It’s not easy for Olympians to get to Tokyo with all the pandemic-related health concerns. But equestrians faced greater challenges, including having to have horses flown into Tokyo from pre-export quarantine in Europe as there were no horse flights out of North America that satisfied the U.S. equestrian horse welfare requirements. Schedules and other information about the … [Read more...]
Search Results for: pandemic
The rise of the eco-friendly consumer. . . our employees
Opinion For decades, our industry focused on animals while feeling forced to deal with people. Harsh? Probably, but true. In the current companion animal context, we’re seeing a growing focus on the animal owner as part of the pet care community. Additionally, the animal health pros we employ come from five generations, all of whom have their own opinions and … [Read more...]
Purchase growth plateaus, but still ahead of 2020, VetWatch™
Monitoring the scope, velocity and importance of developments in the U.S. veterinary care sector, VetWatch™ helps veterinary hospitals and the animal health industry stay on top of the ever-changing landscape affected by current events through multiple sources of real-time data. Source: VetWatch, week ending July 3, 2021. Link. For the week ending July 3, aggregate YTD … [Read more...]
2021 Audubon photography awards
Compared to recent competitions, few winning images in this year’s Audubon Photography Awards came from far-flung expeditions. Most were taken by photographers working close to home. This may be a reflection of how birds provided solace during the challenging and restrictive conditions brought on by the pandemic. Enjoy! The finest images showed birdlife at its most tranquil, … [Read more...]
Society ignores low-probability events that have far-reaching consequences
Vaccines are still beating the variants, but the unvaccinated world is being pummeled. Ed Yong shares three simple rules that underscore the danger of Delta, the name for the B.1.617.2. variant, a SARS-CoV-2 mutation <Link>. Source: The Atlantic, July 1, 2021. Link. Even highly vaccinated nations should continue investing in other measures that can control COVID-19 but … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – June 17, 2021
Last week’s most read post 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey reveals important post-pandemic changes for the pet care industry Source: Animal Health Digest, June 8, 2021. Link. U.S. bans importing of dogs from 113 countries due to rise in false rabies records Source: NPR, June 14, 2021. Link. Veterinarians are praising the decision. 36 … [Read more...]
Hugging requires consent, now more than ever. Here’s how to navigate that.
Live and in-person, finally! But now, post-pandemic with social distancing in place, do we need ways to easily ask people if it’s okay to hug them? Tracey Anne Duncan asked psychologists how to navigate requesting consent when you want to embrace someone with whom you are less familiar. We’re all navigating unfamiliar terrain with rusty social skills right now and there is … [Read more...]
Best washing machines of 2021
Laundry stacks up fast in veterinary clinics. The pandemic taxed existing machines as disinfection took a higher priority. Machines that have bigger capacities, speed cycles or built-in pretreat features have been developed to reduce laundry time. Ecofriendly or green choice models add more options from which to choose. Consumer Reports’ washer buying guide reviews … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – May 27, 2021
Last week’s most read post No, people aren’t giving up pandemic pets because they’re bored Source: Animal Health Digest, May 18, 2021. Link. Two words for an instant dose of empathy Source: Forge, May 3, 2021. Link. Try mirroring the other person’s struggle with the words “of course” to validate their challenges or … [Read more...]
The 3 Rs of tick-borne diseases
Reports from colleagues around midwestern U.S. states indicate tick populations are thriving. Tick distributions are dynamic and ever-changing, and practice protocols often need to evolve to meet the growing threat ticks pose to pet health, writes Holly Morss, LVT. Morss discusses teaching staff members to address tick borne disease using the 3-R’s: Review the topic of … [Read more...]
Free webinar: How to find new growth levers in veterinary consolidation
Complimentary Content Animal health pros are invited to a live, free webinar: “Riding the Tide in Uncertain Times: How to find new growth levers in veterinary consolidation,” hosted by OpenRoom. Topics to be discussed include: Planning for success: Destination Pet’s rise to operating 75 veterinary practices in only 4 years Whether the pandemic has affected … [Read more...]
Relief Rover supporting veterinary wellness with virtual run: “Clinic to 5K”
Acknowledging the pandemic challenges of veterinarians, along with maintaining mental health and wellbeing, Relief Rover is responding with healthy fun and a challenge. The Clinic to 5K running event will take place the last week of July. Ten dollars from every registration will be donated to NOMV that provides the necessary support to all members of veterinary … [Read more...]
What executives are saying about the future of hybrid work
The authors compiled hybrid work survey results from 100 executives from various industries and locations. While employees are feeling anxious, most organizations have only begun to think through and articulate the specifics of how to carry out a more permanent mix of remote and on-site working for all roles that aren’t essential to perform on site. Source: McKinsey and … [Read more...]
Research insights on telemedicine; changing pet owner expectations regarding accessing
Vet-AI and Joii Pet Care released new insights into the effectiveness and safety of remote prescribing. They are collected from tens of thousands of consults during the pandemic, as well as exclusive pet parent research which highlights owner expectations and needs. The insights were first shared in a live webinar called The Great British Data Show last week hosted by The … [Read more...]
She-cession. Pink collar recession. Getting women back in the workforce.
Pandemic-driven lockdowns forced many women to choose between work and family, setting women’s labor force participation back decades. Jen Colleta addresses what HR can do to stop this alarming trend. Colleta says the statistics are stark: More than 5 million payroll jobs held by women were lost in 2020. Of those women, nearly 2.5 million left the workforce entirely … [Read more...]
Perspectives on mentorship
Guest Contributor - Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT Mentorship is personal and tough to define. Alyssa Mages shares her experiences with mentors and their contributions. My mentors were strong and fearless in my eyes. They looked for the potential in people and when they found it, whatever it was, they helped it to flourish, to grow, to become. They did not give up!” Source: … [Read more...]
Covid-19 takes heavy toll on farmers mental health
Two in three farmers/farmworkers say the Covid-19 pandemic has affected their mental health and more than half say they are experiencing more mental health challenges than they were a year ago, according to a recent American Farm Bureau poll. Animal health pros who call on farmers and ranchers may notice behavior that is out of character. Farm Bureau assembled a list of great … [Read more...]
AHD welcomes new contributors from EVT
Beginning this month, Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT, and Caitlin Keat, BS, MS, will contribute their perspectives from their work with veterinary teams. Throughout the pandemic and through their business, Empowering Veterinary Teams (EVT), Mages and Keat have worked to support and inspire veterinary team members taxed with myriad changes in how work and life are transpiring. We’re … [Read more...]
What workers’ attire communicates to customers
Research found that shoppers were almost twice as likely to interact with a formally dressed employee as one who was informally dressed, believing that the more formally dressed employees had more expertise than their casually dressed peers. This raised their expectations of getting better service. Dust off the lab coats and sport jackets.” Source: Harvard Business Review, … [Read more...]
Refocus: 6 growing issues
The first trimester of 2021 is now behind us. Our industry continues to feel more complicated and changing at break-neck speed. In December 2020, Karen E. Felsted, DVM, CPA, MS, CVPM, CVA, and Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, reviewed Pew Research Center’s “Future Directions for Veterinary Medicine” (1989), and KPMG’s “The Current and Future Market for Veterinarians and Veterinary … [Read more...]
World Veterinary Day is April 24
World Veterinary Day is this Saturday! This year’s theme is The Veterinarian Response to the Covid-19 Crisis. Thrown into the pandemic, veterinarians worldwide stepped up to receive animals differently and still treat them according to proven protocols. Click the link below and you’ll find nine ways to celebrate World Veterinary Day. Source: World Veterinary Day 2021. Link. … [Read more...]
Lest we forget . . . productive inactivity
The 2021 return to something considered more normal threatens some of what society has learned during pandemic challenges, WFH and forced pauses. In a recent blog post, Cal Newport contrasts our current states where ambition is intertwined with overload against how John Steinbeck embraced a sort of heroic inactivity. Source: Cal Newport, February 21, 2021. Link. Steinbeck … [Read more...]
Engage sales reps as resources
The great reps that call on your clinic are first interested in your success because they know it will aid their success. In my most recent column for Vet-Advantage magazine, I suggest ways reps can be of further help during this pandemic. You can start the process by engaging your rep in this conversation. Source: Vet-Advantage, February 2021 Digital. Link. They (Engaged … [Read more...]
Beware of BAD career advice
I want to see a show of hands of those whose five-year plan included a contingency for a worldwide shutdown caused by a coronavirus pandemic. This is just one piece of evidence that some career advice should be ignored, according to Kelsey Manning. Source: Fast Company, December 15, 2014. Link. Following the money with complete disregard for your interest is a surefire path … [Read more...]
Chameleon-like ambiverts make better leaders
Bryan Lufkin says blending extrovert and introvert personality types can make you indispensable in the office. Finding the right balance is a skill we can all master. Ambiverts naturally engage in a flexible pattern of talking and listening. They are likely to express sufficient assertiveness and enthusiasm to persuade and close a sale. They are also more inclined to listen to … [Read more...]
Synchronous versus asynchronous
An educated industry colleague shared constructive criticism about semantics recently. It was aimed at two terms frequently used as tele-everything is developing in animal health and remote capabilities continue to expand. Veterinary practices have long been hands-on providing support and treatment in real time. Therefore synchronous. The pandemic increased the adoption … [Read more...]
Omnichannel, asynchronous, decision support, home delivery terms of future pet business
Opinion Changes to the ways we live and work could mean years of extra business for pet supply stores, says Erich Schwartzel. His article prompts reflection on how we got here from an animal health supply and services standpoint. Source: The long tail of the pandemic puppy business, Wall Street Journal, March 26, 2021. Link. Petco, the animal-supply retailer, was a … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 25, 2021
Women in beef production (slideshow) Source: BEEF, March 22, 2021. Link. According to the most recent Agriculture Census, more than 230,000 farms or ranches across America have a woman at the helm. Veterinary Inventory Strategy Network Platinum Group enrollment now open Source: VISN. Link. Enrollment to the Platinum Group ends … [Read more...]
B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant, pets and myocarditis
Scott Weese, DVM, says the first report of the B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variant being found in a dog and cat in Texas will cause a bit of concern, but unnecessarily. He reviews and challenges a recent paper yet to be peer-reviewed. This study simply showed that animals can be infected. It does not indicate anything about pets’ role in outbreak dynamics or anything else. Source: … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 11, 2021
Ionophores help control coccidiosis and more Source: Dairy Herd Management, March 4, 2021. Link. Ionophores promote calf health and performance through a combination of disease control and improved feed efficiency. They also have shown numerous benefits in dry, transition, and lactating cow rations. 5 signs indicate the time to consult a professional obedience … [Read more...]