Stool samples are telling of a dog’s health, writes Kyle Grusling, DVM. He reminds dog owners that parasites are not the only thing that can be seen on a fecal check. In addition to gastrointestinal parasites, stool samples may reveal diarrhea, mites and protozoa. Source: Whole Dog Journal, March 2019. Link. A great diagnostic or screening tool for any dog, routine poop … [Read more...]
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Skin tags, lumps and bumps on dogs
No skin growth should be dismissed without veterinary attention, writes Melvin Peña. Common as dogs age, he says the most important thing you can do about skin tags on dogs is to be observant. Acknowledging he is not a veterinarian, he shares researched information on lipomas, fatty and mast cell tumors. The article is simplistic, but the messages are clear for dog … [Read more...]
Talk about it! Antibiotic Awareness Week
The U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW) is an annual observance that highlights steps everyone can take to improve antibiotic prescribing and use. The USAAW observance is November 18-24, 2019 and aligns with CDC’s educational effort, Be Antibiotics Aware: Smart Use, Best Care < link >, the year-round effort to improve antibiotic prescribing and use and combat … [Read more...]
Prepare horses and barns for winter
Winter is never the easiest season for horsekeepers, but with planning it doesn’t have to be particularly difficult, writes Christine Barakat. She offers tips on winter preparations that will benefit horses and owners. Source: EQUUS Extra. Link. Dehydration is the primary cause of impaction colic during winter months. . . be certain horses have access to fresh … [Read more...]
Survival items to keep in your glove compartment
There are dozens of situations where you might not be able to get to survival items in your trunk. For these reasons, you consider keeping these survival items in your car’s glove compartment: Flashlight First aid kit Gloves Seat belt cutter Multi-tool Poncho We would add a candle and matches to this list. Source: The Outdoor Wear, November 5, 2019. … [Read more...]
BRSV still relevant and compromising
A good preventive care plan includes vaccinating both cows and calves for bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) because it is endemic in the United States. While rarely fatal on its own, BRSV weakens the immune system, often allowing for a secondary bacterial infection that results in pneumonia. BRSV is a factor considered part of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The … [Read more...]
24 years, 25 million cattle prove what affects prices
The biggest value-added protocol in calf health is weaning, not vaccination. This, according to 24 years of big data generated from 25,000 million cattle by Superior Livestock Auction. Ken Odde, Kansas State University animal science professor, revealed which calf health programs, premiums and genetic breeds have on prices during the recent National Red Angus Conference. . . . … [Read more...]
Revisiting Frito feet
The causes of Frito feet are natural enough and don’t mean a dog has been sneaking corn chips. However endearing for some, canine paw odors disgust others. Like strong or acrid human foot odors*, the sources of paw smell are many. Like the fungi that cause humans feet to smell, one source of dog foot odor is an unchecked proliferation of yeast fungi in and around its feet. … [Read more...]
Should influencers tell audiences they’re getting paid?
How times change! The whole point of influencer market has traditionally been based on the perceived neutrality of influencers. However, new research suggests that the likelihood of viewing a brand positively following an influencer’s recommendation was roughly the same whether or not a relationship between the brand and the influencer had been disclosed. Source: HBR Ascend, … [Read more...]
Study demonstrates benefits of wintering dairy cows outdoors
Recent research from the Journal of Dairy Science < link > suggests that outdoor housing through the winter might be cleaner and healthier for the cows than indoor housing. The University of Minnesota study compared organic cows housed on an outdoor straw pack with wind protection to cows housed indoors on a compost-bedded pack barn. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, October … [Read more...]
You can’t disinfect a turd, but disinfectants work
We can learn a lot from practical biosecurity protocols used by swine veterinarians and their clients. The approaches practiced in swine production apply across species as we expand our thinking about zoonoses and One Health. Biosecurity must be a mindset and lifestyle. . . it must be ingrained and adhered to, and we also need to trust all employees to do the right thing even … [Read more...]
Rodeo, a tough sport with rich heritage
Rodeo has been around as long and demands as much or more from its athletes than do urban sports, writes Jonathon Reed. He shares the history, development and challenges of rodeo as a competitive sport. . . . young competitors learn their skills on the farm or ranch, as part of everyday chores or seasonal cattle work. Horsemanship and general equine knowledge get worked in … [Read more...]
Turning the corner on FIP (podcast)
Niels Pedersen, BS, DVM, PhD, has made solving feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) a career goal. Steve Dale spoke with Pedersen recently on Dale's Pet World radio show. They discuss the latest about FIP. Source: Steve Dale Pet World, October 18, 2019. Link. Pedersen shares how departing from vaccine research to take advantage of anti-viral drugs has resulted in promising … [Read more...]
Women at work podcast series
Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo and Nicole Torres are into season 4 of the Women at Work podcast series featuring conversations about the workplace, and women’s place in it. The list of topics from previous seasons is impressive. Transcripts are also available. Source: Women at Work, HBR. Link. INSIGHTS: Topics such as competing, being a working parent, issues with eldercare, … [Read more...]
Veterinary euthanasia: the last act of love
Mike Paul, DVM, has always viewed euthanasia as one of the greatest responsibilities entrusted to veterinary professionals and a gift some veterinarians take for granted. He shares his experiences and perspective about euthanasia and leading the decision process, accounting for all involved. Source: DVM 360, August 20, 2019. Link. For veterinarians, humane euthanasia is a … [Read more...]
USP 800 deadline looms (videos)
USP <800> was created to help protect workers, patients and others in veterinary environments. It was published February 1, 2016 with an implementation date of December 2019. USP <800> involves facility changes, such as adding additional rooms to prepare hazardous drugs. It also involves a change in operations and how veterinary teams deal with drugs in their … [Read more...]
Cat snoring: normal or not?
Eric Barchas, DVM, offers simple guidelines for determining whether a cat’s snoring is a medical problem or not. The most basic and common health issue that leads to cat snoring is being overweight or obese. Source: Catster, September 27, 2019. Link. Cat snoring that becomes progressively louder or is linked to other symptoms such as sneezing, coughing or changes in appetite … [Read more...]
People want their employers to talk about mental health
Mental health conditions affect more than 200 million workdays each year, yet mental health remains a taboo subject. About 60 percent of employees have never spoken to anyone at work about their mental health status. Mental health is becoming the next frontier of diversity and inclusion, and employees want their companies to address it. Source: Harvard Business Review, … [Read more...]
Chasing customer experience excellence
Experience is everything. Here’s how to get it right, according to PWC research. Its team dived deeply into customer experience development. Consider this information in the context of developing services and support for animal owners and animal health stakeholders. Today, 64% of U.S. consumers and 59% of all consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of … [Read more...]
Getting ready for snow
Snow across the northern plains signals the need to consider snow removal tools. If you already have a snowblower it is time to get it out and perform regular maintenance to keep it in top shape. Make sure couplings, hydraulics and lights are serviced and working on blades and snowplows. Do any blade repairs now before snow starts to accumulate. For those looking at getting … [Read more...]
When the fur flies and how to stop cat fights
Cat fights are natural feline behavior. The key to stopping them lies in understanding why they are fighting in the first place. The author shares common causes for cat fights and how to address them: Hormones New cat smell Jealousy Territorial Proximity caging and positive behavior rewards Source: Catster, September 19, 2019. Link. Never reach in and try … [Read more...]
219 million people to dress pets for Halloween
The National Retail Federation annual survey results indicates there will a lot of four-legged pumpkins this Halloween with 172 million people planning to celebrate Halloween. Twenty-nine million of them plan to dress their pets in costumes. Animal health pros know Halloween is stressful for most pets before they get dressed up. We captured a selection of articles, tips and … [Read more...]
Baking soda and the horse barn
Baking soda? Yes, the common housecleaner has several uses in the horse barn, writes Christine Barakat: Scrub out water buckets and troughs Clean bits and metal stirrups Freshen horse’s laundry Deodorize drains Source: EQUUS, August 22, 2019. Link. INSIGHTS: We anticipate baking soda is useful in kennels and catteries, as well. Share the tip with horse and … [Read more...]
Profitable cows start with a sound heifer development plan
How you develop heifers makes all the difference in what kind of cows they become, writes Burke Teichert. He shares his perspective on issues that drive good decision making in the development and selection of replacement heifers: We should not strive for maximum conception rate in yearling heifers Heifers do not need to reach 65% of expected mature cow weight to have … [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...]
Rethinking red meat
New nutrition recommendations published in the Annals of Internal Medicine < link > say that red and processed meats are not bad for us, contradicting current guidelines. A panel of 14 persons working in various fields related to nutrition used a research approach that rates the certainty of the evidence. They focused on the absolute risk rather than the relative risk of … [Read more...]
9 common dog training mistakes
“Are YOU the problem?” Teoti Anderson asks before she offers tips about common dog behavior problems. Not using clear, consistent cues is a common mistake people make when training their dogs. Her nine common mistakes dog owners make reducing the value of dog training efforts make for a good resource for social media, newsletters and for new pet orientations: Leaving a … [Read more...]
Ideas to stop the infernal caterwauling at night
Being awakened by household cats in the wee hours of the morning can irritate cat owners. If the cat is healthy, then behavioral interventions are possible. Cat behaviorist, Mieshelle Nagelschnider, offers tips to address that pesky meowing: Feed later in the evening Keep your cat awake more during the Reset your cat’s internal hunting time clock Ignore the … [Read more...]
Stem cell use growing, more work to do
With clinical use of stem cells in veterinary orthopedics growing, Nicole S. Amato, DVM, DACVS, offers answers to the question, “What does the current evidence show regarding efficacy?” She discusses terminology, stem cells sources and harvesting and clinical impact. Amato’s discussion of advantages and disadvantages leads to a conclusion. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSCT) … [Read more...]
Reminder! National Veterinary Technician Week starts October 13
Next week we recognize the vital roles veterinary technicians provide to benefit veterinary practices, their clients and animal welfare. If you’ve not planned anything yet, you still have time. Source: AVMA. Link. National Veterinary Technician Week takes place in the third week of October each year. It was first celebrated in 1993. Also see: Where have all the nurses … [Read more...]