Commentary “Change is needed not only to inspire the women of our profession, but also to ensure that the culture of the profession moves forward. We must reject the dogma that has challenged the changing gender proportions of veterinary medicine and work to represent what is actually going on at the grass roots,” writes Simon R. Platt, BVM&S, Diplomate ACVIM … [Read more...]
Refresh your Lyme knowledge
“We learned about that years ago,” is not uncommon to hear when visiting with animal health pros. BUT, consider when or if pet owners last received Lyme disease education. With tick-associated Lyme disease migrating westward, it is important to include Lyme disease education with recommendations for flea, tick and heartworm medications to reduce the potential for B. … [Read more...]
We ARE living the new normal – Part 2, communication strategies for moving forward
Comments Strategies are the how of moving forward. They are meaningless unless we know the why. Getting to why requires focus. The words of the veterinarian’s oath clearly identify the why. . . . I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal … [Read more...]
2019 Triennial Heartworm Symposium selective summary
Marisa Ames, DVM, DACVIM, provides an informative and actionable summary from the September 2019 heartworm symposium. The topics in the presentations and poster included: Heartworm vectors and transmission Heartworm prevention Heartworm pathology Heartworm diagnosis Wolbachia and heartworm treatment protocols . . . a strong correlation was noted between … [Read more...]
Effects of diets, treats and additives on periodontal disease
Alexander Reiter, Dr. med. vet., discusses periodontal disease in the context of what dogs and cats eat, chew on and drink. The studies referenced are supportive of dry diets, dental treats and toys adjunct to best care practices. The gold standard for the management of periodontal disease is diagnosis and treatment under general anesthesia, followed by home oral hygiene … [Read more...]
What to do when Fido gets high
Fido is finding the gummies and he likes them. So far this year, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has observed a 765 percent rise in calls about animals ingesting marijuana than for the same time last year. The Pet Poison Helpline reports a 448 percent increase in calls over the past six years. Veterinary and animal health professionals share what to do when dogs eat … [Read more...]
Eating healthy for busy pros
Laura Baltodona, DVM, describes the challenges busy professionals face getting proper nutrition . Whether practitioner, veterinary technician, sales representative or office worker, animal health pros may spend more time ensuring their pets’ eat than themselves. Batodona says the key for healthy eating is: 1) set an intention and 2) know it doesn’t need to be fancy. Despite … [Read more...]
E-Commerce Summit features speakers from Chewy, Nestle-Purina
Ornel Cotera from Chewy and Thomas Schwarztrauber from Nestlé Purina North America lead a list of speakers that highlight the value of the E-Commerce Summit that will take place September 17 and 18 in Kansas City, MO. The summit is designed for senior executives, national account and channel teams from animal health manufacturers, distributors, hospital consolidators and … [Read more...]
Beyond Lyme, more tick-borne worries
The order Rickettsiales contain species Anaplasmataceae and Rickettsiaceae)that infect dogs, according to Brian Herrin, DVM. These intracellular bacteria pathogens are transmitted by a variety of tick vectors, maintained in wildlife and domestic reservoirs. They can cause clinical disease in humans, dogs and other domestic animals. Herrin discusses basic epidemiology, clinical … [Read more...]
Differing views create Lyme wars
Endemic or not in any geography is no longer easy to define. It seems the medical community is at odds with its approach to diagnosis and treatment. Parallel to the human discussion is the ongoing debate about vaccinating dogs. These two articles are helpful resources for making decisions about Lyme prevention, treatment as well as addressing animal owner questions. One thing … [Read more...]
AVMA offers bee information to DVMs
Beekeepers have faced many challenges with disease pressure, habitat loss, and colony collapse. Veterinarians are needed to assist beekeepers with hive management, as well as disease identification, prevention, and treatment. The AVMA has provided information about the specifics < link > in the VFD and how it applies to veterinarians. The AVMA was involved in providing … [Read more...]
Study explores DVM attitudes regarding euthanasia
Patricia Wuest summarizes a recent study that found 69 percent of veterinarian respondents said they had felt moderate to severe distress about not being able to give animals what they thought was the right care. Almost two-thirds were bothered by inappropriate requests for euthanasia. The study exposes animal health pros to the challenges of being the point of service for … [Read more...]
Promote pet chipping this month
May is National Chip Your Pet Month and an excellent time to turn up attention to the benefits of placing microchips in pets. Once pets are chipped and registered in a national pet recovery database, services like the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool < link > can reference the chip against hundreds of registries’ databases. Pets with microchips are up to 20 times … [Read more...]
When a grooming goes bad
Charlotte Means, DVM, helps us understand how opportunistic bacteria can infect hair follicles after grooming pets. Her review includes good reminders about shampoo use, disinfecting equipment and mitigating risk of post-grooming furunculosis. The condition can occur after bathing at home, at professional groomers and at veterinary clinics. Means also provides good … [Read more...]
The importance of elevating veterinary technicians
Dan Aja, DVM, sees the important work veterinary technicians do to support delivery of high-quality care for pets, engage clients and help hospitals run smoothly. Meanwhile, the veterinary industry still faces challenges developing a consistent model for veterinary technicians, despite multiyear educational, training, and certification requirements. Aja compares the roles of … [Read more...]
Top 10 reasons why pets see veterinarians
The lists of top reasons pets see veterinarians don’t change much year to year, according to Healthy Paws Pet Insurance’s third annual Cost of Pet Health Care 2018 report. The report ranks the top 10 ailments for dogs and cats that triggered a vet clinic visit. With trends stable in ailment-related veterinary visits, clinics can more comprehensively plan staffing and inventory … [Read more...]
Understanding the cat
Ilona Rodan, DVM, offers animal health pros the opportunity to learn to recognize and prevent feline stressors surrounding veterinary visits. Regardless of practice type, these measures improve patient experiences, client acceptance of veterinary services and reduce injury rates. For some, this may be a review. For veterinary teams, the information is a valuable resource to … [Read more...]
How to launch and profit from a rewards program
As a veterinary practice and its client base grows, employees turn over and team member roles get fragmented. Identifying top clients and consistently rewarding and reinforcing their behavior becomes increasingly difficult. Practices want to be sure these loyal, trusting best clients feel appreciated and valued. This is where a loyalty rewards program can come into … [Read more...]
Don’t sell yourself short with merchandising
Dan Truffini brings his retail experiences back to the veterinary practice settings in which he grew up. He believes, many veterinary practitioners have incredible revenue potential sitting right in their waiting rooms. It’s not the patients. It’s the retail spaces they have yet to fully open for business. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, December 2017. Whether you like … [Read more...]
Women lead in the KC Animal Health Corridor
A dozen women who hold leadership roles in the animal health industry talked about their careers, challenges and corporate life in a panel discussion during Global Animal Health Week in August. Different than discussions like this just a decade ago, the group agreed it is important to forget the gender differences and focus on showing team members what you can do or … [Read more...]
Diagnosing and treating anaphylactic shock
Anaphylaxis is often misdiagnosed because definitive criteria to distinguish it from an allergic reaction are lacking. This article reviews anaphylaxis pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, treatment, and clinical examples. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, July/August 2017. Anaphylaxis is a severe condition that requires rapid emergency treatment. Because of the lack of … [Read more...]
Fireworks toxicity
Sparklers, firecrackers, smoke bombs, snakes and bottle rockets are easy targets for dogs to ingest during the July 4th holiday. Charlotte Means, DVM, MLIS, Diplomate ABVT and ABT, discusses the risks and treatment of ingested fireworks. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, July/August 2016, page 69. Most patients that have ingested fireworks respond well to symptomatic and … [Read more...]
Feline anesthesia and analgesia: recent developments
Products approved by the FDA for use in felines are historically sparse. Recently, there have been a few new approvals. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, March/April 2016, page 20. In this peer-reviewed article, Kristen Messenger, DVM, North Carolina State University, reviews current and new options for our feline friends. … [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...]