VetCandy: What Makes Vets Feel Good At Work?

Receiving a simple thank you, spending time with peers and further developing their expertise, are all factors that make veterinarians feel good at work, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Adelaide.

Researchers investigated the positive side of veterinary work and specifically what brings pleasure in their job.

Lead author Madeleine Clise, a psychologist and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Adelaide's School of Psychology says: "At a time in Australia when there are national shortages of vets, particularly in regional areas, and increased publicity about the risks and challenges in the profession, it's important to focus on what can be done to retain those in the profession and attract more people to the field.

"By focusing on what contributes to vets experiencing positive emotions, we can better understand how to improve wellbeing of those who care for our beloved pets, livestock and wildlife."

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Vet Candy: Mindfulness with paced breathing and lowering blood pressure

According to the American Stroke Association (ASA) and the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 100 million Americans have high blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure is a major avoidable cause of premature morbidity and mortality in the United States and worldwide due primarily to increased risks of stroke and heart attacks. Elevated blood pressure is the most important major and modifiable risk factor to reduce stroke. In fact, small but sustained reductions in blood pressure reduce risks of stroke and heart attacks. Therapeutic lifestyle changes of weight loss and salt reduction as well as adjunctive drug therapies are beneficial to treat and prevent high blood pressure. 

Mindfulness is increasingly practiced as a technique to reduce stress through mind and body interactions. In some instances, mindfulness includes paced breathing defined as deep and diaphragmatic with slow rates typically about five to seven per minute compared with the usual rate of 12 to 14. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine and collaborators have published a paper in the journal Medical Hypotheses, exploring the possibility that mindfulness with paced breathing reduces blood pressure.

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Vet Candy launches new lifestyle show for the veterinary audience

“Vet Candy Life,” featuring well-being gurus Dr. Quincy Hawley and Renee Machel, hopes to relieve stress in the profession with its innovative lifestyle format.

Montclair, NJ: Today marks the launch of Vet Candy Life, a show that focuses on physical, emotional, and financial wellness for veterinary professionals and students.

Veterinary medicine is a stressful profession, and veterinarians experience a high rate of burnout and compassion fatigue. According to a recent wellness study, even those who were mentally healthy and had high levels of well-being overall experienced feelings of depression, anxiety, compassion fatigue, or burnout with some frequency.  

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Vet Candy: The Science of Staying Motivated

Growing tired of Veterinary School: COVID Edition?  Having trouble with the end-of-the-semester slump?  Take a look at this article brought to you by Vet Candy about staying motivated.  We hope it will provide you with a post-holiday push to work hard right through the finish line!

The science of staying motivated

There is no question that motivation is one of the hardest and yet important factors in life. It's the difference between success and failure, goal-setting and aimlessness, well-being and unhappiness. And yet, why is it so hard to get motivated - or even if we do, to keep it up?

That is the question that scientists led by Professor Carmen Sandi at EPFL and Dr Gedi Luksys at the University of Edinburgh have sought to answer. The researchers worked off previous knowledge that told them two things: First, that people differ a lot in their capacity to engage in motivated behavior and that motivational problems like apathy are common in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Second, to target an area of the brain called the "nucleus accumbens".

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CSU SAVMA Presents Dash for Trash

Colorado State University is promoting both physical and environmental health through their Dash for Trash event!  Check out their infographic for details and information on how to win a giftcard!