Urgent care hospitals expand access to veterinary careAugust 26, 2022To help expand access to care, VCA Animal Hospitals has added an urgent care option to its network of clinics..
SPONSORED CONTENTThe Case for Year-Round Heartworm Prevention and Affordable OptionsVeterinarians are often more than just clinicians - they’re advisors, educators, and, increasingly, financial counselors. In today’s economy, pet owners may hesitate to invest in year-round prevention due to budget constraints; but, skipping even a few months of heartworm protection can have serious consequences. + Learn More
iVET360 2018 report analyzes key veterinary clinic marketing metricsOctober 8, 2018 iVET360 veterinary services company released its annual Veterinary Marketing Benchmark Report, revealing statistics and trends in veterinary marketing for 2018. In the report, the company analyzed the marketing metrics of 1,000 accredited hospitals and covered approximately 27,000 data points to highlight crucial new information for practices regarding their marketing efforts. Topics covered in the report include introducing Nextdoor as a marketing tool, stressing the importance of Google (specifically highlighting the power of Google Ads—a tool only being used by 10 percent of hospitals), proper SEO usage, all things Google My Business, and the average number of reviews a practice has across their most dependable social channels. "Along with providing marketing assistance to veterinary hospitals, our goal is to lead the way and educate the industry on the most current and relevant marketing methods," said Justin Vandeberghe, managing director of creative services at iVET360. "Hospitals often contact us looking for industry benchmarks while asking us what they should be doing, and this report outlines what that average veterinary hospital hopes to achieve." Veterinary practices can download the report and receive a complimentary digital report of their business (within 24 hours) by contacting iVET360 and providing their …
Why practice owners should copy hotels for inspirationApril 4, 2018You've probably had the experience of eating out at a restaurant where the food was great but the overall experience was terrible. You were seated 30 minutes after your reservation time, the server was aloof and, at times, rude, and the kitchen got your original order wrong—and then stuck it on the bill before you pointed out the error. It doesn't matter that the steak you ended up eating—the offering you actually paid for—was cooked and seasoned to perfection, tender to the bone, and delicious; at the end of the meal, you walked away feeling like you'd had an extremely negative experience and, chances are, you thought twice about ever returning to that restaurant again. The veterinary service you provide your patients is, in many ways, no different from the service you get when you eat at a restaurant—at least when it comes to customer experience. While your patients come to you for a specific service (veterinary care), just like you went to that restaurant for a steak, their overall judgment of the value of that service will be determined just as much by their overall experience and the way they were treated as by the quality of care they …
Did a media reveal help reunite owner, puppy separated at veterinary clinic?February 27, 2018Several days after undergoing a routine spay procedure earlier this month, 4-month-old goldendoodle Roxy developed complications and was rushed to Willowdale Animal Hospital in Toronto. When owner Natasha Goodman said she couldn't afford to pay $8,000 for the emergency surgery, the doctor told her the "other option was to surrender the dog to her clinic," Goodman said. The owner, citing concerns for Roxy's health, surrendered her pet to the hospital, meaning that it could keep the puppy. Goodman instantly regretted the decision, she said. Goodman said that after several attempts on her part to get Roxy back, Willowdale Animal Hospital contacted her to seek a resolution only after a Toronto news outlet, CTV Toronto, aired the story. Goodman thanked news anchor Pat Foran for helping her get Roxy back home. "I don't think I would have got Roxy back had it not been for you," Goodman said. A spokesperson for the clinic said in a statement that emergency surgery was performed at no cost and that the hospital has "been diligently and ethically working with Natasha Goodman… We are pleased to confirm that Roxy has been reunited with her family." Goodman said she and her family were glad to …
10 ways to protect your clinic's cash flowOctober 19, 2017 Veterinary clinic cash flow is challenged by several factors, but broken down, it's simple: how much comes in versus how much goes out. Here are 10 ways your practice can immediately take control of its cash flow. If your practice is hemorrhaging money, you must immediately staunch the flow. You cannot save your way to success, but you should still be conscious of what you are spending. By controlling your spending and saving on extraneous things, your practice will be able to spend more money where it counts, such as equipment and human resources. Plus, you must identify cash that is lost because it was never collected in the first place. The countdown to controlling clinic cash flow starts now. No. 10: Create a budget If you're like most, you just cringed a little when you read the word "budget." As much as they're disliked, budgets are a vital tool in your practice's path to success. Your accounting software and/or your accountant should be able to help you get started if you are unsure how to begin. Adhering to a budget allows you to project potential income and expenses, avoid shortcomings and build in a safety net …
Petco officially enters the veterinary hospital ring with ThriveOctober 10, 2017Petco has an answer to PetSmart's Banfield Pet Hospitals: Thrive Affordable Vet Care clinics. The company's first Thrive opened inside a brand-new Petco in Aldine, Texas, last week. Thrive offers $10 exams and "a full suite of in-store veterinary care and wellness services," according to the company. Twelve more Thrive veterinary hospitals will open within newly remodeled Petco stores in Texas, California, and Colorado through the end of 2017. "While pet health and wellness are increasingly important to pet parents, navigating veterinary services in particular can be confusing and overwhelming," said Brad Weston, Petco CEO. "Understanding what pets need at each stage of life, what constitutes routine care, urgent or specialty care, and when to seek veterinary expertise are common challenges pet parents face. "By expanding our in-store veterinary services, Petco's veterinary professionals can help pet parents through every step of their pets' health and wellness needs, all in one convenient location," he added. "Our Aldine location is the first of our new in-store hospital design, and we are excited about bringing more of these locations to the Houston market in the next few months." In addition to new in-store veterinary hospitals operated by …
