Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, August 8, 2024. Link. Most read posts from the August 8th AHD Bulletin – Adjusting to your customer. Link. Inflation pinching pet owners, forcing pet spending decisions. Link. Communicating value for technician appointment fees. Link. Study: Two, 200mg doses of iron dextran better than 1 dose of … [Read more...]
Immunity, more than just giving a shot, let’s review
Commentary I like the title of this article. It reminds me of so many conversations about vaccine timing, maternal antibodies, labels saying “for the vaccination of healthy animals,” booster dose timing and more. In the article here, Jason Anderson, DVM reviews what it takes to mount an immune response sufficient enough to create immunity. Giving a shot of vaccine does not … [Read more...]
Considerations for cow bedding
Waterbeds for cows always conjures a comical mental image. But, considering dairy cows will rest in a lying position 14 or more hours per day <Link>, choosing the best bedding is an important decision for dairy producers. Amber Adams Progar reviews the pros and cons of different bedding types in this article. Source: Progressive Dairy, June 12, 2024. Link. Related: … [Read more...]
Weese: Perspectives on H5N1 in Colorado cats
Scott Weese, DVM, shares thoughts on Colorado cats diagnosed with avian flu. He advises a focus on infection control, against symptom biases and acknowledges the need for increased surveillance. The risk posed by cats to people and other animals is completely unclear at this time.” Source: Worms and Germs, August 11, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: We noted Weese didn’t mention … [Read more...]
CE Course: Keeping controlled substances under control
Sponsored Content If you manage, dispense, use controlled substances in-clinic or sell them, keeping abreast of the controlled substance regulations, safety steps and potentials for diversion is important. Join presenter Lauren R. Forsythe, PharmD, DICVP, FSVHP, online for a 1-hour Race-approved CE course compliments of ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance. Source: ASPCA® Pet … [Read more...]
5 new trending terms every small business owner should know
Jamie Johnson shares terms and trends that may help business owners better serve customers and capitalize on opportunities others are missing. The terms he says are trending as they are more frequently used in business vernacular are: Blitzscaling Hyperpersonalization Niche marketing Circular economy Micromoments Source: CO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, August … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – August 12, 2024
Inflation busting strategies, benefits of an expense audit, declining pet adoptions, when tech works against you, understanding micro-influencers and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, August 12, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
TikTok 2024 Shopping Trend Report: “Bending Reality” or something else?
Commentary Today’s TikTok’s trends look like how businesses were valued and sustained in the mid-1900’s without the internet. Today’s digital tools may help with this so-called bending, but this bending seeks traditional values, dependable benefits and reasonable access. It’s a good thing. Source: Small Business Trends, August 12, 2024. Link. We are witnessing an era of … [Read more...]
A 6-year wait for a saddle is worth it
For more than 30 years, Nancy Martiny has improved her craft of making horse saddles. In a business dominated by men, Martiny has built one based on making saddles that can’t be found anywhere else. Today, the wait for a “Nancy saddle” is six years or more. She makes her saddles for working horses and the cowboys and cowgirls who ride them. Source: The New York Times, August … [Read more...]
Lab-grown meat approved for UK pet food
The United Kingdom has approved the use of lab-grown meat in pet food. This makes it the first country to legalize the product for this use and the first European country to legalize it for sale for any purpose. The approval was in response to an application by a UK startup called Meatly, making it the first company in the world to receive authorization to sell cultivated pet … [Read more...]
VetPrep partners with Chewy Health to launch free PowerPrep NAVLE Sessions for veterinary students
VetPrep’s PowerPrep NAVLE sessions will now be available free of charge to veterinary students thanks to a sponsorship commitment by Chewy Health, the health arm of Chewy. This program is designed to provide a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the NAVLE exam through a series of 10 expert-led sessions, seamlessly integrating VetPrep into students’ study … [Read more...]
ARS, APHIS: Trichinella no longer a risk
ARS and the Animal and USDA's Plant Health Inspection Service conducted a national survey by sampling 3.2 million pigs raised under the U.S. Pork Quality Assurance Plus program and found zero animals infected with trichinella. Data obtained from testing support the conclusion that pork from pigs managed under the PQA+ program do not pose a public health risk.” Source: PORK, … [Read more...]
Declining cull cow numbers reflect shift from beef-on-dairy trend
Dairy producers are enjoying the cash flow improvements from the beef-on-dairy market, which is lowering the number of cull cows marketed and increasing the purchases of semen. The beef-on-dairy trend is also challenging the number of replacement dairy heifers available and prioritizing the purchase of gender-sorted dairy semen. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, August 5, 20234. … [Read more...]
Incorporating BQA into practice
Beef Quality Assurance education and practices remain one of the more important efforts for and by cattle producers. Ongoing support and leadership from veterinarians is vital to continue seeing producer successes and consistent quality beef products. BQA-certified operations are estimated to provide 85 percent of U.S. fed-beef. Julia Herman, DVM, MS, DACVPM, shares the … [Read more...]
The promise of electroarthrography for equine cartilage assessment
One primary challenge when diagnosing and managing osteoarthritis is accurate assessment of the quality of cartilage in the patient. Researchers from the Ontario Veterinary College and the University of Toronto believe they can advance cartilage assessment with their groundbreaking work on a novel non-invasive technique called electroarthrography. The technology EAG is a … [Read more...]
PPID caution: Trailering prior to testing could produce false positive result in horses
Research completed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Middle Tennessee State University determined that a 40-minute trailer ride gave multiple false-positive PPID diagnoses up to 30 minutes post-trailering when using a basal ACTH test. The results are a warning for horse owners and veterinarians to avoid a horse getting incorrectly diagnosed. Source: The Paulick Report, July 31, … [Read more...]
RECOVER initiative issues new CPR guidelines
Aiming to standardize cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices and make outcomes more comparable to human cases worldwide, multiple discipline specialists collaborated to develop new recommendations when performing lifesaving CPR on pets, including: Chest compression techniques Chest depths and techniques Breathing support Medication dosages and … [Read more...]
4 acupressure points for dry, itchy skin in dogs
Brief, daily acupressure sessions can be used to enhance pruritis treatments, write Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis. They share how to stimulate specific acupressure points for dry skin that traditional Chinese medicine calls “wind heat.” Source: Animal Wellness Magazine, August 4, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: Sharing this article and acupressure method for pet owners to do at home … [Read more...]
Tangible tick tactics with Dr. Dryden (podcast)
Michael Dryden, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVM, often known as Dr. Flea, discusses strategic methods for avoiding ticks, shares tips for preventing secondary disease and offers insights into why tick strategies have changed. He speaks about tick range expansion that impacts how veterinary teams can help animal owners reduce the risks in different regions. Source: Clinician’s Brief, … [Read more...]
AI is a powerful tool, but not for small businesses
While AI's potential is vast, its practical applications and benefits for small businesses remain a contentious topic, writes Louis Mosca. He reminds us that significant human oversight and intervention are still needed when implementing AI. Source: Forbes, July 29, 2024. Link. The extent to which AI can drive revenue and enhance productivity varies widely depending on the … [Read more...]
SuperZoo preview
Flipping through Pet Business’ SUPERZOO preview gives animal health pros a look at consumer-facing marketing and product trends. Taking place in Las Vegas August 13th through 16th, the convention is where the retail pet industry comes together to discover the latest products, trends and innovations, along with well-rounded education sessions. Source: Pet Business, Link. … [Read more...]
Inflation pinching pet owners’ pocketbooks forcing pet spending decisions
This article appeared as the fifth article in the August 5 edition of IBPSA FastBites <Link>. NPR’s Lola Murti shares the challenges of rising costs for pet owners, how they are adjusting and what drives cost increases across the pet services industry. Source: NPR, July 30, 2024. Link. “<Re: price increases> It's higher ingredient, higher packaging, higher … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 1, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 26, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the July 26th AHD Bulletin Smart ways to handle too much business. Link. Sharing cases can create confusion. Link. Beware of these toxic flowers in gardens, yards, building sites. Link. Toxic leadership. Link. … [Read more...]
ICASA Award addresses antimicrobial stewardship for BRD
Multifactor bovine respiratory disease remains a major expense to producers who commonly treat the late stage pulmonary disease with antibiotics. ICASA, along with matching funds from other organizations, has funded a $2,446,948 research grant to Brad J. White, DVM, MS, who is building a multi-disciplinary team to research how the secondary diseases form in cattle infected with … [Read more...]
Revolutionary tech for hog barn monitoring
Commercial Content Like big brother for hogs, NUtrack’s surveillance technology promises to help producers manage barns more efficiently from their phones. The NUtrack system uses full body recognition as facial recognition is difficult from cameras above the animals. The NUtrack system, developed by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, allows producers to … [Read more...]
AI powered app can recognize cows from 50 feet away
Commercial Content Agtech start-up 406 Bovine is working to simplify cattle identification using facial recognition technology and smartphones. The technology can be used anywhere which eliminates the short-distance restrictions of current RFID. Source: Dairy Reporter, July 22, 2024. Link. Anything that can be done with RFID tags can be done with facial recognition . . . … [Read more...]
Using a weight tape to manage a horse’s condition and protect his health
Weight tapes, while not as accurate as a scale, can provide vital information about a horse’s health. University of Edinburgh researchers investigated the utility of weight tapes over a two-year period in a study that included 1,716 horses. Source: EQUUS, June 24, 2024. Link. Horse owners with access to a scale can easily correlate the scale reading to the weight tape making … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – July 29, 2024
Niche markets in the pet industry, compliance for paying independent contractors, disaster preparedness, internet security and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, July 29, 2024. Link. The IBPSA IBBY Committee has chosen the following finalists for this year’s Pet Care Business Excellence Awards from a record number of nominations. … [Read more...]
Stop chasing vanity metrics
Our industry is full of new businesses and brands. Darian Shimy shares how some metrics are meaningful and others deflect business teams away from their purpose. His article, while focused on startups, is a good reminder to do the most meaningful things. Source: Entrepreneur, July 23, 2024. Link. . . . prioritize mission-driven growth levers over vanity metrics . . . focus … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – July 26, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, July 18, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from July 18th AHD Bulletin – Facing declining interest in vet practice ownership. Link. Zoonotic web exposes complexity of disease transmission. Link. Biosecurity planning for secure beef supply. Link. ===================================== Managing equine … [Read more...]