From the top: The 10 most popular team articles of 2018

Take a peek at these top team articles. (Crazy nook - stock.adobe.com)We don't normally get excited about popularity contests (who needs the cringeworthy high school flashbacks?), but we make an exception when it comes to the top dvm360 articles of the year. It's always fascinating to see what caught readers' eyes, and 2018's list is no different.

Over the next 10 pages, we're counting down the most-read team articles from the past year. They include everything from guidance about coping with anesthesia loss to advice from an internist about using insulin from Walmart. Not ringing any bells? Get reading below!

Image courtesy of IKEA10. 10 IKEA products under $16 that your veterinary practice needs

The thought of practice renovations makes practice owners and managers squirm, mostly because it costs a load of money. But little upgrades don't, and they can make a bigger difference than you might think. Plus, who doesn't love an excuse to go to IKEA?

shutterstock.com9. Learn to cope with anesthetic loss

The death of a veterinary patient can lead to guilt, grief and even secondary trauma. Fetch dvm360 conference speakers Tasha McNerney, CVT, CVPP, VTS (anesthesia and analgesia), and Hilal Dogan, BVSc, CCTP, offer support to reduce the clinical risks and manage the repercussions when a patient dies under anesthesia.

stock.adobe.com8. Is Walmart insulin OK for pets?

A pet owner reached out to us for an expert answer on insulin for a canine with diabetes. We said, "Go talk to your vet." But here's the lowdown from David Bruyette, DVM, DACVIM.

shutterstock.com7. What a pain in the gut: Canine pancreatitis

Get everything your team needs to know about this all-too-common canine condition, including pathophysiology, presentation and clinical signs, diagnostics, treatment and client education.

6. Veterinary technicians: You need a nerd book

Do you ever feel like you could use a second brain to store all of the things you're supposed to remember? The nerd book is kinda like that. Learn how to make one and download the first section on external parasites.

Note: You may be wondering if we have plans to release more sections, and the answer is YES. (It's one of our New Year's resolutions.) Stay tuned in early 2019 for more downloadable nerd book goodness.

stock.adobe.com5. Protect your thyroid

Noami Strollo, RVT, got sick after decades of taking radiographs as a veterinary technician. Now she's using her mistakes to help protect others.

shutterstock.com4. What I didn't learn in vet tech school

School fully prepared Julie Carlson, CVT, to be a great veterinary technician. But what happened after graduation changed her life. There's a good chance this article will make you cry-in a good, cathartic way.

This article is a part of dvm360's Leadership Challenge on what you didn't learn in school. To read more on the topic, visit dvm360.com/vetschool.

shutterstock.com3. When pet owners and rescues ATTACK

Ever had folks enlist small armies of online commenters and reviewers to spam your social media channels? Yeah. You're not alone. Two veterinary hospital managers share stories of freak-outs they faced.

This article is a part of dvm360's Leadership Challenge on cyberbullying. Read more on the topic at dvm360.com/cyberbully.

2. Vet team confessions: The tiny tears in our souls

From their experiences with imposter syndrome and compassion fatigue to feeling like no one really understands what they do, veterinary technicians and practice managers share the little cuts and wounds that bleed them dry in their daily practice lives.

Photo by Portia Stewart1. Research update: Earlier age at spay/neuter a risk factor in obesity and orthopedic injuries

Epidemiologist Dr. Missy Simpson shares the first prospective research from the Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.