Personal experience A neighbor has constructed and populated a small backyard chicken coop about 100 yards from the back fence in my yard. Within a few days, I saw more hawks and owls circling the area, resting in the tall oaks and casting shadows as they flew over our neighborhood. Startled by the shadow of a swooping red-tail hawk I watched a massive one dive-bomb … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 14, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Traditional recruiting is broken. 6 ways to reimagine it. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, March 31, 2022. Link. =================================== How long is too long to leave a dog alone? Source: Whole Dog Journal, January 10, 2020. Link. 10 to 12 hours is too long for a dog to be … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – February 24, 2022
Last week’s most read post Customers speak with their wallets; beef producers can’t ignore the results. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, February 17, 2022. Link. =========================== UK’s veterinary workforce crisis deepens; registrants drop by over two-thirds Source: British Veterinary Association, … [Read more...]
National Geographic’s 12 most intriguing animal discoveries of 2021
‘Virgin births’ in a rare bird, Covid-19 found in wild deer, other animals, cloning a black ferret, elephant evolving to lose tusks, wild horses and donkeys digging desert wells, ants that shrink and regrow their brains and more. . . Source: National Geographic, December 8, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Drs Chatfield share their top 5 animal stories
There’s always a laugh, something to learn and some sibling banter when Dr. Jen the Vet and twin brother, Jason Chatfield, DVM, get together for an episode of Chat’s with the Chatfields. The latest episode covers their top 5 animal stories and more. Source: Chat’s with the Chatfields, YouTube, December 16, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
What reptiles REALLY need to thrive with Joerg Mayer, DVM
Complimentary Sponsored Content Responding to viewer inquiries, the Chatfields host Joerg Mayer, DVM, MS, DABVP, DECZM, DACZM, to discuss reptile care, feeding crickets and whether to feed live rodents to snakes. Specifically, the discussion of sunlight versus artificial sunlight is enlightening. Source: Chats with the Chatfields, November 24, 2021. Link. 54 minutes. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 21, 2021
Last week’s. . . . . . most read post Grain-free? Grain-ful? The Chatfields discuss pet food choices. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin - Oct 14, 2021. Link. Label pea-protein cat food as not for ferrets, vet says Source: Petfood Industry, October 11, 2021. Link. Bladder stones in ferrets may be related to diets containing … [Read more...]
Take a break and laugh at the 2021 Wildlife Photo Awards finalists
The 2021 Wildlife Photo Awards announced its finalists last week and they’re worth seeing. Judges narrowed selections down to 42 finalists out of 7,000 entries from around the world. The winners will be announced October 22. Source: CNN, September 2, 2021. Link. Source: The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. Link. … [Read more...]
“Other” pet market growing
In the wake of Covid-19, according to a new Packaged Facts report on Fish, Small Mammal, Herptile and Bird Products, 12.2 percent of all U.S. households own one or more type of pet other than dogs and cats, up from 10.8 percent five years ago. This was one of the pet population reset trends Packaged Facts’ David Sprinkle discussed during the Veterinary Innovation Summit + … [Read more...]
New from Chats with the Chatfields
Complimentary Sponsored Content The Chatfield veterinarian twins have been busy. We’re sharing recent podcasts here: What happens in vet school? Link. Veronica List, a first-year vet student, is not your everyday, run-of-the-mill aspiring veterinarian though! Veronica will be featured in "V's View from Vet School," a recurring segment to share all there is going on … [Read more...]
National Pet Week is May 2 through 8
National Pet Week takes place the first week of May and there is a lot to celebrate. From cats, dogs and fish to lizards, snakes and tarantulas, there’s room for all. Enjoy! Source: National Pet Week 2021. Link. No matter how tough things may seem, pets eagerly provide comfort, sympathy and unquestioned understanding when we most need it. … [Read more...]
The rise of reptiles and what it means for veterinary medicine
Mike Corcoran, DVM, DABVP, CertAqV, says the number of reptiles as pets has more than doubled since 2007. The pet trade is marketing more products to reptile owners directed at enrichment and the human-animal bond. He expects veterinarians will see reptiles more frequently as their owners seek diagnostics and treatments recommended for their pets. Source: Pet Vet Magazine, … [Read more...]
Hoo-WHOoo won the 2020 World Nature Photography Awards?
We’ve never met an animal health pro who did not appreciate nature photography. We’re sharing this post first. Enjoy! The mission of the World Nature Photography Awards is to celebrate the world’s best nature photographers while showcasing nature’s beauty to a wider audience. Source: World Nature Photography Awards. Link. In 2021, WNPA will continue to support two climate … [Read more...]
Texans rescue cold-stunned sea turtles
The extreme cold temperatures in Texas caused significant cold stunning in the Padre Island area. Volunteers and Sea Turtle Inc., staff members managed the influx of green turtles, Kemp’s ridley turtles and loggerhead turtles. More than 4,000 turtles were rescued. Getting them warm was a huge undertaking. Source: Texas Monthly, February 17, 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Animals most likely to kill you by state
This is intriguing enough to share. The study of the deadliest animal by each state was completed by the Centers for Disease Control. Dogs topped the list in Alabama and Arizona, for example. Source: The Outdoor Wear, November 20, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
Other small pets, an important segment to monitor
Pet ownership beyond cats and dogs may make up a small part of the industry’s focus, but trends in small pets mirror what’s happening in the marketplace. The popularity of reptiles and amphibians within the pet trade is simply on fire right now. . . ” - John Mack. founder and CEO of Reptiles by Mack Source: Petfood Industry, October 2020. Link. INSIGHTS: Watch any two … [Read more...]
As fall approaches insects, snakes get busy
September and October resemble spring when it comes to insect and snake activity. Two recent articles can help animal owners and animal health pros gain perspective and understanding, while potentially avoiding an issue. Source: How to tell a bee, wasp and hornet apart, Prevention, May 6, 2020. Link. Here’s how to tell bees, wasps, and hornets apart from their looks to … [Read more...]
How to get-a-grip on small mammals (slide show)
Handling small mammals is often like controlling a bucking bronc on a tiny scale. The smaller they are, the more likely the encounter will be fueled by the flight or fight response. David Eshar, DVM, shares safe handling techniques that minimize stress and reduce the chance for trauma in these patients. Source: Clinician’s Brief, January 2020. Link. Patients should be … [Read more...]
Skin-eating fungi destroying frogs and salamanders globally
A new study, published in Science, is the first comprehensive tally of the damage done by the chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). In all, the fungi have driven the declines of at least 501 amphibian species, or about one out of every 16 known to science. Source: National Geographic, March 28, 2019. Link. Calling for … [Read more...]
Opinion – New TV program, Animal ER Live, demonstrates the complexity of veterinary care
The launch of Animal ER Live on Nat Geo WILD is a game-changer for animal owner perceptions of veterinary hospitals, veterinarians and veterinary staff members. Animal ER Live joins current family friendly veterinary programs featured on the network that include Secrets of the Zoo, Dr. K’s Exotic Animal ER, Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet and the network’s number-1 series, The Incredible … [Read more...]
Pet ownership continues to climb, AVMA findings
The 2017-2018 edition of the Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook found that nearly 57 percent of all U.S. households owned a pet at end of 2016. Of those, 38 percent owned one or more dogs, 25 percent owned one or more cats. More than 13 percent of U.S. households owned a specialty or exotic pet in 2016, a 25 percent increase from 2011. The incidence of poultry owned … [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...]
Pet reptiles or amphibians may pose health risks to humans
It is important for owners of reptiles, such as turtles, snakes and lizards, and amphibians, such as frogs, toads and salamanders to understand the health risks to themselves and others in their household. Animal health pros need to advise pet reptiles or amphibians owners about the risk for salmonellosis and the simple steps that can be taken to reduce risk to household … [Read more...]
Zombie raccoons; 200 new viruses in reptiles, amphibians, fish
These two articles expose the reality of living with wildlife. Distemper is likely the cause of strange-acting raccoons in Ohio. Meanwhile, researchers indicate viruses that infect amphibians, reptiles and fishes are studied little compared to the ones that affect mammals and birds. Source: The Washington Post, April 5, 2018 (paywall). Residents in Youngstown, Ohio, … [Read more...]
Snakebite a risk for horses and cattle
All grazing animals are at risk of snakebite in areas where snakes are present. Rattlesnake venom has two types of toxins, myotoxins and hemotoxins. Myotoxins create rapid swelling, pain and bleeding at the bite site and muscle necrosis, while the hemotoxins damage blood vessels, destroying red blood cells and hindering blood clotting. Veterinarians with snakebite experience … [Read more...]
Salmonella outbreaks linked to turtles
Animal health professionals need to spread the word about small turtles and the potential for salmonella infections. Turtles carry the bacteria on their skin and shell, but they do not get sick. Of those persons infected this year, 41 percent are under the age of five and about 30 percent required hospitalization. Source: CNN, May 19, 2016. Between January 2015 and April of … [Read more...]