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 …
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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 …
Charting CDS Science And Looking To The FutureJanuary 21, 2011 There are scores for evaluating patients with dental problems, for overall body condition and for distinguishing levels of pain. Why not a means for scoring the cognitive condition of aging pets? The idea is just one of the potential steps forward addressing cognitive decline in animals. And as Ken Lambrecht, DVM, considers the growing possibilities, he gets more and more excited. “We are just in the infancy of diagnosis and treatment,” he says, “but it’s encouraging that we’re seeing new options that reflect an evidence-based approach.” Each step in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction syndrome, or CDS, can mean a substantial advance in quality of life, says Dr. Lambrecht, founding owner and clinical medical director at Westside Family Pet Clinic in Madison, Wis. The AAHA-accredited small-animal practice sees a healthy number of senior patients. That’s why Lambrecht champions early detection and has added questions about cognitive function to every six-month senior wellness exam he and his clinic colleagues perform. At Westside, the list of options for addressing cognitive issues has included Anipryl tablets and Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine b/d. To that list, the doctors have added a new chewable dietary supplement, Neutricks by Madison-based …
CR Imaging Is Affordable Digital OptionJanuary 21, 2011 When a veterinarian wants to take the leap from analog X-ray to digital imaging, the decision usually comes down to one central question: Computed radiography (CR) or direct digital radiography (DR)? A growing number of veterinarians have found that CR systems are becoming an easy, viable and—at about half the price of DR systems—more affordable way to enter the digital world. CR systems use a phosphor plate, instead of film, to capture images. The cassette is inserted into a CR reader, which scans the plate and produces a digital image on a computer screen. (Some lower-end systems require manual removal of the imaging plate before the plate is scanned.) The image can be manipulated, e-mailed, archived and printed. DR systems, which usually use flat-panel detectors either retrofitted to an X-ray table or included in a new X-ray table, skip the secondary processing step and produce an image directly from the panel. But for some veterinarians, especially those with start-up practices, the expense can be a deal breaker. Cost Considerations Practice manager Lisa Jendrasek jokingly calls herself a bona-fide expert after her extensive research exploring systems for Deer Run Animal Hospital in Schererville, Ind. “Digital …
Minimal Marketing Spend, Max ResultsJanuary 21, 2011 It’s not enough anymore to place an ad in the Yellow Pages and count on referrals from existing clients to market a veterinary practice. The Internet has changed the way people search for all types of businesses, including veterinarians. It’s time for most veterinary practices to reassess what they are doing and make new marketing decisions. It’s not as hard as you might think; keep in mind that marketing is really about understanding what your clients want and need and communicating how you can meet their needs in ways that are relevant and appealing to them. People in medical professions are often uncomfortable with marketing. They often have companies knocking on their doors promising quick-fix, instant-result marketing programs. Most medical people do not have the training or expertise to make these decisions and can make costly and ineffective choices. Marketing should get the phone to ring and the door to swing, retain existing clients and attract new ones. The key is identifying marketing efforts that will produce the best results for the lowest investment. A good place to start is to assess what your colleagues are doing and compare your marketing activities to …
Philanthropy: Manufacturers’ Presence Goes Beyond ProductsDecember 20, 2010Some companies such as Hill’s, Nestlé Purina and Bayer support the veterinary community with their generosity. Vendors—the companies that manufacture or supply medications and equipment and provide services to help veterinary practices run smoothly—don’t get much publicity for their behind-the-scenes philanthropic work on behalf of the profession and the animals it serves. Most manufacturers aren’t eager to talk about their contributions, saying they would rather spend dollars doing good than using the money to promote their work. Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. looks for the biggest impact when deciding which organizations to donate to, says marketing official Kurt R. Venator, DVM, Ph.D., of Nestle. “We like to create shared value, which means our contributions will be good for the community and good for the company,” Dr. Venator says. “We have relationships with all of the U.S. veterinary schools, which house the future of the veterinary industry.” Martin Mulroy, vice president of veterinary sales and marketing at Abaxis Inc., says the company maintains a strong relationship with Colorado State University. “We’re participating in the funding of a new avian/exotic animal wing at the veterinary hospital, and we donate equipment to the veterinary school,” he …
Expert Opinion Just Digital Hookup AwayDecember 20, 2010 In the past, obtaining a radiology specialist’s opinion sometimes meant traveling to a veterinary teaching hospital. This required time and money and certainly delayed treatment. Today, telemedicine allows radiologists to diagnose patients without ever placing their hands on the animal. Primary care veterinarians can send X-rays and other medical information electronically and receive a report in a matter of minutes or hours. “Using a telemedicine service means a general practitioner can have a radiology department without having board-certified radiologists on the payroll,” says John Feleciano, DVM, Dipl. ACVR, manager of Idexx/VDIC Telemedicine in Clackamas, Ore. “Veterinarians say they find the service to be professionally and medically enriching and it brings financially tangible and intangible benefits. “Owners are comforted by having a built-in second opinion by board-certified veterinarians.” The days, and sometimes nights, of telemedicine veterinarians are filled with exchanges of medical information and questions. Primary care givers ask specialists to confirm a suspicion or help unravel a complex case. “We have specialists available 24 hours a day, although the cases we receive from midnight to 6 a.m. are generally limited,” says Victor Rendano, VMD, Dipl. ACVR, Dipl. ACVR (RO), president of eVet Diagnostics in …
Supplement Joins Fight Against CDSDecember 15, 2010 It starts with the unexpected. Perhaps an incident of house soiling that’s totally out of character. Or a lack of response when a dog is called by name. Maybe some aimless wandering, a new phobia, or dazed and anxious looks when entering a familiar place. These are symptoms of cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), a condition of aging that some veterinary practitioners say deserves increased attention in pets, especially now that new tools for treatment are emerging. The latest option is Neutricks, a chewable dietary supplement designed to protect brain cells and combat cognitive decline in pets. Released in November as the first product from Quincy Animal Health of Madison, Wis., Neutricks uses the same technology as Prevagen, which was developed by Quincy Bioscience and has been shown to help people suffering from age-related congitive decline. At the heart of Neutricks is the patented protein apoaequorin, first discovered in 1962 in a species of jellyfish. The idea is that as aging pets stop producing calcium-binding proteins and start to lose brain function, the apoaequorin in Neutricks acts as a replacement protein. So far, clinical and lab testing have yielded positive results. Research Discoveries A …
