Why You Should Use This Phrase: Guilt Will ComeNovember 12, 2015There is probably no question as difficult to answer as when a veterinary client asks, “When will I know it’s time?” in regard to euthanizing their pet. We cringe, because we know when it’s coming, and because it’s not an easy question to answer. I learned from my good friend Val that there is an easy way to discuss “quality of life” with a pet owner. Basically, you ask the family, what five things does the pet enjoy the most? Going for a car ride? Chasing the squirrels in the yard? Snuggling in bed? A favorite toy or treat? Then watch and see if, and when, the enjoyment in those things becomes less and less. The pet may be too weak to chase squirrels, too nauseated to eat a favorite treat, and seem uninterested in riding in the car. Perhaps the family cat is choosing the closet to sleep in, rather than the bed. These are signals that the quality of life is declining. That will help the pet owner judge when the time is approaching. What about another phrase we use at times, when we tell the pet owner, “You can see it …
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Typical Veterinary ServicesNovember 11, 2015Whether you’re thinking about getting a new pet, you’ve probably wondered what happens on their first vet visit. Let’s discusses what typically happens on your new pet’s first veterinary visit. Veterinary Services on a Puppy’s Initial Visit First, you need to establish your puppy’s health profile. That’s often established by filling out a questionnaire and talking with a veterinary technician along with your veterinarian. Starting with a questionnaire, your veterinarian will document basic information about your puppy. Typical information includes the puppy’s: Breed Name Gender Weight Body temperature Your veterinarian will also ask your basic contact information. The next step includes a more hands-on approach to evaluate your new puppy’s physical well-being in the exam room. A stool sample for analysis is needed to determine if your puppy needs treatment for internal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and whipworms. How do these internal parasites affect your puppy? Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine says: “Roundworms look like spaghetti noodles when seen in the stool. Puppies may contract these worms from their mother prior to birth. Infection causes …
How to Use Digital Tools to Enhance Your Veterinary BusinessNovember 2, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Digital media aren’t simply a pastime for kids thumbing their way across an iPhone screen. Technological advents like iPhones and easily accessible Wi-Fi have caused a major shift for people of all ages. Sure, businesses that choose to market toward millennials have a huge user base to do so. But when we look at who is using social media with the highest rate of growth, it’s actually the baby boomers. Nielsen, a world leader in information measurement and analytics, notes that “Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social networking through the mobile Internet.” While this statistic might at first be surprising, it’s a concentrate indicator of the multigenerational impact that the Internet truly has. Regardless of media portrayal or common misconception, new forms of digital media like emailing, social media and even texting aren’t media and even texting aren’t only being used by younger demographics. Nielsen and top-performing veterinary practices know the same thing: Digital media are tools for people of all ages. While some might argue that …
The Power of a Phrase: How are YOU doing?October 29, 2015We are talking again today about the power of words, and how just a simple phrase can mean so much to your clients. We are all well aware of, and used to, those clients who are considered “high maintenance.” They ask a lot from us of our time, our energy and our patience at times. They ask a lot of questions, outwardly display their negative emotions, and assumedly do not realize we have five other clients waiting on us. They can be exasperating. As I like to kid around and say, they "suck the life out of us." When they finally leave the exam room, we take a big deep sigh of relief, and often vent our feelings of frustration to the nearest coworker. But it might be time — or way past time — to look at why these veterinary clients act the way they do. They are reaching, stretching, pulling our resources from us, yes. But maybe, just maybe, that is because they have not been willingly GIVEN our resources, or those of our colleagues, in the past. Perhaps …
Why Veterinarians Expect More From Diagnostic EquipmentOctober 21, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Veterinarians today expect sophisticated diagnostic technology that gets results quickly, those who sell the technology say. Jane Robertson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, director of medical affairs at Idexx Laboratories Inc. of Westbrook, Maine, said most practitioners are accustomed to collecting a pet’s blood sample for in-office and reference laboratory testing and quickly getting results. “The modern veterinarian wants the best for her clients and pets, and as a result, relies heavily on sophisticated diagnostic testing and technology capable of quickly and accurately identifying health conditions,” Dr. Robertson said. In-clinic testing, in particular, continues to gain popularity because it enables veterinarians to provide real-time care, experts like Robertson say. Robertson pointed out two products that build on this standard practice: Idexx’s Total T4 Test, which enables in-clinic thyroid testing by adding the test to existing panels, and its Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) test, a kidney test that permits earlier diagnosis of kidney disease in dogs and cats than existing methods. “The classic clinical signs of hyperthyroidism in cats include …
Does Your Service Match Your Medicine?October 19, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Because pet owners choose where to seek veterinary care, your clinic operates in both health care and service industries. Pay attention to details the next time you go shopping and see which experiences you could copy in your veterinary hospital. Here are easy-to-implement ideas from the service industry. 1) Step Out From Behind the Counter When I bought mascara at Nordstrom department store, the associate walked around the counter and delivered my shopping bag with a smile that communicated, “We appreciate your business.” At most veterinary hospitals, receptionists sit behind tall counters and computers block eye contact with clients. For a service-centered approach, the receptionist should stand to greet clients when they approach the desk. Body language communicates that you’re eager to help. When clients pay for prescriptions or other items, walk around the counter to deliver the medication and receipt. Close with an appreciation statement: “Thanks for visiting us …
How to Put Fear Free Practices to Use During ProceduresOctober 14, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Previously, we discussed ways to reduce the stress level of patients during the car ride and their visit to the veterinary hospital. This month, we review Marty Becker’s Fear Free techniques to reduce stress around hospitalization, anesthesia and surgery. Restraint is becoming more and more archaic. It is designed to protect us without much regard for the physical or emotional well-being of the patient. If you are not successful in your “stress-less” or gentle control techniques, then consider sedation. The board-certified anesthesiologists and behaviorists who are part of the Fear Free movement have two interesting sayings: “Think of sedation early and often.” “If you can’t abate, you must sedate.” Asking five technicians to sit on a fearful patient during a nail trim, blood draw or X-ray should be considered taboo. Would you do it …
Why You Need to Walk a Mile in a Pet Owner’s WalletOctober 13, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! I recently had to have a plumber and an electrician out to our Almost Heaven Ranch to work on our well — on, of course, a Sunday night. I live in a very rural area where both of the service professionals were friends, but let me tell you, I expected the bills to be high, and I wasn’t wrong. We knew we’d be able to pay the bill, or at least put it on a credit card, but I admit I swallowed hard when they handed me the invoices at the end of a long night. The experience made me think about what clients must experience at the veterinary hospital. Like electricians and plumbers, we, too, are service providers whose services don’t carry a visible price tag for easy consideration of value. Also like them, veterinary bills very seldom add up to less than expected! However, problems with the plumbing or wiring don’t carry the emotional impact of those with the beloved pet on your exam …
Are You a Financial Slacker?October 8, 2015We are financial slackers. Such is the sad conclusion of a poll conducted by HSH.com, a mortgage information resource. It reveals that many of us are slackers when it comes to managing money and financial planning. Although Americans claim to strive for financial security, many of us did nothing to improve our credit profiles in 2014. Furthermore, a lot of us admit that we have no plans to do any better in 2015. Questions asked by HSH to about 2,000 participants included: Did you save money for retirement in 2014? Did you refinance a mortgage? Did you prepay part of a mortgage? Did you pay off credit card debt? Did you take any steps to improve our credit score? Results are concerning — to say the least. Here is what respondents said they did in 2014: 15% refinanced their mortgage. 27% saved money for retirement. 3% prepaid their mortgage. 24% paid off credit card debt. 24% improved their credit score. How about in 2015? Are people more willing to improve their financial health? 9% want to refinance their mortgage. 33% want to save money for retirement. 12% want to …
How Integrative Medicine Can Change Your Veterinary PracticeOctober 5, 2015If you have been in veterinary medicine for more than a minute, you have noticed that there is a growing trend amongst pet owners. They acknowledge pets more like family members, anthropomorphizing them along the way. Words like “parents” and “children” are common descriptors in the relationships between people and their pets. We have all heard the reports of how many billions of dollars consumers are spending on their pets annually, too. Combine this with the increasingly demanding personality of consumers and it becomes obvious that veterinary hospitals have to increase their service. This includes the patient care, the quality of medicine and the customer service. Considering patient care and the quality of medicine, veterinarians need to be thinking about what medical services they bring to the table. I have been in this industry for 18 years. For the last five I have been the practice manager of an integrative practice. This practice was started in 2009 — remember what the economy was like in 2009? Despite starting up in a tumultuous economy, it has grown exponentially, thanks largely to the conscientious pet owners that are no longer willing to accept mediocrity …
