You Asked...And We Are Listening!

Thomas F. Dock, BS, CVJ
Managing Editor, Veterinary News Network
Board of Certification, American Society of Veterinary Journalists

One of the reasons that I so enjoy working with all of our VNN members is because when Dr. Jim or I ask questions, we get responses from you all!  Believe it or not, that's actually pretty rare in this world!

Two weeks ago, I asked our members to complete a brief survey to help us plan resources for the future at VNN.   I am happy to say that we have gotten a great number of responses and we are seriously considering all suggestions.  One of the most common requests was for a continual expansion of the Message Point Library at MyVNN.com.  In case you haven't visited this dynamic resource, we have more than 175 message points on topics varying from Microchips Causing Cancer to Toxoplasma to the Fairness to Pet Owners Act.   This incredible collection can help you with blog ideas, media ideas or even be a great way to help train staff members.   I am happy to announce that we are committing to the continued growth of this Message Point Library and we will attempt to add at least two new sets of messaging each and every month!


We couldn't agree more, Dr. Vicksman...thanks for letting us know.   SO...if you have topics that you think need to be in our Message Point library, let us know.   Better yet, maybe you already have some basic outline of the topics you would like to see...If you can send me the details, I will craft them into helpful bullet points and soundbites for your use!

Other folks are asking for continued help with social media and even traditional media topics, so we will line up a whole editorial calendar on each of these topics.

If you haven't taken the time to complete our recent survey, please take a few moments to do so....there are only three questions and, as I have mentioned above, it really helps us understand what you need from us.


Thanks for your feedback!
  

There has been and will continue to be a lot of discussion about the "right" food for our pets.  The recent AVMA resolution on raw and under-cooked diets as well as the continuation of new ideas ("grain free") and fads (evolution diets) means that this topic will be an important one for a long time.

In the last two months, we have had two stories on nutrition.   Below, see our recent video (released August 1st) highlighting tips on helping owners find the right food for their pets.  We even included a sound bite from a board certified veterinary nutritionist!

Looking for the Right Pet Food

Back in July, we had a print only story looking at "Myths About Our Pet Foods".   I noted today that Dr. Lori Huston has used both of these articles in her blog at Pet-Health-Care-Gazette.com and she is handling the controversial comments very well.   Great job, Dr. Huston and thanks for using the VNN resources!

Upcoming next week will be a print only story looking at steps owners can take when their pets are lost and how to best prevent the loss from occurring.  We are using some real life examples of friends who found pets both with and without the help of microchips.  I think that this may be a great story that you can EASILY edit and adapt to your experiences and locale.

In September, I am very excited to announce that our next video story will be released and the topic is Digital Dental radiology and the fantastic advances that are being made to help our pet's oral health. 

WELCOME to our newest VNN members:  Dr. Peter Nichols and his team at Washington Veterinary Medical Center in Washington, IL, the team at Lone Tree Veterinary Medical Center in Lone Tree, CO and Dr. Janice Price of Windmill Animal Hospitatl in Abilene, TX!  We are very happy to have all of you as part of VNN!!