Three types of veterinary clients you may want to fireAugust 14, 2018You seek mutually respectful relationships with your clients, but let’s be honest: Some pet owners are jerks. Meet three clients you want to fire and learn solutions to tame their bad behaviors.
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Overcome limiting beliefs about moneyAugust 14, 2018You probably have heard the statement “I’m not in it for the money” from team members—or you may have uttered it yourself. And you probably said it because you believed it, or, because for whatever reason, you thought someone else needed to hear it.
Why mastering soft skills equals success in the veterinary fieldAugust 14, 2018In veterinary school, students learn hard skills, the tangible, technical assets that allow us to perform our jobs. Mastery of these skills is vital, but so is developing a complementary set of skills: soft skills.
It's in your head, and the outside seems so distantAugust 13, 2018Not so long ago, I visited a most amazing veterinary hospital. It is an architectural beauty filled with an amazing team of people with cooperation and can-do-ism coursing through their veins. (At this highly successful practice embracing Fear Free principles, I witnessed firsthand radiant happiness on the faces of pets, pet owners, practitioners, and the practice team.) When the team asked me to pose for a photograph with them in the lobby, I had no idea that the veterinarian standing next to me, one of the founding partners in his 40s, was suffering from depression.
Client checklist: Controlling canine influenza virusAugust 10, 2018With summer underway, plenty of dogs are enjoying fun in the sun with their canine companions, play-fighting and sharing water bowls. Of course, accompanying summer vacation is the increased risk of infectious diseases and other illness. Canine influenza virus (CIV) is at an all-time high this year, with reported cases in at least 46 states. As such, it is more important than ever for veterinarians to warn their clients of some of the tell-tale signs of the illness. Here are some suggestions for helping clients protect their pets from illness year-round, courtesy of Zoetis. Identifying clinical signs Symptoms of CIV are similar to those of other bacterial and viral causes associated with Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (CIRD). Much like humans, signs of the virus often vary from dog to dog and can last for several weeks. Some symptoms to look out for include: Reduced appetite High fever Cough Runny nose Lethargy Additionally, CIV has no seasonality, so owners should keep an eye out for these symptoms throughout the year; however, it is especially important to keep watch during the summer when dogs tend to spend more time outdoors, socializing with other dogs. Considering treatment options If an owner suspects …
Southern Veterinary Partners named 'Top Tiger' by Auburn UniversityAugust 9, 2018Southern Veterinary Partners (SVP), a veterinarian owned and operated a regional network of animal hospitals in the South, has been named an Auburn University's "Top Tiger," which recognizes the fastest-growing companies led by Auburn University alumni. Jay Price, DVM, CEO; Jeff Falone, DVM, chief medical officer; and Chase Whitworth, DVM, regional medical director, all graduates of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Barron Lakeman, chief development officer and graduate of Auburn University, received this honor. Based in Birmingham, Ala., SVP is the largest veterinary management company based in the South. It provides centralized support for its in-network animal hospitals, including marketing, HR, finance, inventory, and purchasing management, and provides enhanced benefits to team members. The hospitals retain their names, culture, and local commitment to their communities as well as veterinarians and staff. SVP's network includes 57 animal hospitals across 10 southern states.
KSU selects first NBAF Scientist Training Program fellowshipsAugust 9, 2018Five graduate students from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine have been awarded National Bio and Agro-defense Facility Scientist Training Program fellowships. The awardees will receive tuition, stipends, and funds for supplies and travel from a five-year, $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). The students were selected for their interest and expertise in emerging animal diseases, diseases that infect both animals and people, or foreign animal diseases that threaten global health and food security. Once they complete the fellowship program, they are committed to working at the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York and, ultimately, the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF), which is under construction adjacent to the university's Manhattan campus. The selected students already have received training in high-containment facilities that work with pathogens that will be studied at NBAF. The fellowship recipients, who will be mentored by professors with whom they have worked with for at least one to three years, are Kaitlynn Bradshaw, a master's student in veterinary biomedical science; Chester McDowell, a concurrent doctor of veterinary medicine …
IDEXX Laboratories sues former employees, Vets First ChoiceAugust 8, 2018IDEXX Laboratories, a veterinary diagnostic testing and product manufacturer, is taking two former employees and Vets First Choice, a prescription management company, to court. The company's lawsuit, filed Aug. 3 in U.S. District Court, states that Dan Leach and Agostino Scicchitano did not reveal they resigned from IDEXX to gain employment with Vets First Choice and engaged in alleged "actual and/or threatened misappropriation of trade secrets." The lawsuit claims the pair took confidential materials from company computers when they moved to their new employer. This takes on significance several reasons, not least of all the announcement in April by Vets First Choice and Henry Schein Inc. that Henry Schein would merge its animal health business with Vets First Choice to create Vets First Corp., an independent publicly traded company. A recent analysis by Zack's Investment Research of IDEXX concluded that while IDEXX had been outperforming in its industry, Henry Schein's spin off of its animal health business poses a threat to the company. Since 2017, seven other IDEXX employees had been hired by Vets First Choice, the lawsuit states. "As a result of the aggressive hiring practices that Vets First Choice was utilizing, …
Utah State University veterinary school to get $1.8M barnAugust 8, 2018Veterinary students at Utah State University (USU) will soon have better insight into the care and handling of horses, thanks to a $1.8 million barn planned for the school's 26-acre South Farm education center. The Utah State Board of Regents authorized construction of the new facility, which will serve USU's School of Veterinary Medicine. The 20,000-square-foot metal barn also will cater to the university's College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, which includes an animal, dairy, and veterinary sciences program with an emphasis on equine science and management. The new facility will help accommodate the growing number of students interested in that discipline. In 2014, 65 students were enrolled in equine science and management; that number grew to 103 in 2018. Additionally, students enrolled in classes to earn a minor in equine-assisted activities and therapy nearly doubled in 2018 compared to the previous year. "Students in USU's School of Veterinary Medicine work with faculty who specialize in equine medicine, and they gain important experience with horses," said Ken White, Ph.D., dean of the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. "We simply need more space to accommodate all these growing programs and to continue to provide a healthy environment for our …
Take Your Cat to the Vet Day gains celebrity supportAugust 8, 2018Veterinarians across the U.S. might see more cats in their clinics in coming weeks, thanks in part to a campaign launched by Royal Canin that is being promoted by actor Ian Somerhalder. Take Your Cat to the Vet Day aims to improve the healthcare of cats across the country by encouraging owners to schedule regular veterinary checkups for their feline companions. The initiative, supported by the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the International Cat Association, CATalyst Council, and the Cat Fanciers' Association, hopes to increase visibility of cats in veterinary clinic by dispelling widespread assumptions about feline health. Research from Royal Canin found 53 percent of owners whose cats have not seen their veterinarian in the past 12 months said they did not take their pet to the clinic because they "did not think it was necessary." However, annual veterinary checkups are vital for early identification and treatment of illness and disease. "Regular feline veterinary care is crucial for the health and happiness of your cat," said Catherine Lenox, DVM, DACVN, Royal Canin scientific affairs manager. "Just like dogs, cats need to see the veterinarian on a regular basis for wellness exams, not only when there's a serious medical need." …
