Great efforts have been poured into microchip technology. One can argue the chronology, but microchip technology has settled with dependable standards and equipment. Still, under 30 percent of dogs and fewer than 15 percent of cats are chipped. Various sources indicate that lost pets with microchips are returned to owners at rates two or more times higher than non-chipped … [Read more...]
5 email marketing trends to watch in 2018
Attention marketers and communicators! Email was the preferred communication method for brands to communicate with customers in 2017. It will be well into the future. Still, 2018 may hold some surprises for the 40-year-old communications standard that marketers should be aware of. Scott Heimes shares these five considerations for email in 2018. Personalization through … [Read more...]
Opinion – Defining telehealth in veterinary medicine
Telehealth, says the AVMA, has emerged as a prime opportunity for veterinarians to deliver health information and care to clients via technology. Emerged? Haven’t we been doing this for years? The key here is to define and segregate actions. Telehealth is an overarching term describing the delivery of health information, education or care REMOTELY. The AVMA has created an … [Read more...]
Cross-matching is important for first blood transfusion (includes video)
Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM), discusses cross-matching and blood transfusion perceptions and myths. If transfusion records are not appropriate, or if a new veterinary practice assumes a patient has never received a transfusion and they do another mismatch, that could result in very serious consequences or even death. Source: American Veterinarian, January 15, … [Read more...]
Sponsored: Sample water supplies properly
Water quality affects animal health from the backyard to the largest confined operation. Jesse McCoy of Neogen Corporation writes about how to properly sample a water supply. Source: National Hog Farmer, November 30, 2017. Several considerations must be taken when sampling the site. The first is the sample must be the best representation of the water coming in to the … [Read more...]
Made in America
Made in Japan no longer means what it did two generations ago. With the help of quality guru W. Edward Deming in post-war Japan, “cheap, low-value” was changed to, “high-value, expensive” and led to Japan developing a burgeoning export business. Today, we are challenged to know where our animal health products are made. Three company representatives discussed their products, … [Read more...]
Google exec: 5 mega trends shape technology (includes video)
Ed Parsons, Google’s geospatial technologist, outlined five megatrends driving technology during his keynote at the Farm Journal AgTech Expo: The world is becoming more urban, not suburban. Digital natives have formed a new type of consumer. Big data is still in its early days, but platforms are providing a massive difference in the shape of business. … [Read more...]
UC-Davis veterinarians using facial recognition to identify animal pain
Veterinarians and computer scientists at University of California-Davis are teaming up to determine if they can use facial recognition to identify pain in animals. They’re making progress. Source: KXTV, December 15, 2017. The technology is still being developed. However, so far, computer scientists have trained the technology to recognize animal faces in photos (similar to … [Read more...]
Opinion – Cats, boxes and digital communication
A story of cats in boxes has been the rage this year. Beyond its novelty, is the reality that the story appears in a medium not affiliated with an animal health publication. This is another example of the realities of the human-animal bond, the digital evolution, continual scrutiny of animals in the food chain and zoonotic risks place animal health topics into non-traditional … [Read more...]
Cat litter offers new benefits
Sandy Robins shares recent trends in cat litter. This information is commercial, but knowing what is trending in this category is important for animal health pros who deal with cat owners. Source: Pet Age, December 4, 2017. New cat litter options include these categories: lightweight litters au natural litters diagnostic litters vibrant litters … [Read more...]
Telemedicine and its impact of veterinary medicine
The AVMA House of Delegates recently voted to implement a new policy regarding telemedicine. When using telemedicine tools, the veterinarian must have an established veterinarian–client–patient relationship (VCPR). Clients should be aware of the advice giver’s identity, location, licensure status, and potential privacy and security issues with electronic … [Read more...]
Opinion – South Dakota cows grow human antibodies
Thank God for scientists who continue to work toward solutions instead of kowtowing to popular consumer trends. I wonder what the GMO-free folks will do when offered a non-antibiotic treatment grown from a GMO cloned cow with human DNA. Source: Drovers, November 1, 2017. SAB Biotherapeutics, based in Sioux Falls, uses cloned cattle with certain human DNA. The cows are … [Read more...]
Latest NAVTA Animal Health Bi-Weekly
The NAVTA editors selected core articles and information related to: Shortcuts, mistakes and surgery prep Telehealth Anesthesia Basics and Recovery Source: NAVTA Animal Health Bi-Weekly, December 5, 2017. Also see: NAVTA Animal Health Bi-Weekly, November 22, 2017. Vet Tech Uses Massage to Help Pets … [Read more...]
Vaper Wake dogs, canine detectives
Vapor Wake dogs are a new breed of dog that is scientifically bred for superior scenting ability, intelligence, physical soundness and a high desire or drive to search and hunt. Auburn University’s Canine Performance Sciences has developed a proprietary training regime for Vapor Wake dogs, including a patented name and process for training dogs to detect and to identify the … [Read more...]
Marketers, the future looks whack-a-mole
The number of consumer touch points is growing exponentially. Mike Herrick believes that for brands to keep up, they should rethink their marketing technology stacks. He cautions assumptions that mobile is a template for the post-mobile age. It’s not. Source: Martech Today, November 29, 2017. The truth, says Herrick, is that post-mobile computing will be an infinitely … [Read more...]
Pick the right dog collar for safety and specialty
“Punishment gets compliance; reinforcement gets cooperation.” Animal health pros are frequently asked about dog collars. Each situation is different. Pat Miller offers collar advice from her force-free perspective. She says, “There are some types of collars we wholeheartedly endorse, some we support with caution and some that we regard as unnecessary and risky.” Source: … [Read more...]
4 tips to manage parasiticide inventory
As colder weather sets in and year-end total inventory looms, parasiticides need to be looked at strategically. Use history, inventories on hand and trends to allow for the proper adjustments to reorder points and quantities. Sarah Wooten, DVM, shares tips to get a handle on parasiticides and other inventory items since the holidays often reduce client traffic. Source: … [Read more...]
Don’t abandon postmortem exams
Postmortem remains the diagnostic gold standard. A recent retrospective study compared clinical antemortem and pathologic postmortem diagnoses in 1,000 cats and 1,000 dogs. The authors suggest that postmortem evaluation provides valuable information in nearly 50 percent of cases. Source: Clinician’s Brief, October 2017. In this study, total agreement between antemortem and … [Read more...]
Human food trends are mirrored in 2018 pet food market
Knowing what is trending in pet foods or pet owners’ minds is important for animal health pros to understand since we seek to proactively help manage pet health. Debbie Phillips-Donaldson reviews the first of many trend predictions released by Mintel. Trends that have been in play for a few years now, such as transparency, health and wellness, and personalization will take on … [Read more...]
Phone addiction has a dark side (includes video)
Philosopher Alain de Botton challenges the “lazy brain” argument about our relationship with our phones and how we rely on them. Instead, he proposes we use them as a tool for self-avoidance and have a genuinely unhealthy, addictive relationship with them. Source: Mindful, November 3, 2017. To say we are addicted to our phones is not merely to point out that we use them a … [Read more...]
Telehealth; adjusting veterinary care to technology (video content)
I first experienced telehealth in the home of a Southwest Kansas feedlot veterinarian in 1996. The vet stood in his breezeway for 30 minutes questioning a producer about four potloads of light calves arriving 12 hours early after nearly 22 hours, 1,300 miles and a 50-plus degree reduction in ambient temperature during their trip. Fast forward 20 years and the topic of … [Read more...]
Grandad’s tractor is not listed in today’s small farm tractor buyers guide
Resident acreages and small farms often need small tractors that have more functionality than riding lawn tractors. Jeremy Chartier walks through the modern choices that make granddad’s tractors out of date. Source: Countryside Daily, October 24, 2017. Manufacturers have developed new systems and unified many interfaces since the age of the Farmall, creating best small farm … [Read more...]
The internet is mobile. Period.
We now spend about 70 percent of our time on the internet using our mobile phones. That percentage will only grow. Source: Quartz, October 31, 2017. . . . based on estimates and forecasts for more than 50 countries covering two-thirds of the world’s population. By 2019, Zenith says this will rise close to 80%.” INSIGHTS: We all need to remember that the internet, social … [Read more...]
Quiz: Contemporary fluid strategies in the ICU
Recent research shows that positive water balance and weight gain are actually negative prognostic indicators. This has forced practitioners to rethink the approach to fluid therapy for critical patients. Source: Clinician’s Brief, June 2017. Amy Butler, DVM, MS, DACVECC presents a case-based approach to test your knowledge of current thought on fluid strategies for the … [Read more...]
Check smoke and carbon dioxide alarms as Daylight savings time ends
Seasonal changes have many furnaces already running. These changes can also alert animal health pros to check the functionality of smoke alarms and CO2 sensors. If you haven’t changed batteries or tested your alarms, now is the time to do so. Combine the alarm checks with resetting your clocks. Daylight Savings time ends Sunday, November 5, 2017, 2:00:00 am. Clocks are … [Read more...]
Don’t fear Dr. Google
In a recent study, Trone Brand Energy found only 31 percent of pet owners highly trust online information sources. This compared to 81 percent of pet owners who highly trust their veterinarians. Forty seven percent of them highly trust their family and friends, which was the second most trusted source of information. In a related study, pet owners who rank in the top 25 … [Read more...]
No, really, stop using public wifi
Using free public wifi networks comes with multiple serious security risks, yet surveys show that an overwhelming majority of Americans do it anyway. The more you take your chances with a free network connection, the greater the likelihood is that you will suffer some type of security breach. Source: Harvard Business Review, May 3, 2017. There is a saying in the … [Read more...]
Mobile device impacts
Whether at work, in a meeting, at the dinner table or at the movie theater, mobile devices are an ever-present distraction. The world has been rewired. And, nobody wrote a user’s manual. The first article here shares study results from teens and parents in Japan and the U.S. The second addresses reasons we become addicted to phones which may be tapping into our basic … [Read more...]
Let science help you choose good passwords
Passwords are an annoying part of online life, but they aren’t going away. While the password policies of the past decade have caused more user pain than security gain, research is finding ways to create passwords that work for regular people. Source: The Conversation, August 30, 2017. Make your password at least 12 characters, and mix it up with at least two or three … [Read more...]
B2B buying isn’t getting easier
Marketers, this one’s for you! The latest branding research from CEB, now Gartner, and conducted in partnership with Google and Motista, involved a cross-industry study of more than 3,000 B2B customers. It revealed the following findings, which have huge implications for B2B brands. Source: CMO, August 28, 2017. The data shows that personal value has twice as much impact as … [Read more...]