Commentary Brian Hare says, “In just a generation, we humans have abruptly changed the rules on our dogs.” Maybe . . . maybe not. Yet his assertions are worthy of thought and, as animal health pros, our influence. Humans need to breed and train more puppies like service animals.” Source: The Atlantic via Microsoft Start, October 14, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: There is little … [Read more...]
Trust your gut (with audio)
The connection between decision making and gut feelings has become a hot field for research, says Arthur C. Brooks. Our understanding of the mechanisms of “gut and brain" is still incomplete, but tests of the quality of decisions made from feelings as opposed to conscious analysis yield strongly suggestive and useful results. Source: The Atlantic, July 18, 2024. Link. Three … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – May 2, 2024
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, April 25, 2024. Link. Most read post(s) from the April 25th AHD Bulletin – 9 Gen Z work trends, not new but hit differently now. Link. Employee engagement in the U.S. hits 11-year low. Link. Cull cows, beef value now important for dairy profits. Link. ===================================== The … [Read more...]
Why vet bills are so high
Opinion article by Helaine Olen The circulation of The Atlantic is broad enough that Helaine Olens’ opinion piece will reach some clients of veterinary hospitals. She provides a well-informed opinion piece indicting Big Vet while recognizing pet owners’ inclinations to do whatever it takes to extend their pet’s lives. The emergence of Big Vet and the injection of cutthroat … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – October 19, 2023
Last week’s AHD Bulletin – Animal Health Digest Bulletin, October 12, 2023. Link. Most read post(s) from the October 12th AHD Bulletin – Pet owners delay veterinary care . . . may spend $700M on Halloween. Link. Stop giving advice. Link. National Veterinary Technician Week turns 30 (video). Link. Place keeper: 2023 Veterinary Conferences provided by … [Read more...]
Bird flu is back among commercial poultry flocks in U.S.
We shared concerns about the potential for highly pathogenic avian influenza infections to return as this fall’s bird migration began <Link>. It appears HPAI took a summer break but has returned to commercial turkey flocks in South Dakota and Utah. Fears are mounting that HPAI may possibly become a regular seasonal event. The virus may be present in wild birds and … [Read more...]
Covid drugs help cure Cyprus cats
More than a million cats freely roam the island of Cyprus. But, earlier this year stray, feral and pet cats were dying by the thousands. Lab testing confirmed feline infectious peritonitis that, if left untreated is almost 100 percent fatal. FIP is caused by a virus that infects cats, not humans, and is related to SARS-CoV-2. This similarity is enough that Covid antivirals are … [Read more...]
Aquamation as an alternative to cremation
The aggregate effects of cremating the remains of pets and humans have a significant environmental effect due to the carbon dioxide cremation chambers release. Aquamation, by contrast, is compact and efficient, and generates no direct emissions of its own making it one of the greenest means of final disposition, writes Eleanor Cummins. The aquamation process is simple. Over … [Read more...]
Why Americans care about work so much
Commentary Derek Thompson challenges us to consider the importance of work and how we got there. Currently, he says the history of work takes only six words: from jobs to careers to callings. It’s what comes next that intrigues him, including anticipating the fourth revolution in work. Today, work and workism are facing a double-barreled revolution—the remote-work … [Read more...]
What ChatGPT means for the future of work
Your work future could depend on how well you can talk to AI.” Last week we shared the announcement from AskVet about its Virtual Engagement and Relationship Agent (VERA) powered by AI, ChatGPT and AskVet’s database <Link>. The future of work is discussed in the articles below. Source: ebn, January 23, 2023. Link. You won't have to train people to do certain things … [Read more...]
Happiness and meetings
One of the more straightforward paths to happiness at work is to fight against the scourge of time-consuming, unproductive meetings at every opportunity. Source: The Atlantic, November 17, 2022. Link. The average full-time white-collar professional in the United States spends 21.5 hours a week in meetings. INSIGHTS: Set a goal (desired outcome) for every meeting. By the … [Read more...]
Cats give the laws of physics a BIIIG stretch
Scientists still can’t fully explain why cats can fall from potentially infinite heights, pivot and survive, writes Katherine J. Wu. Apparently, physicists have been trying to explain the paradox of falling cats since the 1800s. The farther cats fall, the worse off they usually are—at least, up to a point. A smattering of research, including some from AMC, has hinted that … [Read more...]
Take it easy on the dogs
Researchers, trainers and veterinary and training professional organizations are advocating for greater oversight for dog training, which is unregulated in many countries, including the U.S. Many experts say that aversive methods, which include positive punishment and negative reinforcement, are overused. Punishments such as shock collars may not be doing much good.” - Ula … [Read more...]
The great veterinary shortage
There are not enough humans to take care of all the animals, writes Sarah Zhang. While not new information, she has done her research making this an article to efficiently frame the profession’s ongoing challenges in providing care for animals. By 2030, the U.S. will need nearly 41,000 additional veterinarians and nearly 133,000 more credentialed vet techs, according to a … [Read more...]
A dog’s breed tells little about his behavior (2 of 2)
In last week’s “Worth a Glance” section, we featured an article from The Washington Post with the headline, “Looking for a well-behaved dog? Breed may not tell you much.” An observant AHD Bulletin subscriber who works for Best Friends Animal Society pointed out a supportive article in The Atlantic and the worthwhile reading of the original study to put things in greater … [Read more...]
Science explains puppy dog eyes
There’s no doubt puppy dog eyes capture our attention. Citing research comparing fast twitch muscles in wolves versus dogs, Anne Burrows, PhD, says her findings suggest dogs’ faces have evolved anatomically to improve their connections with people. Source: NBC News, April 5, 2022. Link. Domestic dogs and humans are adept at accurately understanding one another’s facial … [Read more...]
No regrets?
To extinguish your regrets doesn’t put you on a path to freedom; it consigns you to make the same mistakes again and again. Source: The Atlantic, February 3, 2022. Link. True freedom requires that we put regret in its proper place in our life. Look out for people who may be struggling with heavy workloads or working long hours while juggling home schooling, childcare, elder … [Read more...]
The future of work is a 60-year career
Retirement as we know it didn’t exist in the 19th century, writes Joe Pinsker. The norm then was to work until you could no longer physically do the job. Now with age expectancy increasing to 100 years experts project the 20th century model of forty-year careers will need to be expanded to 60 years. He shares several concepts about how employment strategies will need to change … [Read more...]
The weird way we’re changing cats
Truly allergen-free cats are a myth. However, biotechnology may help where genetics has failed, writes Sarah Zhang. An obnoxious little protein, Fel d 1, found in feline saliva and oil glands causes most cat allergies. Zhang discusses the various ways scientists have been working to reduce the production of Fel d 1 with diets and immune approaches. Source: The Atlantic, … [Read more...]
Society ignores low-probability events that have far-reaching consequences
Vaccines are still beating the variants, but the unvaccinated world is being pummeled. Ed Yong shares three simple rules that underscore the danger of Delta, the name for the B.1.617.2. variant, a SARS-CoV-2 mutation <Link>. Source: The Atlantic, July 1, 2021. Link. Even highly vaccinated nations should continue investing in other measures that can control COVID-19 but … [Read more...]
When you are closer to the end than the beginning
Arthur Brooks, who recently retired as president of the American Enterprise Institute, is one of my favorite writers. His recent work, Love your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt, is some of his best work. This Atlantic column deals with another disturbing topic – our decline – but also offers some sage advice. Source: The Atlantic, … [Read more...]
Never seen a screwworm? Here’s why.
Except for occasional reintroductions, primarily in imported dogs and horses, the screwworm has been eradicated in the U.S. Eradication started in the 1950s with the joint vision of ranchers working with USDA in a multidecade effort that included Mexico and Central America. This fascinating article sheds light on what it took to get rid of screwworms. As importantly, it focuses … [Read more...]
Equations for a happy life, even during a pandemic
The involuntary new pace of Covid-19’s social distancing has slowed lives and allows us an opportunity to think a little more deeply about life, writes Arthur C. Brooks, Ph.D. In our go-go-go world, we rarely get the chance to stop and consider the big drivers of our happiness and our sense of purpose. Brooks shares three equations for well-being to start managing your … [Read more...]
Puppies!!!!!! Celebrate National Puppy Day any day you want
Last Monday was National Puppy Day. It was created to highlight puppies that need adopting and abuse in puppy mills. Kudos to The Atlantic for capturing the day and making it available for us to enjoy. Take a few minutes, view the photos FULL SCREEN and smile BIG. Source: The Atlantic, March 23, 2020. Link. When so much of the world is focused on stories that can create … [Read more...]
A crucial blind spot in vet medicine
A reader sent us this article. The placebo effect is a well-established phenomenon in human patients. In veterinary medicine however, it’s an underappreciated one. The particular way it plays out in veterinary care highlights how unconscious cognitive biases can mislead humans when we care for other species. The most likely explanation is what’s known as the caregiver … [Read more...]
Spay and neuter everything . . . brings health risk to some dogs
In spite of a growing body of research, shelters remain steadfast in the “spay and neuter everything” mantra. Sarah Zhang has summarized information that suggests, to DVMs, that when done in some large breeds when they are young, spaying and neutering are linked to obesity and potential cancers later in life. . . . when to spay or neuter should be a case-by-case decision, even … [Read more...]
New discovery in Toxoplasma gondii research will save cat lives
Ed Yong provides a positive update on research findings that may save the use of cats in research laboratories. Of the many parasites known to control the mind of their host, none is more famous than Toxoplasma gondii—the single-celled organism known colloquially as Toxo. It can survive in a variety of animals, but it only reproduces sexually in cats. If it gets into mice or … [Read more...]
More reasons not to feed Fido grain-free food
Spending $100 a month on food for a 12-pound dog gives The Atlantic staff writer Amanda Mull some degree of credibility to address pet food fads and trends. With the help of Christopher Lea, a veterinary medicine professor and director of the Auburn University Veterinary Clinic, and Lisa Lippman, the lead New York veterinarian for Fuzzy Pet Health, she details how grain-free … [Read more...]
Opinion – Getting work done while being human – part 4
The fourth installment of this series looks at how children play. Colin Johnson-Zapier suggests we follow the lead of preschoolers to improve our productivity. We added information on adult play and more perspectives on the ever-fleeting work-life balance topic. 5 valuable productivity lessons that preschoolers can teach you, Fast Company, June 14, 2019. Link. Follow our … [Read more...]
How dogs know when you’re sick (video)
Dogs really do know when their humans are having a rough time. In fact, hey use a variety of signals to figure it out, writes Amanda Mull. Your pet can tell when you have the sniffles and domestic dogs have shown an aptitude for detecting both minute mood fluctuations and serious physical conditions. Dogs are preternaturally sensitive to changes in their people,” says … [Read more...]