Is this another sign that the end is near? Pet Influencers now make more for one Instagram post than some veterinary technicians make in a year! This is going to get depressing. 

As we begin to write a new chapter in our lives, many of us will be reflecting on how we can make the next year - and the next decade - our best yet. I’ve been practicing goal-planning, especially each New Year’s Day, for my entire adult life. One of my earliest Youtube videos, way back on January 4, 2009, was about goal setting and creating a plan to improve fitness and health. In addition to improving your diet, exercising more frequently and efficiently, and getting more restorative sleep, your mental and spiritual wellbeing should be addressed. Numerous studies prove that daily gratitude practices can enhance your relationships, improve your empathy and decrease aggression, boost self-esteem, and increase mental strength. All of these fortify your mental wellbeing, allowing you to better deal with stress and overcome adversity in veterinary practice (and life). I’ve practiced a variety of gratitude techniques over the past 30 years, but the one I keep returning to is the one I stumbled upon during college before we had terms such as “gratitude practice.” Back then it was simply called “start your day with positive thoughts.” Today I call it “Titling toward Optimism,” and I’ve talked about it many times on our weekly podcast, The Veterinary Viewfinder. As you start the new year, I encourage you to try this simple and highly effective gratitude practice yourself.

As 2019 comes to a close, here are some of the top Off Label Pet and Veterinary Trends and Topics we’ll be talking about in 2020. So grab a pint of kale, snuggle up with your 10 kilogram canine and a bowl of oats, have your banker on speed dial and conference in your virtual vet. It’s time for takeoff! Plant-based pet foods, grain-free dog food blowback and the DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) controversy, veterinary practice consolidation and corporatization, super-combo parasiticides, veterinary teletriage and telemedicine, and more!

At this year's American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) annual conference, the Board of Directors and Future Leaders Group unanimously approved our Global Pet Obesity Position Statement declaring: 1) uniform definition of canine and feline obesity, 2) universal Body Condition Score (BCS) system, and 3) obesity as a disease.

Amazon acquired the innovative pharmacy company PillPack today for an estimated $1 billion. How will this impact veterinarians, veterinary drug distributors, online pharmacies, and pets?

On June 25, 2018, the US FDA announced approval for the first CBD drug to treat epilepsy in humans. What does this mean for veterinarians and pets? Read the FDA announcement here: https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm611046.htm

Is the traditional pet boarding facility or kennel doomed? I think so, and I believe technology created by Rover.com and Wag.com (and others) will not only lead to the extinction of many boarding kennels, but potentially provide better care for more pets. But that's not all; I believe it's only a matter of time before these companies take on the veterinary profession. Check out my thoughts...

The Australian Senate announced a Parliamentary Investigation into the Pet Food Industry after journalistic investigations and persistent public outcry over contaminated pet food and lack of proper protections and oversight.

Mars Petcare Buys 200 European Veterinary Clinics in Massive Deal, Pathway Vet Alliance Partners with Heska Diagnostics, FreshPet Petfood Tricks Diners and Kids into Eating Dog Food, Antibiotic Overuse by Human Doctors & the American Medical Association Takes a Strong Stand for Gun Control!

Mars Petcare Buys 87 UK Vet Clinics, a Universal K9 Cancer Vaccine is Starting Clinical Trials at three US veterinary schools, Maternity Pay for Pet Parents at a Nordic Company, and a CRAZY CAT LITTER MACHINE from Taiwan (where else?).