The holidays are a great time for veterinary teams to make some decisions about dentals < link >. Melissa Detweiler, DVM, discusses the challenges of her love/hate relationship with common oral health procedures and the conversation and marketing that go with it. Beyond the gold standard, she says are two options; skip it or treat what she can. I believe there is another … [Read more...]
Rodeos in the exam room
Gina Singleton, DVM, shares a fun poem about dealing with petrified patients in the exam room. Here’s an excerpt. His owner is coaxing him, trying to soothe. The tech's tossing treats, but he won't improve. You try to be patient, you give them a smile, but you say to yourself, "Looks like we'll be here a while." Source: VETTED, December 6, 2019. Link. INSIGHTS: … [Read more...]
TIME: Best inventions 2019
Working in the life sciences, animal health pros are a curious bunch. Whether or not water from air, portable solar power or ultrasound to go become mainstream in animal health, TIME’s best inventions of 2019 are worth a look. Source: TIME, November 21, 2019. Link. To assemble the 2019 list, TIME solicited nominations across a variety of categories from our editors and … [Read more...]
8 best pet movies of 2019
Liza Brooke recommends eight pet movies for families and friends to watch during the holidays. She offers a wide selection of pet movies released in 2019 that span live-action dramas to hilarious animated films. Here’s her list: A Dog’s Way Home The Secret Life of Pets 2 The Queen’s Corgi A Dog’s Journey The Biggest Little Farm Spy Cat The Art of Racing … [Read more...]
Always exciting
When we launched Animal Health Digest, I didn’t realize what scouring 250-plus media sources each week would turn into. What initially seemed like a daunting task became one of the more uplifting parts of my day. From finding an article about the latest research on bovine respiratory disease to a piece about the Comedy Wildlife Awards, finding material animal health … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Defining a.m. and p.m.
The origins and reasoning for these oft-used and misused abbreviations are in this fun piece below. Source: dictionary.com, Link. In formal writing, it is best to lowercase both a.m. and p.m. and retain the periods . . . … [Read more...]
Mapping how food flows in the U.S.
Animal health pros will find this interesting. A team at the University of Illinois developed the first high-resolution map of the U.S. food supply chain. The map is a comprehensive snapshot of all food flows between counties in the U.S. Grains, fruits and vegetables, animal feed and processed food items compromise the foods represented. The results also show potential areas … [Read more...]
The internet turns 50
Matt Novak tells the story of the birth of the Arpanet, the precursor to today’s internet. He shares his text discussion with Bradley Fidler, a historian of computing at the Stevens Institute in New Jersey. Fidler told Novak about why the birth certificate is important and how it fits into the grand scheme of better understanding of networking history. Source: Gizmodo, … [Read more...]
2019 They Ate What?! X-ray contest winners
Judges had a difficult job as they viewed the entries for this year’s contest. It is amazing what animals swallow. DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! Voting for the People’s Choice award runs from October 1 to November 30. Review our winner, runners-up, and honorable mentions, then go to our voting page to make … [Read more...]
25-pound cat takes over internet (video)
Videos of Cinderblock, an 8-year-old gray domestic shorthair, has captured the attention of social media users. A Facebook video of Cinderblock meowing while lazily using a treadmill has been seen more than 2.2 million times. The cat was relinquished by its owner to Britta Kiffney, DVM, at Northshore Veterinary Hospital in Bellingham, Washington < link > who posted the … [Read more...]
How many dogs does it take to change a lightbulb?
Tick or Treat? Brandy Arnold shares an old dog joke. As each breed answers the question, you’ll crack a smile. Source: Dogington Post, February 2012, Link. … [Read more...]
Opinion – Contributing factors to indoor air quality
Confining animals to a barn, limited area or coop creates air-quality challenges for the animals and the people who care for them. The discussion of occupational exposures limits for humans versus animals is valid and applicable to most of these settings. This review summarizes the impact of air quality on swine production and discusses the main factors related to air … [Read more...]
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody!
We include articles about leadership and defining responsibilities in sources we review. A recent article reminded us of a poem credited to former CBS news anchor and poet Charles Osgood. His “Responsibility Poem” illustrates how important it is to take responsibilities seriously and to own them. The short version is shown here. We’ve linked two sources where the full … [Read more...]
Enjoy the funny wildlife photo contest
Help the judges pick the choosing your Affinity Photo People's Choice Award from the finalists of The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019. Click the link below to make your choice from the 40 finalists’ photos. And have a laugh too! < click here to vote > Source: The Comedy Wildlife Rewards. Link. … [Read more...]
Opinion – Addressing push-back on cows, emissions, planet benefits (video)
Our September 3, 2019 post, Cows really do benefit the planet! < link > ruffled some readers’ feathers. Each day our industry understands more about the impact we have on animals, food resources, the planet and, of course, human beings. In those posts, we offered information that debunks the 2006 United Nations claim that cattle were the greatest contributors to … [Read more...]
Opinion – Star Wars tech featured at NAVC E-Commerce Summit
Imagine a pet owner talking to a virtual assistant via Alexa about a problem with their dog at 3:00 a.m. which sets up a live phone call from a veterinarian only minutes later. Or, having your cellphone notify you that your dog is barking excessively because the house is on fire or a stranger has entered. These and other technologies had attendees riveted as presenting … [Read more...]
Opinion – Feral chicken populations growing
Domestic animals reproducing in a wild state, especially after escape from captivity or domestication, defines “feral.” When horses, pigs, cats, parrots and now chickens go wild, problems are not far behind. People in California, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Hawaii and some island countries are developing a love/hate relationship with the free-ranging birds. As bird … [Read more...]
Opinion – Raising the next generations at home, at work
Kids < people > who recognize their choices in life feel more confident in their ability to create a better future for themselves. It sometimes seems young folks entering the workforce lack understanding of how the world works. We can either growl about it or engage our leadership skills to help them grow. Amy Morin’s article, “A psychotherapist shares the 7 biggest … [Read more...]
Opinion – Vet student communication skills training programs need help
Research from Colorado State University suggests support for communication skills training programs and recognition of their value continue to grow. However, a lack of resources, faculty expertise, validated methods for outcomes assessment and leadership remain as challenges. As animal health pros, this research confirms what we’ve known for years. Therefore, working with … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club LIVE at NAVC E-Summit, plus Feline Health Week
E-Summit speakers, organizers and attendees are invited to join Bridge Club members for networking and discussion, accompanied by a nightcap at Rieger Distillery. The meet-up will take place Tuesday, September 17, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. CDT. To register < click here >. The Bridge Club will recognize Feline Health Week September 23 through 27. Virtual events are … [Read more...]
Opinion – Pharmaceutical industry ranks poorly in Gallup poll
OUCH! . . . The pharmaceutical industry has hit a new low. It now ranks last of the 25 industry sectors Gallup tests annually. Source: Gallup, September 3, 2019. Link. Americans are more than twice as likely to rate the pharmaceutical industry negatively (58%) as positively (27%), giving pharma a net-positive score (-31). Joining it in the net-positive negative numbers are: … [Read more...]
Interactive map highlights lesser-known endangered animals by state
Natasha Daly highlights lesser-known endangered species across America in an interactive state-by-state map. According the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than half of the species listed as endangered in the U.S. live on private property. . . . it's only been through the help of people [that we’ve] been able to bring them back.” – Christina Meister, U.S. Fish and Wildlife … [Read more...]
Pee mail tells all
Urine tells dogs much of what they need to know about each other. These two articles share the whys and hows dogs mark their spots. Things they can learn from marked spots include: The sex of the dog who left the urine and whether they are spayed or neutered. The health or illness status of the dog that urinated in that spot. The stress level of the dog that was in … [Read more...]
E-Commerce Summit reconvenes in KC
Following the success of its 2018 inaugural gathering, NAVC Media will host the second annual E-Commerce Summit at The Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri, September 17-18, 2019. The dynamic two-day conference will focus on changing consumer dynamics, retail trends, blending channels, emerging care models and best practices affecting business strategy. Source: … [Read more...]
Drinking is a big problem, but not for all big drinkers
David Freedman tackles the challenging subject of what can now be called “alcohol use disorder.” This diagnosis spans the two categories of problem drinking commonly known as alcoholism and alcohol abuse. A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 13 percent of adults suffer from “alcohol use disorder,” although the number could be … [Read more...]
National park data helps determine best times to visit
Some animal health pros may make plans to cross national park locations off their bucket lists of places to visit before year-end. Jordan Vincent’s new infographic uses visitor data from 54 national parks between 2013 and 2019 to show the peak visiting times for people using different types of lodging < link >. Source: Fast Company, August 12, 2019. Link. One way to … [Read more...]
The Bridge Club continues community engagement
Bridge Club founders Brenda Andreson and Catherine Haskins have found a niche in building value from adding a visual dimension to a conference call setting. By combining live events at industry conferences with live video conferencing, The Bridge Club is growing in reach and participation, creating a virtual community for learning and sharing animal health pro experiences and … [Read more...]
Teach aseptic technique in the kitchen, reduce salmonellosis
“The most formidable challenges of my veterinary career in food safety can be boiled down to the two primary foodborne pathogens of poultry: Salmonella and Campylobacter. I consider them my professional nemeses,” writes Foster Farms’ Robert O’Connor, DVM, MAM. He explains his approach to avoiding these pathogens in the kitchen. O’Connor reminds us that while chicken and other … [Read more...]
Opinion – Helping multiple decision makers purchase
Selling to businesses often means proving to multiple decision makers that your product can make their jobs more efficient, provide a significant return on investment and outdo competitors in functionality and price. Kison Patel shares what he calls five tips for streamlining the decision-making process when multiple stakeholders are involved. They outline considerations when … [Read more...]
How fireflies glow and why (includes video)
Professor Clyde Sorenson is an expert who does research on, and teaches about, the ecology and biology of insects. He and other entomologists have identified 170 or more species of the bioluminescent beetles commonly known as lightning bugs or fireflies. Fireflies produce light in special organs in their abdomens by combining a chemical called luciferin, enzymes called … [Read more...]