Breaking Down Barriers. Translucent glass is used between Welness Rooms and Reception Areas at Upstate Veterinary Specialist: Asheville to allude to the transparency of the practice.

Heather Lewis, a partner here at Animal Arts, has researched and written an article about the habits of Generation Y as consumers. As this generation is coming of age, it’s important to have an understanding of how they could benefit your business.

Open the pdf here:

Designing for Generation Y

If you can make things better to the tune of just 1 percent per category, that would translate to a total gained efficiency of 6 percent. In a practice that grosses $1 million, that would be an increase of $60,000. And even if it results in an initial capital cost, the increase in efficiency will keep on giving year after year.

Check it out here:

Hanging with Hafen: How to design for more “dog
time” [dvm360.com]

Laparoscopy Procedure at Upstate Veterinary Specialists

Although laparoscopy is a common surgical technique in human hospitals it has yet to be widely used in veterinary hospitals.  The minimally invasive procedure could be what sets your hospital apart.  Below is a link to more information.

VeterinaryLaparoscopy.com

Some of the subjects and resources covered are:

ALD Veterinary Consulting – Coaching to Excellence
DVM360.com – Find it all here
PetsVetSpace.com – Welcome to PetsVetSpace
121QA Customer Satisfaction Analytics – 121QA Customer Satisfaction Analytics
Client Magnets TV – How to attract clients like a magnet
Practice Coach – Productivity Solutions for Veterinarians
Veterinary Business Briefing – Build your veterinary practice into a great business

Episode 49 [VeterinaryBusinessVideoShow.com]

Equine Practice, a Business with a Long Tradition Based Legacy…what could be wrong with that? [DVMMBA.com]

On Sunday afternoon as I was coming up the stairs my hind legs slipped on the lino with the result that I skidded and my long nails made a tremendous noise and I frightened myself. Later on in the day I went down the stairs to go out and I absolutely refused to come up them again. I sat down at the bottom and waited and waited and waited. Mummy eventually had to come down and try to coax me up but I kept running outside. Eventually she got hold of me and pushed me up the stairs and I went up very, very reluctantly. The next time I went down I would not let her push me up and she had to carry me up the stairs!

When Daddy came home he said that really isn’t satisfactory and he went and phoned Ardene to make an appointment for me to have another manicure. So we went out at 11 o clock on Tuesday morning and I saw all of friends behind the reception counter and as usual they made a tremendous fuss of me, and Jennifer came round and spoke to me. Eventually we were called in and much to my disappointment it wasn’t a nice young lady it was a tall young vet called Paul. He lifted me up on the table, cut my front nails a little bit and then my back nails which had been giving me all the trouble. He said to Daddy that he needed to reduce the amount of food I was eating by a cupful because I am getting too heavy  Mummy would agree when she tries to lift me. While Paul was very pleasant I must say that I prefer it when it’s a young nurse who cuts my toenails!

On the way out when Daddy was writing a cheque, Jennifer came round again and gave me a gravy bone which I hadn’t had before and it was super. I got so excited and jumped up and down and looked for another one so she took pity on me, took me round the back of reception where I spoke to my other friends and then on the way out she gave me another. It was delightful.

Unlike my predecessors Ollie and Jamie, I love going to the vets at Kingswells. They were frightened and ran away as soon as they could smell where they were. Am I not a brave boy?

Appointments scheduled, waiting rooms full, nervous pets and worried owners can make any veterinary surgery appear manic. A Glass Wipe Board, a smart alternative to the traditional whiteboard, will not only provide a stylish look, but will help create order by clearly displaying all information that needs to be seen by others in your practice, any changes that may have occurred and notifications such as the vet running ahead of time.

Vets will also find the Glass Wipe Board useful within their consult rooms due to the boards’ sleek, unobtrusive finish. Notes, reminders and actions can be easily displayed in plain view. The glass boards also allow notes to be effortlessly wiped away without leaving any ghostly ink marks. They are hygienic and can be easily cleaned or sterilised – even the back can be accessed! They really are ideal for any veterinary environment.

We can personally tailor your Glass Wipe Board with any logo, or bespoke planner. The Glass Wipe Board can be magnetic, allowing notes or reminders to be attached. Planners can also be made to suit any requirement, whether a weekly or monthly view is needed, or a more complex chart detailing case notes and instructions.

We deliver Glass Wipe Boards nationwide and offer a range of versatile glass products that provide a smart alternative to traditional marker boards, which often need replacing. Glass Wipe Boards are widely used in formal environments such as offices and board rooms, and also have applications in healthcare practices, restaurants, homes and educational environments – Why not make the investment in a clean and durable Glass Wipe Board to streamline workflow and improve communications.

Tel:                  0800 028 9560 or 01303 266200

Email:              enquiries@theglasswipeboardcompany.com

Web:                http://www.theglasswipeboardcompany.com

Facebook:       http://facebook.com/TheGlassWipeBoardCompany

Blog:                http://glasswipeboard.wordpress.com

 We left the house very early and went to Ardene and I went in with my usual enthusiasm to see all my girlfriends who work behind the reception. They came out and knelt on the floor and tickled my tummy and I walked round in circles and I had a super time. Then I was taken into a room, Daddy left me with the nurse and from then on it went downhill.

Humphrey before his ordeal

A young veterinary surgeon, Catherine, took out a razor and started to cut off the hair on my right front leg and I had no idea why she was doing this. Then she took a syringe with a huge needle and stuck it into my leg. I did not like that at all! When I’ve had injections in the past its usually been into the back of my neck and I’ve never really felt anything and I was always told how brave I was. This time, I felt the prick and I do not know what happened next but some hours later I woke up to find that I was being fitted with a plastic hood round my neck which is really like a lampshade. I didn’t like it but I was simply too weak to protest. Daddy phoned at 1pm to find out how I was and he was told that I was doing fine. I jolly well wasn’t.

 When he came to collect me at about 3.00 pm, I was taken out to the big waiting area and I simply stood there and as Daddy later told Mummy, I looked like a zombie. I couldn’t move, I didn’t know where I was, I didn’t recognise anybody or anything. When Daddy couldn’t get me to walk to the car to go home he had to pick me up and carry me through the reception and as I’m 21 kilos he has difficulty lifting and carrying me. Going out to the car, one of the young girls came with him and he asked her to go into his pocket to take out the key to unlock the car boot since he didn’t want to put me down and lift me up again.

 We got home and Mummy was waiting for me and he carried me out of the car and put me into the vestibule. I just stood there and wouldn’t move and so Daddy had to pick me up again and take me through to my bed in the kitchen. I felt absolutely awful! I didn’t really know what had happened to me but I later heard that I’d had an operation that meant I was never going to be able to have any sons or daughters. The vet had said that I had to get a special diet which came in three cans which is apparently very nutritious for dogs who have had operations. Quite frankly I didn’t feel like eating anything and I wouldn’t drink any water. I more or less slept the whole afternoon and evening. I couldn’t walk up and down the stairs to my toilet area because I was just so weak so Daddy had to both carry me up and down, which he found very difficult to do.

Humphrey after surgery

Humphrey sulking

Eventually, before they took the hood off, the only way Mummy and Daddy could get me to eat these special tinned supplements, which smell like foie gras, was for them to feed me with a spoon, rather like feeding a baby, which I am not now.   

Humphrey getting fed like a baby

Eventually I grew to like the special supplement and when the hood was taken off and I got my appetite back, I ate it willingly. Drinking, however, was another problem. I just didn’t want to drink any water despite Mummy and Daddy encouraging me to do so. By the Friday I was feeling much better and whenever a visitor came to the house, I behaved in my normal, welcoming way.

On the Vet's table

On the Friday afternoon Daddy and I went out to Inchmarlo and Karen took me through to the Red Drawing Room and I spent about an hour and a half speaking to the residents and just sitting beside them while they looked at a television programme.  Karen told Daddy that I had been very well behaved.

Unfortunately I was not well behaved the whole week and Daddy was absolutely furious with me on two occasions.  On the Friday morning when he came in to collect me he stepped on something inside the front door where I had done a huge poo on the Persian carpet and he told me off.  Whenever he does that I shrink into myself, become half my normal size and my ears flatten into my head so much so that you wouldn’t think I had any ears at all as I try to make myself invisible.

If that wasn’t bad enough on Sunday evening in the Study when Daddy was reading the Sunday Times suddenly he stood up and sniffed the air and said, “What’s happened here?” looked all over the place, under the tables and under the chairs and finally found that I had done another huge poo on yet another Persian carpet behind one of the chairs.  He was furious again.

Once more I went into my invisible act or as he describes it, “a dog about to go to the abattoir”. 

However, despite my naughty behaviour, I got a special treat later on and was allowed my first taste of ice cream. It was lovely!

Yum yum!

Checking My Ears

Behaving Myself on the Vets Table

Trying to Keep Still to be Weighed

I’m actually now weighing 19.60kgs which shows just how big I am getting and how Daddy finds it difficult to lift me up all the time. This is why he was trying to get me to jump into and out of the car without carrying me. So when we got back to the house he opened the boot, called me over and I tried to come down, went back and forwards a few times but I wouldn’t take the step.  Daddy put a treat on the ground and I saw it there but despite my desire to eat it I just couldn’t pluck up the courage and went back and sat in the car until Daddy lifted me out.

Looks a Long Way down

I Give Up!

Humphrey on the table

Brenda then manicured my toenails and looked in my ears.  

Getting my ears checked

Humphrey getting a manicure

She opened my mouth to have a look inside and said that I now had all my adult teeth. 

Checking my teeth

I must say I found the treatment very soporific but I couldn’t understand why Brenda went and put on a pair of rubber gloves again. She turned me round and Daddy held my head close to him and then I understood why when she put her finger up my bottom. Daddy thought I was acting strangely again and rubbing my bottom against the grass or concrete.  Brenda said, “Oh, he’s got a slight blockage in his anal gland.”  This was the second time it has happened to me, it wasn’t painful but it’s most embarrassing for a young boy like me to have a pretty girl do that to him.

Afterwards we went out to the reception and my reception girlfriends said how good I had been and gave me a biscuit.  A lady came in with a huge Alsatian which looked at me and barked a few times.  I would have loved to have gone and spoken to it but it did not seem to be friendly, maybe it was afraid of me.

My appointment was with Catherine and Daddy lifted me up onto the high table and explained what was wrong. Catherine then went and got rubber gloves and put them on. I wondered why she needed rubber gloves. I soon found out.

Daddy held me very closely and stroked my ears and chest but quite frankly it’s extremely difficult to enjoy normal petting when a pretty young girl is sticking her finger up my bottom. I made a number of noises to say, “I’m not enjoying this” and Catherine said, “the right anal gland is blocked but that’s it cleared now”. Afterwards Catherine said that I had behaved extremely well but I would not recommend that experience to anybody. When we finished the treatment I was weighed yet again and I’m now 15.2 kilos. Everybody says that I’m getting to be a big boy, in fact Linda said that I was growing into a handsome teenager.

Humphrey at the Vet

Over the weekend we went on a walk around the Den and we met a neighbour with three beautiful golden retrievers one of whom was only eight months old and I thought she was beautiful. She was three times my height but I still managed to get up on my hind legs and give her a good sniff all over her face. I liked her and I think she liked me. The other dogs were very pleasant and didn’t show any sign of any jealously at all. When the owners asked how I was, Mummy told them about my rear end problems. They said, “oh that sounds like an anal gland problem”. Daddy said, “we’ve never experienced that problem with any of our other bulldogs but we will look into it”. He phoned the vet and explained the problem to them and they confirmed that it could be an anal gland problem, whatever that means. So he went out and got some more worming pills and in order to make it easier for me to eat he put them into a piece of a Cambozola cheese which I absolutely adored.

Humphrey loves Cambozola

At Blue Valley Animal Hospital the message is simple: “Happy clients…healthy pets.” This phrase is written on the front of the building and on much of the literature available at the front desk.

“First and foremost we’re an animal hospital,” explains Owner Dr. Gary Keffer. “We offer a variety of services for pets’ needs, but it all starts with the hospital.”

The hospital is as sophisticated as most emergency rooms, he adds. Once pets are anesthetized, they are connected to machines that monitor their heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. The staff keeps a constant record of the pet’s vital statistics. They record their condition every two minutes for the first 10 minutes, and then every five minutes after that.

While working on the operating table, Dr. Keffer relies on his more than 30 years of experience in the veterinary field. His degree is from Colorado State University, and he also completed an 18-month surgical internship at Purdue University. His academic studies included general medicine and surgery, ear reconstruction, and emergency medicine and surgery. “We always want to take care of the pet’s needs while still working with what our clients want,” Dr. Keffer explains. “Any kind of surgery I recommend is the same surgery I would perform if it were my own pet.”

The most cutting-edge procedure being performed at Blue Valley Animal Hospital is an orthopedic procedure called Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy or TPLO. The focal point of Dr. Keffer’s certified postgraduate coursework includes complex orthopedics, joint reconstruction, total hip replacement, knee surgery, and complex bone plating. TPLO surgery for a dog repairs for humans what would be considered an ACL surgery on your knee. This surgery can lead to a more rapid recovery and better range of motion in the joint, he explains.

To aid in this surgery, Dr. Keffer has patented an orthopedic device that simplifies the very complex procedure, and this device is being marketed internationally. The metallic device works very much like a saw guide, but rather than cut a straight line, his device cuts a perfect curved line that is required to do the procedure. In the majority of other veterinary clinics, the TPLO surgery is performed with a doctor making a curved cut into the pet’s knee with a staff member stabilizing the leg in the air, Dr. Keffer says. He states that his invention eliminates errors by connecting the metal device to the knee and then making a precision cut every time.

They do a variety of different kinds of orthopedic procedures, and Dr. Keffer uses lasers for the majority of them. “By doing laser procedures, we’ve upped the ante on providing a service that should be in the best interest of the pet’s health,” he says. During surgeries such as a spay or neuter, Dr. Keffer and his staff ensure that your pet receives top-quality care through precise anesthesia monitoring, he says. The hospital also offers a breakthrough procedure for declawing that minimizes trauma and pain.

Before surgery, Dr. Keffer offers a free consultation so that you will know exactly what to expect before, during, and after your pet’s surgery. In fact, that’s one of the most important parts of his job, he says. The staff strives for open communication about the pet’s health, cost of procedures, and more. “When a client comes in, we listen to the client’s needs and then communicate what is needed for the pet’s health. We give them a written estimate of what it’s going to cost. We take the time to talk to the clients and families, and we believe it’s this personal relationship that allows us to offer the best care for their pet.”

One service that is popular this summer is dog day care. Dogs love to run, jump, and play together during the day, and that’s just what they encourage at Blue Valley Animal Hospital. Dogs spend time outdoors in a plush faux grass area that gives the feeling of grass without the mud. It also has the ability to be cleaned and sanitized daily. The play area features a kiddie pool and a running hose to continuously cool off those dogs that need it, as well as various shaded areas. On uncooperative weather days or when it gets too hot outside, the dogs have free reign over the hospital’s indoor deluxe playroom.

Benefits of day care include teaching young dogs invaluable social skills that will help them learn how to properly meet and interact with a variety of other dogs, says Dr. Keffer. It also enhances their mental health by allowing them to interact and romp around with each other. Best of all, he says, they’re getting the attention they might not receive otherwise.

Blue Valley Animal Hospital also offers group obedience training. Melissa French, who has 12 years of obedience training experience, says there is no prerequisite for beginner or puppy classes. For intermediate and advanced classes, the dog needs to have a relative understanding of commands such as “sit,” “down,” “stay,” and “heel.” “The really good thing about having group classes that you don’t necessarily get from private classes is that we can take advantage of other dogs or other people in the class to teach a dog a proper greeting, behavior around other dogs, and behavior around other people,” Melissa explains.

For aggressive dogs, Melissa recommends private training first.

Besides socialization, Melissa can help you teach your dog proper bathroom habits, house training, and more. Or, if your dog has developed unwanted or frightening behaviors such as separation anxiety, territorial behavior, or unfriendly or aggressive behavior, she can help you get these things under control, she says.

“It’s just a matter of making it a convenient place for people to bring their pets,” Dr. Keffer states. For example, if you drop your dog off for day care, Dr. Keffer can also give your dog his yearly checkup that day so you don’t have to make two separate trips. “Blue Valley Animal Hospital is innovative. We provide complete health care plus ancillary support services,” he points out.

Dr. Keffer says that the staff at Blue Valley Animal Hospital really tries to live up to its motto: “Happy clients…healthy pets.” “We have a support staff that cares about people and their pets. It’s not just ‘Give me your money, see you later.’ We care about what we do. We don’t cut corners. We make sure that their pet is healthy and that our client is happy.”

For more information about Blue Valley Animal Hospital or to see the monthly specials being offered, visit the hospital’s Web site or call 913-681-2818. Blue Valley Animal Hospital is located at the corner of Metcalf and 162nd Terrace in Overland Park. Tours of the day care facility are available.

WHY so many vaccines?
————————–

Ever wonder WHY there are SO many vaccines
for dogs and cats?

….ah the ‘good old’ dollar

Here is some info from James Schwartz who has
written, ‘Trust Me, I’m Not a Veterinarian’.

63 percent of canine and 70 percent of feline vet office
visits are for vaccinations. Clearly, radically changing
the vaccine schedule for dogs and cats would result in a
huge economic loss for any veterinary practice that is
built around shots. And chances are the vaccines you are
paying so much for are creating even more income for vets,
because the adverse reactions and other medical issues
caused by the vaccines keep Fluffy coming back often!

One dose of rabies vaccine costs the vet about 61 cents. The
client is typically charged between $15 and $38, plus a $35
office visit. The markup on the vaccine alone is 2,400 percent
to 6,200 percent–a markup equivalent to charging $217 for a loaf
of bread. According to one estimate, removing the one-year rabies
vaccination and consequential office visit for dogs alone would
decrease the average small vet’s income from $87,000 to $25,000
–and this doesn’t include cats or other vaccinations

The profits for vets pale in comparison to the profits being
enjoyed by vaccine manufacturers. Veterinary vaccine sales
amounted to more than $3.2 billion in 2004 and have risen 7
percent per year since 2000. This figure is projected to exceed
$4 billion in 2009. Six companies account for more than  70 percent
of world veterinary vaccine sales. The market leader is Intervet,
with sales of almost $600 million in 2004. That’s a whole lot of
61-cent vaccines. The United States has by far the largest
share of the national market with revenues of $935 million,
and Japan comes in second with $236 million.

   Pete is sharing the proceeds from his book with a number of pet- and veterinary-related causes. If you’d like to read a sample chapter, visit his Web site:

http://pjfpub.com

The title of Medical Director should be reserved for the veterinarian who is responsible for making hospital medical protocol decisions, as well as reviewing the medicine practiced by other veterinarians within the practice. The Medical Director can be the Practice Owner, or any other veterinarian appointed by the Practice Owner. While a Hospital Administrator may supervise Associate Veterinarians in a practice, unless they are a veterinarian themselves, they cannot address the medicine practiced by a veterinarian. A growing trend in veterinary medicine is non-DVM ownership. In cases where the Practice Owner is not a veterinarian, a licensed veterinarian must be employed to fill the Medical Director role within the practice.

Hospital Administrator, Practice Manager, or Office Manager? Do you know which title you should be using? The VHMA has done a great job of compiling industry job descriptions distinguishing the differences between these three commonly used, but confused job titles. As a practicing Hospital Administrator, I believe the biggest difference between the role of a Practice Manager and a Hospital Administrator is the role played relative to the associate veterinarians. I am highly involved in the interview and hiring process of all veterinarians. I am also responsible for their scheduling, training, and performance reviews in all areas EXCEPT the medicine practiced. I partner with our Medical Director to evaluate the performance of each veterinarian, relative to their “practice of medicine”. This is the ideal partnership for situations where the Medical Director wants to focus strictly on the quality of medicine being practiced, leaving the business, client service and HR side of things in the hands of a good manager.

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned over the years is to be very flexible and play to people’s strengths rather than trying to make people fit the job descriptions you have in place. In the last 5 years, I have rewritten many job descriptions within our practice to adjust to change within our practice, as well as changes with key members of our staff. At one point, the growth of our business from one building to four, and the staff changes and growth that came with it, made it nearly impossible for me to manage the HR side of things and still continue to manage the “business” and everything that comes with it. I took a long, hard look at what needed to be done and decided to hire a Human Resources Director. The goal of this position is to fulfill the needs of the business from an HR standpoint: screening applicants, assisting Supervisors with the interview process, managing employee benefits, payroll, scheduling, and OSHA. Essentially, anything that involves the staff requires the action of the HR Director.

While I realize many practices are small enough that they don’t have the need or income to support both a Hospital Administrator and an HR Director, many do and should consider the direction they want to head with this division of responsibilities. Because I performed all the duties now being performed by the HR Director, I am able to effectively supervise him and evaluate his work performance. Had I kept the HR job duties under my immediate responsibilities, I would have needed to have broken out other aspects of my job. I had to look at my own strengths and weaknesses, as well as what it was I truly loved doing on a daily basis. This self-evaluation enabled me to make the wisest choice in terms of the needs of the practice.

On the other side of things, there came a point in the past year where I had to assume all the job duties of the practice’s Inventory Manager. This came out of necessity, as the practice was continually posting poor numbers relative to our costs of goods sold, while continuously running out of needed products. Since I had an HR Director in position, some of my time was available to focus on streamlining our ordering process and instituting better checks and balances within the practice. It took almost a full year to get costs under control and running smoothly. Very recently, a talented staff member incorporated some of her current duties with the inventory duties to once again implement a full-time Inventory Manager within the business (keep in mind I am operating multiple practices and a dog training facility). She is now ordering all inventory, processing all inventory purchase orders, keeping all areas of all three locations fully stocked, as well as fulfilling food and prescription home delivery requests from clients each week.

So, with all this delegation, you may be asking yourself exactly what it is that I do on a daily basis. My main focus is on the financial management of the businesses, as well as marketing, the development of new services, leadership development within the practices, staff training, client education, and oversight of all areas of the practice(s) as directed by the Practice Owner. It is my firm belief that you can be exponentially more productive if allowed to do what you do best, rather than forced to do a little bit of everything, spreading yourself too thin to be successful at anything. My role as a Hospital Administrator is probably drastically different from another person with the same title in a different practice. My role will also probably continue to change over time, especially as the business changes and as staff members come and go. Look at the people you have. Find their strengths and tailor their duties and job titles accordingly.

You send out postcards and make phone calls. And still some clients don’t get their pets into your office. How do you reach those likely well-meaning but slow-off-the-mark pet owners? Try these strategies:

1 Make your reminders stand out.

Fine-tuning a typical reminder system.

You sort through three to six inches of magazines, catalogs, credit-card solicitations, and bills each day, right? Well, your clients do, too. So you need to do everything you can to make sure they 

don’t lump your postcard in with the junk mail—or stack it up with the other foot of paper that’s sitting on the counter by the front door waiting for attention.

The first step: Determine which kind of postcard will stand out to your clients. If you use free stock from major manufacturers, even if it has your logo, you run the risk that it will get lost in the shuffle. “So many companies use that stock,” says Tracy Dowdy, CVPM, the owner of Management Resource Group in Bedford, Texas. “You need something that will jump out.”

Dowdy recommends using a larger postcard and putting a photograph on the front. “A glossy, color photograph of a pet, professionally printed on a 5-by-7-inch postcard will be easier to distinguish from junk mail,” she says.

If you print your own cards, some software systems let you put the patients’ photos on the postcard. “We print a picture of the client’s pet in the left-hand corner,” says Lisa Yackel, CVPM, the practice manager at Case Veterinary Hospital in Savannah, Ga. “Our clients really like getting pictures of their pets in the mail. They put the photo on their refrigerators and never lose the card.”

2 Get the client and patient involved.

Rick Schulkey, a practice manager at Madison Veterinary Hospital in Madison Heights, Mich., says another way to increase compliance is to have clients address their postcard reminders to themselves. “We hope seeing their own handwriting helps clients recognize the reminder when they receive it,” Schulkey says.

You can also address the reminder to the pet instead of the owner to help distinguish the postcard from junk mail. To take this idea even further, write the whole card to the pet. 

3 Educate your clients.

Broader uses for reminders.

“Your reminders need to do more than say it’s time to visit,” says Christine Merle, DVM, MBA, CVPM, a consultant with Brakke Consulting Inc. in Zionsville, Ind. “With all the information available about pet care, clients have become accustomed to getting more details. So explain the benefits of the services you’re recommending and address any potential concerns.”

For example, if you send reminders for annual exams, you could say, “Our comprehensive physical exam includes checking the ears, eyes, nose, teeth, heart, lungs, bones, joints, skin, and abdomen. Pets that are a bit older, on regular medications, or have had an illness should be examined at least twice a year.”

If you need to do a urinalysis, your reminder could say, “We recommend a urinalysis yearly for all pets and an early renal disease screen for dogs that are more than 3 years old. Why a urinalysis? Pets can have hidden problems, such as urinary tract infections, urinary stones, kidney disease, and endocrine disorders. And problems left untreated may lead to significant illness and pain. Sample collection is usually easy and we get the test results back fast so we can address any problems quickly, if we need to.” If you tell your clients about health benefits when you send the reminder, they’re more likely to comply.

4 Think about tapping new technology.

“E-mail reminders work well for some clients, and I think more practices will eventually use them,” Dr. Merle says. Of course, before you take this approach, you’d need to ask clients if they use e-mail regularly and whether they’d like to receive reminders this way. And then you’ll have to collect their e-mail addresses.

To notify your clients of the change, Dr. Merle recommends posting or sending all clients a note that says: “Life is busy and we at ABC Animal Hospital want your pet to receive the best preventive care at the right time. That’s why we’re working to improve our reminder system. One new option: We can now send you e-mail reminders to replace the postcards sent to your home. Call our receptionists today to find out more.”

One caution: Clients would probably expect that they could then use e-mail to contact you, too; it’s a two-way street. And while e-mails may save you some money by reducing mailing costs, implementing these reminders may increase the staff time needed, Dr. Merle says. You also might not be able to go completely to e-mail, which could limit your cost savings.

5 Call for a win.

Many clinics incorporate phone calls into their reminder systems. The benefits: You can answer any questions the client has and set the appointment while on the phone. You also might learn that the client isn’t intending to come back to the practice. At the very least, this saves you the time and money you’ve been spending trying to reach them. Ideally, you’d find out why they’re not returning, so your team could learn from their feedback.

How do you make sure you’re saying the right things? Write a script, Dowdy says. “That way, you can communicate knowledgeably about routine services,” she says. One simple script for a physical exam might be like this:

Phone tips for clear communication.

If you reach the answering machine, try saying, “Good morning, Mrs Jones. This is Susie from ABC Animal Hospital. I’m calling regarding Fluffy. We sent you a reminder last month because she’s due for her wellness visit. We have an appointment available this week. Please call me back at your earliest convenience so we can schedule an appointment. Thank you, Mrs. Jones. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing Fluffy soon. Goodbye.” Of course, you can modify the scripts to meet your team’s needs. And you can personalize them to each client.

“If your client says she’ll call back later, make a note and set a reminder to call again,” Dr. Merle says. “And don’t be afraid to ask if the client had that service performed elsewhere. It’s a prime way to find out whether a customer service issue needs to be addressed.”

6 Reach clients with pre-recorded messages.

Although automated phone systems haven’t completely caught on yet, some companies say they can make as many as 1,500 calls in one day. You can record a message and enter the client’s phone number, and the machine will deliver the message and give you a report on whether the contact was successful. If the system reaches a person rather than a machine, your client can push a button and talk to you directly. A disadvantage to using this system is that even though you can record your own message, clients may not like getting an automated voice message.

“It loses the personal touch that many clients are looking for,” Dr. Merle says. “An automated tone from anyone reminds me of a telemarketer.” The bottom line: You’ll probably have better compliance calling them yourself, Dr. Merle says.

Focus on clients.

Of course, your fundamental goal with a reminder system is to give pets the care they need. You’re trying to make it easy for pet owners to care for their four-legged family members. So be sure that if you make a change, the new approach works well for clients. “Ask their opinions as they schedule an appointment or before they leave,” Dr. Merle says. “Or conduct a survey, and include questions that are related to reminders.”

Finally, make sure your clients understand that your goal is to meet their needs. After all, you’re changing your reminders because you care about their pets’ health and want to make their experience at your clinic as pleasant as possible. That, in itself, should win you some points.

(from the voice of Spencer)

(and from the voice of Sassy)

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she lay her pet on the

table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird’s chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, “I’m sorry, your pet has passed away.”

The distressed owner wailed, “Are you sure? “Yes, I’m sure. The duck is dead,” he replied. “How can you be so sure?” she protested. “I mean, you haven’t done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something.”

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck’s owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog and took it out and returned a few moments later with a beautiful cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed the bird from its peak to its tail and back again. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly, jumped down and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, “I’m sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely 100% certifiably, a dead duck,” Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.

The duck’s owner, still in shock, took the bill. “$150!” she cried, “$150 just to tell me my duck is dead?” The vet shrugged. “I’m sorry. If you’d taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20. But what with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it all adds up.”

Pet ownership is growing by leaps and bounds. This is the time to determine whether you want your practice to expand, and how to do it in the smartest way.

Loyal pet owners are loyal clients and also excellent for word-of-mouth recommendations. Learn how to let your present clients help you grow your practice as large as you want.

The Veterinarian who will be the most successful in the future will be the Vet who establishes themselves as that trusted professional.

On this site, I will be sharing techniques for finding new clients in the most time and money-efficient ways. You’ll find information about advertising for new clients and effective ways to build customer loyalty. For your practice to grow, you need to learn what the most successful veterinary practices are doing and emulate their success. You will also learn how to avoid the mistakes that drive pet owners away from their local vets, even causing them to drive many miles further for needed treatment for their pets.

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