Good news in the KC Animal Health Corridor! The newly funded building in Manhattan, Kansas is one of four the university plans to construct as part of its biomanufacturing training and education initiative. K-State officials said the Biomanufacturing Core and Training Facility will improve the university’s ability to perform cutting-edge research, as well as workforce … [Read more...]
Questions for beef producers planning to expand
Sometimes our roles as animal health pros involve helping customers and clients think through future decisions. With beef cattle prices surging against lower inventories, Wesley Tucker shares eight questions producers should consider before planning a beef herd expansion. Available land, interest and labor costs along with carrying capacity are important considerations as … [Read more...]
Common allergy medications can be deadly to pets
Well, of course . . . BUT do pet owners and their guests really guard where pills are stored and ingested. It’s not uncommon to find an aberrant pill that didn’t reach the weekly pill organizer or a person’s mouth. With cats on the table and dogs in our laps, this release from the Pet Poison Helpline underscores the risks of our pets getting into our medications, as well as a … [Read more...]
AKC turns 140 in September
The AKC staff provides a historical look at how the AKC started from hunters’ desires to standardize their animals to what it is today. The original dogs registered were Pointer, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Clumber Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel, Sussex Spaniel, Irish Water Spaniel, Irish Setter, English Setter and Gordon Setter. The Lancashire Heeler was the latest dog registered in … [Read more...]
5 key voluntary benefits on the rise in 2025
Voluntary benefits, which can span from disability coverage to gym memberships, are valued by employees and employers, experts say. With open enrollment around the corner, Dawn Kawamoto shares popular voluntary benefits noting their importance in retaining diverse, five-generation workers. Pet insurance was named in the five benefits highlighted. Source: Human Resource … [Read more...]
33 Pet companies make list of fastest-growing businesses in the U.S.
A broad range of pet businesses made Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. They include corporate and group practices, nutrition companies and service providers. Consider reviewing what these companies are doing, providing and manufacturing. Many of the trends we see every week are reflected in their growth. Source: Pet Product News, August … [Read more...]
Addison named to the Missouri Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Honor Roll
Veterinary microbiologist and founder and president of Addison Biological Laboratory, Bruce Addison, is only the second non-veterinarian to earn the prestigious place on the Missouri Veterinary Medical Foundation’s Honor Roll. Source: The Fayette Advisor, August 13, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Turkey, egg and dairy groups call for new approach to avian flu
Fall bird migrations <Link> have begun and producers are looking for answers to protect their animals from HPAI. They believe an effective vaccine is necessary to protect food supplies and public health. The report here quotes a USDA official who says the agency is leaving “no stone unturned in the fight against H5N1.” The spokesperson shares concerns about the … [Read more...]
2024 CATalyst Report provides critical insights on feline health for animal health pros
The CATalyst Council’s first-of-its-kind data set and the resulting reports will help animal health pros in animal health companies, shelter and adoption organizations, and the veterinary community. It provides insights on feline wellness and nutrition as well as relational dynamics between cat owners and their veterinarians. In addition to the top three issues veterinarians … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 15, 2024
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...]
The AAEP has revised its Internal Parasite Control Guidelines
The much-anticipated revisions to the Internal Parasite Control Guidelines shared in a January post <Link> are now complete. Key take-home messages from these Internal Parasite Disease Control Guidelines are: Perform fecal egg count reduction tests annually to ensure that you are using effective dewormers in every herd or barn. Recognize that no anthelmintic will … [Read more...]
AAFP’s Intercat Tension Guidelines and what to know
The 2024 American Association of Feline Practitioners Intercat Tension Guidelines dispel 10 popular myths about cat behavior, share five pillars of a healthy multi-cat environment and provide helpful graphics, tools and resources to support practitioners and cat owners. Kristen Green Seymour shares Q and A perspectives from two members of the Intercat Tension Guidelines … [Read more...]
SAVMA updates guidelines for clinical students by recognizing student well-being
Revisions to the Student American Veterinary Medical Association’s “Duty Hour Guidelines” now recommends duty hours for veterinary students be reduced from no more than 80 hours a week to a limit of 60 hours a week, including all on-call responsibilities, required class time, and any clinical work done at home. The guidelines place the responsibility for time tracking on the … [Read more...]
Employers budgeting for 3.5 percent pay raises in 2025
Responses to Payscale’s new Salary Budget Survey of compensation professionals in more than 1,500 organizations found they are planning a pay raise average of 3.5 percent, reflecting a cooling labor market. Source: SHRM, August 13, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: More than 60 percent of working adults are animal owners <Link> who will feel the softening raises as much as … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – August 8, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, August 1, 2024. Link. Most read posts from the August 1st AHD Bulletin – The state of allyship in animal health. Link. Stop chasing vanity metrics. Link. Some change is necessary, some inevitable, stability is critical. Link. The chemistry behind the smell of wet dogs. … [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...]
The Bridge Club sets date to discuss veterinary technicians, their challenges and status
Mark your calendars and register to join the discussion of meeting the challenges veterinary technicians face and solutions to create a successful path forward for all technicians. Despite their crucial role in veterinary care, veterinary technicians continue to encounter numerous challenges, including title protection, underutilization, low compensation and high turnover … [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...]
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...]
Show me the money in pet food
With a nod to Jerry McGuire, we’re sharing Tim Wall’s review of the U.S. pet food companies with $100 million in sales for 2023. The 22 companies combined for almost 40 percent of the $147 billion U.S. pet owners spent on pet food, treats and other products. Source: PETFOOD Industry, August 2, 2024. Link. … [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...]
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...]
Iowa State researchers find possible way dairy cattle are infected with HPAI
A study published this month by a team in ISU's College of Veterinary Medicine found that bovine mammary gland tissue held receptors for the avian influenza virus. This offers a potential “why” connection for how cattle are being infected with the virus, which is found in raw milk. Source: AgriMarketing, July 19, 2024. Link. Also see: Current H5N1 situation in dairy … [Read more...]
Dog import rules changed, but simplified
Effective today, the CDC is implementing new requirements for dogs arriving from countries that are canine rabies-free or low-risk. Beginning August 1, dogs that have spent at least the last six months in countries such as Canada and Mexico will need to meet these few requirements before U.S. entry: Be healthy on arrival Be at least 6 months old at the time of entry or … [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...]
How to teach a horse to dance (includes [amazing] video)
At the Paris Olympics, hundreds of competitors will try to marry athletic prowess to artistic grace, but only those competing in dressage will attempt it while sitting astride a willful animal. Source: The New York Times, July 30, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]