Actress, author, singer and comedian Jane Lynch (Glee, Best in Show) is helping warn people about the dangers of seeking out random advice about their pets’ health from the internet. Her work coincides with Banfield’s launch of VetChat, a 24-hour veterinary advice platform, to wellness plan participants. Source: DVM 360, June 20, 2019. Link. Banfield has presented the new … [Read more...]
Middle-aged users drive social media use
You’re just as likely to use social media if you are 35 to 54 years old or if you’re under 35 years old. This shift and other insights in the Social Habit report from Edison Research, is important to practice marketers who promote their clinics via social media. Instagram and Snapchat users are typically younger, but those older than 34 outnumber youngsters on Facebook, … [Read more...]
Opinion – Keyboards could become obsolete with AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) seems more like an oxymoron than reality. Weird e-mails, robocalls and web pop-ups are already the products of rudimentary AI applications, as well as Siri and Alexa. Ian Heller offers considerations about AI being used in ordering and replenishment platforms. It is worth thinking about in the context of inventory replenishment and … [Read more...]
Discover more urinary tract stones with these tips (includes image slides)
Positive and negative contrast studies can provide additional, often valuable, information to aid in diagnostic evaluation of the urinary tract. Daniel VanderHart, DVM, DACVR, leaves no stone unturned as he discusses the various types of calculi and the use of radiography and ultrasonography. Source: Clinician’s Brief, February 2017. Link. Radiography and ultrasonography … [Read more...]
Synchronizing cows not as simple as a shot
Bethany Johnston and Aaron Berger explain the fundamentals of shortening the calving season using estrus synchronization. While simple in practice, producers need to remember that a number of factors affect pregnancy rate including cow body condition score, plane of nutrition, cattle health and bull fertility. Utilizing natural service with estrus synchronization requires … [Read more...]
AAFP releases diabetes educational toolkit
Effective management and treatment of feline diabetes is based on a combination of patient goals, finances, implementation of a treatment plan and the patient’s response. A strong partnership between the veterinarian and the cat caregiver is key to achieve optimal results. To help veterinarians and cat owners better understand and manage diabetic cats, the AAFP has released … [Read more...]
Cheat sheet helps when considering new equipment
It’s easy to get caught up financially analyzing an equipment buy for a veterinary hospital. Brendan Howard summarizes guidance from Karen Felstad, DVM, about various rationales for purchases. For salespersons, Felstad’s nine questions to ask before an equipment purchase reads like a pre-call planner for items to discuss or defend. Source: Veterinary Economics, May 17, … [Read more...]
Horse sense required for barefoot trimming
David Ramey, DVM, tackles the barefoot trimming fad where horses have shoes removed and hooves trimmed to run barefoot. He says some proponents of barefoot trimming sometimes take a fanatical leap and may assert that shoes for horses are never a good thing, and that they always cause harm. Ramey disagrees for three big reasons: The stated assumption that “barefoot is … [Read more...]
Commercial content from AAHA NEWStat
We captured the commercially sponsored content below as featured in AAHA NEWStat for review. Source: AAHA NEWStat. Link. How do you know which pet supplements are safe?, May 1, 2019. Link. Sponsored by Rx Vitamins Survey reveals good opportunity for veterinarians to include feline MCS assessments, May 1, 2019. Link. Sponsored by Kindred BioSciences BabelBark … [Read more...]
Expand your social reach with Facebook stories
It seems like Facebook changes every day. At least it gives us the courtesy of telling us the direction in which it’s moving. Its recent focus has been expanding Facebook Stories. How can you make best use of Stories to grow your business? Facebook offers these suggestions: Create ads that leverage speed to keep readers' attention. Stories with sound lead to better … [Read more...]
Promote pet chipping this month
May is National Chip Your Pet Month and an excellent time to turn up attention to the benefits of placing microchips in pets. Once pets are chipped and registered in a national pet recovery database, services like the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool < link > can reference the chip against hundreds of registries’ databases. Pets with microchips are up to 20 times … [Read more...]
Tech ad parody almost too real to believe it’s not real
We had to share this 'spoof' in light of the attention to cell phone overuse; a phone camera that looks up, so you can keep looking down. Too real for sure! In a new parody ad, designer Alex Cornell makes fun of our ever-increasing smartphone dependency, using the language of tech advertising so precisely that some viewers might not even realize it’s a parody. Source: Fast … [Read more...]
FCC warns, one ring robocall wave in progress again
Robocalls are annoying at minimum. You answer and it may take up to 30 seconds for a person to answer. Now the Federal Communications Commission has issued a warning about so-called one-ring robocalls, a scam that doesn’t require the receiver of the call to pick up the phone, but to call back. In April, Americans received 4.9 billion robocalls, or 163 million calls per day. . … [Read more...]
Be aware of accounts that eat your lunch
Randy MacLean explains distributors’ challenges of big accounts and the financial consequences of servicing them. It is a familiar story of top-line revenue versus cost-to-serve, fixed-cost conundrums that have long-been prevalent in animal health markets. It is also a situation common to livestock veterinary clinics and retailers that is exacerbated by ongoing consolidation … [Read more...]
Antibody versus antigen tests; let’s review
Mississippi State DVMs Claire L. Fellman and Todd Archer provide a brief introduction to immunodiagnostic tests, including immunofluorescence assays, ELISAs, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. The underlying principle of immunologic testing is antigen:antibody specificity. Source: Clinician’s Brief, May 2017. Link. Although antibodies can be used to detect antigens, … [Read more...]
Rubicon Scientific announces new president
Congratulations to Lionel Reilly, DVM, on his appointment as president of Rubicon Scientific < link >. The market for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is projected to reach $9,162 million by 2025. Rubicon is located in the KC Animal Health Corridor with offices in Sabetha, Kansas. Source: Rubicon Scientific, April 30, 2019. Link. Rubicon Scientific LLC is an … [Read more...]
Items of interest from JAVMA News
These items from the recent JAVMA News provide perspective for animal health pros: AVMA launches Axon, a new online CE platform < link >. This online learning platform provides a place for the entire veterinary team to access the AVMA's full library of digital learning, earn CE, and acquire skills for personal and professional development. The veterinary student … [Read more...]
Opinion – Adjust clinic visits to appeal to millennials
Architect Paul Gladyz offers thought-provoking ideas about how to adjust the veterinary visit to meet the experience-desiring millennials. As a father of millennials, his perspective is personal, as well as professional. Millennials want their experiences to work toward an enjoyable life. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, April 2019. Link. The fact remains millenials are … [Read more...]
Measure social brand equity to know what clients are saying
You have worked to establish a social media presence, but how do you count its value? An article in Social Media Today suggests you monitor your brand equity and your brand’s perception among consumers using the ADPR measurement framework: Awareness: How powerful is your brand? Is the brand seen and generating awareness on social media? Desirability: Is your brand … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Rethinking the way veterinary medicine does retail (video)
Finance expert Fritz Wood talks about the challenges the veterinary industry faces when it comes to carrying and selling products, as well as why services such as Hills to Home are worth considering. Veterinarians can ill-afford to walk away or lose a third of their business Source: NAVC Spark, April 19, 2019. Link. . . . is this (inventory business) a business I really … [Read more...]
Manage your email inbox
Your computer or phone buzzes with another burst of emails. “You’ve got mail,” is no longer a welcome notification. Mary Squillace offers 10 ways to manage your email inbox, according to those who get 100 or more emails per day: Only keep emails requiring immediate action in your inbox Create a “waiting folder” for action-pending emails Make subfolders or labels your … [Read more...]
Managing persistently infected calves key to BVD prevention
It’s a story we have been told over and over. Yet, we still see BVD sneak into herds. One of the most common ways it spreads is with persistently infected (PI) calves. Chris Chase, DVM, says the biggest issue with BVD is in herds that haven’t been testing calves with an ear-notch program and where biosecurity is not great. Monitoring for BVD is very important because when the … [Read more...]
Parasite education? There’s an APP for that
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) has designed an app to help strengthen skills in the microscopic identification of fecal parasites in veterinary clinic settings and for individual study. The Veterinary Internal Parasite Flash Card App < link > includes approximately 100 veterinary internal parasites found in dogs, cats, small mammals, reptiles and … [Read more...]
FDA now posting adverse event report data
More than 30 years of adverse event reports related to animal drugs and devices used in animals is now available online as part of the FDA’s commitment to increase transparency. Previously, this detailed level of data was only available via a Freedom of Information Act request. It is now electronically accessible and available for automated searching. < link > The FDA … [Read more...]
Stay sharp when your ability to focus declines
We live and work in an increasingly disruptive world. Research shows interruptions occur about every 12 minutes in the workplace and even more frequently in other settings. Authors Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist, and Dr. Larry Rosen, a psychologist, explain how our ability to pay attention works and what we can do to stay focused. Researchers say our ability to pay … [Read more...]
Assessments help you succeed. Get a free one before April 30.
Purpose Unlimited is offering a free assessment to AHD subscribers until April 30. Assessments can help you identify what you need to know about yourself in order to be more successful. When you understand your natural behavior style, what drives your behavior and your level of emotional intelligence, then you can learn how to capitalize on your strengths and overcome your … [Read more...]
Screen time has little impact on teen well-being
A new study casts doubt on the widely accepted notion that spending time online, gaming, or watching TV, especially before bedtime, can damage young people's mental health. Published in Psychological Science <link>, at least one of three studies included in the report normalized results for specific content affect. Perhaps we’ve been misled? Source: Science Daily, … [Read more...]
Rapid fertility evolution has beef bulls in demand on dairies
Corey Geiger explains why some dairy managers are using beef genetics in their dairy cow herds. Earlier use of heifers, sexed semen and improved pregnancy rates are part of the reasons for this shift in fertility strategies. This April, 4284 bulls were declared active by A.I. organizations . . . but only 1,074 of those bulls had milking daughters. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, … [Read more...]
To engage or disengage: when issues become obstacles on social media (infographic)
Diane Martin discusses when and how to deal with bully-like behaviors on social media from persons whose comments indicate a lack of knowledge or understanding. She provides an infographic to help determine when it is acceptable for a brand or business to offer comment on social media and when it best to stay silent. Martin’s examples involve Ag and food supply examples. The … [Read more...]
New website vets dog breeders and rescue dogs for consumers searching for pets
The company, Good Dog <link>, aims to bring transparency and accountability to the process of getting a dog. The company is centralizing pet searching onto one platform where only responsible sources are included. Each breeder, shelter and rescue that is listed is vetted based on a set of standards created by Good Dog’s advisory board of leading veterinary and academic … [Read more...]