Two University of Minnesota researchers have combed through 57,000 publications to share a 10-year retrospective of disease, pathogen research and how it is prioritized. Salmonella, E. coli, influenza, pseudorabies and FMD were the top 5 most researched pathogens. Source: National Hog Farmer, December 2018, page 6. Link. We generally find a shift in the last 40 years, … [Read more...]
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Dealing with snot-nosed cats
Douglas Palma, DVM, provides a handy decision-tree guide to help in the assessment of nasal discharge in cats. Apparently, not everything is “snuffles.” This guide will make a good screening tool to use during a telemedicine appointment to drive questions. Source: Clinician’s Brief, December 2016. Link. … [Read more...]
What is it like to be a dog? What do dogs think?
Melissa L. Kauffman provides an interview from the October 2018 Royal Canin Future of Animal Companionship Conference. Alexandra Horowitz and Sarah Heath spoke about the dog’s and cat’s point of view on the world and us. They were also part of the panel discussing the benefits of living with pets. Source: Dogster, December 21, 2018. Link. Speaking to our tendency to … [Read more...]
Crate reasoning
Nancy Kerns shares her experiences with dogs and crates during last year’s California Camp Fire. She further underscores the importance of crate training for all dogs. If for no other reason, teach your dog to be comfortable in a crate for emergencies. Source: Whole Dog Journal, January 2019. Link. . . . the dogs who obviously had experience in crates were far less … [Read more...]
Resources promote importance of preventive pet health care
Animal health pros know the cost of prevention is a fraction of the cost of treating a disease or problem once it becomes advanced. Proactive protection products, early diagnosis and treatment of known risks, developing problems and diseases increases the life quality of pets. As you implement strategies for improving the customer experience, consider the resources … [Read more...]
Dog food under the spotlight
The canine obesity situation and new dog food trends have animal health pros scrambling to keep up with new products, recalls, special packaging and meeting the needs of pet owners concerned about the right food. We compiled several articles that relate to overweight dogs. Sources: as below What and how to feed your overweight dog, Dogster, December 26, 2018. Link. Ernie … [Read more...]
Manage swine disease risk at the truck wash
Biosecurity measures literally hit the road when considering the health of the U.S. swine herd. Ann Hess relates the experiences of Illinois third-year vet student, Megan Bloemer, whose work was awarded the first Morrison Swine Innovator prize at the 2018 Allan D. Leman swine conference. Bloemer’s presentation, Protecting the Inevitable Risk: Biosecurity at a Truck Wash. … [Read more...]
New tracker technology for cows resembles fitness trackers
A new type of fitness tracker may help farmers keep track of their livestock. The new technology, in the form of a smart ear tag, produces similar data to those delivered by consumer smart watches. GPS enabled, the high-tech ear tag allows farmers to track the location of individual animals remotely via internet capabilities. Source: BEEF, December 7, 2018. … [Read more...]
Controlling ammonia volatility in poultry litter
Moisture is the number-one variable poultry producers must manage to help control ammonia production, thereby boosting bird health and performance. The inherent challenges that accompany ammonia have not changed. However, it often seems that producers have become accustomed to its impact, just as desensitization to ammonia’s smell occurs. Regardless of the size of the … [Read more...]
11 free puppy handouts
Add these new (or new to you) handouts to your new-client packets or put them on your website or in social media: Parasite prevention: Is that client’s puppy bugged?Why puppies need vaccinesDental health: Protect your puppy’s pearl whitesFeeding: What’s for puppy’s dinner?Enrichment: Don’t let boredom ruin your puppy’s brainTop 5 tips for teething puppiesThe secret to … [Read more...]
When an argument gets too heated, here’s what to say
Productive conflict is a hallmark of high-performing teams. Some teams struggle to communicate dissenting opinions without triggering resistance and defensiveness, writes Liane Davey. They fall into unproductive conflict by invalidating one another as they argue. IF you can validate your teammate’s perspective, expertise, and feelings, you will keep the conflict focused on … [Read more...]
Must-have chew toys
Animal health pros are frequently asked about the best toys for pets. Keep this article handy as a guide for helping dog owners ‘chews’ a toy or four for their dog(s). Consider posting it on social media or including it in an e-newsletter ahead of the Christmas holiday. Source: Whole Dog Journal, December 10, 2018. Link. Here are some tips on selecting the best chew toys … [Read more...]
Let the sleeping dog lie
Catherine Ashe, DVM, discusses sleep in dogs. She notes the various influences on how much they sleep, as well as sleep patterns. She quotes one source who estimates that dogs sleep anywhere from 48 percent to 58 percent of the time. Her perspectives make good social media, e-newsletter and website content. The truth is, sleep varies dramatically between individual canines … [Read more...]
Ways to improve access to veterinary care
In a perfect world, all animals would have equal access to veterinary care. But this is not reality. Multiple factors keep pet owners from seeking the veterinary care their animals need. There ARE solutions writes Amanda Landis-Hanna, DVM. Access barriers can include language,transportation, education, culture, socioeconomics, medical or mental illness,and rural or urban … [Read more...]
Tufts, the future of feline health
More than 90 percent of cats seen in clinics are the result of random breeding. Jerold S. Bell, DVM, reviews common feline diseases and notes that many of them are the result of genetic predispositions and will most likely appear in other cats unless we take long-term measures. Pressure needs to be put on the cat breeding community so that it recognizes that the consumer is … [Read more...]
Virtual work skills we all need
It is routine that some interactions are virtual for all animal health pros. Examples include: Field sales phoning to manage an order with an inside sales personInside sales contacting a customer to verify a size, quantity or promotional offer before shipping an orderClinic personnel contacting animal owners to verify appointmentsTelemedicine tools Training via … [Read more...]
How often should I wash my office water bottle?
Susan Whittier, director of Columbia University’s Clinical Microbiology Lab said, “Water bottles and coffee mugs should be cleaned with soap and water at the end of each day. . .” She also recommends cleaning the mugs and bottles during the day, too. Source: Science of Us, November 27, 2018. Link. Keep the lid on as much as possible, to protect against the crumbling, moldy … [Read more...]
How to decide whether to relocate for a job
Whether or not to relocate for a new role is a big decision, professionally and personally. Animal health pros are routinely faced with relocation decisions as companies merge. The same is true for associate veterinarians and veterinary nurses looking to advance their careers. Author and professor Jennifer Petriglieri offers some ideas to help think through whether the move … [Read more...]
Manage cataracts in horses as they age
Dr. Amber Labelle addresses equine cataracts. Most horses, as do dogs and humans, get degrees of cataracts as they age, also called them senile cataracts. Note the download that many AQHA members may use as a reference. Source: AQHA, November 28, 2017. Link. The good news is that cataracts do not appear to affect horses' vision the way they affect our human vision! For … [Read more...]
Double-check broodmares in early winter
Up to 15 percent of broodmares who were checked safe-in-foal at 45 to 60 days lose their pregnancies by late fall, says Thomas Lenz, DVM. It’s a good idea this time of year to recheck all of your mares by ultrasound or palpation to confirm that their pregnancy is progressing normally, he says. Too often, a mare owner doesn’t know a mare lost her pregnancy until she doesn’t … [Read more...]
Texas landowners get feral hog reporting tool
Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute has released a new online tool <link> to help in the growing effort to control the feral hog population in the state. The wild pig website offers Texas landowners and homeowners an easy-to-use tool to report sightings of feral hogs and the damage they may have caused. Source: National Hog Farmer, November 29, 2018. … [Read more...]
Why dogs slobber
Catherine Ashe, DVM, explains what drool is and why dogs do it. She also discusses normal and abnormal drool in a format that can be used on social media, in e-newsletters and with clients whose dogs slobber. Source: Whole Dog Journal, November 28, 2018. Link. Unfortunately, if you’ve adopted a large or giant breed dog with floppy lips, slobber is going to be a regular part … [Read more...]
Pheromones effective at decreasing feline aggression
Hiss, yowl, sphftt, thump, pow, schzip! In multi-cat households the sounds often remind owners of superhero TV. Owners now have a stress-reducing options. A recent study in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery looked at the effectiveness of using pheromone diffusers for aggression in multi-cat households. They discovered that cats exposed to feline-appeasing pheromones … [Read more...]
The driving force behind FarmHER
Marji Guyler-Alaniz’s photographic project turned into a voice for women in agriculture almost overnight. It now has grown to encompass events for women, FarmHer-branded merchandise, the 30-minute weekly RFD-TV show, the 60-minute Shining Bright by FarmHer SiriusXM radio show and podcast and ongoing social media to connect with her audience. These (ag) women work hard, for … [Read more...]
How will you vote? Subclinical heart murmur case.
We believe these short case situations are good education for animal health pros in all positions. Consider the situation and see how you would proceed! The owner would like her female golden to produce one litter of puppies prior to being spayed. Source: Clinician’s Brief, November 2018. Link. A 12-month-old intact female golden retriever is presented for a wellness … [Read more...]
Diuretics help cats and dogs
Diuretics are useful in a number of clinical conditions to manipulate renal function and extracellular fluid volume and composition. David F. Senior, BVSc, DACVIM (SAIM), DECVIM-CA reviews the classes of diuretics and their clinical use. The article provides a good review for veterinary hospital team members worthy of a lunch n’ learn discussion. Diuretics increase tubular … [Read more...]
Dog food: guidelines for how much and when
There is no universal dog feeding guide calculator, writes Melvin Peña. With more than half of U.S. dogs overweight or obese, it is important for dog owners to better understand some guidelines for how much to feed their four-legged friends. People have trouble making the distinction between need and desire for food . . . Source: Dogster, October 12, 2018. Link. Suggested … [Read more...]
Job killing you? Do these things now.
Holiday schedules exacerbate issues with balancing work, family and personal commitments and needs. Stav Ziv offers advice from Jeffrey Pfeffer’s book, Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance—and What We Can Do About It. In the U.S., 120,000 deaths a year could be attributed to work environments. . . racking up about $180 … [Read more...]
Upgrading client reminders
Reminders remain a significant component for ensuring veterinary clients return to the practice. Brenda Tassava, CVPM, CVJ, VLCE, discusses mixing the old with the new methods and provides a refreshed reminder strategy complete with tactical elements and timelines. She also discusses the value of forward bookings in the context of reminders. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, … [Read more...]
Clearing up cancer treatments for cats
Dr. Kristine E. Burgess believes that some misconceptions about cats and cancer that need to be cleared up. While there are several treatment options available, it’s important to know that not all types of cancer respond well to treatment and some treatments are only available at specialty hospitals. Quality of life comes first. Source: Catnip, December 2018. Link. There … [Read more...]