AVMA, AAVMC summit to examine well-being strategies for veterinariansMarch 16, 2018The AVMA has teamed with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and Zoetis to host the 2018 Veterinary Wellbeing Summit profession-wide meeting to join experts from inside and outside of the veterinary community to address vital well-being strategies for the profession. The summit is scheduled for April 15-17 outside Chicago. The summit will cover a range of topics including the link between culture and well-being, the importance of boundary setting, addressing the perfectionism code, and the business case for well-being. Many of the sessions will offer a look at real-life scenarios, such as examples of successful well-being programs in various work environments, personal obstacles and success stories, and lessons learned. The goal of the summit is to provide practical resources and strategies to enable participants ranging from academicians, students, and practitioners to establish a culture of well-being in their workplace and throughout the profession. Presenters will share healthy tips and strategies that can be implemented at a personal or professional level, by anyone at any time, no matter the organization size or career stage. The summit also offers attendees: An introduction to the nine dimensions of well-being and how professionals can influence each one 100 healthy tips to implement …
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AVMF provides $25,000 in disaster relief to Montana tribal nationsMarch 16, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) announced that it has given a $25,000 grant to support Montana reservations in need of hay due to the impact of recent winter storms. The grant will go toward replenishing hay supplies to help thousands of cattle and horses in the Fort Belknap, Northern Cheyenne, and Blackfeet tribal reservations. These tribes have reported more than 150 livestock deaths due to the extreme cold and record amounts of snowfall. This winter's hay shortages were compounded by Montana's drought last summer and the wildfires that damaged more than one million acres in the state during the fall of 2017. "The weather events we've had over the past several months have really strained feed resources here in Montana," said Ben Thomas, Montana Dept. of Agriculture director. "We are grateful for the assistance of our national and international partners in helping these communities during their times of need." The hay will help cover five days of food for the animals in each tribe; after that, the tribes should be out of their emergency operations period and be able to restore access to their hay stores or purchase hay from elsewhere in Montana. "We're pleased to be able provide this grant …
AAVMC learning program aims to improve veterinary medical educationMarch 16, 2018A new competency-based veterinary education (CBVE) program that aims to improve veterinary medical education and quality assurance was introduced during the recent conference of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). The program is an outcomes-based, learner-centered approach to veterinary medical education that uses a shared framework and language to help ensure that all veterinary medical college students graduate with competencies that enable them to be successful from their first day as independent veterinarians, according to AAVMC. "This framework, which represents the latest pedagogical thinking and best practices, lays the foundation for colleges and schools to develop competency-based education," said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, JD, AAVMC CEO, noting that the CBVE program is one of the most substantial pedagogical initiatives ever undertaken by the AAVMC. "Colleges and schools will benefit from a common language and a more comprehensive picture of graduate outcomes based upon evidenced-based criteria and agreed-upon standards from some of veterinary medicine's best educators and the latest research," he added. "It's not a final product, but a first step in a journey of co-creation." The framework outlines a series of competencies that are core as well as sub-competencies that veterinary medical colleges can …
UC Davis performs total hip replacement on champion show dogMarch 16, 2018Swiss Star's Chasing Moonbeams, aka Luna, a 1-year-old female Bernese mountain dog, recently jumped out of the window of a moving car. After Luna immediately showed lameness in her pelvic limb, co-owner Mary Beam had her examined. X-rays showed a break in the head of Luna's right femur, so she was referred to a local veterinary surgeon. After discovering that Luna was a champion show dog, the surgeon suggested Beam take her to see orthopedic surgeon Denis Marcellin-Little, DEDV, DACVS, DECVS, at the University of California Davis veterinary hospital. Dr. Marcellin-Little discussed three options for Luna. Option one included medical management with cage rest and pain medication, to let the hip heal on its own. However, this option brought an increased risk of persistent hip joint instability and osteoarthritis. Option two was a femoral head osteotomy, a surgery that would relieve the pain and discomfort, but involved a high risk of causing an abnormal gait. Beam chose option three, a total hip replacement. This more-involved surgery would give Luna the best chance of returning to a normal gait and preventing osteoarthritis in the long term. After serving on the faculty at North Carolina State University for 23 years, Marcellin-Little …
Make Facebook social media work for your veterinary clinicMarch 15, 2018Social media is an important tool for any business today, including veterinary medicine. According to Statista, more than 81 percent of the U.S. population has at least one social media account. Importantly, 68 percent of U.S. adults use Facebook, and of that group, 74 percent of them access Facebook daily. When Americans access their Facebook accounts, they spend nearly 20 minutes per session on the platform. Facebook continues to dominate the social media space. Here are the numbers of users on popular social media platform as reported by Statista: Facebook: 2.1 billion YouTube: 1.5 billion Instagram: 800 million Twitter: 330 million LinkedIn: 260 million SnapChat: 255 million Pinterest: 200 million Approximately 90 percent of the people who use many of these other social media platforms also use Facebook. As most veterinary practices have limited time and resources to devote to their communications and marketing efforts, Facebook should be their social media platform of choice. Communications/marketing plans To be most effective, Facebook and other social media activities should be just one part of a comprehensive communications and marketing plan. Other tools should include electronic newsletters, brochures, community activities, an engaging website, and more. All of these …
AHI studies economic, social contributions of animal health industryMarch 15, 2018The Animal Health Institute has released its findings from a first-of-its-kind study into the economic and social contributions of the animal health industry, which also covers household pets. The report examines the role the companies that produce pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and flea and tick products play in the U.S. economy and beyond. Key report findings include: Household Pets – More than 67 percent of American households, or 84.6 million, own nearly 400 million companion animals. This includes dogs, cats, horses, birds, fish, horses, and more. Pets by Type – Nearly half of pet-owning households include a dog while over one-third own a cat, for a total of 89.7 million dogs and 94.2 million cats. There are between 100,000 and 200,000 service animals, including those who assist the blind and disabled (but not including police, forensic, or military dogs). Almost all—95 percent—of dog and cat owners view their pets as members of their family. Spending on Pets – Americans spent more than $75.5 billion on their pets in 2016, with an average total household spend of $892 on pet food, veterinary services, supplies, and other services. As pet owners look for solutions to increase the length and quality of life for …
Pet insurer Nationwide reveals annual cost of common health conditionsMarch 15, 2018Nationwide members spent more than $96 million in veterinary care last year to treat the top 10 most common medical conditions affecting their dogs and cats, according to the pet health insurer. Based on more than 1.4 million pet insurance claims submitted to the company last year for more than 650,000 insured pets, Nationwide has identified the top 10 medical conditions affecting dogs and cats (and their associated costs). Top 10 most common medical conditions for dogs Atopic or allergic dermatitis – average cost to treat: $255 Otitis externa – average cost to treat: $172 Benign skin neoplasia – average cost to treat: $377 Pyoderma – average cost to treat: $128 Enteropathy – average cost to treat: $175 Gastropathy Degenerative arthritis Periodontitis/Tooth infection – average cost to treat: $400 Cystitis or urinary tract infection Anal gland sacculitis/Expression Top 10 most common medical conditions for cats Cystitis or urinary tract disease – average cost to treat: $495 Periodontitis/Tooth infection – average cost to treat: $434 Gastropathy – average cost to treat: $334 Renal disease or failure – average cost to treat: $649 Enteropathy – average cost to treat: $221 Hyperthyroidism Feline upper respiratory infection Diabetes mellitus …
US pet industry sales reach $86 billion, growth projectedMarch 14, 2018The U.S. pet industry continues along a healthy growth trajectory, with overall sales of pet products and services rising almost 5 percent last year. Burgeoning online sales and strong numbers in veterinary services and pet food contributed to the advancement of the market, which Rockville, Md.-based market research firm Packaged Facts estimates at $86 billion in the brand new report U.S. Pet Market Outlook, 2018-2019. Sales of retail channel pet food made it the largest pet category with 39 percent of the market. The 5 percent growth experienced by pet food in 2017 matches that of 2016, with online sales as the foremost growth channel. Growing even faster were veterinary services, which now represent 31 percent of the market. Retail channel pet supplies came in third. Meanwhile, the industry's smallest category, nonmedical pet services, grew 5 percent in 2017. Continuing the trend of channel migration, the pet food and pet supply retail channels are experiencing much of their growth outside of the core mass-market and pet specialty channels, namely online, where annual percentage sales gains have been in the mid double digits. Both channels are feeling the e-commerce heat, with big-box pet specialty especially hard hit even …
West Texas A&M approves veterinary education centerMarch 14, 2018The Texas A&M University System Regents have approved plans to build a $22.8 million veterinary education, research, and workplace facility at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) in Canyon. This is the latest development in the university's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences' effort to expand veterinary education outreach throughout the state. Operated by Texas A&M, the new Veterinary Education, Research & Outreach Center (VERO), as well as a Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) relocating from Amarillo to Canyon, will be constructed adjacent to WTAMU's Agricultural Sciences Complex. "With these three new facilities in Canyon, the Texas A&M System has invested nearly $90 million in the future of agriculture and animal health in this region," said John Sharp, A&M system chancellor. "We have created a two-way superhighway of veterinary education and research activity from Canyon to College Station, and it runs right through these new structures." Expected to finish construction in 2020, VERO will house laboratories, research centers, and classrooms where students can work side by side with veterinarians to learn practical workplace skills. The facility will offer its students opportunities for research and collaboration with faculty and peers at TVMDL and the Agricultural Sciences Complex. "This arrangement …
4 things veterinarians, pet marketers must know about Gen Z, millennialsMarch 13, 2018Pet ownership in the U.S. is trending younger and younger. The 57 million pet owners under age 40 account for 41 percent of all pet owning adults in the United States. Over the past decade Gen Z (18- to 24-year-olds) and millennials (25- to 39-year-olds) accounted for more than half of the growth in the pet owner population, according to Rockville, Md.-based market research firm Packaged Facts in the company's new report Gen Z and Millennials as Pet Market Consumers: Dogs, Cats, Other Pets. "Adult pet owners under age 40 are as much the present as they are the future of the industry," said David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts. "These younger generations of pet market consumers are critical to the bottom line of pet product and service marketers because the vanguard of the baby boomer generation is reaching the age when pet ownership declines sharply. Moreover, boomers will be succeeded by members of Gen X, who spend heavily on pet products and services but are a relatively small population cohort." As to be expected, Gen Z and millennial pet owners are influencing the pet industry in unique ways that are quite different when compared to the …
