Jan 1, 2010
By: Rachael Whitcomb
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
New studies show increased use of texting, social networking among practitioners, survey says
National Report — Veterinarians are using technology more to do their job, communicate with colleagues and check in with clients, and pet owners are more likely to use technology than the non-pet owning public, according to a new technology-use study that surveyed about 425 small- and large-animal veterinarians.
More than half of small-animal veterinarians and about three-quarters of large-animal veterinarians are using text messaging in their business, according to the study recently released by public relations firm Nicholson Kovac, and most of those texts go to business colleagues, followed by texts to practice and clinic staff, other colleagues and least often to clients. Still, only 12 percent of the small-animal veterinarians admitted doing business with clients by text, compared to 34 percent of the large-animal veterinarians surveyed.
Small-animal veterinarians spent more time online than large-animal veterinarians, but the majority of both limit their business-related Internet use to one to five hours per week. More small-animal veterinarians (70 percent) have Web sites for their practices than large-animal veterinarians (43 percent), but about half of all the veterinarians surveyed say they believe there are marketing opportunities for their practices on social networking sites.
Most veterinarians surveyed, 85 percent of small-animal veterinarians and 91 percent of large-animal veterinarians, prefer Facebook for social networking, the study indicates, compared to 20 percent for both small- and large-animal vets on Twitter.
The Veterinarian New Media Usage Study from Nicholson Kovac examines these and other technology habits of DVMs, such as what Web sites veterinarians visit to get their medical information, what practice management software tools they use and how willing they are to incorporate new technology into their practices. A companion study, Pet Owner New Media Usage, comes packaged with the veterinarian study to shed light on how different types of clients are using technology.
For example, 85 percent of small-animal veterinarians using Facebook are more likely to "friend" cat-owning clients, since cat owners are 31 percent more likely than the average adult to engage in social networking compared to 15 percent of dog owners. However, those cat owners are more likely looking for communication and entertainment versus dog owners, who depend on social networking sites for news about their companions, the study suggests. But dog owners text 17 percent more than the average adult daily compared with 11 percent of cat owners.
For more information about purchasing the results of the study go to http://www.vetnewmediastudy.com/.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Pet vaccinations are no longer one-size-fits-all
By Val Willingham, CNN
February 22, 2010 11:30 a.m. EST
(CNN) -- When Linda Thomas of Frederick, Maryland, found out her 2-year old beagle, Henry, had Lyme disease, she was pretty upset. Her dog hardly went outside. But after his diagnosis, Henry's vet told Thomas that Lyme disease, which is transferred to pets by deer ticks, is fairly common in Maryland, and Henry probably should have been vaccinated for it.
"Who knew?" said Thomas. "Had I thought he was in danger, I would have looked into it."
Like many pet owners, Thomas was faced with a dilemma: As drug companies continue to develop new veterinary vaccines for numerous diseases and conditions, those who have animals must decide which vaccinations are right for their dog or cat.
"I was given a whole list of shots that Henry needed," Thomas said. "It got kind of confusing. And kind of expensive."
Until recently, vets simply gave all pets booster shots every year. That's because vaccine manufacturers suggested the regimen. And although veterinarians still believe a yearly checkup will keep pets healthy, the number of vaccines given yearly has diminished. Although the American Veterinary Medical Association stresses that shots are the best way to keep your pet and the general public safe, they do admit that yearly boosters and a slew of shots at one time are not always necessary.
"Studies are starting to show that we don't need to vaccinate them every year, said Dr. Ashley Shelton, assistant director of the AVMA. "Some need to be boostered more frequently, others need to be less."
And for some pet owners, that's a bit of a relief, not only for their pocketbooks but for their state of mind. Many animal lovers, like Thomas, shy away from too many inoculations for their pets. "Sometimes I feel they [the medical community] come out with these new vaccines and they push them on us," she said. "I'd like to know what I'm giving my pet."
The AVMA says "core" vaccines, such as rabies, distemper and the vaccine for the parvovirus, are recommended for most dogs in a particular area because they protect from diseases most common in that vicinity. For cats, rabies, feline leukemia and a respiratory vaccine are core vaccines. "Noncore" vaccines are reserved for individual pets with unique needs such as the protection against Lyme vaccine. And they work.
For example, since most states in the U.S. require pets to be vaccinated for rabies, the number of cases in dogs and cats has fallen drastically. More than 90 percent of all animal cases reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now occur in wildlife. Before 1960, the majority of rabies cases were in domestic animals. According to the AVMA, improved vaccination programs and control of stray animals have been effective in preventing rabies in most pets.
Although human rabies deaths are rare, the AVMA estimates public health costs associated with disease detection, prevention and control have risen, exceeding $300 million annually. These costs include the vaccination of companion animals, animal control programs, maintenance of rabies laboratories and medical costs. But the effort has worked. The CDC estimates one to two people a year die of rabies in the United States.
What once was a yearly vaccine, rabies vaccines are now certified for three years of protection in most areas of the U.S. However, some states still require yearly rabies shots, so talk to your vet.
Drs. Sarah Bowman and Wendy Knight, co-owners of CityPaws Animal Hospital in Washington, D.C., agree that vets should tell pet owners when their pets should be vaccinated and what the vaccines are for.
When the canine flu vaccine became available a few years ago, Knight only mentioned it to her clients. But last year, when the virus became widespread, the clinic made sure owners knew about the vaccine. Not because humans could catch the flu from their dogs -- that appears not to happen -- but because vets were seeing serious consequences in animals.
"There was an outbreak in the last year, and a lot of the dogs were not only getting upper respiratory symptoms, but also pneumonia," Knight said. "We felt it was important that our owners knew it could be a problem. We didn't push it, but we made it clear it [canine flu] was becoming a problem.
Bowman also says it is important that vets and owners talk before coming up with a vaccine program, because a boxer can require different shots from those needed by a bichon frise.
"You can tailor a vaccine series for an individual animal based on age, where the animal lives, is it traveling a lot, whether they go outside," Bowman said.
"Vaccines are no longer one-size-fits-all, Shelton said. "People need to set up a schedule with their vets and keep an accurate record of their pet's vaccines. That way, they'll be able to know what their pet is vaccinated for should an outbreak or problem occur."
February 22, 2010 11:30 a.m. EST
(CNN) -- When Linda Thomas of Frederick, Maryland, found out her 2-year old beagle, Henry, had Lyme disease, she was pretty upset. Her dog hardly went outside. But after his diagnosis, Henry's vet told Thomas that Lyme disease, which is transferred to pets by deer ticks, is fairly common in Maryland, and Henry probably should have been vaccinated for it.
"Who knew?" said Thomas. "Had I thought he was in danger, I would have looked into it."
Like many pet owners, Thomas was faced with a dilemma: As drug companies continue to develop new veterinary vaccines for numerous diseases and conditions, those who have animals must decide which vaccinations are right for their dog or cat.
"I was given a whole list of shots that Henry needed," Thomas said. "It got kind of confusing. And kind of expensive."
Until recently, vets simply gave all pets booster shots every year. That's because vaccine manufacturers suggested the regimen. And although veterinarians still believe a yearly checkup will keep pets healthy, the number of vaccines given yearly has diminished. Although the American Veterinary Medical Association stresses that shots are the best way to keep your pet and the general public safe, they do admit that yearly boosters and a slew of shots at one time are not always necessary.
"Studies are starting to show that we don't need to vaccinate them every year, said Dr. Ashley Shelton, assistant director of the AVMA. "Some need to be boostered more frequently, others need to be less."
And for some pet owners, that's a bit of a relief, not only for their pocketbooks but for their state of mind. Many animal lovers, like Thomas, shy away from too many inoculations for their pets. "Sometimes I feel they [the medical community] come out with these new vaccines and they push them on us," she said. "I'd like to know what I'm giving my pet."
The AVMA says "core" vaccines, such as rabies, distemper and the vaccine for the parvovirus, are recommended for most dogs in a particular area because they protect from diseases most common in that vicinity. For cats, rabies, feline leukemia and a respiratory vaccine are core vaccines. "Noncore" vaccines are reserved for individual pets with unique needs such as the protection against Lyme vaccine. And they work.
For example, since most states in the U.S. require pets to be vaccinated for rabies, the number of cases in dogs and cats has fallen drastically. More than 90 percent of all animal cases reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now occur in wildlife. Before 1960, the majority of rabies cases were in domestic animals. According to the AVMA, improved vaccination programs and control of stray animals have been effective in preventing rabies in most pets.
Although human rabies deaths are rare, the AVMA estimates public health costs associated with disease detection, prevention and control have risen, exceeding $300 million annually. These costs include the vaccination of companion animals, animal control programs, maintenance of rabies laboratories and medical costs. But the effort has worked. The CDC estimates one to two people a year die of rabies in the United States.
What once was a yearly vaccine, rabies vaccines are now certified for three years of protection in most areas of the U.S. However, some states still require yearly rabies shots, so talk to your vet.
Drs. Sarah Bowman and Wendy Knight, co-owners of CityPaws Animal Hospital in Washington, D.C., agree that vets should tell pet owners when their pets should be vaccinated and what the vaccines are for.
When the canine flu vaccine became available a few years ago, Knight only mentioned it to her clients. But last year, when the virus became widespread, the clinic made sure owners knew about the vaccine. Not because humans could catch the flu from their dogs -- that appears not to happen -- but because vets were seeing serious consequences in animals.
"There was an outbreak in the last year, and a lot of the dogs were not only getting upper respiratory symptoms, but also pneumonia," Knight said. "We felt it was important that our owners knew it could be a problem. We didn't push it, but we made it clear it [canine flu] was becoming a problem.
Bowman also says it is important that vets and owners talk before coming up with a vaccine program, because a boxer can require different shots from those needed by a bichon frise.
"You can tailor a vaccine series for an individual animal based on age, where the animal lives, is it traveling a lot, whether they go outside," Bowman said.
"Vaccines are no longer one-size-fits-all, Shelton said. "People need to set up a schedule with their vets and keep an accurate record of their pet's vaccines. That way, they'll be able to know what their pet is vaccinated for should an outbreak or problem occur."
New Canine Heartworm Guidelines Released
American Heartworm Society Presents Important Changes to Earlier Heartworm Standards
WILMINGTON, DE — February 15, 2010
The American Heartworm Society (AHS) today releases new canine heartworm guidelines for 2010. These guidelines are considered the official veterinary industry perspective for epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of the disease and include some notable differences from previous versions.
It is estimated that currently more than 1 million dogs in the United States are infected with heartworms. This potentially fatal disease has been found in dogs native to all 50 states. Even as diagnostic methods advance, preventive therapies improve and disease awareness increases among veterinary professionals and pet owners, heartworm continues to present a serious threat to dogs’ health.
The new guidelines are based on the latest information presented at the 2007 Triennial Symposium of the AHS and were prepared and approved by the executive board of the organization. Important highlights include the following recommendations:
AHS also presents information for the veterinarian on use of the antibiotic doxycycline in the treatment of heartworm disease.
“This significant disease has cost the lives of far too many of our beloved dogs, and that’s why it is more crucial than ever for veterinary professionals to have access to the latest guidelines,” said Dr. Sheldon Rubin, president of the American Heartworm Society. “One of the most important keys to managing this preventable disease is professional knowledge.”
The 14-page guide is targeted to veterinary professionals and available as a free, downloadable PDF file at the American Heartworm Society website, http://www.heartwormsociety.org/.
About the American Heartworm Society
The American Heartworm Society, headquartered in Wilmington, DE, is the global resource for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heartworm disease and was formed during the Heartworm Symposium of 1974. The American Heartworm Society stimulates and financially supports research, which furthers knowledge and understanding of the disease.
For further information, please contact:
Jake Yarbrough
Jake.Yarbrough@global-prairie.com
817-562-2334
WILMINGTON, DE — February 15, 2010
The American Heartworm Society (AHS) today releases new canine heartworm guidelines for 2010. These guidelines are considered the official veterinary industry perspective for epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of the disease and include some notable differences from previous versions.
It is estimated that currently more than 1 million dogs in the United States are infected with heartworms. This potentially fatal disease has been found in dogs native to all 50 states. Even as diagnostic methods advance, preventive therapies improve and disease awareness increases among veterinary professionals and pet owners, heartworm continues to present a serious threat to dogs’ health.
The new guidelines are based on the latest information presented at the 2007 Triennial Symposium of the AHS and were prepared and approved by the executive board of the organization. Important highlights include the following recommendations:
- Annual testing for heartworm disease in all areas of the United States
- Year-round administration of prevention drugs to increase compliance, control zoonotic parasites and prevent heartworm disease
- Use of the alternate three-treatment protocol for symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs; a departure from the recommended two-treatment protocol used previously
AHS also presents information for the veterinarian on use of the antibiotic doxycycline in the treatment of heartworm disease.
“This significant disease has cost the lives of far too many of our beloved dogs, and that’s why it is more crucial than ever for veterinary professionals to have access to the latest guidelines,” said Dr. Sheldon Rubin, president of the American Heartworm Society. “One of the most important keys to managing this preventable disease is professional knowledge.”
The 14-page guide is targeted to veterinary professionals and available as a free, downloadable PDF file at the American Heartworm Society website, http://www.heartwormsociety.org/.
About the American Heartworm Society
The American Heartworm Society, headquartered in Wilmington, DE, is the global resource for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heartworm disease and was formed during the Heartworm Symposium of 1974. The American Heartworm Society stimulates and financially supports research, which furthers knowledge and understanding of the disease.
For further information, please contact:
Jake Yarbrough
Jake.Yarbrough@global-prairie.com
817-562-2334
National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America
The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America's (NAVTA) NAVTA Journal will feature VetCentric in two articles in March.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Home Delivery Doesn’t Get Any Easier Than This
Veterinarians looking for new ways to help run their practices more efficiently and profitably have a new tool in the bag. Clinics using the latest Infinity release v4.5 can offer home delivery of pharmaceuticals, compounded medications, and therapeutic and wellness diet products through VetCentric’s One-Click Home Delivery. Home delivery allows clinics to increase pharmacy revenue and contribution while significantly reducing the cash required to hold normal inventory stock. The VetCentric interface is free, secure and only a click away for you and your clients.
VetCentric is the industry leader in veterinarian-sponsored home delivery of FDA- and EPA-approved pharmaceuticals. In the past ten years, they have partnered with over 9,000 veterinary clinics to fill more than 2.5 million prescriptions for nearly 500,000 pet owners.
With One-Click Home Delivery, users simply check the “Send to Home Delivery” box when creating a prescription in Infinity and the prescription information is securely sent to VetCentric, where the order is filled and delivered directly to the client’s home. Orders can be easily refilled directly through VetCentric. Each time a client places an order, the patient’s medical record is automatically updated in Infinity.
“Our clients are really enjoying the benefits of home delivery since we’ve begun utilizing VetCentric’s One-Click,” said Carol Gram of Prince William Animal Hospital, in Manassas, VA. Gram added that she finds the automated integration of VetCentric and Infinity very convenient. “We’re seeing a steady increase in prescriptions filled for home delivery. And learning the system was a breeze. Actually, there was really nothing to learn—I guess that’s why they call it One-Click!”
Home delivery offers clinics financial benefits as well. "We joined VetCentric to help improve our cash flow and to take some of our dollars tied-up in inventory on the shelf and be able to use and invest it in equipment in the practice and improve our medicine,” says Dr. Sharon M. Minniger at Telford Veterinary Hospital.
The new integration is another example of VetCentric's commitment to supporting the Veterinarian-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR). With One-Click access to VetCentric's large inventory of brand-name products, from companies like Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Pfizer, Novartis, Merial, and Elanco, veterinarian clinics now have greater flexibility to operate more efficiently. This frees up more time for the doctors and staff to do what they do best—treat pets.
“We are thrilled with our new partnership with ImproMed, and this integration is an important step toward helping vet clinics improve profitably and simplify their practices. Great home delivery also significantly increases compliance and that’s good for the pet, the client and the clinic,” said Ted Root, VetCentric’s CEO. “VetCentric is committed to helping clinics meet their medical and financial goals,” added Root.
To get started, clinics that are already VetCentric customers should contact their VetCentric account representative, call ImproMed at 800-925-7171, or visit www.impromed.com/vetcentric. If you're not a VetCentric partner, then visit www.vetcentric.com/signup or call VetCentric at 866-838-2368.
To learn more about VetCentric, visit them at http://www.vetcentric.com/
VetCentric is the industry leader in veterinarian-sponsored home delivery of FDA- and EPA-approved pharmaceuticals. In the past ten years, they have partnered with over 9,000 veterinary clinics to fill more than 2.5 million prescriptions for nearly 500,000 pet owners.
With One-Click Home Delivery, users simply check the “Send to Home Delivery” box when creating a prescription in Infinity and the prescription information is securely sent to VetCentric, where the order is filled and delivered directly to the client’s home. Orders can be easily refilled directly through VetCentric. Each time a client places an order, the patient’s medical record is automatically updated in Infinity.
“Our clients are really enjoying the benefits of home delivery since we’ve begun utilizing VetCentric’s One-Click,” said Carol Gram of Prince William Animal Hospital, in Manassas, VA. Gram added that she finds the automated integration of VetCentric and Infinity very convenient. “We’re seeing a steady increase in prescriptions filled for home delivery. And learning the system was a breeze. Actually, there was really nothing to learn—I guess that’s why they call it One-Click!”
Home delivery offers clinics financial benefits as well. "We joined VetCentric to help improve our cash flow and to take some of our dollars tied-up in inventory on the shelf and be able to use and invest it in equipment in the practice and improve our medicine,” says Dr. Sharon M. Minniger at Telford Veterinary Hospital.
The new integration is another example of VetCentric's commitment to supporting the Veterinarian-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR). With One-Click access to VetCentric's large inventory of brand-name products, from companies like Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Pfizer, Novartis, Merial, and Elanco, veterinarian clinics now have greater flexibility to operate more efficiently. This frees up more time for the doctors and staff to do what they do best—treat pets.
“We are thrilled with our new partnership with ImproMed, and this integration is an important step toward helping vet clinics improve profitably and simplify their practices. Great home delivery also significantly increases compliance and that’s good for the pet, the client and the clinic,” said Ted Root, VetCentric’s CEO. “VetCentric is committed to helping clinics meet their medical and financial goals,” added Root.
To get started, clinics that are already VetCentric customers should contact their VetCentric account representative, call ImproMed at 800-925-7171, or visit www.impromed.com/vetcentric. If you're not a VetCentric partner, then visit www.vetcentric.com/signup or call VetCentric at 866-838-2368.
To learn more about VetCentric, visit them at http://www.vetcentric.com/
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Small Business Cash Flow Problems Still Not Declining
Posted By Scott Shane On February 8, 2010 @ 9:29 am In Economic Trends
Many small businesses continue to experience cash flow problems – the majority, in fact, according to a survey by the Discover Small Business Watch.
That cash flow is an issue right now for small businesses might sound obvious to most of you that run your own businesses, but a worsening trend might not be. So here’s a chart that shows what has been going on with small business cash flow over the past three years.
The figure plots the percentage of respondents to the Discover Small Business Watch monthly survey of a random sample of 750 small business owners who answered “yes,” they are experiencing temporary cash flow issues. Although there has been a slight down tick over the past two months, the chart shows a (noisy) trend towards an increasing share of small business owners experiencing these problems. (The thick blue line is the actual data; the thin black line is the linear trend plotted from it.)
I tried to see whether other patterns fit the data better than the upward linear trend. Unfortunately, they don’t. An increasing share of businesses experiencing temporary cash flow problems is closest to what has actually happened over the past three years.
Many economists believe that the Great Recession has ended and the economy is now growing again. While that might be true, it doesn’t appear that the recovery is strong enough or broad enough to have fixed the cash flow problems in the small business sector, at least not yet.
Many small businesses continue to experience cash flow problems – the majority, in fact, according to a survey by the Discover Small Business Watch.
That cash flow is an issue right now for small businesses might sound obvious to most of you that run your own businesses, but a worsening trend might not be. So here’s a chart that shows what has been going on with small business cash flow over the past three years.
The figure plots the percentage of respondents to the Discover Small Business Watch monthly survey of a random sample of 750 small business owners who answered “yes,” they are experiencing temporary cash flow issues. Although there has been a slight down tick over the past two months, the chart shows a (noisy) trend towards an increasing share of small business owners experiencing these problems. (The thick blue line is the actual data; the thin black line is the linear trend plotted from it.)
I tried to see whether other patterns fit the data better than the upward linear trend. Unfortunately, they don’t. An increasing share of businesses experiencing temporary cash flow problems is closest to what has actually happened over the past three years.
Many economists believe that the Great Recession has ended and the economy is now growing again. While that might be true, it doesn’t appear that the recovery is strong enough or broad enough to have fixed the cash flow problems in the small business sector, at least not yet.
Friday, February 5, 2010
v4.5.623 is live!
Have you seen the latest release of ImproMed Infinity? Yeah, that's right - v4.5.623 is live! http://www.impromed.com/
Monday, February 1, 2010
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