VIDEOS & BLOGS

Dr. Ernie Ward Dr. Ernie Ward

Video & Blog: Cold Weather and Pets - #ColdKills

Fellow animal advocates, I've had an ongoing concern about many pets left outdoors during severe cold weather. You can help encourage changes in animal care ordinances by sharing verified stories of pets suffering or injured when left outdoors in cold weather. NOTE: This thread isn't intended to debate specific conditions or the care of particular pets, wildlife, or working dogs. My goal is to compile stories animal advocates can use when petitioning local municipalities and governments when creating animal care guidelines in order to save lives and unnecessary suffering. Thank you.

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Dr. Ernie Ward Dr. Ernie Ward

Video & Blog: Do Animals Talk on Christmas Eve, The Donkey Cross, Veterinarian Writes Hit Song, Awkward Pet Pics!

A special “Howliday” episode of Off Label Veterinary News on Youtube. 1) Do animals kneel, face east, or talk at midnight on Christmas Eve? That's what my late grandmother told me when I was a child. 2) Do you know the story of the Donkey Cross? 3) Did you know a veterinarian wrote the holiday hit song, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer?" We tell the story. 4) Awkward Pet Holiday Photos!

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Dr. Ernie Ward Dr. Ernie Ward

Video: Your Weight Matters Conference 2017: The Secret Life of Pets and Human Obesity

I was honored to present a special keynote at the 2017 Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) Your Weight Matters Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana USA. In this impassioned presentation, I discuss why I believe pet obesity is a disease, why obesity is a shared disease of humans and animals, the role pet care shaming and weight bias play in veterinary medicine, and why I've dedicated much of my career to fighting pet obesity. I also review the role of chronic inflammation, strategies for effective weight loss, differences in pet owner and veterinary professionals' attitudes on diet and nutrition, and challenges for the future of pet food and weight loss. 

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Dr. Ernie Ward Dr. Ernie Ward

Video: Do Free Cat Adoptions Work, Dog Eats 21 Pacifiers, More Pet Facial Recognition, "Cats" Goes to Dogs

THIS EPISODE:

1) Dog eats 21 pacifiers - and lives to bark about it!

2) Microsoft IoT Core announces pet facial recognition code and releases a how-to video for a pet door utilizing facial recognition on hackster.io

3) Service Dog Disrupts "Cats: The Musical" in Manhattan. Yes, you read that correctly. A service dog attacked an actor during the opening number. Guess it wasn't a fan of "Cats."

4) Australian study evaluates if offering free cat adoptions affects cat fate, rates of medical or behavioral disorders, and adherence to pet care guidelines. The researchers also investigated if free cat adoptions attracted a different type of pet owner. The results are astounding! Read the fascinating study here: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/7/12/92/htm

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Dr. Ernie Ward Dr. Ernie Ward

Video: Holiday Scheduling Tips for Veterinary Clinics

Welcome to Off Label Veterinary News, your source for commentary on animals, medicine, and practice life. This episode Dr. Ward offer his tips to help you "Horrible Holidays" into a more joyful workplace! Let's keep the "happy" in Happy Holidays!

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Dr. Ernie Ward Dr. Ernie Ward

Video: LA Shelter Votes to Feed Vegan Diet, AVMA Debates VCPR, Cat Banned from Library, Portable Dog Bath & More!

1. A St. Paul, Minnesota cat named Max has been banned from the Macalester College library. Appropriate hilarity ensues. 

2. A new portable dog bathing device, the Bissell Bark Bath, may have uses in a busy veterinary clinic.

3. The Los Angeles Animal Services Board recently proposed feeding all shelter dogs a vegan (meat-less) diet. What does this mean for a no-kill shelter? The LA County Animal Services Board votes on the issue in December. 

4. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will debate several important topics in the January 2018 House of Delegates (HOD) meeting in Chicago. On the agenda are evaluation of the current Veterinarian-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR) and how veterinary telemedicine and telehealth may affect its interpretation; the definition of non-profit veterinary clinics and whether or not there should be some limits on the services they provide or products they sell; the potential influence of national corporate veterinary companies as veterinary consolidation and corporatization continues at breakneck speed.      

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