolser. He shares three practical, research-based ways to build your learning skills. Effective learning often boils down to a type of project management.” - Ulrich Boser Source: Harvard Business Review, May 02, 2018. Link. A growing body of research … [Read more...]
Veterinarians shouldn’t do it all
Prepping for National Veterinary Technician Week, Dana Varble, DVM, asserts animal health pros must make every effort to ensure those in our field have satisfying lifelong careers with opportunities for growth and advancement. Our industry faces an ever-growing shortage of veterinary nurses, technicians . . . consider investing time to help build career paths for team members … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 15, 2022
Last week’s most read posts - Five metrics veterinary practices should track. Link. Touring a veterinary hospital with Temple Grandin, PhD, Marty Becker, DVM (video). Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, September 8, 2022. Link. Top recommended veterinary products Source: DVM 360®. Link. 748 companion animal … [Read more...]
Pigs contract Senecavirus A through imported feed
A great amount of laboratory work has proven that viruses, including SVA, can survive well in feed but researchers have never had a real-world case where they could come to a strong conclusion that a new virus entered a country through feed imports. Until now. Scott A. Dee, DVM, MS, PhD, explains the significance of the discovery as a big-time wake-up call. Dee encourages … [Read more...]
Back-of-the-napkin cow math
We continue to see positive advancements in quality and productivity in the U.S. cowherd, says Nevil Speer. Still, the cow/calf sector has witnessed a sharp sell-off during the past three years including this year due to ongoing drought. Speer says the next few months will be critical regarding beef cow slaughter and where we end up for the year. Second, whatever occurs, … [Read more...]
Meeting the needs of the elder horse
Includes Sponsored Content In this issue of EQUUS Extra, seven key management challenges presented by advancing horse age are discussed. The intention is to increase the chances of an aging horse enjoying a longer, healthy and productive life. The key is to remain vigilant to subtle changes in their demeanor and condition and to catch developing issues before they grow out … [Read more...]
A critical time for osteoarthritis
One of the largest trends in animal health has been the rise in cases of osteoarthritis, writes Graham Garrison. Citing increasing obesity trends in cats and dogs, he shares facts gleaned from Banfield studies and key points from Jo Ann Morrison, DVM, MS, DACVIM. <increasing obesity> trends have created a critical moment for veterinary teams to adjust our tactics as we … [Read more...]
Owners buy smaller pet food packages as inflation rises
Increasing pet food prices have changed one aspect of pet food buying behavior for some pet owners. They are buying smaller packages of their preferred brands, saving money in the short term while missing out on bulk savings, according to NielsenIQ analysts. Source: Petfood Industry, September 8, 2022. Link. INSIGHTS: For inventory managers the shift to smaller package … [Read more...]