A group of experts share perspectives on making apartments a happy place for cats. Cats can be happy anywhere if the right provisions are made available.” - Katenna Jones Source: Rent.com via AAHA NEWStat, May 26, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Search Results for: AAHA NEWStat
4 ways to have cost conversations with clients
Sponsored Content Compiled from more than 1,200 veterinary professionals, results from the 2021 AAHA Financial Care Study* shine a spotlight on opportunities for practices to improve the way they discuss costs with animal owners. The four key takeaways and the associated statements shared in this article are worth reviewing with the entire veterinary team. These statements … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – May 19, 2022
Last week’s THREE most read posts Celebrate graduations. Link. Pandemic lessons for all. Link. 30 is not the new 20. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, May 12, 2022. Link. =================================== CAPC 2022 annual pet parasite forecast Source: Vet Advantage, April 2022, page 50. Link. AHD first … [Read more...]
Making yards pet friendly and safe
Making a fresh, plush carpet for pets and people, our yards are places for fun, games and pleasant play. Making them safe and friendly for our animal friends are the focus of these two articles. Sources: How to make your yard pet friendly, The Outdoor Wear, April 29, 2022. Link. How lawn chemicals affect your cats, even indoor cats, Conscious Cat, via AAHA NEWStat, … [Read more...]
Heartworm prevention: language influences care (video)
The language of care resources from the AVMA are featured in AAHA’s NEWStat. The first article includes a video with role plays of a heartworm client seeking a refill without a heartworm test. The second focuses on the language of care survey results and provides a downloadable ebook to help veterinary team members speak to pet owners in a way that helps them hear and … [Read more...]
Prepare clients to be financially prepared from the start
Getting a pet has financial consequences that often surprise pet owners. Boo Larsen shares data from the recent Synchrony Lifetime of Care study along with three ways to help prepare clients for the cost of care: Prepare new pet owners for costs they may not anticipate. Recognize that an invoice of $250 or less may cause anxiety. Be upfront and open about the … [Read more...]
Inbreeding contributes to higher costs of dog care
Most dog breeds are highly inbred, contributing to a lifelong increase in disease and health care costs. New research confirms dog breeds with higher levels of inbreeding were more likely than other breeds to need additional veterinary care. Study researchers found that the average inbreeding was close to 25 percent, which is similar to the amount of genetic similarity found … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – November 3, 2021
Last week’s. . . . . . most read post Beef upcycles well. It’s a great story we all can share. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin - October 28, 2021. Link. Culling moose in Maine to control ticks Source: Wall Street Journal, November 1, 2021. Link to PDF. To save Maine’s moose population from being decimated by ticks, … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – September 30, 2021
Last week’s. . . . . . most read post More effective communications. Link. . . . AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Sept 23, 2021. Link. But for a genetic parasite, humans might have tails Source: New Scientist, September 24, 2021. Link. Bo Xia’s tail bone injury led to a genetic investigation of why apes, and therefore humans, do not … [Read more...]
Dermatology pearls: Your 4-step guide to educating pet parents about pruritus
Owners of pets with allergic pruritus can often encounter confusion and frustration. It’s important to tackle the issue from the first appointment and develop a dependable treatment plan that keeps the needs of both patient and owner in mind. Source: DVM 360, via AAHA NEWStat, August 29, 2021. Link. To navigate these conversations with clients, Ashley S. Bourgeois, DVM, … [Read more...]
Death and other client kindnesses
Opinion Referring to veterinary hospice and euthanasia client communications, Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, says it's time we do better by our clients and empower them to implement an end-of-life plan that offers comfort, peace and reassurance. To be clear, the advancements of especially the last decade addressing patient and client care at the end-of-life and euthanasia … [Read more...]
The life stages of a veterinarian’s career varies
Opinion A 2020 study of career satisfaction sponsored by Merck sheds light on career challenges, changes and progress for veterinarians. Reviewing the study results, Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, commented it was like reading about life stages for pets. The findings show things start to improve after five years. Whether it’s finally finding the right footing or surrounding … [Read more...]
A year into the pandemic, the profession is feeling the strain
NOMV stands for Not One More Vet, the largest veterinary support group in the world. It has more than 28,000 members worldwide who provide peer-to-peer mental health support and suicide awareness. AAHA’s Tony McReynolds shares discussions following several recent suicides in the veterinary community. . . . the veterinary profession had significant struggles prior to the … [Read more...]
Turn curbside customers into loyal clients
Commentary Tony McReynolds shares results from an appropriately robust discussion with industry consultant Josh Vaisman, CCFP, MAPPCP (PgD). Truly, curbside services are uncharted territory for veterinary teams. While no one really knows exactly what works and what doesn’t, I believe the secret sauce is as close as the treatment foo-foo coffee customers get at Starbucks. … [Read more...]
CDC updates information on Covid-19 airborne risks (with video)
Well duh! The CDC now says people should also avoid crowded indoor spaces and ensure indoor spaces are properly ventilated by bringing in outdoor air. This update is a result of mounting evidence from super-spreader events. The guidance for physical distancing remains in place and needs further emphasis as winter drives more personal interactions indoors. The balance of … [Read more...]
Does your practice have a pricing problem?
In the early 1990s, a wise distribution leader faced off with a veterinarian irate over 5¢ difference in a bottle of oxytocin. He asked the vet, “. . .would your customer notice a 10¢ increase in your price on oxytocin?” Floundering, the vet answered, “no. . . but that’s not the point!” This story is a backdrop to where Karen Felstad, CPA, MS, DVM, CVPM, starts the article … [Read more...]
Include pets’ fate in estate planning
Including the fate of pets in estate plans is not typical advice from an estate-planning attorney writes, Tony McReynolds. He shares advice about including what will happen to pets in end-of-life planning from attorney and author Kelli Brown, JD, LLM. . . . many pets are relinquished because their owners went into an extended-care facility without having named a designated pet … [Read more...]
Parvovirus cases spike
BluePearl, which operates 90 specialty and emergency pet hospitals in 21 states, has experienced a 70 percent increase in parvovirus cases. They relate the spike to the pandemic. AAHA’s Tony McReynolds dug into the situation and offers ways for practices to prepare. Source: AAHA NEWStat, July 23, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
French dogs 95-percent effective at smelling Covid-19 virus
Weeks of trials produced positive results at veterinary school and research centre l'École Nationale Vétérinaire in Maisons-Alfort, where researchers say German Shepherds trained to detect coronavirus showed a 95-percent success rate in sniffing out the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.. . . . the dogs had to identify the presence of the virus by smelling sweat samples taken … [Read more...]
We ARE living the new normal – Part 2, communication strategies for moving forward
Comments Strategies are the how of moving forward. They are meaningless unless we know the why. Getting to why requires focus. The words of the veterinarian’s oath clearly identify the why. . . . I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal … [Read more...]
Top 10, most-read and best-of lists
Clicks count for media publishers. We learn what grabs readers’ attentions. Top article lists also help ensure the most interesting content is renewed for those who missed something earlier. Here are some best-of lists to peruse as you ramp up for 2020. Source: AHD, Search results for: most read. Link Source: DVM 360, Search results for: top stories. Includes the … [Read more...]
PHP reminder program successful in reactivating inactive clients
Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together? Focusing on the bond between the practice, the pets and their owners, instead of the services a practice provides, has proven successful. Two years ago, the Partners for Healthy Pets Inactive Client Program, a client-centric email reminder program was initiated. 1612 practices enrolled 126,576 previously inactive … [Read more...]
Stressed? Pet it away.
Washington State University scientists conducted the first study that shows a reduction in cortisol levels during a real-life interaction rather than in a laboratory setting. Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone." Source: Salon, August 14, 2019 via AAHA NEWStat. Link. What we wanted to learn … [Read more...]
Pet owners still still clueless about heartworm prevention
A small, Florida-based questionnaire exposes the relatively poor understanding owners may have of the biology and risks for heartworm transmission. Claiming veterinarians as their primary source for information about heartworm, respondents did not realize that yard vessels capable of holding water also serve as mosquito-breeding sites. . . . only 61% of dog-owning and 18% of … [Read more...]
Study: We’re finding new feline viruses faster than we can figure them out
The authors of a recent review in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery < link > say, “the rate at which novel [or previously unknown] viruses are being discovered now exceeds our understanding of their clinical relevance.” (The researchers) also raised important questions because the potential pathogenic role of novel viruses can be difficult to … [Read more...]
Start yesterday to promote dental month
There’s no question that dental services extend life quality for pets and increase revenue potential for animal health businesses. With the inclusion of home care in the WASAVA Global Dental Guidelines, the dental message has more potential for 2019 National Pet Dental Health Month communications in February. Social media is especially helpful in educating clients because it … [Read more...]
FDA releases new tools to help veterinarians fight opioid abuse
Keeping opioids secure in the veterinary practice while retaining access for patients who need pain control is more important than ever. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine recently published a list of online resources to help veterinarians comply with federal and state regulations for prescribing, storing and disposing of these products; understand how to help overdosed … [Read more...]
Cracking the window won’t help
Parking in the shade on a sunny day won’t necessarily save a pet left in the car from heatstroke, or worse. A new study of temperatures inside parked cars shows that a car parked in the sun would reach lethal temperatures faster than one parked in the shade, but even in a shaded car, heat buildup could prove deadly. Source: AAHA NEWStat, May 31, 2018. Link. Dr. Ernie Ward, … [Read more...]
Dogs favor baby talk
A new study by researchers at the University of York in England shows that the way we talk to our dogs plays an important part in building relationships with them, similar to the way that talking baby talk to infants helps them bond with adults. Source: AAHA NEWStat, March 7, 2018. Previous studies on how humans communicate with dogs suggest that using dog-directed speech … [Read more...]
Veterinary Medicine Essentials: diabetes mellitus
By assembling articles on cat and dog diabetes, the dvm360 team provides a package that covers diagnostic steps and treatment plan guidance. Along with the latest updates, they offer resources to share with your veterinary team and clients. Source: Veterinary Medicine, February 15, 2018. The package includes tips on which insulin to use, how to best monitor glucose … [Read more...]