Certified journeyman farrier Lee Olsen demonstrates how to pull a horseshoe off of a hoof. It is a skill every horse owner should know. Source: Western Horseman. Link. … [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...]
Mother’s Day flowers that are BIG risks to pets
Marie Carter-Robb shares the 10 most common Mother’s Day flower varieties that are a risk to dogs and cats. Tulips, carnations, and lilies top the list. Consider sharing this warning on social media and in newsletters. Source: Pets Magazine, March 11, 2020. Link. Also see: 12 pet-safe flowers for Mother's Day, ASPCA, May 6, 2020. Link. … [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...]
How to help a dog with separation anxiety
Complimentary Sponsored Content Claire Walther, DVM, shares three ways to address separation anxiety: environmental management, behavior modification and pharmaceutical options. Walther is a Zoetis Petcare medical lead. Source: Zoetis Petcare. Link. Changes in a dog’s life can also trigger separation anxiety even if they haven’t had problems with it before. Even changes … [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...]
Emergency clinic owner shares Talkatoo experiences
Sponsored Content Practice owner, Lindsay Ruland, DVM, shares her experiences with Talkatoo during an interview with William Forsey. Her clinic story, management decisions and where Talkatoo has proven valuable are woven through the discussion. Source: Talkatoo. Link. Talkatoo works with medical record entry but also with emails. After a day of surgery, my hands are … [Read more...]
Emails, legit or not? Here’s how to tell
Sponsored Content There are a lot of emails that look legitimate but are not. Here's how to verify the website that is sent to you is really your bank or vendor. You can also learn if the website contains malicious activity that will put you at risk. Source: Lucca Veterinary Data Security. Link. … [Read more...]
New grooming series, ‘Pooch Perfect’ coming to ABC
'Pooch Perfect' is the ulti-mutt dog grooming competition series, says ABC. The eight-episode reality series will showcase 10 of the best dog groomers in the country, and their assistants, competing in a series of paw-some themed challenges. The series, hosted by actress Rebel Wilson, premieres Tuesday, March 30, 2021 8:00 p.m. EDT|7:00 p.m. CDT on ABC! Source: ABC, … [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...]
Managing your manager begins with saying what you need
Susan Fowler shares three tips for managing up that are proven, simple and effective. She guarantees they will improve your productivity and relationship with your boss at the same time: Don’t ask a dumb question Under promise and over deliver Flip the feedback Source: SmartBrief, March 24, 2021. Link. Studies show that being proactive during the day reduces your … [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...]
3 ways to create an employee-owned culture
An employee-owned culture isn’t necessarily about owning a stake in the company, writes Heidi Lynne Kurter. It is also referred to as participative management where management involves employees in decision making. . . . an employee-owned culture is, where employees feel a sense of ownership over their decisions, performance and results.” Source: Fast Company, March 25, 2021. … [Read more...]
Women can be strong leaders
Once upon a time, revealing your emotions in the workplace was considered a sign of weakness, especially for women. However, “once upon a time,” is the opening line of fairy tales. Passion, compassion, and emotional intelligence are leadership strengths and always have been Source: Business News Daily, April 1, 2019. Link. Every successful entrepreneur and business leader … [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...]
B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant, pets and myocarditis
Scott Weese, DVM, says the first report of the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant being found in a dog and cat in Texas will cause a bit of concern, but unnecessarily. He reviews and challenges a recent paper yet to be peer-reviewed. This study simply showed that animals can be infected. It does not indicate anything about pets’ role in outbreak dynamics or anything else. Source: … [Read more...]
Uniform body-condition technique helps improve sow herd management
Body condition scoring is common in beef, dairy and equine settings. It is not that easy in sow herds and human variables add complexity. Cary Sexton, DVM, working with a sow caliper device designed by Mark Knauer, PhD, were able to standardize sow body condition instead of relying on visual scores after training staff members. Employees using the sow caliper regularly also … [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...]
Endoscopy and respiratory disease in horses
Many clinical signs in horses warrant endoscopy of the respiratory tract, writes Kate L. Hepworth-Warren, DVM, DACVIM. Although endoscopy as a diagnostic tool is often thought of for upper airway dysfunction only, it can be a useful adjunct in other respiratory conditions of both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. She describes evaluations and scoring systems when using … [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...]
What to know about dogs and onions
Avoid feeding onions and garlic to dogs, Jeff Werber, DVM, says. Onions contain a toxic ingredient called n-propyl disulfide, which is an oxidant that can do oxidant damage to red blood cells. AVOID offering a dog raw, cooked even foods flavored or cooked with onion . . . “ Source: Dogster, March 4, 2021. Link. Symptoms of onion toxicity are symptoms of anemia Look for … [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...]
Primary training likely works best for shelter puppies
Bonnie V. Beaver, DVM, MS, DSc (Hon), DPNAP, DACVB, DACAW, shares the results of a study on training methods. The key pearls tell the story: Puppies may not be ready to make the connection between use of secondary (e.g., clickers) and primary (e.g., food) reinforcers Owners with puppies should be encouraged to use food rewards in training Secondary reinforcers may be … [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...]
Doctor explains pandemic brain fog; shares 3 helpful tips
Pandemic brain fog is an umbrella term representing things happening in our heads, such as inability to focus, difficulty sleeping and feelings of negativity. Borna Bonakdarpour, MD, says brain fog can be caused by factors that include isolation, anxiety, lack of sleep, a decreased level of exercise and more. All these feelings can tire the brain, especially the frontal … [Read more...]