Promote Or Don’t Promote Pet Health Insurance?March 21, 2011 Unexpected veterinary bills often exceed what the average pet owner can finance with discretionary income. In those cases, insurance often means that euthanasia isn’t the most humane option. “A year and a half after we insured our dog, he was diagnosed with nasal cancer and given only a two-month prognosis without treatment,” says Barbara Borah of Glendale, Calif. “We researched our options and sent him to Colorado State University for radiation. Even though CSU charged less than half of its (usual) radiation fees, there is no way we could have afforded it without insurance. “We are happy to report that our dog just celebrated his 17th birthday and has already survived twice as long as the Colorado vets estimated he would.” Still, some pet owners find insurance for pets a superfluous cost and vow to start saving specifically for their pets’ veterinary expenses. “People have good intentions of creating a savings account for their pet, but it rarely works out as they plan,” says Jack Stephens, DVM, founder and president of Pets Best Insurance in Boise, Idaho. “Depending on when the funds need to be pulled, you might not have enough to cover the …
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Get The Facts About PACS Before BuyingMarch 21, 2011 With 36 to 40 percent of practices already using digital imaging, and 90 percent of those hospitals utilizing a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), colleagues looking to upgrade are investigating which PACS product would best suit their needs. While vendors tend to be the common route in which veterinarians learn of their PACS options, some preliminary research gives practitioners a base from which to form questions and make decisions. “Veterinarians should do legwork before contacting a vendor and research not only the different technologies but the software and the capabilities it can deliver with PACS,” says Fotine Sotiropoulos, DVM, marketing manager for digital imaging at Idexx Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine. “Understanding the hospital’s needs and PACS capabilities will help the veterinarian ask the right questions and make an educated decision about the purchase. For example, does the system come with a full PACS? Is the PACS able to handle multiple modalities, such as digital dental or ultrasound? Does the software provide the option to integrate with their product integration modules (PIMS)?” With a full PACS costing about $60,000, including hardware, software and support fees, veterinarians want to be satisfied with their purchase, says Emery …
Diet Beats Surgery For Urolith RemovalMarch 18, 2011 For years, Jody P. Lulich, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVIM, and his colleagues at the Minnesota Urolith Center have strongly advocated for non-invasive dissolution of uroliths in cats. Struvite is the most common urolith in cats, accounting for about 46 percent of feline urinary stones, according to data from the Minnesota Urolith Center. And for struvite uroliths, non-invasive nutritional management is the most effective treatment, Dr. Lulich says. Dietary dissolution is more compassionate and carries less risk, Lulich notes. For the owner, it’s less stressful than seeing her beloved companion undergo general anesthesia, and much less costly. Surgical or laser removal of uroliths can cost upward of $2,000. Newer research suggests that not only can nutritional management work more quickly than was previously established, but that even a food designed for long-term maintenance of urinary tract health can dissolve struvite uroliths, too, says S. Dru Forrester, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM. Forrester is a scientific affairs representative at Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. Hill’s special dietary formulas, even dry versions, can dissolve struvite stones in as little as two weeks in some cats, Forrester says, eliminating the expense, pain and stress of surgical options. “It’s …
Pet Insurance Gurus Answer SkepticsMarch 7, 2011 Many veterinarians say they don’t recommend pet insurance to their clients for a variety of reasons: • It is an inappropriate or unproductive activity. • A fear of powerful insurance companies dictating veterinary practice in the future. • Concerns that pet insurance increases paperwork. • A need for a better understanding of plans. We asked three colleagues in leadership positions at pet insurance companies to address these concerns and a few others. Bill Craig, DVM, chief medical and underwriting director at PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance. • Bill Craig, DVM, is chief medical and underwriting director at PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance in San Antonio. He is responsible for all medical-related aspects of the plan, ranging from designing policies to reviewing applications for medical issues to overseeing claims processing. • Jack Stephens, DVM, is president of Pets Best Insurance in Boise, Idaho. He invented the concept of pet health insurance in the U.S., founding Veterinary Pet Insurance in 1980 and Pets Best in 2005. • Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, is vice president and chief veterinary medical officer of Veterinary Pet Insurance in Brea, Calif. She has been with VPI for more than six years and is responsible …
What Will We Say To The Children?February 14, 2011 It was back to business as usual at January’s North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC). Attendees considered the future of veterinary medicine in a recession-battered economy. Attendees and lecturers toiled over questions such as: What will high tuition and student debt do to our profession? What can we do for our clients who love their pets but can’t afford cost of standard care recommendations for ill and injured pets? What can we do when faced with sick pets of homeless, underprivileged and jobless people? We did not find easy answers to these tough questions at the abundant business, medical management or behavior and shelter medicine classes. We encountered some colleagues with set philosophies who solved the problem in their own minds by saying that pets are going to have to be reclassified as “elective” or strictly considered luxuries. The AAHA statement on responsible pet ownership, which suggests that pet owners prepare for medical emergencies with savings accounts or get pet health insurance or make arrangements with third-party payment programs, isn’t much help. Pet Companionship 101 Since before my days in veterinary school (1968-72), I have advocated that being close to animals and keeping pets is a …
Veterinary Equipment Can Pay For ItselfFebruary 14, 2011 Veterinary Equipment Can Pay for Itself and consultants advise looking at the return on investment when weighing a big-ticket purchase. Manufacturers and consultants advise looking at the return on investment when weighing a big-ticket purchase. Manufacturers and consultants advise looking at the return on investment when weighing a big-ticket purchase. Lynn M. Tiffany Investing in new clinic equipment can quickly improve or create a profit center. “Equipment is an investment instead of an expense,” says Jamie Renner, veterinary products market manager at Midmark Corp. of Versailles, Ohio. “Every business owner knows the best investment is in yourself. If veterinarians think in those terms, they are helping their own bottom line.” Vendors can be very helpful to veterinarians, practice owners and managers by providing an analysis of the return on investment, says Shelley Johnson, founder of Company 42 LLC, a veterinary management solutions business in Winchester, Va. “A vendor is motivated to sell equipment,” Johnson notes. “Good business relationships with vendors who help your practice shop for the right equipment may be beneficial. When a high-end purchase is made and installation has been completed, who will help troubleshoot any issues? Some vendors …
VCS Salutes Oncology Icon WithrowFebruary 7, 2011 The Veterinary Cancer Society’s 2010 Theilen Tribute Award honored Steve Withrow, DVM, of Colorado State University for lifetime achievement in veterinary oncology. The award recognizes the visionary “One Medicine” career of Gordon H. Theilen, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology). Dr. Theilen is one of veterinary oncology’s most prolific and internationally appreciated forefathers. He contributed diverse pivotal research in cancer virology, initiated the first veterinary clinical oncology service, was a founding member and first president of the VCS in 1976 and contributed the first reference textbooks, Veterinary Cancer Medicine, 1979 and 1987. Dr. Theilen created the Comparative Cancer Center, which evolved into the Center for Companion Animal Health at the University of California, Davis. He mentored many researchers and the first generation of veterinary oncologists, who became leaders in their respective fields, touching millions of lives worldwide. The VCS’s first Theilen Tribute Award in 2009 honored Dr. Greg MacEwen posthumously. Dr. Withrow, Dipl. ACVS, Dipl. ACVIM (oncology), was selected as the second recipient, to be honored during the VCS meeting in San Diego in October. The winner’s name was kept a surprise. VCS host Dr. Greg Ogilvie invited Dr. Withrow to be a keynote speaker, which …
Third-party Financing Can Help Clients PayFebruary 3, 2011 It’s long been a tradition in the veterinary community to discount services for a sick or injured animal, especially when pet owners’ emotions are running high and pocketbooks are perceived to be low. A recent survey by veterinary consultants Tracy Dowdy, CVPM, and Shelley Johnson, CVPM, finds that veterinarians are sacrificing substantial revenue that could be saved through promoting third-party financing, such as ChaseHealthAdvance client financing, and pet insurance options to their clients. Dowdy is founder and managing director of MRG Consulting LLC in Dallas and Johnson is founder and owner of Company 42 LLC in Winchester, Va. The two conducted a survey of members of the National Committee of Veterinary Economic Issues and the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association asking how veterinary hospitals give discounts for services. The query was divided into two parts: planned discounts and unplanned discounts. Planned Vs. Unplanned Planned discounts are part of the practice’s strategic marketing plan. Many practices offer predetermined reduced rates for seniors, employees, good neighbors, community partners, special promotions and other situations. Most practice management software programs even have built-in measurement tools to track these discounts. Unplanned discounts are those that veterinarians or practice managers …
New Healant Helps Corneal WoundsJanuary 21, 2011 John Moss, DVM, has treated many animals, mostly dogs, suffering from corneal ulcers during his 30-plus years of practice. But part of what prompted him to consider new treatment solutions was something both simple and personal–he developed an indolent ulcer himself. “It really, really hurt,” says Moss, owner of Brandywine Valley Veterinary Hospital in Coatesville, Pa. “I think these dogs suffer the same way. I’ve always been aggressive on treating corneal ulcers, but now I don’t hesitate to be even more aggressive.” In searching for ways to accelerate healing, Moss began adding a cross-linked hyaluronan wound healant to his treatment protocol, a step he first tried in late 2009 with a boxer with a stubborn recurring ulcer. Within days, the treatment worked where months of traditional antibiotics and other treatments had failed, Moss says. Now, “I use it as my first-line treatment with most corneal ulcers, especially in boxers,” he says. The new-generation corneal wound healants accelerate healing time, cutting it to as little as 48 hours, while also alleviating pain and reducing the risk of scarring, says Heidi Lobprise, DVM, Dipl. AVDC, senior technical manager at Virbac Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas. Virbac is introducing …
