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The analogy isn’t perfect, but it’s close. The human medical community intensely encouraged individuals to receive the influenza vaccine before the COVID-19 vaccine became available. Getting sick with COVID-19 could be bad enough, they reasoned, but getting COVID-19 and influenza could be insurmountable.

Similarly, a growing number of veterinarians, including Natalie Marks, DVM, CVJ, assistant medical director at VCA Blum Animal Hospital in Chicago, endorse the idea of pairing up for protection against both canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC) and canine influenza virus (CIV).

“It’s human nature to think, ‘I’m not seeing it, so it must not be a problem,’ ” says Jenifer Chatfield, DVM, DACZM, DACVPM, a Tampa, Florida, veterinarian, and member of the dvm360® Editorial Advisory Board.

Marks was at ground zero in Chicago for the H3N2 outbreak in dogs in 2015-2016. “Living through that is something I will never forget. Of course, we had no available vaccine. How could we? But we do now,” she says.

The CIV mortality rate is only 2% to 4%, according to Marks, but morbidity is at 98% with a wide array of clinical signs. Also, this is no longer your grandmother’s 

. It is now known as CIRDC, which is far more representative of what
this typically is—a cocktail of respiratory illnesses.

“When it comes to respiratory disease, compounding infections is the enemy,” says Julie Reck, DVM, owner of Veterinary Medical Center of Fort Mill in South Carolina. “This means that infection with specifically 

 or canine influenza is likely self-limiting in most pets. They may be mildly symptomatic and typically recover on their own, with little to no treatment. But this changes drastically if they succumb to multiple infectious agents, and this reality is unfortunately very common in respiratory disease.”

 is an emerging bacterium that is increasingly implicated in CIRDC and most commonly identified in symptomatic dogs.

 The investigators found a significant association between the presence of 

 and the development of moderate clinical signs.

, according to the study, is also on the rise.

The occurrence of traditional CIRDC agents, such as 

 Conjecture is that years of vaccination likely won that war, but there are always new pathogens ready to infect.

According to Marks, testing for respiratory disease is important for several reasons:

, are bacterial
in nature. The correct course of treatment could be missed.

CIV goes unrecognized, although it’s not known how often, because the infection is commonly assumed to be 

 study, the greatest predictor of moderate to severe clinical signs was coinfection.

 Also, young dogs generally have increased susceptibility to CIRDC.

“For any vaccine, it’s lifestyle and potential zoonotic transmission that matter most, right?” Chatfield asks. “Think about the lifestyle concerns and risks that lead you to say, ‘Yes, vaccinating for 

 makes sense.’ Well, it’s the same lifestyle and risks for CIV, so why wouldn’t you vaccinate for both?”

“There is no way to say this nicely, but I’m not letting a boarding facility, one that says dog flu isn’t important, inform my guidance on vaccine decisions,” she adds. We’re learning every day about how prevalent coinfections are and how they can cause more severe diseases. Do you wait for an outbreak or prevent a problem in the first place and be part of the solution?

“Also, I suggest that as we see more parainfluenza and 

—so many pathogens—we may learn that CIRDC is impacting at least some dogs more than we might have suspected,” Chatfield continues. “In any case, I don’t feel this is an innocuous kennel cough.”

“We know respiratory disease can cause a wide range of clinical signs, some of which require hospitalization,” Marks says. “Even when dogs don’t require hospitalization, their quality of life is very obviously affected, and the same is true for pet parents.” With about half of all dogs sharing their owner’s bed,

a coughing dog may keep an entire family awake.

Pairing up for protection is a way to effectively move toward herd immunity, “I know we all learn about herd immunity in veterinary school, and we may have thought it applies only to our large animal colleagues,” Marks says. “It applies to us in small animal medicine equally. We want to further protect our patients, protect the community, and protect ourselves.”

Chatfield notes, “There is now a novel influenza among pigs in China that has the capability to infect people. We also know dogs in China have already been coinfected with multiple strains of flu simultaneously.”

As everyone is experiencing on the human side, viruses will happily mutate, given the chance, and conceivably jump species, as H3N8 did from horses to dogs.

“I don’t even want to imagine a scenario if dog flu were to become transmissible to people,” Chatfield says.

“Our job is preventing disease,” Marks concludes. “If we let them catch disease and then play catch up and treat, that’s not doing our job."

Maboni G, Seguel M, Lorton A, Berghaus R, Sanchez S. Canine infectious respiratory disease: new insights into the etiology and epidemiology of associated pathogens. PLoS One. 2019;14(4):e0215817. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0215817

APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 2019-2020. American Pet Products Association; 2019:92.

Steve Dale, CABC, writes for veterinary professionals and pet owners, hosts 2 national radio programs and has appeared on TV shows including Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is on the dvm360® Editorial Advisory Board as well as the boards of the Human-Animal Bond Association and EveryCat Foundation. He appears at conferences around the world. Visit stevedale.tv.

Articles

A growing number of veterinarians endorse the idea of vaccinating against both canine infectious respiratory disease complex and canine influenza virus. Here’s why.

Respiratory disease: Pair up for protection

A number of articles out there offer overviews of practice information management systems (PIMS) and advice on how to select the right one. But those articles are focused on choosing a PIMS for private practices. Veterinary consolidators have slightly different priorities for this software, including efficient scaling, compatibility with existing systems, remote accessibility, the ability to analyze data across all practices, and the need to respond to existing and future client demands.

Upon acquiring new practices, consolidators are faced with varied operational deficiencies, often including a mishmash of software that is most likely outdated. Implementing a new PIMS across multiple practices needs to be managed effectively through thoughtful change management processes. Mismanagement of the system integration strategy can be a big setback for consolidators. Imagine spending time, money, and effort to implement the system and train the staff and then suddenly realize the system no longer serves your needs or, worse, people are not using it. A veterinarian I spoke with recently estimated that her 3 practices would plan to lose about $75,000 in retraining, missed charges, and mistakes from introducing a new PIMS. So, making the transition better be worth it.

Post-acquisition improvements and increasing practice margins become an even more pressing issue as competition in the consolidation space intensifies. This article focuses on software standardization and integration, including where to start and what to consider for a smooth transition to a system that will remain relevant for years to come.

Although intuitively it may seem that having a unified PIMS across all practices makes sense, it’s worth taking some time to first conduct an initial assessment of the organization’s readiness for change before jumping into a new system selection process. A Consolidator Maturity Model can be used to evaluate the current phase in the consolidator lifecycle and identify areas that need to be integrated, changed, or improved. This gap analysis may reveal that it’s too early to consider changing systems.

A maturity assessment will build a road map for progressing through the consolidator life cycle and devising a strategic filter to be used for all business decisions. It’s important to start with processes and policies. Getting a new system prior to establishing workflows might lead to having a system that’s not being used because there is a lack of understanding of how to set it up or how people are going to use it. Without an organizational strategy, it’s impossible to find software that fits its needs.

It is a good idea to survey employees about their wish list of practice management capabilities and understand their major pain points when using the existing PIMS. Their answers should also be put through the strategic filter. Employees should be heard and validated during the software vetting and purchasing processes.

Scalability is of primary importance when it comes to choosing a PIMS for consolidated practices. The new system should be compatible with the existing hardware and software so it doesn’t create a bottleneck when adding new practices.

Secondly, a good PIMS must take real steps to improve efficiency and truly optimize workflows for employees. It should be capable of streamlining controlled substance logging and state and federal reporting, reduce the amount of paperwork, improve inventory management and procurement, and limit missed charges on invoices. An ideal PIMS should be cloud-based (accessible from anywhere with an internet connection) and adaptable to mobile devices.

Finally, the new system should support the features that are growing in demand among clients and will help improve their loyalty. This includes telemedicine capabilities, support for multiple payment options (including text to pay), integration with pet insurance and wellness plan providers, and marketing automation features to execute an effective loyalty program.

A good PIMS not only helps employees do their work better, faster, and easier but is also a source of valuable data that can help improve business performance. Data requirements for consolidated practices are greater because unification and alignment around the same SKUs become mandatory.

The ability to pull data from all PIMS to analyze performance, compare primary profit centers to primary cost centers, and pinpoint insights and new opportunities is essential for veterinary consolidators.

At the end of the day, any change needs to be implemented very methodically, starting with a maturity assessment to build a clear roadmap and using it as a strategic filter to navigate through the consolidator lifecycle.

Ryan Leech is director of sales at VIS, the first consolidator operating platform. His desire is to help clients use technology to accelerate business performance while preventing employee burnout. Ryan spends his free time with his wife, Marmie, and their 2 golden retrievers, Walter and Rosie.

 PIMS for corporate practices

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many mental health organizations have observed an influx of people battling depression, anxiety, loneliness, and other mental health conditions, according to Mental Health America.

In an effort to help promote health and well-being among its 7000+ associates, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital recently launched the Wellness Ambassador Program, according to 

. For this new program, trained wellness ambassadors will serve as liaisons between BluePearl hospitals and the organization’s veterinary social work and leadership teams as well as champion associate participation in wellness programs, training, and events.

“The Wellness Ambassador Program was specifically designed to create trained wellness champions across the organization, said Angela Calderone, vice president of people and organization at BluePearl. “These are associates who wanted to be involved in promoting a culture of health and well-being and in turn, support their fellow associates in getting the access to care and support they need to ensure self-care.”

BluePearl’s health and well-being team developed this new program based on feedback from associates who solicited help integrating the BluePearl’s social work program at their hospitals. All ambassadors serving in the program will be trained in Mental Health First Aid, a public educational platform that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders.

The core mission of the Wellness Ambassador Program is to:

Normalize discussions about mental health and substance abuse challenges in BluePearl hospitals.

Reduce stigma the often associated with a lack of understanding of those who may be experiencing substance abuse or mental health challenges.

Help others to recognize the signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance abuse issue

Teach leadership and associates how to address and engage with someone who may be suffering from mental health or substance abuse challenges.

“Different from most health and wellness initiatives that work from the top down, this program works from the ground up, utilizing hospital-based wellness ambassadors to fill the gap between the resource or support and the Associate in need,” says Lori C. Harbert, MSW, LCSW, director of health and well-being at BluePearl, in the release.

“Through this program, we hope to reach more associates, increase awareness of and engagement in our well-being programs, and build a sustainable culture of acceptance, support, and unity.”

By the close of 2022, BluePearl desires to have 200 Mental Health First Aid trained Wellness Ambassadors in its practices.

To learn more about this program and this special training, go 

The corporate hospital chain recently launched this first-of-its-kind program to help promote health and well-being among associates. 

BluePearl launches wellness ambassador program 

Diagnosing, managing, and effectively treating your patient's pain can be challenging, especially with the high volume of treatment modalities available. Because each patient's situation is unique, we've selected 3 informative articles to help veterinary professionals brush up on their pain management knowledge.

From using a combination of modalities to treat pain to broadening your understanding of analgesia, pain, and dysphoria to learning about the many opioid options available and how to best tailor protocols to patients' needs

Drugs and supplements: Working together to manage veterinary pain

When it comes to helping patients manage pain, a one-size-fits-all approach isn't always sufficient. Discover some commonly used analgesics and supplements that can offer relief for acute and chronic pain in companion animals.

Is it pain or dysphoria? How to tell the difference and what to do about it

It’s essential for anesthetists to have an in-depth understanding of analgesia, pain, and dysphoria to select the proper management intervention and provide a positive outcome for the patient. Learn the difference between the 3 sensations and how to provide patients with the best treatment options.

Understanding opioids in veterinary medicine

The plethora of available opioid options and the various methods of administration can complicate selecting the appropriate analgesia for patients. How can you determine the best route for treating each pet based on their needs? Check out Katrina Lafferty’s, RLAT, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia/Analgesia), article to find out.

Here's a look at 3 articles designed to expand your knowledge on various methods and treatment options for managing pain in your patients.

3 Must-reads for pain management

Veterinary professionals often face multiple stressful situations in a day. From challenging client conversations, long and tiring shifts, to juggling the growing needs of curbside care–mental health can often take a back seat. That's why veterinary teams need easy tools to help them make that first step, according to certified leadership and wellness coach Kristina Guldbrand, CVT, BS, CSP. 

One useful strategy for tackling stress and burnout, she says, is assessing how you react to stress. "One tool that I think everybody should start using is just learning about yourself. Who are you when you're stressed? How are you around other people when you are stressed? Are you at your best? What does your communication look like?" 

Watch the video below for more of Guldbrand's tips and tricks for enhancing your overall mental health, plus her top strategies for improving wellbeing in the veterinary profession.

Videos

Certified leadership and wellness coach Kristina Guldbrand encourages you to learn more about yourself and provides 3 creative tools to help you get started. 

3 fun and creative tools for enhancing your well-being

 to successfully host its second free virtual veterinary recruitment event—chock full of networking opportunities with key industry leaders, career guidance, pro tips, field exposure, and more.

"We are once again proud to partner with Banfield to host our very own career fair," said Mike Hennessy Jr, president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences™, the parent company of dvm360

The one-day event was held on April 29, 2021, and welcomed current students, recent graduates, seasoned veterinarians, and veterinary support staff members to partake in 4 live interactive Q&A presentations.

What’s more? The topics covered a wide array of material ranging from interview best practices to tips and tricks to résumé writing techniques to understanding the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and beyond. As a bonus, all participants were also able to connect and network with Banfield associates.

To top things off, the chief veterinary officer of dvm360

, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, moderated the following engaging sessions:

Health and Well-being When It Matters Most

Why Inclusion & Diversity Matter in the Workplace

"This is an amazing opportunity to connect our readers with the greater veterinarian community and well-respected employers like Banfield who are looking to hire," added Hennessy. "Throughout the event, our attendees [were] able to network with our expert guest speakers, get industry exposure and gain the confidence to help them land their dream job."

The event curated career opportunities to everyone within the veterinary sector, plus offered networking opportunities and access to industry leaders, and much more. 

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IDEXX: Contributing to something bigger