Taking care of animals is more challenging today because we know more about their needs and behaviors. Still, day to day management often falls into the category of chores. It should instead rise to the category of opportunity. With consumer and ecological pressures rising, we’ve been seeing a variety of changes in how we care for animals. Yet, one common denominator to … [Read more...]
Opinion – Fix sales team forecasting woes
Bob Suh offers plenty of insight and recommendations for fixing a sales teams’ ability to forecast. In my experiences, forecasting is also an issue for veterinary clinics and retailers, second only to the lack of inventory management disciplines. The root causes of most inaccuracies are not faulty algorithms but all-too-human behavior, writes Suh. He identifies these five most … [Read more...]
Commentary – Manage cattle pain for their benefit and yours
Cattle pain management is at long last a viable topic when it comes to taking care of beef and dairy cattle. Two commentaries in Bovine Veterinarian are worth reading. The first, by editor John Maday, calls on veterinarians to advocate for animal welfare and consumer preferences, even though clients may resist. The second was written by Brandon Treichler, DVM and quality … [Read more...]
Opinion – Don’t forget to market to dealers, distributors and sales reps
Dealers, distributors and sales reps represent audiences that are too often overlooked by marketers and their agencies. While Diane Martin speaks specifically about the ag marketplace, her advice is applicable to more traditional animal health channels. Companies apply Pareto’s 80/20 thinking over and over to optimize resource deployment while relying on channel systems to … [Read more...]
The (dark) origins of Valentine’s Day
In its modern context, Valentine’s Day is mostly about romance, love, gifting and the celebrating of relationships. Yet, this holiday has much different origins. Searching for something meaningful and unique for a sweetheart often makes one question “why are we doing this valentine’s thing anyway?” With efforts by Chaucer and Shakespeare and most recently Hallmark, … [Read more...]
Opinion – Livestock producers still facing nuisance laws
As the noise increases about non-traditional-sourced 'meat' proteins, increasing pressure on source and production practices, the livestock industry remains under fire. Urban sprawl and the conversion of farm property to acreages encroach on buffer areas next to livestock production facilities. Iowa attorney Eldon McAfee says agricultural nuisance lawsuits in Iowa are … [Read more...]
Lipstick and red rocket sightings
Dr. Eric Barchas has directly and tactfully addressed the issue of male dog arousal. The appearance of a dog’s penis is often disgusting to animal owners. To avoid unnecessary trips to the veterinary clinic, Barchas describes the exception, a condition called paraphimosis where the lipstick is showing for an extended period of time. Source: Dogster, January 17, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
Animal science major uses “rogue taxidermy” as art form
Kady Rose is an animal science major at Cal-Poly Pomona in Pomona, California. A self-taught taxidermist, she blends her passion for art and biology into unique creations. Rather than using animals that were hunted, she takes the remains of animals donated from petting zoos, veterinarians or friends to create stuffed critters that are pliable and soft, not rigid like … [Read more...]
Opinion – Healthcare disruption trends may impact animal health
The article referenced sheds insight on how human medicine development might play out in animal health. . . . technology and cost pressures are causing a“shift left” in health care... Technology is transforming how we do business at a remarkable pace and breadth of innovation, from vertical integration to virtual reality. A POLITICO working group brought together a group … [Read more...]
John Deere, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announce partnership
A new partnership promises to help promote wildlife habitat and discover innovative ways to help farmers, ranchers and landowners turn marginal, unproductive acres into more beneficial wildlife habitat. This bodes well for songbirds, wild mammals and soil conservation efforts. Pheasants Forever, Inc. is an organization dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and … [Read more...]
Follow Animal Health Digest on LinkedIn
Our AHD team invites you to follow AHD on LinkedIn <link>. Each week we provide three posts featuring the current AHD Bulletin, the most-read current post and the most-read posts from the same week one and two years previously. It’s not our intent to overwhelm social media with myriad posts. Rather we strive to be judicious in providing current and historically relevant … [Read more...]
Join Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count
Wildlife vigilance is not new to animal health pros. Did you know that the Audubon Society has conducted a bird count for more than 100 years? Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation action. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an … [Read more...]
Holy cow! Australian steer tops 3,000 pounds
Knickers, a 7-year-old Holstein steer in Australia is 6’ 4” tall and weighs nearly 3,100 pounds. In other words, he’s two inches shorter than former basketball player Michael Jordon. The oversize steer has become somewhat of a social media phenomenon. He’s much too big for packing house machinery, so he’ll live out his life in a pasture. Source: Insider, November 17, 2018. … [Read more...]
Celebrating animal health pros with thanks!
Our team at Animal Health Digest extends best wishes to animal health professionals, their families and friends for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season. Through floods, hurricanes, fires, drought, growing disease concerns, expanding vector threats and advancing technologies, animal health pros continue to find ways to serve animals and animal owners. THANK … [Read more...]
Opinion: Not my problem: A moral philosophy
I’m including this as food for thought. At first, I thought maybe Jessica Wildfire was on to something that made sense. And it does, but only to a certain point. That point for me was when Wildfire wrote, “Sure, he might cause a major disaster. But that disaster isn’t your problem.” Constantly bailing out others might help your boss, or your company. But it doesn’t help … [Read more...]
Opinion – Killer dog article misses a great story
The Dog, as he was known around West Valley, Utah, was a German shepherd mix that had no owner. He roamed the town’s streets for years. But he changed. At first, he killed chickens. He then killed goat at Roots Charter High school. Link. Then sheep. More chickens. Then pigs. 40 animals in all. All animals that belonged to Roots students. It appears none of the animals were … [Read more...]
Opinion – Exploration of veterinary shortages in the wake of the Veterinary Feed Directive
The findings in this report offer no great surprise. Many geographic areas were identified across the United States where food animal veterinary services may be inadequate to implement the Veterinary Feed Directive and meet other producer needs. Consider however, many animal health pros believe the VFD is the tip of the iceberg for antibiotic vigilance. What happens when … [Read more...]
Opinion – Determining how often sales reps should call on customers
J. Michael Marks tackles a frequently contemptuous topic about distribution sales representatives. . . . in my experience, most sales reps are market-servers, not market-makers. . . we’ve found that 95% of what customers buy from distributors they have bought before. The devil is in the details in this reference. How one defines sales really determines whether Marks’ … [Read more...]
Sponsored content from AAHA Red, AAHA NEWStat
We’re sharing sponsored content from recent AAHA Red and AAHA NEWStat issues, two media offerings available from AAHA Press, the publishing arm of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Stress less with the needle-less Bordetella protection, AAHA Red, October 22, 2018. Link. Forty percent of cat owners find veterinary visits personally stressful, AAHA Red, … [Read more...]
4 buzzwords we need to ban
Buzzwords – we all use them from time to time. They’re still meaningless, according to author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch. She recommends immediately getting rid of: Let’s take this offline. Empower Ownership Bandwidth Source: CNBC, October 16, 2018. Link. But according to bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch, this indirect and … [Read more...]
Opinion – Pets are like family. But as health costs rise, few are insured that way.
Paul Sullivan takes a circuitous route through pet economics, market growth and the challenges of price versus value. References to pet owner attitude changes include contrasting the Snoopy generation of 30 years ago with the current Brian (Family Guy) generation. Sullivan’s perspectives are dashed with quotes, pet health examples, products and animal health companies. Two … [Read more...]
Gecko makes bazillions of calls from vet hospital
A rogue gecko lit up phones for an untold number of folks recently. Veterinarian Claire Simeone, director of Ke Kai Ola, a Hawaiian monk seal hospital, made the discovery as she and a phone company rep tried to figure out what was causing incessant outgoing calls. Source: Associated Press, October 9, 2018. Link. The gecko was perched on a phone, making calls to everyone in … [Read more...]
Opinion – Harassment is common at meetings, yet most men are not sexual predators
The curation functions of AHD bring published information to animal health pros to increase awareness and, more importantly, help start new discussions or change behaviors. Since the media has spent considerable time recently focusing on misconduct, a study released by Meetings and Conventions in January provides an insightful backdrop for our industry to consider. It stated … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Winter pinkeye infections increasing
Times have changed. Pinkeye outbreaks are now seen year-round due to the increased incidence of Moraxella bovoculi. Some have nicknamed this “winter pinkeye,” says Karlin Yaeger, global sales manager for Addison Biological Laboratory. He shared Addison’s 20-plus years of diagnostic lab experiences which reinforce Moraxella bovis as the primary cause of pinkeye. However, other … [Read more...]
2018 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Finalists Announced
They’re fun every year – the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. Sponsored by the Born Free Foundation, the competition is designed to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. Take a few minutes and have some laughs. Source: The Guardian, September 13, 2018. Link. Some of the finalists in this year’s competition . . . You can still vote for the People’s Choice award … [Read more...]
Store welcomes (leashed) horse inside (includes photos)
This will make you smile! A Tractor Supply store in Elk City, Oklahoma, welcomed a gentleman and his horse to the store. [The] gentleman walks into Tractor Supply and says, “I'm a senior, here to buy feed for my senior horse. Can he come in?’” Robin Morris said. Source: the dodo, September 7, 2018. Link. Tractor Supply allows any pet into the store as long as they’re on a … [Read more...]
Screens kill your eyeballs and now we know how
Here’s the latest information on blue light’s rap sheet. Beyond messing with circadian rhythms, it can kill photoreceptor cells, according to a new experiment. We believe all of us need to stay informed on this topic. Source: Popular Science, August 10, 2018. Link. Physicians have drawn attention to the relationship between our favorite devices and eye problems, ranging … [Read more...]
Grit: the power of passion and perseverance (includes video)
We know very little about developing grit, says Angela Lee Duckworth. “What if your ability to do well in school and life depends on much more than your ability to learn easily and quickly?” she asked. “IQ was not the only difference between my best and worst students.” In all those different contexts, one characteristic emerged as significant predictor of success: It was … [Read more...]
Opinion – Human hospitals will be required to post their prices online
I have no political agenda in posting this. However, I believe it is important for animal health pros to see this legal action and consider how it might play out in animal health. One thing for sure, the ability to differentiate services, skills and value-adds may become further homogenized in this environment. The rule, finalized Thursday by the Centers for Medicare and … [Read more...]
Signs of ulcers in horses often subtle
Boehringer Ingelheim’s Hoyt Cheramie, DVM, MS, DACVS, discusses equine stomach ulcers and reminds us that subtle changes can signal an ulcer condition. Clinical signs of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) are not pathognomonic, meaning not very highly associated with the disease. Some signs of EGUS, such as behavioral issues or poor performance, can be so common that they … [Read more...]