This new resource offers veterinary professionals and students an opportunity to earn RACE-approved CE credit via a series of informative online webinars.

dvm360 launches online CE center amid pandemic

 Registration is now open for our November Fetch dvm360 virtual conference, which combines 3 of our exclusive annual live events: Fetch Indianapolis, Fetch San Diego, and the Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference.

Registration for second virtual veterinary conference is now open

One of the advantages in my role at MJH Life Sciences is that I get to speak with so many colleagues. I love hearing about the creative ways you are providing excellent client service. As we continue to evolve how we practice veterinary medicine, I want to share a golden “op-paw-tunity” you may be overlooking to improve client relationships, and it’s sitting right in your parking lot. 

While their dog is being evaluated for lameness and arthritis, for example, consider sending push notifications to the client’s smart phone with video content about what causes lameness, and how it is evaluated and treated. Providing this information is known as priming the pet parent, and it increases client loyalty and trust while fostering better decision making. Push notifications are also a great way to send quick reminders to waiting pet parents. “Don’t forget ‘Charlie’s heartworm prevention. Let us know what you need and we can get it ready for you while you are waiting.” Or “check out our online pharmacy while you’re waiting. Remember heartworm disease is year-round both in dogs and cats.” 

Make anxious pet parents as comfortable as possible in their vehicle by bringing them a cup of coffee or tea and having a staff member talk with them while remaining socially distant. Going the extra mile shows that you value your clients as people and not just as another “appointment.”

Consider having waiting pet parents take a survey on their smart phone. What do they like about the practice? What areas need improvement? What additional services would they like your clinic to provide? This type of feedback provides crucial information for you, and most clients will be happy to comply. Send clients snapchats, Instagram stories, or pictures of their pets receiving wags and kisses from your hospital team. 

This not only provides comfort to nervous pet parents, it increases team morale and creates free marketing for your practice when clients share, post, comment, and engage. Share educational content from your practice’s YouTube Channel (if you don’t have one, choose a team leader or marketing firm to help you with one) or from other sources your practice supports. This serves both to educate the client and provide effective distraction. You can even create and share a video from the pet’s perspective showing what the experience is like from curbside to physical exam. 

These next 2 creative ideas may not be possible, depending on your location, weather, availability, etc, but are worth sharing because they showcase the amazing creativity of our profession. One hospital is requesting the help of waiting clients to create a mural of their logo on the side of their hospital. Pet parents receive a paintbrush and a number assigned to the tile(s) they can paint. Another hospital is asking waiting pet parents to plant a bulb in the hospital’s garden on behalf of their family. They then write their name on a tag so when the bulbs bloom, the hospitals can show how wonderfully their hospital has "blossomed.” 

These simple ideas do not cost much but go a long way. Take advantage of the time pet parents are waiting on you to help bond them further to your hospital and create peace of mind during uncertain situations. Keep on innovating. And always remember to take a deep breath…you’ve got this! 

                                                                                                —A

                                                                                                   Chief Veterinary Officer

Podcasts

Maximizing  virtual  client  touchpoints 

National veterinary hospital network PetWell Partners recently announced the additions of Debbie James and Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, to its Board of Directors. Both have extensive backgrounds in multi-site healthcare operations.

James, CEO of multi-site health care company Cranial Technologies, brings more than 25 years of experience working for a wide range of private equity–backed and Fortune 500 companies, according to this 

“With deep experience as an operator in health care in various roles, Debbie will bring expertise and guidance to Petwell Partners,” says company co-founder David Strauss. “She adds strength to our operational capabilities and will help us as we continue to scale our company.”

Cavanaugh’s extensive experience ranges from executive association leadership—he was CEO of the American Animal Hospital Association for 10 years—to private practice ownership to academia.

“He assumed the lead role at AAHA and led many successful programs during his 10-plus years there,” says Strauss. “We are thrilled that he will be sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience by serving our Board.”

Articles

The company welcomes Debbie James and Michael Cavanaugh, DVM, whose combined expertise is expected to create more growth opportunities for the hospital chain.

PetWell Partners brings 2 new leaders to its board

Though his veterinary path wasn’t linear, David Dycus, DVM, MS, CCRP, DACVS, has paved a legacy for himself as a veterinary orthopedic surgeon. The certified canine rehabilitation practitioner and 

 tells Dr. Adam Christman that unlike many people in the profession, he didn’t know he wanted to go to veterinary school until college.

Dycus says he always had an interest in orthopedics, mainly because of his personal experience with injuries and surgeries. During his first week of veterinary school, he made the bold move to tell his anatomy professor that he wanted to become a surgeon. “Well let’s get through the first month of veterinary school first, then we’ll talk about it,” his professor told him.

Well, he did more than just get through his first year. What began as an 8-week research project as part of his residency program, turned into a 4-year large research project funded by Nutramax Laboratories. As his career progressed, he’s been able to teach others the complex theories and applications that he’s learned over the years.
Dycus also explains to Christman the importance of shifting the veterinary industry pendulum from retrospective management of osteoarthritis or starting treatment post-diagnosis to early recognition and intervention, meaning, identifying patients before they present with clinical and radiographic signs.

“With so many dogs affected by osteoarthritis,” he says, “We can certainly make a huge impact on improving their quality of life.”

Listen below to learn more about Dycus’s veterinary orthopedic-surgeon journey, plus find out some exciting details about his soon-to-launch state of the art multi-specialist facility.

On this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, Dr. Adam Christman is joined by orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Dycus who shares the unique evolution of his career in veterinary medicine.

Episode 14: A veterinary orthopedic surgeon’s unconventional journey

Royal Canin has partnered with the World Small Animal Veterinary Association 

(WSAVA) to support the association's Global Nutrition Committee (GNC), which provides accurate nutritional information and recommendations for veterinary professionals and pet owners.

“Through the advocacy of its members and the resources it creates, GNC raises awareness of the central role of nutrition in companion animal health globally and advances the role of the veterinary health-care team as the expert source of information for optimal pet nutrition,” says WSAVA President Shane Ryan, BVSc (Hons), MVS, CVA, GradDipAnimChiro, MChiroSc, MRCVS, in an 

. "We are very pleased that Royal Canin, as one of the world’s global nutrition brands, is supporting the work of the GNC and look forward to working together."

The GNC offers a regularly updated toolkit of resources for veterinary teams, including educational content for pet owners. It also promotes the importance of performing a nutritional assessment and advocates for the inclusion of nutrition as a component of all veterinary and veterinary technician curricula. Additionally, committee members lecture and publish on a wide range of pet nutrition topics.

With widespread misinformation circulating about pet nutrition, Royal Canin’s Global Scientific Affairs Manager Thomas Brenten, DVM, MS, MANZCVS, hopes this partnership will create a clearer landscape for pet owners and veterinarians looking for credible sources about this important topic. “The GNC is a lighthouse, providing unbiased tools and resources reflecting the current state of knowledge. This is invaluable,” Brenten says.

The WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee and Royal Canin have joined forces to help promote the distribution of credible pet nutrition resources.

Royal Canin supports WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has released "Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine,” a comprehensive new guide that shares the latest research and regulatory updates on cannabis-related pet products, according to a 

“Veterinarians face a wide variety of challenges and questions when it comes to cannabis and pets,” says AVMA President Douglas Kratt, DVM. “A clinician may need to treat a dog that has ingested marijuana intended for its owner's recreational use, or answer questions from clients about the legality, safety and effectiveness of cannabis-derived products marketed for use in companion animals.”

This 50-page guide, which will be updated regularly, includes:

An overview of the endogenous endocannabinoid system

A review of efficacy and safety studies in animals

Information about potential adverse effects (including toxicoses)

A description of the current regulatory landscape

The guide also provides historical information about CBD use in the United States and breaks down key cannabis terminology.

For advice on how to distinguish true cannabis experts, go 

. AVMA members can access this new resource guide 

This new comprehensive guide highlights the latest scientific learnings and regulatory information on cannabis-derived products in animals.


AVMA releases CBD resource guide for veterinarians

In late August and early September, Sunshine Mills, Inc. announced voluntarily recalls of several lots of dog food due to potentially elevated aflatoxin levels and possible 

Aflatoxin, a naturally occurring mold by-product from the growth of 

, can be harmful when consumed in large quantities, according to the 

The company says a single 4-pound bag of 1 lot of the product showed elevated levels of aflatoxin during routine sampling by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

Ingestion of affected product may cause sluggishness or lethargy combined with decreased appetite, vomiting, icterus, or diarrhea. To date, no adverse events have been reported in association with these products, which were distributed in retail stores throughout the country.

Below is a full description of the products affected by this recall.

A recall of dog foods potentially contaminated with

 in late August. The Georgia Department of Agriculture discovered the presence of 

 in a sample of a single 3-pound bag of Nature’s MenuSuper Premium Dog Food with a Blend of Real Chicken & Quail. The food has UPC codes of 7015514363 and 7015514365 with the following lot codes:

TE1 20/April /2020, TE1 21/April/2020, TE1 22/April/2020, TE2 20/April /2020, TE2 21/April/2020, TE2 22/April/2020, TE3 20/April/2020, TE3 21/April/2020, TE3 22/April/2020

 TB1 20/April /2020, TB1 21/April/2020, TB1 22/April/2020, TB2 20/April /2020, TB2 21/April/2020, TB2 22/April/2020, TB3 20/April/2020, TB3 21/April/2020, TB3 22/April/2020

-infected pet food poses a health risk both to pets and their owners. Clinical signs in pets and people are similar and may include lethargy, fever, vomiting, diarrhea (possibly bloody), decreased appetite, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can infect other animals and humans. To date, there have been no reports or complaints of illness from eating these foods.

Pet owners are encouraged to contact their veterinarian immediately if their pet has eaten any of these contaminated foods or displayed any of the signs above.

Retailers who received the recalled lots have been contacted and asked to pull them from their inventory and shelves. Pet owners who have these products in their possession should discard them immediately. Anyone with questions is advised to call 800-705-2111 or email 

There have been no reports of illness related to any of the products recently recalled by Sunshine Mills, Inc.


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dvm360 launches online CE center amid pandemic

Registration for second virtual veterinary conference is now open