Dave Nichols made his mark on the beef seedstock business over the last 60-plus years. His father’s coaching, “Your word is better than your bond,” remained as a guiding principle for this man and his operation. Known as a character, Nichols’ persistence, commitment to learning and undying support of family and employees make this article worth reading. Source: Drovers … [Read more...]
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Help stop canine brucellosis
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is urging veterinarians to play a major role to help stop the spread of canine brucellosis, a contagious and incurable bacterial infection most often found in breeding kennels. The agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released best practices for veterinarians and kennel operators who may encounter the disease, which causes … [Read more...]
Defusing emotional conversations
Opinion differences are inevitable when working together. Ron Friedman, Ph.D. shares a strategy for times when conversations become so emotionally charged they have nothing to do with the issues at hand. Source: Harvard Business Review, January 12, 2016. What do you do when a conversation is spiraling out of control? When you’ve tried all the patient listening you can … [Read more...]
Myth Buster: corn edition
Reading dog food labels is beyond challenging. The proliferation of specialty veterinary and commercial diets coupled with myriad ingredient choices is confusing for most pet owners. This article and the resources it references will help veterinary teams and reps servicing owners’ pet diet choices sift through the confusion. Source: Trends, January 2016, page 40. (direct … [Read more...]
Editorial – Antibiotic resistance: perception or reality
It is good that humans continue to challenge antibiotic use out of the fear of superbugs. The press is often quick to condemn the negative resulting in a new wave of “I told you so” public opinion. Like it or not, this column in the Washington Post does not bode well for continuing antibiotic use. Worth noting is that printed circulation is upwards of 440,000 and there were … [Read more...]
Mastitis update
Mastitis continues to steal dairy profits. This article provides information about mastitis research, management and the resulting economics. If dairymen are reading at this level, then veterinarians and sales representatives need to be familiar with it, as well. Source: Dairy Herd Management, January 2016. According to data and a cost estimation model from the National … [Read more...]
Rabies in cattle
Learn or review how cattle get infected with rabies, the two primary forms of it and what to help producers watch for. Gregg Hanzlicek, with the veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Kansas State University, says skunks are the most likely carriers. This is good information to offer 4-H or FFA groups, include with clinic communications or during VFD planning sessions. Source: … [Read more...]
Handling euthanasia in practice
Veterinarians are the only medical professionals licensed to euthanize. While a professional privilege, euthanasia also comes with significant responsibility to handle it properly, according to the authors. This article reads like a training manual for establishing and managing euthanasia in a veterinary hospital. Mary Gardner, DVM and Dani McVety, DVM, offer a five-stage … [Read more...]
What we’re learning about new canine flu
Emerging diseases confound animal health professionals. Staying abreast of current information is critical to disease recognition and prevention. Learn about a recent canine flu study, the dogs most likely to be infected and actions taken by DVMs to avoid spreading the disease. Source: Veterinary Practice News, December 16, 2016. Middle-aged dogs, not puppies or the … [Read more...]
Are confident people more productive?
Stephen Covey said, “The first choice we make each and every day is, ‘Will we act upon life, or will we merely be acted upon?’” Most of us at struggle with acting confidently. Carol Tate, founder of Working Simply, discusses confidence and its relationship to productivity in this thought-filled read. She says, “Confident people are productive and it’s a self-catalyzing … [Read more...]
Editorial – High cell counts have consequences
60,000 or more dairy producers and industry persons subscribe to Hoard’s Dairyman. 5% of subscribers are dairymen Only 1.7% are veterinarians Nearly 80% own more than 50 cows More than 55% of subscribers are younger than 55 years old 30% of subscribers are younger than 44 years old As VFD oversight begins, veterinarians must pay careful attention to what … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Manage acute founder and laminitis
Sled-runner hooves was how my grandfather drew attention to horses and ponies with founder. From an early age, it was common to see a foundered horse with severely overgrown hooves around where I grew up in Southwest Iowa. Most were backyard horses that ate grass in small lots. Occasionally, one would get into a grain bin, overeat and then founder. Seeing these animals struggle … [Read more...]
What you need to know about Parvo
Canine parvo virus has been with us since the mid-1970s. Still considered a relatively new disease, it continues to be a risk for pets whose vaccinations were given too early or not finished. This article is a solid review of risk, treatment and prevention, including hygiene for owners, personnel and premises. Source: Veterinary Practice News, November 2015. Because parvo … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Seven Reasons Why Direct Mail is Still King
Most of us enjoy receiving mail. It may not be treated as urgently as it once was, but it can still be effective and actionable. This quick read offers food for thought as 2016 strategies and plans take form. Source: MWI Messenger, December 2015, page 16. Even with all the buzz surrounding social media and website optimization, traditional direct mail marketing is still … [Read more...]
Elimination of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae from breed-to-wean farms: A review of current protocols
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo) remains one of the most prevalent and economically significant respiratory pathogens in the swine industry. Economic losses related to M. hyo are associated with decreased feed efficiency, reduced average daily gain, and increased medication costs. Learn about current protocols with emphasis on herd closure and medication in this peer-reviewed … [Read more...]
How to handle and store livestock vaccines
Tracey Erickson, South Dakota State University Extension's Dairy Field Specialist, provides a solid reference document for handling and storing vaccines in this quick read. While valid vet-client-patient relationships help in establishing the vaccine of choice, Erickson offers tips for how to keep and store animal vaccines and provides an overview of the types of livestock … [Read more...]
6 things we get wrong about El Niño
Weather dominates discussions in rural and metropolitan communities. This helpful, easy read links to more information on the impacts of El Niño and La Niña. Read this before you blame El Niño for the weather. Source: AG WEB, November 24, 2015. For years, people have been pointing to El Niño as the culprit behind floods, droughts, famines, economic failures, and … [Read more...]
Understanding heart disease in cats
Suzanne Cunningham, DVM, assistant professor of cardiology at Tufts, does a nice job in this article of helping cat owners understand and identify potential feline heart disease. She reminds readers that heartworm disease is diagnosed in about 10 percent of cats these days. It should be considered as a threat to feline health, especially where hot, damp climates encourage … [Read more...]
Feline Calicivirus + Cats, Cattle & M. Bovis
If it has been awhile since you refreshed your knowledge on calicivirus in cats, Dr. Lister’s peer-reviewed article contains a nice blend of science and situational factors worthy of reading. For this writer who grew up in a small southern Iowa farming town, the cats that “just did not seem right” were a near every week occurrence. Source: Clinician’s Brief September 2015, … [Read more...]
Popular approaches to treating CHF in dogs
Congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs is a growing category of pet care as the average age of pets increases. Better technologies and increased understanding of cardiac failure provides more opportunities for earlier diagnosis and preemptive care. Yet, the treatment options are varied by condition, by individual dog and by veterinarian experience. New options for treatment are … [Read more...]
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Curating Content for Animal Health Professionals Animal Health Digest, LLC is a content curation and aggregation service for animal health professionals. We continuously read and review more than 150 publications that produce articles, studies, reviews, white papers and other material for: veterinarians veterinary professionals veterinary support staff companion … [Read more...]