From the AHD archives, Stephanie Colman shares her investigation into the most environmentally friendly ways to dispose of our dogs' feces. Source: Animal Health Digest, August 15, 2017. Link. Despite desires to contribute less overall product to landfills, the most realistic method for safe pet waste disposal is still putting it in the trash. … [Read more...]
Salmonella and E. coli common in raw pet food
A Portuguese study sought to find out if raw dog food could be a source of Salmonella and/or E. coli, specifically strains that show resistance to critical antibiotics such as colistin. E. coli was detected in all 14 samples produced by two international brands. Furthermore, 71 percent of these samples, primarily those from products containing poultry, contained … [Read more...]
Most read companion animal posts of 2022
Miss some companion animal content? Catch up now. Here are the most read companion animal posts so far this year. Source: Animal Health Digest Cat obesity up more than 100 percent in 10 years. Link Cleaning up after feline messes. Link Considerations before switching a pet’s food. Link Land area twice the size of the UK needed to feed the world’s pets. Link … [Read more...]
Malone’s 2022 most-read posts to date
While Patrick T. Malone took a short break, we looked back on his posts for this year. We’re sharing six posts that were read and noticed in the top 40 percent of all AHD posts since 2022 began. Source: Animal Health Digest. Stopping the Great Resignation. Link. Emotions – make them work for you. Link. Pandemic lessons for all. Link. Ghosting. Link. … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – May 26, 2022
Last week’s most read posts 5 employer strategies to help with rising inflation. Link. KC Animal Health Corridor announces dates, speakers for 2022 Animal Health Summit. Link. Engaging veterinary technicians improves practice success. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, May 19, 2022. Link. One year ago: most read posts … [Read more...]
Celebrate graduations
The AHD team acknowledges the commitments made by students, their families, sponsors, faculty members and institutions for these achievements. We also want to remind graduates to reflect on how you got to this point. Consider the importance of influencing those who come behind you over the next four or more decades of your career, in your communities and as you develop your … [Read more...]
Best temperatures for chicks, keeping them healthy and more
Baby chicks need heat without their mother hens, says Marissa Ames. Over the years we’ve shared various resources about baby chick care, stewardship and care. A few of those links are listed here. Much of the information is evergreen and applicable as people bring home chicks and ducklings this spring. Sources: It’s all about the heat, Backyard Poultry, February 26, … [Read more...]
Dealing with cats with urinary troubles
When cats are presented with urination issues, open-ended, follow-up questions by the veterinary nurse helps the veterinarian make a definitive diagnosis. writes Paula Plummer LVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM). She reminds veterinary nurses why being knowledgeable about pathophysiology is important to the conversations with clients about their pets. Plummer shares useful information when … [Read more...]
Cow toilet is more than a passing novelty (video)
Laugh no more at toilets for cows. A prototype has been awarded the Gold Innovation Award at the 2021 EuroTier. The objective of reducing ammonia omissions is possible, say Dutch dairy producers who are experimenting with prototypes. Plus, the urine can be used later as targeted crop nutrient fortification. Pure urine is high in nitrogen and potassium. Source: … [Read more...]
Most read Animal Health Digest posts of 2021
As 2021 ends, our team celebrates six years of curating, selecting and then supplying actionable content for animal health professionals. To date, about 6,500 posts are stored in our AHD website. What you read helps determine where we seek content that can be applied to how you work and interact with customers and stakeholders. We’ve assembled the most read posts of 2021 in … [Read more...]
Beef cattle: the ultimate upcyclers
Complimentary Sponsored Content As consumers continue to push for more sustainable food production, the beef industry, by way of cattle's natural ability as upcyclers, is primed to deliver. If we think about upcycling in the context of cattle, what they're doing every single day is taking mostly human inedible plants and making a higher value product [beef] with regard to … [Read more...]
Best of Pat Malone 2021
Pat Malone’s posts consistently rank near the top of those you read each week. Here are this year’s most popular. Spoiler alert. They’re as relevant in 2022 as they were in 2021. Source: Animal Health Digest. 2021. updated 12/23/2021 Top 10 most-read posts from Patrick T. Malone: Be interested. Link. Communicating without words. Link. Complex … [Read more...]
Dry cow rest may equal more live calves
The old method of putting cows into a dry pen and forgetting them is being debunked by research. Getting cows started off right in the dry period, keeping them healthy and ending it fully rested means more calves, more milk and happier dairy persons. Research from Ohio State University shows improving the factors that encourage close-up cows and heifers to lie down and rest … [Read more...]
Keeping horses warm and healthy this winter
Christine Barakat’s article is focused on older horses, avoiding chills and checking blankets daily. Considering the U.S. weather to date, chilling from sweating under a blanket is as likely as chilling from the cold. Wide temperature swings are hard on all animals living outside. With all the wind likely to arrive with winter, keeping water fresh and free of debris is … [Read more...]
Do cats get separation anxiety?
Little work has been done to assess potential separation-related problems in cats. Using canine questionnaire studies as a model, researchers investigated the topic with cat owners. The results suggest that pet cats are social and develop bonds with their owners and about 13 percent of cats may have signs of separation-related problems. Source: Vet Candy, November 27, 2021. … [Read more...]
Big puppy paws; big dog or not?
It is possible to understand the relationship between a puppy’s paw and the puppy’s size when one knows the growth stages a puppy undergoes. However, the author concludes one cannot rely on finding the puppy’s size using its paws as the result might be wrong. Determining the size of the puppy based on its paws is a fun and interesting activity. Other alternatives to consider … [Read more...]
Receiving feedback is hard, especially when it stings
Even criticism that is intended only to be helpful, that is phrased kindly, and is genuinely useful, often stings when it is delivered, writes Art Markman. It is a blow to your self-confidence, and it challenges your self-esteem. You have to suppress the urge to go on the defensive. . . “- Art Markman Source: Fast Company, October 1, 2021. Link. When you get a really incisive … [Read more...]
Onboarding processes critical to VCPR successes
Opinion Our industry has appropriately migrated to more individualized health and risk assessments for dogs, cats and horses based on their expected lifestyles. In recent posts we asserted how onboarding communication processes can extend the level of client-veterinary team interactions beyond the next vaccination or blood test and improve perceptions of veterinary … [Read more...]
Dairy market cows NOT cull cows
Dairy producers need to should change their vocabulary when referring to a cull cow. Cows sent to slaughter could add $60,000 to $100,00 a year to a 250-cow dairy. “Cull” means to remove something inferior or worthless. Instead, these animals should be considered market cows, something with value.” Source: Farm Progress, August 23, 2021. Link. Dairy producers must recognize … [Read more...]
Clients with new pets need more time with vets: Part 2
Opinion In last week’s AHD Bulletin, we urged veterinary teams to consider spending more time with new and existing clients presenting new pets. We asserted the need for onboarding processes or guidelines as paramount to developing long-term relationships with pet owners, the health of pets and the revenue that flows from interactions with happy, engaged clients. AAHA’s … [Read more...]
Clients with new pets need more time with vets: Part 1
Opinion First impressions and first visits set the tone for the future client-veterinary team relationship. Last week, we shared how veterinarians are addressing patient and client care at end-of-life and euthanasia decision points in Death and other client kindnesses <Link>. We agree, EOL support IS an important set of services to offer, provide or outsource. “It is … [Read more...]
Rabid puppy exposes dozens in Georgia and South Carolina
Opinion If you’ve not read this recent account of rabies exposures, please do so. We still have gaps in rabies management and prevention. . . . only 39 states mandate rabies vaccination for dogs; 11 states have no statewide legal requirement for rabies vaccination of any species. Feline rabies vaccination is required in 34 states, and vaccination of ferrets is required in … [Read more...]
Flies: Nature’s nuisance, costly pests
Just 200 horn flies start to hurt cattle production. It is not unusual to find 3,000 flies per cow, writes Curt Arens. Fly prevention is one of the basic animal stewardship practices. Horn flies can suck as much as a gallon of blood per month per cow. Face flies feed on proteins from the eyes often becoming vectors for pinkeye. Stable flies are just a plain nuisance. They feed … [Read more...]
PRRS defense from the gut
Last week we shared a status update on porcine circovirus type 2 commonly considered to be subclinical. It is also seen as a co-infection with porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome. For both viruses, first and second line defense strategies are the same; biosecurity and vaccination. Researchers are now investigating how to influence the microbiome as a new defense … [Read more...]
Practical backyard chicken advice during a virtual visit to the farm
The number of backyard poultry flocks continues to grow. New owners need practical advice. In this episode of The Takeaway, guest host Melissa Harris-Perry has a discussion about backyard poultry basics with Emily Shoop, a PennState Extension educator who specializes in backyard poultry, as well as gamebirds. Source: The Takeaway, Rebroadcast: USDA plans to pay debt relief … [Read more...]
8 strategies to reduce dry period mastitis to improve reproductive efficiency (video)
Eight dry cow prevention strategies can help reduce the risk that new intermammary infections will develop post-calving, which, in turn, helps keep milk flowing on the dairy and improves reproductive efficiency. Dairy cows are most susceptible to new intramammary infections (IMIs) during the dry period.” - Brian Miller, DVM, Merck Animal Health Source: Progressive Dairy, June … [Read more...]
It’s written on goats’ faces
Tamsin Cooper says goats are smart. She shares how they use and read facial expressions and body language to communicate with each other and to gauge humans too. Source: Backyard Goats, March 3, 2021. Link. Scientific research has confirmed that goats seek out our faces when attracting our attention and they look to us for help and guidance. We also know that they are … [Read more...]
Correction to research referenced in May 18, 2021 post
It has come to our attention that Curtis W. Dewey, DVM, MS, CTCVMP, CCRP, of Elemental Pet Vets in Freeville, New York, along with Mark Rishniw of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, provided the research data for our May 18 post about canine cognitive dysfunction periodontal disease. The results suggest what is going on in a dog's mouth may be related to … [Read more...]
AHD welcomes IBPSA members
Members of the International Boarding and Pet Services Association will begin receiving the weekly Animal Health Digest Bulletin in July. Pet boarding and daycare is a multi-billion-dollar business segment. The IBPSA is the pet boarding and daycare industry’s only professional business association. More than 1,000 businesses are members, including 140 veterinary … [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...]