Veterinary Wisdom® Café

Let The Goo Keep On Rolling

As any small business owner will tell you...bad things tend to happen in bunches so that when the goo hits the fan, there's a huge mess everywhere. Recently, we have found that owning a pet hospital can be a royal pain when the gooey mess comes calling.

Our goo started before the holidays when one of the water lines from our dental equipment cracked and ended up flooding our treatment area and surgery suite with several inches of water. But hey, after a $15,000-20,000 dollar repair and professional "restoration," things should be back to normal (if this was to be a holiday gift we would have gone with the rotten eggnog and stale fruitcake thank you very much).

Next came the groomer who has been theoretically renting space from us at our hospital. I say in theory because she owes us several thousand dollars in back rent. A few days ago, she dropped off the face of the earth after removing all her belongings in the dark of night. We've not heard from her since and I doubt we will.

But hey that's okay because the veterinary nurse we hired a few weeks ago just didn't show up for work one day. Not even the police know what happened to her but lucky for us she has a key to the pet hospital and we now must spend several hundred dollars changing all the locks and keys to the building.

Many of you have worked in or owned small businesses so these situations may sound familiar to you. My question to you is how do you get through it all until the bunches of goo stop coming?

--Dana

Eye Contact Or Computer Screens?

One of the newest rages in Vet Medicine are EVMR's (electronic veterinary medical records). Just as in human medicine, many veterinarians are using this technology in caring for patients. EVMR's offer the general practitioner a wealth of easy accessible information. There's no flipping through charts, or trying to read an illegible note or lab report. Digital images also allow for better and more precise x-rays.

The downside of all this? It's easy to get lost in the new technology and forget about the most important thing of all...the client and the patient. I've heard about many pet hospitals who struggle with keeping their services "personal" while implementing more advanced record keeping. For example, EVMR takes some of the doctor's eye contact away (to look at the laptop computer). In fact, a study done in human medicine found that 62% of respondents mentioned loss of eye contact as a concern and a barrier to use. (Banfield, Vol. 5, number 6).

For me, I embrace new technology and all the bells and whistles that accompany AS LONG AS the interpersonal communication remains the same! Making a connection with a client is critical for developing trust whether or not there is advanced technology. Things like open body language, eye contact, and interpersonal warmth must always exist in good working relationships.

Have any of you experienced some problems with your veterinarian after implementing new technology? I'm curious as to your thoughts and ideas.

--Dana

Sick As A Dog

Well, we knew it would happen eventually... my morning newspaper (The Colorado Springs Gazette) says that a 13 year-old mixed breed dog is the first confirmed case of a dog with the H1N1 Flu. This dog in White Plains, New York is recovering well but apparently caught the virus from his owner. Dr. Anne Schuchat of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that dogs can carry and spread viruses, but such cases are extremely rare and should not make people afraid of their pets (just as they said with cats and ferrets).

The dog... suffering from breathing problems, was taken to the Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, New York on Dec. 13th. The dog was tested for H1N1 because it's owner previously had the virus. They expect the dog to make a complete recovery and be "back to his old self" very soon.

Have any of you heard about any other dogs with H1N1? If we become ill with H1N1 ourselves...I'm wondering how we can prevent giving this virus to our pets? Your thoughts?

--Dana

Pet Health Insurance...A Good Idea?

According to the December, 2009 edition of Veterinary Practice News, more than nine out of 10 (94%) pet owners know that pet insurance exists but are likely to avoid buying plans because of cost concerns. An online survey conducted by the marketing firm LePoideven Rickinger Group, polled 800 veterinary professionals and 4,600 pet owners to determine their awareness of pet insurance.

One of the most significant findings was the relatively high number of veterinarians who had no opinion (or a low opinion) of the facts of pet insurance (40% of veterinarians surveyed do not recommend pet health insurance). Pet health insurance has gained popularity over the last few years, but it's still fairly uncommon and somewhat controversial.

Those who endorse pet insurance see it as a way to help save a pet's life by allowing the owner to avoid decisions based solely on "economic euthanasia." This sounds appealing, but there are also people who worry that the proliferation of pet health insurance would change veterinary medicine (and NOT for the better). Many  worry that health insurance would make veterinary costs sky-high and become out of control (just as in human medicine). Also, veterinarians worry about these insurance companies dictating for them what treatments they can provide for their patients.

I can see both sides of the pet health insurance debate. What about you? Do any of you have pet health insurance and if so, what are your opinions and experiences? Would you recommend it to other pet owners? What do you think?

--Dana

Doctors In Dangerous Waters

In October, I presented six lectures at the Wild West Veterinary Conference in Reno, Nevada (WWVC).   I was more than a bit tired after coming home but that conference has made me realize that the field of veterinary medicine faces a very real threat. As usual, I presented material to help veterinary professionals communicate more effectively with their clients in order to promotes client loyalty. The audiences were terrific and quite enthusiastic but I was stunned to see how many veterinary professionals wanted help with taking care of themselves as well as their clients.

My lecture covered the topic of compassion fatigue (a deep physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion accompanied by acute emotional pain). Compassion fatigue was originally thought to be a condition that afflicts disaster relief workers, fire fighters, paramedics, etc). In the past 10 years, more and more people are realizing that this type of professional burn-out can affect anyone who works in a "helping" profession. In the medical field, human doctors were the first ones identified as vulnerable but in the past few years, consultants, counselors and managers are addressing compassion fatigue in veterinary medicine as well.

The veterinary profession is a highly stressful. There's a a great deal of animal sickness, injuries, and heartbreaking stories. Workers in veterinary medicine witness death death five times more frequently that their counterparts in human medicine. That's a whole bunch of death and stress. Additionally, since euthanasia is acceptable and practiced routinely in vet medicine, these professionals are the ones who actually facilitate their own patients' deaths (obviously done to prevent needless suffering). Ultimately, no matter what the intent is behind it, it's still the purposeful act of taking a life. Doing this and also supporting grieving pet owners can take it's toll over time.

Ways to prevent and deal with compassion fatigue in medicine are still being developed so many professionals out there are in quite a bit of distress. I worry about these folks and hope that they can learn new self-care skills to make their stress a bit easier to bear. I'm curious as to what you all think (pet owners and veterinary professional alike). Do you see this problem in your own lives or in others in the "helping" professions? If so, what do you think should be done to help deal with it? (photo from Dreamstime.com)

--Dana

Breathing Easier

I've certainly had cats on my mind lately and I've got some great news! I just finished reading an article about a possible cure for feline asthma in one of the latest online veterinary journals (AAHA NewStat 10/28/09). Apparently, 1%-5% of all cats suffer from feline asthma (that translates into 4.1 million cats!) This can be a very serious disease and is potentially fatal so it's good to hear about the progress they're making.

The funding for this research comes from the Morris Animal Foundation. They provide essential funding to veterinary schools all over the country for the advancement of animal medicine. This latest study conducted by Carol Reinero, DVM, DACVM, PhD looks to be quite promising.

Have any of you had cats afflicted with feline asthma? If so, how did it affect your relationships with them and their quality of life? Once again, I ask you cat lovers to send us your thoughts!

--Dana

Lost and Found

If you were to look at the nightstand by my bed, you'd see a messy pile of magazines, books, newspapers, other articles, and chocolate bar wrappers (my kids affectionately refer to it as "Mom's Mess'). Well...I was skimming through "Mom's Mess" the other day and found an article about advances in returning lost animals to their owners using microchip technology.

The November edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) gives details about how the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is launching a startup company that will help reunite lost animals with their families. Many of us are already familiar with the process of micro chipping and the companies which provide these services (American Kennel Club's Companion Animal Recovery, Intervet/Schering-Plough's HomeAgain, Bayer's resQ, and Datamars' PetLink.)

Although this micro chipping process has certainly helped reunite many lost pets with their owners, the system is far from perfect. Data bases can be incomplete, and many of them are not updated on a regular basis. Currently, microchip providers in the U.S. offer about half a dozen major registries in which pet owners can enter information. What AAHA wants to do is establish one single source for recovering information from microchip registries. The hope is that this will create many more happy endings for reuniting pets and their families.

What are your thoughts about using microchips for our pets? Do many of you have your animals micro-chipped and do you think it gives people a false sense of security? I'm interested in your thoughts.

--Dana

*If you're interested in learning more about this issue, you can visit AAHA's website: www.petmicrochiplookup.org. You can also learn more by visiting www.checkthechip.com.  

Close Encounters of The Cat Kind

This past week-end in Denver I lectured to a group of feline practitioners at their annual society meeting (AAFP). It was a fun time, a bit unusual, and a valuable learning experience. It was also the first time that I had ever lectured to veterinarians who work exclusively with cats.

The AAFP is committed to improving the lives of all domestic cats. They support cat advocacy programs and provide advanced medical continuing education for feline doctors. There are those in veterinary medicine who feel that cats are a bit under served when compared to dogs. While it's true that more people own dogs than cats, it's still very important for cat owners to have access to quality medical care.

As I spent time with this group, I started to realize that cat owners deal with some unique emotional issues. As we all know, cats and dogs are quite different as are some of their medical needs. Cats in general, tend to be more stoic than dogs. I've blogged about this stoicism before... but it bears repeating because many cat owners have a hard time knowing when their cat is in any pain. If owners  cannot know for sure, there's always the potential for them to miss a serious illness or problem. This can translate into an immense amount of guilt when their cat dies.

Cats also also tend to have longer life spans that dogs (some live well past 15-16 years and a select few can live into their 20's!)" These longer life spans can create tremendously strong bonds as a person can literally "grow-up" with their cat. When people have relationships with their cats dating all the way back to  childhood, their grief can feel quite overwhelming (they are not only grieving the cat's death, but they are grieving the end of an era as well).

What are some other emotions experienced by cat owners? Do you feel that any of these are quite different than for dog owners? I want to hear from all our cat lovers out there! (photo is of Tammy's cat Henry)

--Dana

A New Type Of Crash Cart?

An article in the October 2009 edition of Veterinary Practice News explores the problems associated with veterinary hospitals that are unprepared for medical emergencies. The thought is that developing and keeping a well-stocked and organized crash cart would create less chaos and make a difference in saving a life. To quote the article, "when emergency medicine isn't a daily routine readiness can lag. In the moment of need, technicians rush to find the appropriate drugs and equipment instead of reaching for it in it's designed space. This reduces the likelihood of a successful recovery."

It occurred to me that veterinary hospitals could also benefit from having an "emotional crash cart." These would be protocols, materials, and other procedures in place to help support the emotional needs of clients during these critical times. Obviously, medical intervention is paramount, but it is also important for the staff to know how to effectively support clients in these unexpected times

I would imagine that many emergency hospitals already have something like this since they see medical crises on a daily basis. How about your average general practitioner? It seems to be an excellent idea to me. I think I'll start developing a formal emotional crash cart for our hospital...what kinds of things should I include to help a pet owner in crisis? I welcome your ideas!

--Dana

A Good Dose Of Job Security

In today's economic climate, almost every business in the country is experiencing difficult times. I was happy then to read about an economic study conducted by "Packaged Facts: a unit of Market Research Group in New York.* According to this study, the overall US market for pet care services will grow annually by about 9 percent and exceed 34 billion by 2013.

That growth is faster than the annual 7 percent rate in the past five years during which the market grew from 17.1 billion in 2004 to 22.7 billion in 2008. The study also says that veterinary services account for 75 percent of the overall pet care services market and is expected to lead growth in the overall market.

This seems logical since veterinary care is the most essential type of service compared to services such as grooming, training, and boarding. I wonder though if the improvement of emotional support in veterinary care is also a reason for this good news? When money is tight, people are probably willing to pay for a service as long as they believe that service is of good quality medically and emotionally.

What kinds of things do you predict for the field of veterinary medicine economically and otherwise? Do you think good communication makes or breaks a business in a slow economy? Let's hear from you!

--Dana

*Source (Veterinary Practice News, September 2009, Page 5).

Let's Hear It For The Nurse!

The September/October issue of Trends Magazine has an interesting article about veterinary as technicians (at our hospital we call them nurses) and how they are under-utilized. Overall, it seems that they are not doing many of the tasks that certified nurses are specifically trained to do. However, with the emergence of larger veterinary hospitals, things are changing. The nurses are no longer limited to just holding patients, drawing blood, and filling prescriptions. In fact, they are starting to take on similar roles much like nurses in human hospitals. This means that they can monitor a patient's condition, summarize intake findings, and carry out treatment protocols that the doctor prescribes.

When nurses take on more tasks and responsibilities, the hospital benefits by saving money (the nurses are doing tasks that are often done by higher-paid veterinarians and the doctors have more time to do things that only a doctor can do ( such as diagnosing a medical problem or performing surgery.) To quote certified nurse, Elise Atkinson at Alameda East Animal Hospital..."we want responsibility , and above all, we want doctors to have faith in us."

At our hospital, we try very hard to utilize our nurses effectively. We even have what we call "nurse-only appointments" (they involve things like vaccinations, wound checks, and removal of stitches). By utilizing our nurses more effectively, they also seems to have more job satisfaction because they are being challenged more. It's a win-win situation across the board.

As pet parents, what do you all think? How do you view the veterinary nurses who work with your veterinarian? What kind of experiences have you had and do you think they are under-utilized? All you nurses out there...please feel free to chime in! (photo from bigstockphoto.com)

--Dana

All in the Family

I recently saw an article in the newspaper that predicted in 20-30 years, small veterinary practices will be a thing of the past (presumably swallowed up by the big companies like Veterinary Centers of America). Obviously, as co-owner of a small practice, this prediction is worrisome. However, even if you take the monetary issues out of the eequation, I wonder if these massive veterinary hospitals can offer the same type of personal touch a local veterinarian does.

With human medical care, the notion of a "family doctor" already seems to be dying out in today's world of specialists and insurance requirements. Some people welcome the change, but I wonder how losing your neighborhood veterinarian would affect pet owners and their pets? We always talk about how relationships are the key to a successful businesses, but it can be pretty hard to develop a personal relationship with a practice that has 50 doctors on staff.

How do you think human medical care has changed now that family doctors are few and far between? You can certainly make the argument that the larger, more specialized hospitals can provide the most advanced services, but can't the family doctor provide this too? What about the benefit gained from the doctor knowing his/her patient's medical/life history? It's an interesting question. Does successful medical care require a good relationship with the doctor? I'm curious to know your thoughts.

--Dana

A Skunk In The House

Many veterinarians will tell you that one of the best parts about their job is that they get to see a variety of animals. Over the last 10 years since we've owned our veterinary practice, we've made of list of the most unusual patients we have seen (our list includes snakes, lizards, various types of rodents, and even a squirrel)!

Well, we can now add skunk to the list! I know that this is not earth shattering news...there are quite a few people out there who own skunks...we've just never seen one at our hospital. If you can take away the odor problem and the potential for rabies, it sounds like skunks can make very nice pets but I have some doubts I think it's wonderful when people have connections with animals, but I'm not quite sure how to draw the line with wild animals.

I'm curious about your thoughts...what is an acceptable pet and what isn't? Is there such a thing? Is the size of the animal the determining factor? Over the years, I've known people who have owned bears, wolves, chinchillas, and wild cats (tigers and lions). Should people own these types of animals and what issues are created? Let's hear you. (Photo from metro.co.uk)

--Dana

Should Vet Technicians Be Able to Euthanize Pets?

I had an interesting conversation the other day with a veterinary technician...one who is educated, licensed, dedicated to her field, and takes advantage of continuing education opportunities to deepen her training in all aspects of her field.  The conversation was about the movement to allow technicians greater freedoms and responsibilities in practice.  This would require practice owners to pay them more and may require the techs themselves to carry more liability insurance.

The tech I spoke with explained that, at present, she can't administer controlled substances without supervision, etc.  "This means I can't be the one to euthanize a client's pet, even if they prefer to have me do it."  In her practice, she gets very close to people and forms real relationships with them.  When it comes time to euthanize the pet that she and her clients have cared for together for so long, some are disappointed that she can't complete the care she has always provided.

If your clinic allowed veterinary technicians to have this kind of responsibility, would you prefer to have a staff member conduct your pet's euthanasia or do you feel this is a role only a veterinarian should play?  I have mixed feelings about it.  I've certainly known many, many vet techs who would have been totally capable (and most likely even more emotionally supportive) of putting my pet down, yet, philosophically, I guess I believe this is a job for the veterinarian.  And, I think the techs should be in attendance, providing emotional support for the grieving owners.

I've been at hundreds of euthanasias and it's important for the vet to remain medically focused.  Occasionally, things do go wrong and, when they do, someone has to know what to do RIGHT NOW and someone else has to be able to focus on the pet owners to calm them and help them understand what is happening.  I think euthanasia is at least a two-person endeavor.  If techs are able to perform this service on their own, I'm afraid they may be over-burdened with it, with many vets (who are uncomfortable with the emotions and client time associated with it) all-too-often passing the task on to them, especially if the tech is a female.

Which would you prefer?  I can see lots of "people" issues arising from this change...what would they be for you?

--Laurel

"Dr." Groomer

Let me start out right now telling you that groomers as a whole, are terrific people and work hard at what they do. They care about their clients and their pets. However, we occasionally have difficult days when a groomer has "diagnosed" a problem with a pet and the owner comes in telling us what treatment must be done.

Groomers, animal behaviorists, trainers, and animal care specialists certainly have experience working with animals and have knowledge that exceeds the average person. They can alert an owner about a change in their animal's coat or other problems. But...it is a bad situation when a client comes to us saying that the groomer has decided her dog has cardiac problems (this happened just last week). ???? How would the groomer come by that conclusion? That's a pretty bold statement and seems out of bounds to me. What's worse is that the client often believes the groomer even to the point where they argue with the veterinarian about the diagnosis. I'm sorry, but this makes about enough sense as it does for me to consult my hairstylist about my cancer treatment. It just seems weird but it happens more frequently than you think.

Because owners are loyal to their groomers, it can be very difficult to convince clients that their groomer is incorrect about advice they've given (especially with dermatological problems). It's also frustrating because the pet is the one who suffers the most. It would be so much easier and save a lot of time and heartache if groomers refrained from diagnosing medical problems all together.

Opinions everyone...what are your thoughts about this? If there are any professional groomers or animal care specialists out there to lend us your opinions? I welcome your ideas and feedback! (photo from bigstockphoto.com)

--Dana

Finding The Safety Net

Most veterinarians who own a practice have experienced it before...it's the stressful and regrettable job of having to "fire" a client. This happens so rarely (thank goodness), but it is an amazingly stressful experience for the entire hospital staff.

Last week, we had to face this stress and ask a client to never come back to our hospital. There's no doubt that we did the right thing (he made several overt threats to our staff members; and he mentioned bringing a gun each time). He started coming to us because another veterinary hospital had fired him the week before. It feels so wrong to turn away a sick animal, but we simply had no other choice. We're lucky because this other hospital warned us when this client requested his records to be sent to us. They helped us to be prepared and it was nice to know that competitor or not, we're all in this together.  

At our staff meeting, we discussed our frustrations about the situation. It's always so hard to see an innocent animal suffer at the hands of a disturbed person but this situation allowed us to talk with our employees about safety policies. You never want to think about those things, but it's necessary and we took this time to debrief. Everyone on staff told us that this debriefing was quite helpful.

I'm curious about your thoughts. At what point is it necessary for a veterinarian to "fire" a client? How should the veterinarian determine these things? I'd like to hear from you!

--Dana

"Soft Skills" Deluxe

Here at the café we often talk about the importance of effective communication in the veterinary profession. In the past 20 years, there's been an impressive "communication movement" that has allowed many more veterinary schools to improve their training and many veterinary organizations are offering more continuing education about these issues. While many veterinary schools and professional organizations are addressing this need, there is still much work to be done.

The September 8, 2009 on-line issue of Exceptional Veterinary Team magazine (myEVT) contains an article discussing this very problem. In the article: "Veterinary School: What They Don't Teach;" Dr. D. shares her frustration about having limited training in this area and how she felt unprepared to deal with her clients emotions in her first job out of school. The author states, "although I was confident in my medical skills, the way the client's tear-filled eyes locked onto mine as I explained the effects of snake bites made me more than a bit nervous...after all, veterinary school taught me how to treat an injury but not how to deal with distraught pet owners."

It's true that many more veterinary schools today are changing and adapting their curriculum to help students learn communication skills. It's also true, however, that there are some schools that still provide no training at all. The financial pressures Universities face in today's economy are just as intense as the pressures in many other institutions and businesses. It can be hard for them to find adequate resources to provide training with Dr. D. calls the "soft skills." When push comes to shove, they feel that the medical information has to take priority.

What do you all think about this issue? How do you go about ranking the importance of topics in veterinary curriculum? Should there be a formula, and what should be done when no money is available to teach communication skills? I'd like to hear your thoughts! (photo from istockphoto.com)

--Dana

A Rock And A Hard Place

Anyone who has ever owned or worked at a veterinary hospital has faced this dilemma...

We have a client who is very kind, conscientious, and cares deeply for her dog. Unfortunately, her dog is outrageously aggressive with anyone besides her so it's very stressful when she brings the dog in to see us. We've tried many times to explain to her the gravity and seriousness of the situation, but she just doesn't seem to want to hear it. We try to remind her that if she were to get scratched, bitten, or injured by her dog during a veterinary exam, we would be the ones held responsible...not her. We've tried many strategies and plans with this dog to keep everyone safe, (certain restraint techniques, behavioral interventions, distraction, the client coming into the treatment area with us, etc., but nothing works very well). The only thing that we've found to be effective is sedating the dog ahead of time.

I understand why someone wouldn't want to sedate his/her dog unless it's absolutely necessary. However, in this case it IS necessary and we can't seem to get through to her. Sometimes she will even acknowledge the potential dangers to herself, but it's very hard to get her to think about the dangers to our staff as well. Just because we work with animals and know about their aggressive behaviors, it doesn't mean that we're safe from the harm caused by that aggression. Our staff depends on us to provide a safe work environment and we simply can't risk safety to accommodate one client and one patient. Unfortunately, we've had to set a boundary with her where we won't see her dog unless it is mildly sedated. This is such an uncommon thing, and it feels just horrible to put a pet owner into a situation like this. The worst part of all of this is that this dog is not receiving adequate medical care as a result.

My question to all of you...how would you approach this client if your were in our shoes? We've tried many ways to explain the issues to her, but so far not much luck. It's almost as if she doesn't want to realize how dangerous her dog can be. It's so hard to tell someone this, and we end up being the bad guy. Because of her frustration, this client calls us frequently wanting veterinary "advice" via the phone since she won't agree to sedate the dog for an examination. Once again, we're the bad guy having to tell her that we can't make a diagnosis over the phone; we need to examine the dog; and only then can we provide appropriate treatment.

I can't remember when I've felt this "stuck" with a client. Help me out here folks...am I missing something? I want your ideas!

--Dana

Weight Watchers in Paws

Body weight...it's a national obsession. It's difficult to avoid the topic in today's media. We're too skinny, too fat, too lumpy, too tiny, too whatever. Having the perfect weight is highly valued and people spend lots of money trying to achieve it. Apparently, this is also becoming true for our pets. The recent issue of DVM Newsmagazine published the results of a study conducted by The American Pet Products Association (APPA). In this 2009 study, they found that veterinarians consider 13% of their dog patients and 21% of cat patients to be obese and have put them on some type of weight loss regimen. (I guess Kitty needs to hit the gym)!

This study further shows that at least 60% of pet owners are willing to spend more money for food if it can make their pet's weight healthy. That seems like a pretty impressive amount. I don't know the percentage of people who are willing to spend money for their own weight issues, but I would guess the percentages are pretty close to that of our pets. It makes sense when you consider that so many pets are considered family members

I find it ironic that some pet owners at our hospital are quite vigilant about their pet's healthy weight but don't seem to worry about their own weight in general. It's also interesting to look at a pet's weight in comparison to the owner's weight. Do you think these are related? Do owners who feed healthy food to their pets do the same for themselves? What's your opinion about this?

--Dana

Computerized Co-Workers

Today's technology...it changes so fast now that you could upgrade your computer (iPhone, Blackberry, etc) on a weekly basis. It's wonderful, efficient, sophisticated, and very polished. Yet, as amazing as new technology is, I sometimes worry about it's effect on human interactions. We're all probably familiar with the joke about 2 teenagers who are texting each other and "conversing" electronically while they are sitting right next to each other. It's funny, but in a way, kind of sad. Are we so seduced by shiny electronic things that we fail to even acknowledge the people sitting right in front of us? I wonder sometimes.

My job as a consultant requires me to do the bulk of my work via computer. There's no doubt that it's more convenient and probably more efficient, but there are days when I really miss the company of another co-worker. One benefit of having a job is the relationships and friendships that you build at that particular job. With co-workers, you feel companionship, camaraderie, and you can easily identify the humorous aspects of your work. Co-workers also help you when you have a difficult or stressful day. For my work, I find that it's really hard to make friends with or build camaraderie with an e-mail account. Establishing a solid relationship with someone whom you've never met, or even talked to is challenging. I try as best as I can to infuse "humanity" into my e-mails, but at the end of the day, I'm still sitting in front of my computer with not another person in sight. It can be lonely, isolating, and unfulfilling from an interpersonal standpoint.

I'm probably biased because I'm trained in communication and that is my specialty, but I think it's an important point. At our pet hospital, we see more and more veterinary software that allows clients to check in or consult with their veterinarian via a website or e-mail address. Sure it's convenient, but does that mean it's better? Is the quality of the interaction as good or as satisfying? Maybe I'm just from an older generation, but I prefer to actually interact with my doctors every once and awhile (at the very least by phone).

What are your thoughts about this? Do you think veterinary medicine is losing it's personal touch from all this fancy technology? Where do you all see the profession going towards? What do you think about our society in general? Let me know your ideas! (photo from istockphoto.com)

--Dana

Dual Obligations

The August 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) contains an ethical discussion about the use of non-human primates in biomedical research. In particular, the article quotes several veterinarians who specialize in caring for research animals. These veterinarians are stuck in the middle between dual obligations. Veterinarians have sworn an oath to protect animal health and relieve suffering in their patients. At the same time however, they are equally committed to promoting public health and advancing medical knowledge that could potentially save lives.

There's no escaping the fact that biomedical research data collected from primates (instead of mice) is significantly more accurate in determining a drug's potential for helping people. Non-human primates (especially chimpanzees) share almost 99% of the same genetic material as people. So, in some cases and with some human diseases, the question about using primates literally becomes a matter of life and death.

What would you do if you were a veterinarian charged to protect the animals used in research situations? How would you handle it and how would you see your role? Do you think veterinarians who oversee medical research on animals are "betraying" the very population they're sworn to protect? I'm interested in your thoughts.

--Dana

Cool Customers

Quiz time everyone. How can you tell when a cat is sick? The answer....when the cat dies. While this expression used by some feline practitioners is crude, it's based on experience. An article in the July 2009 issue of Veterinary Forum talks about this very problem. As many veterinarians and cat owners will tell you, It's hard to know when cats are ill because they are the ultimate masters of hiding illness and pain.

Several studies over the past 5 years show that on average, dog owners take their dogs in for regular exams twice as frequently as cat owners. Is this because cat owners care less than dog owners? I highly doubt it. It's just that cats are so stoic, they can be in severe pain while still sitting on your lap purring. At our pet hospital, our associate veterinarian once treated a cat with an open leg fracture and while the nurses were holding her for radio-graphs, she was calming swishing her tail purring softly.

The good news is that veterinarians are doing a better job of educating cat owners about this and advising them to obtain yearly exams even if their cat shows no signs of problems. In fact, the American Association of Feline Practitioners has now created 3 distinct age classifications for cats. 7-10 year-old cats are middle-aged; 11-14 are seniors; and 15 years and older are now called "geriatric" cats. The hope is that this new classification will encourage cat owners to seek more regular veterinary care as their cats get older.

What do all of you cat lovers out there think about this? Are your cats as stoic as their reputation portrays them? What classification does your cat (s) fall into? It's time for some good cat conversation around the milk bowl!

--Dana

Chips Off The Old Block

The August 2009 issue of Veterinary Practice News contains an article about Trakr (a german shepherd search and rescue dog) who has been cloned. Trakr died this past April, but his 4 cloned offspring (Trustt, Solace, Valor, and Prodigy) now live in his image (literally).Trakr was a famous search and rescue dog credited with making hundreds of arrests and helping scores of missing people. He also found the last human survivor in the rubble of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. His owner, retired police officer James Symington, took the 4 cloned pups home this past June. (Symington is pictured with his pups.)

Trakr was cloned at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea under the direction of Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk (the first person in the world to ever clone a dog in 2005). This cloning was authorized and paid for by CioArts International in Mill Valley, California. Trakr was selected from a large group of other dogs because he was thought to be the world's most "clone worthy" dog.

This issue changes the boundaries of how technology affects the natural order of life and death. There is much controversy about cloning but I personally am quite hesitant about doing such things. Although the 4 cloned pups might be identical to Trakr in appearance,they won't necessarily have the same tracking skills or temperament. With canine rescue and assistance work, a dog's temperament, experience, and other personality traits play a very large role in the dog's capabilities. Since the cloned pups will not have the same life experiences, they will probably be completely different from the original Trakr.  After all, life experiences affect a dog's behavior throughout it's lifetime (like with obedience training and early socialization). If this is the case, then what's the point of cloning him anyway? If other german shepherds can be trained to do similar work, why even bother?

What are your thoughts about these questions? Do you think cloning is a good idea? How might cloning affect the human-animal bond and issues such as grief and loss? How should people go about deciding which animals are more "clone worthy" than others? Let's hear your opinions! (AP Photo)

--Dana

Simple Gestures and Peace of Mind

Here in Colorado Springs, we have several veterinary specialty practices (surgeons, internal medicine specialists, oncologists, and even a veterinary dentist)! I've recently had dealings with the surgery center since my own dog Chance had two surgeries on his knee.

On the day of his surgery when we were leaving the hospital, I noticed a small, pretty basket on the front counter that was filled with paw print stones. The stones had little notes attached to them saying "please take one of these stones to keep you close to your pet." Wow...I've known about this innovative product for quite awhile, but I had not experienced the reassurance first hand.

I immediately felt more at ease with leaving my dog in their care, and I felt secure in the knowledge that they were "good people" who I could trust. All of this from one sensitive gesture...it was powerful.

World By The Tail Inc. educates veterinarians about the importance of acknowledging the human animal bond. If veterinarians show clients how much they care, clients will also believe that they will cure. It's amazing how important this perception is.

What does your veterinary hospital do to demonstrate a sense of caring? Do they use any of World By The Tail's products to convey this care? I'm interested in hearing from you!

--Dana

Reality Doesn't Bite

I'm currently reading a book written by a veterinary surgeon named Dr. Nick Trout. His book, "Tell Me Where It Hurts" is an intriguing, informative, and very touching account of a day in the life of a veterinary surgeon. The book takes the reader through a 24 hour time period of Dr. Trout's work and covers a multitude of challenges veterinarians face every day (such as making complex diagnoses, performing tricky surgical procedures, and reassuring frantic pet owners to name a few). It showcases the field of vet medicine in a truly realistic manner without coming across as tedious or tiring.

Dr. Trout also demonstrates how people can use humor to help them survive a particularly difficult day. I'm finding the book to be fabulous. It contains an excellent and accurate portrayal of 21st century veterinary medicine and explores many of the complicated issues arising  in this current time of great technological advances. When reading it, I literally feel like I'm sitting in the office of his emergency hospital! It's an amazing way to understand the typical day of a veterinarian and provides a very positive view of veterinary medicine in general.

What about you? Have any of you read books about veterinarians or veterinary medicine that have really stuck with you? What were they, and how did the author make the book come to life? I'm sure every one has their favorites. Which ones are yours?

--Dana

"Grey's Anatomy, D.V.M?"

The other day, I watched television with my kids and within a 30 minute time period, we saw commercials for at least 7 medical dramas. Shows like Grey's Anatomy, ER, House, Scrubs, and all the other new ones this summer are everywhere on cable and the networks. I can see their appeal...medical drama means human drama. The plot lines are endless and the emotions involved are very complex.

Later in the day, my kids both asked me why there are not many TV shows about veterinary medicine. I hadn't really thought about it much before but they are right. Outside of Animal Planet's "Emergency Vets" there are few shows that dramatize veterinary medicine.

The human-animal bond in our society is stronger than it's ever been. When it comes to stories about pets and people, the public can't get enough (the success of "Marley and Me" is a perfect example). But what about the drama involved with pets getting injured or sick and veterinarians working to heal them? Why is topic so scarce in the entertainment industry?

What are your thoughts? Do you think a TV show about a veterinary hospital could be successful? What kinds of stories do you think people would want to see? If you believe such a show would work, who would you cast as your major characters? Let's get the creative juices flowing! (photo from dreamstime.com)

--Dana

P.S. If any of you end up creating a smash hit TV show...I want copyrights on the idea!

Internet Pharmacy Dilemmas: Part Two

I've written about this topic before...it's the problems associated with pet owners buying their pet's medication via the internet. As I stated then, drug companies won't sell pet medications to these companies. If something goes wrong, the drug company assumes no responsibility and the veterinarian who prescribed the drug is left dealing with the aftermath. Even when the owner signs a written document about the risks of using on-line pharmacies, it is the veterinary hospital who is still vulnerable to lawsuits.

A few weeks ago, this problem got kicked up a notch. One of our clients sent an internet pharmacy a prescription pain reliever (for her dog). What the client ended up receiving was a completely different drug than the one that was prescribed. In the package, there was a note assuring the pet owner that "this medication can be substituted for the prescribed medication."

Now I'm all for free enterprise, but this seems just wrong to me. We probably have good grounds for taking legal action against the pharmacy, but it would takes lots of time and lots of money (these pharmacies make a HUGE profit). It's only a matter of time before some unfortunate pet becomes sick or dies from this crazy behavior.  

What do you think is the best way to warn clients about these pharmacies? Since these companies can often sell the medication at a lower cost, many people buy from them. Yet...is the savings worth it? How should we warn and educate clients without scaring them? Please share your thoughts...we appreciate your help!

--Dana

Understanding Fluffy and Fido

It happens at least once a week. It's the client who needs help with his/her pet's behavior problems. We do the best that we can, but there are situations when the problem requires someone with specific expertise on this issue.

We are lucky at our hospital because we can refer our clients to Dr. Dan Estep, and Dr. Suzanne Hetts at Animal Behavior Associates. They are excellent animal behaviorists and have helped many of our clients with some very complex behavior problems. We also refer clients to Bark Busters (a service for dogs only).

I'm realizing that knowledge about animal behavior is instrumental in  helping pet owners and nurturing the human-animal bond. Some veterinary school teach behavior classes but some do not. What is your opinion about this?  Do you think that veterinarians should have more training in animal behavior? Should the state licensing boards require that veterinarians have advanced knowledge about common problems seen in dogs and cats? Is that placing too much of a burden on the veterinarian? Let's hear your thoughts!

--Dana

Encounters With Wild Kingdom

Last week, one our client's brought in her 30 pound female Sheltie for treatment. Apparently, this feisty little girl had an encounter with a mountain lion! Obviously, the cat must of been scared off before the "battle" could go very far. As it was, the dog  had several deep puncture wounds, lacerations, and some torn ligaments. I always wonder if dogs can appreciate their own size in relation to the rest of the world? This dog was certainly brave, but very, very lucky to have survived this encounter. I suppose some of the answer lies in the dog's type of breed and his/her level of aggressiveness.

I know that many small dogs get attacked by foxes, coyotes, as well as mountain lions. This can be devastating for the pet owner if the dog dies as a result.Lots of people have very strong opinions about this problem. What are yours?  Have any of your pets ever had encounters with wildlife? What was the other animal and what happened?  Please share your stories!

--Dana

Media Mania

There are times at our pet hospital when time is very tight. When talking to clients about surgeries or other complicated procedures, it is very helpful to have written material the client can take home. What do you think about taking a video home?

More and more, veterinary hospitals are using DVDs to help explain procedures and surgeries. This can be very powerful since we all know how "seeing is believing." For example, some veterinary oncologists use DVDs to educate pet owners about chemotherapy. At our pet hospital, we use DVD's for various issues such as behavior problems and specific surgeries.

I'm realizing that using DVDs can be a very helpful tool for educating pet owners. I am now working on making videos for even standard procedures (such as a spay or neuter which of course, is NOT standard for the pet owner. I also want to make a video about euthanasia (what to expect, what will happen, the drugs involved, etc). When Laurel Lagoni directed the Argus Institute at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, she and her colleagues made videos about euthanasia and pet loss (sponsored by AAHA). These videos yielded positive comments and helped many pet owners.

What about you? Has your veterinarian ever offered a video that explains medical procedures? If so, was it helpful? Some veterinarians worry that using videos might negatively affect the personal connection he/she has with the client. What do you all think?

--Dana

Small In Stature...Big In Imagination

Most veterinary practice owners will tell you that children are an important part of their clientele. Besides the few that are unruly and complicate an appointment, most kids are valuable resources for the doctor. Veterinarians rely heavily on a pet's recent "history" in making a diagnosis (how the pet has been eating, drinking, playing, sleeping,  etc., in the last few weeks). Parents who are often busy with work and family, cannot always provide detailed information. However, if you ask one of the children in the family, there's often a treasure trove of information (with even more details than asked for).

Kids and pets simply go together. They are kindred spirits in their need to play, explore, and understand the world around them. As a result, these relationships can be profound. At our hospital, we try very hard to involve and encourage children as much as possible. As a whole, I feel good about how we handle communications with kids (especially when it comes to pet death and grief). However, involving children when a pet needs a complicated or risky surgery can be a tricky thing.

We all know that children have wild imaginations. Our approach is to be as honest as possible. This sounds good, but it can be difficult to explain a complicated medical issue or a risky surgery to a child. You want to be honest, open, and receptive to their questions, yet you don't want to scare the wits out of them.

Because children have such active imaginations, explaining risky surgeries and complicated medical procedures is a delicate art. Some children become very frightened and anxious with an overload of medical information. The trick is to be honest while keeping them from getting overwhelmed.

What are your opinions? Have any of you had to explain a difficult medical issue to your child(ren)? How did you deal with their anxiety and what was helpful to you? Do any of you know a veterinarian that is particularly good with children? What makes him/her so good? I welcome your thoughts! (photo from bigstockphoto.com)

--Dana

Copping An Attitude

As everyone across the country knows, the economy is in pretty bad shape. Unemployment is very high and many small businesses are struggling. A LOT of people are out of work and competing for jobs. At our pet hospital, we recently had to hire a new technician (nurse). It took only two days for us to receive over 40 applications!

So what now? How do you go about choosing between applicants when they appear to have the same skills and the same level of experience? I asked our hospital manager how she deals with this dilemma. Her answer was simple...she hires the person who has a better attitude. This is a logical strategy but it's also an interesting one. Imagine this scenario: two applicants and just one open position. Applicant #1 has an AMAZING attitude but limited technical skills. Applicant #2 is technically gifted, but lacks enthusiasm for the job. Who do you pick? You probably know the answer...it's time to welcome applicant #1 into the fold!

This answer proves the point that veterinary care is so much more than just knowing how to insert catheters and draw blood. Veterinary care involves sophisticated communication between a pet owner and a pet hospital. You can teach technical procedures but can you teach a person how to have a good attitude? I'm not so sure.

What are your thoughts? If you were a manager interviewing people for an open job, what would you look for? Do you think a positive attitude can actually be "taught?" I'm curious about your ideas! (photo from dreamstime.com)

--Dana

Hitting Close To Home

Last week, I gave a staff training about how to support grieving pet owners. We have recently hired some new staff and I routinely give these trainings to insure that our staff can respond sensitively to these issues.

When the training was over, one employee approached me in private. She was distressed and worried that supporting clients in their grief will trigger her own struggles with death and loss. This is a legitimate concern and it probably happens frequently to many veterinary professionals. I gave the employee ideas about setting good personal boundaries and ways to keep the focus of the conversation on the client. However, it is a difficult reality and can be very hard to work with.

What is your opinion about this? Would you be offended if someone at your veterinarinarian's office shared some of their personal struggles with you? When might this be appropriate and how far should the person go with the self-disclosure? I'm interested in your opinions!

--Dana

"Thank You For Holding..."

The other day I spent two whole hours on the phone trying to contact someone at my insurance company about my medical bills. I finally got my answer but by the time the call was over, I was angry, frustrated, and completely annoyed.

Putting clients on hold is a fact of life in service businesses. There are times at our hospital when we need to put callers on hold in order to help clients that have scheduled appointments. We've all heard it before....the standard phrase, "may I put you on hold for a minute?" but I'm wondering if this is a good way to lose a client. One thing that people prefer about their veterinarians is that they provide superior service compared to that of human doctors. I know that from personal experience that putting clients "on hold" can communicate a very bad message and be interpreted as quite rude.

I always stress that if employees must put someone on hold, they should do it very politely and never make them hold for more than a few minutes. When the call resumes, I tell the employee to thank the client for their patience. Most of our clients are very understanding and tolerant of this.

What do you think is an "acceptable" amount of time for someone to put you "on hold?"At what point does it make you angry and what should the person do to address your frustration? If you're kept on hold for a long time, what should be said to acknowledge your anger?

By the way...I don't mind waiting "on hold" for people to to this question!(photo from bigstockphoto.com)

--Dana

Canine Chemotherapy

In June, the Associated Press reported that a new drug will soon be released to help fight cancer specifically in dogs. Up to now, most cancer drugs used in veterinary medicine were developed for use in humans and weren't specifically approved for animals. That's about to change with the new drug "Palladia" (manufactured by Pfizer Animal Health, Inc).

According to the Food and Drug Administration, this drug has been approved to treat a specific type of skin cancer (canine cutaneous mast cell tumors). These tumors can appear small and insignificant initially. While some are quite easily removed, others can be life threatening.

This is an important "first" for veterinary medicine. It shows that people are willing to spend money and time on cancer treatment just for animals alone. Of course, clinical trials with Palladia are just now starting so it will take some time before we know this particular drug's efficacy. Like most veterinarians, we'll need to hear from respected veterinary oncologists (who are not on Pfizer's payroll) before we consider treating patients with it.

What do you all think? Is this a good use of research money and time? Is it right to focus on just one type of cancer that doesn't even involve humans? We are all aware of the power of the human-animal bond...is this just a logical consequence of that bond?

--Dana

A Different Type of Intelligence

Most everyone familiar with pop psychology knows about the concept of Emotional Intellegence (EI). Originally developed by John Mayer and Peter Salovey, EI has become a wildly popular topic ever since Daniel Goleman's groundbreaking book in 1995.

Over the years, the term EI has become very broad and far reaching. Pure EI theorists (such as Mayer and Salovey) think the term is being diluted from over-exposure. Initially, EI referred to a person's capacity to "recognize, understand, and manage emotions." People with a high degree of EI can recognize emotions as signals, and know what the signals mean over time.

I have a hunch that many people in the veterinary profession have a fairly high degree of EI. In fact, people who interact with pets in general, are probably more skilled with emotions than some others. What do you all think? Which other professions require a high degree of EI? Do you think that people in those particular fields really are emotionally intelligent? What about human medicine? I'm interested in your thoughts.

--Dana

Rescuing Recess

As an active board member of the PTA at my kids' elementary school, I can tell you that the last few weeks before summer break were focused on dodge ball, hot potato, and freeze tag. There is a growing trend of reducing, or even eliminating recess in many elementary schools across the country. This is in response to the increasing emphasis on standardized test scores in schools.

I think that eliminating recess is a HUGE mistake. How are children supposed to sit still and focused for hours on end without the ocassional break to go outside and blow off steam? I would think that students are likely to perform better on tests when they're allowed periodic breaks of down time. Additionally,the social, emotional, and physical benefits of recess should not be overlooked.

As a matter of fact...adults probably need recess in their places of work as well. At our pet hospital, I have experienced relief and relaxation myself just from getting out of the building for even a few minutes. I'm thinking that this inner need to "play" factors into our bond with animals. Pets after all, encourage us to take life less seriously; to be silly; and to simply play for awhile.

Can you imagine having recess at your place of work? Do your pets help you and your inner child to go out and play?

--Dana

Formalities and Grief

Every once and awhile, we encounter a client who wants a "death certificate" for their pet. Just as with people, these certificates contain an official declaration of death. I think that they can be very helpful in terms of breaking through denial. Obviously, death certificates need to be designed with a lot of compassion and appear very classy. Through my years at CSU, I found a few people who were very offended by the suggestion of a death certificate. One client, in fact, told me that she was "mortified" at the very suggestion of it.

There are pet cemetaries out there that do provide death certificates (for cremation as well). What do you think of these certificates? Would you be offended or put off by having one sent to you? If you think that you would be okay with receiving one, how would you want it to look and what should it say? I'm curious as to your opinions out there!

--Dana

The Gift of Good-Bye

Some good friends of ours just recently had to euthanize their 18 year-old cat. It was very difficult for all of them but it was definitely the right decision (the most loving and humane one). As it turned out, it was just the Father who ended up staying with the cat throughout the euthanasia. I spoke with my friend several days after to see how she and her family were doing. They have two boys (ages 15 and 11). Both of the boys were doing well although feeling very sad (of course).

The interesting part for me was when she told me that both boys specifically thanked her for the opportunity to say good-bye. Both were very sure that they didn't want to stay during the euthanasia, but they were given their own, personal and private chance to say good-bye in their own way. Now, for a teen-age boy to THANK a parent for anything...that "anything" must be pretty amazing. I've seen it and lectured about it countless times, but I'm continually reminded about how important it is to let children say good-bye to their beloved pets. It may sound like a simple thing...but it can make a great deal of difference when it comes to grieving that loved one.

Did any of you have experiences with childhood pets where you were not given the opportunity to say good-bye when they died? What do you think about this, and what do you think is the best way to help children?

--Dana

Are You a Super Hero?

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I like to talk about superheroes...A LOT. They are after all, one of my husband's and son's favorite topics. The thought occurs to me that the average veterinary hospital is composed of all sorts of super hero characters. Here's a sampling:

"The Multi-Tasker": With dazzling concentration and seventeen hands, this hero can answer the phone, check in patients, process a clien'ts bill and prepare prescriptions all at the same time. This hero has special powers of patience, diplomacy, and a good sense of humor.

"The Wrangler": Armed with super-human reflexes and a low sensitivity to pain, this hero can restrain fractious cats, fear-biting dogs, and nervous birds with razor sharp beaks. This hero's costume is easily identified by a smattering of colorful band-aids that cover various puncture wounds.

"The Diagnoser": Dressed in a white lab coat and stethoscope, this hero can read radiographs that resemble piles of rabbit droppings while suturing a dog's abdomen in mere minutes. This hero's special powers include remarkable hand dexterity and the ability to see things most other's can't.

"The Steel Stomach": Costumed in fluid-stained scrubs and blessed with dead nasal receptors, this hero can miraculously clean up anal gland expressions, parvovirus blowout, and cat absesses without batting an eyelash.

What kind of super heroes do you have at your local veterinarian's office? If you were to work at a pet hospital, which superhero would you likely be?

--Dana

Would You Rather Sit or Stand?

Today, I have a question for all of you pet parent readers out there...

When you're at your veterinary clinic, would you rather stand and attend to your pet on an exam table or would you prefer to sit with your pet on the floor?

The reason I ask is that our company (World by the Tail, Inc.) used to make a product called Comfort Mats.  These were large, padded floor mats that hung on the wall behind the exam room door and could be easily placed on the floor so the whole family could surround a pet and be comfortable.  We used them in the clinic at CSU for visits with hospitalized pets, exams that were difficult to do on a table (large dogs or older owners who couldn't stand for long periods of time), and especially for euthanasias.

The Comfort Mats were popular with people because they defined a space, provided cushion for an ill animal, and just added that touch of compassion and thoughtfulness that was appreciated. 

Anyway, for many reasons, we stopped making these mats, yet lately, we've had a couple of calls from veterinarians wondering if they could get one.  What do you think?  Would having a large, comfortable place to sit on the floor be something that would make you appreciate your veterinary practice more?  I'm not looking for another product to sell...I'm interested in making the visit to the veterinarian as comforting and satisfying as possible!  Tell me what you think...Thanks! 

--Laurel

A Massage For Fluffy

Complimentary and alternative therapies for pets...they can be quite a mixed bag. Some pet owners swear by them, while others have found little benefit. So...what's the real deal here? The answer will probably annoy you...it depends. It sounds wishy-washy but it's true. It depends upon the animal; his/her particular medical issue; and of course...the clinician who provides the alternative medicine.

There are many competent, knowledgeable, and well respected veterinarians who offer complimentary/alternative therapies. Some are experts in their field such as Dr. Narda Robinson at Colorado State University's Veterinary School and Dr. James Gaynor- a pain specialist at Animal Anesthesia and Pain Management Center (www.nopetpain.com). For these types of clinicians, we would refer patients and clients in a heartbeat (when appropriate).

However, it is important to spend a little time doing research before diving into this alternative form of veterinary care for your pets. Once you start looking, you will see that there's a whole lotta cool stuff out there and there's a whole lotta weird stuff out there (don't you like my scientific terminology?) No matter what, you should at least talk to your own veterinarian and find out what he/she thinks.

At our pet hospital, we have seen for ourselves how amazing laser therapy and acupuncture helps animals with arthritis (one of our doctors was certified in veterinary acupuncture). We've also heard stories of clients who have spent a lot of money on questionable procedures without getting much benefit for their pets. As I said...it just depends.

So...what do you all think? Have you used complimentary/alternative therapies for your pets? What were they and how did your pet respond? I'd love to hear your stories! (photo from bigstockphoto.com)

--Dana

Continuing Education Plus a Bagel

Every once in awhile, we receive in-house trainings from pharmaceutical companies. It's a convenient way for our staff to get continuing education without any expense or travel. More often than not, these drug companies will also buy the whole staff a breakfast, lunch, or whatever when they come.

Ethics question...is it okay to accept these type of "gifts" from a drug company? If two companies manufacture the same exact medication, is it okay for the veterinarian to choose the company that treats us well? Personally, I believe it's okay but I was wondering what you all think. Is this ethical? Does it sound like a bribe? Or, is this really an important issue anyway? Let's hear from you!

--Dana

Ear crops, Tail docks...progress being made

Dana was in the office last week (she is a consultant with our company and lives in another city) so she and Tammy and I met for a drink after work on Friday (wish you commenters could have joined us!)  Since we're all in the vet "biz" and co-bloggers here at the VWCafé, we spent a lot of time discussing veterinary topics like this one--ear cropping and tail docking.

Have you really thought about this lately?  The March 15, 2009, issue of JAVMA carried an article about the AVMA's position on the practice and I was pleasantly surprised.  It seems that the AVMA has made a strong statement in opposition to both procedures...a statement that pleased the Humane Society of the United States (who also opposes the procedures), but angered the American Kennel Club.

The AVMA statement goes beyond opposing the procedures when performed for cosmetic reasons and recommends that cropped ears and docked tails be dropped from dog breed standards completely.  The American Kennel Club criticized the policy with a statement that said, "Mislabeling these procedures as 'cosmetic' is a severe mischaracterization that connotes a lack of respect and knowledge of history and the function of purebred dogs."  Hmmmmmmm.....

An AVMA spokesperson said their position was based on scientific evidence and that they found no evidence that dogs benefit from either procedure.  In fact, many groups condider the practice inhumane.

Where do you stand on this?  I grew up with a schnauzer who had cropped ears and a stubby tail, but I never thought about how they got that way.  I would have loved her just as much if she hadn't been 'cosmetically' changed.  I, for one, applaud the AVMA for taking a stand in favor of a humane philosophy.  Tell me what you think...

--Laurel

Can They Really Do That?

"I live in a small town and my vet sent my dog's x-rays over the internet to a specialist at a university for his opinion.  Now he tells me he thinks I need to travel there with my dog for treatment.  I don't know if I should trust the opinion of someone I've never met.  Has anyone ever heard of this?"

---Louis H., Nebraska

Well, Louis, I think you're talking about the use of 'telemedicine', which is becoming much more common and helpful in recent years.  It can also save you money, in the long run, especially if the specialist your vet consulted with would have replied with a treatment option your vet could deliver there in your own town.

I'm certainly not an expert on this new technology, but I do know that many of the x-ray and ultrasound machines in service today are digital and have built-in software that allows them to send and receive images.  This makes it easy for your vet to get a consultation from another veterinarian who is Board Certified in a specialty that your vet is not.

You're probably from the era of medicine that I come from, where you had to have all new diagnostic tests done every time you saw a new doctor because they wanted to use their own equipment, technicians, etc.  However, medicine, like everything else, is being transformed by technology and 'telemedicine' seems to have many advantages for modern medical professionals and patients alike.

If you need more information, I would encourage you to speak again with your veterinarian and ask him to explain what he did and why he asked for the consult.  Then, if you need still more information before spending your time and money taking your dog to the university, call the consulting veterinarian and speak to him or her.  Your veterinarian can give you the phone number and most university hospitals have websites.  Do some more research before you make your decision and be grateful that your veterinarian is astute enough to ask for another opinion on behalf of your dog.

How about you, Readers?  Ever had to decide whether or not to seek treatment beyond your local veterinarian? (photo from bigstockphoto.com)

--Laurel

Is There A Doctor In The House?

At our pet hospital, we offer many types of appointments so that we can provide the best possible service to our clients. One of our options is having the pet see only the nurse (at a reduced charge). These are typically used for re-checks, bandage changes, wound checks, administration of fluids, etc.

Thus far, this has been a fairly popular choice. That changed the other day when a client had a full scale meltdown about not being able to see the veterinarian. Although he knew ahead of time that the appointment was with the nurse (at a reduced office visit price), he became very angry upon being told that the doctor was busy with another appointment  and wasn't scheduled to meet with him.

He became so agitated in fact, that he slammed his papers, wallet, car keys, and everything else all over the front counter and stormed out declaring he'll "never come back again"  I guess he felt that even though the office visit was at a reduced fee, he still expected to see the veterinarian for at least a short time.

I got to thinking about this and started wondering what the majority of pet owners feel about this. I can understand why a client would expect to see the veterinarian since he/she made the effort to take the pet in. Yet...there are those times when a nurse can handle things alone while still giving the animal (and the client) exactly what they need. I strongly believe that these appointments should have a reduced charge. What about you? Would you find your experience satisfying if you only saw the nurse? Under what conditions? How would it affect your perception overall of the veterinarian's service? (photo from dreamstime.com)

--Dana

Heartbreaking

Heartbreaking...that's what we call it when a small child runs into our pet hospital with a wild animal that's been seriously injured. I'm sure that every practicing veterinarian has experienced this. Yesterday we had a little girl and her Mom bring in a baby rabbit that had been injured. The bunny's back was broken and there was nothing that we could do except to euthanize it painlessly. That feeling of helplessness sure sticks to you for awhile...all I keep thinking about is this little girl and how her veterinarian failed to help this bunny (and her). I know it's so much more complicated than that, but I feel what I feel.

Death and hardship are necessary lessons we all must learn as children, but it's difficult when you're the one having to teach that lesson. What are your thoughts out there? (Photo from Dreamstime.com)

--Dana

"Hold The Line Please"

Talking on the phone...every teenage girl in America loves it; most men usually hate it, and the rest of us fall somewhere in between. I'm always working with our staff on the importance of good phone skills. After all, the very first impression people have of a business is determined by phone. It's always the little, minor things that end up making all the difference, don't you think?. I'll always ask our employees, "do you sound warm and receptive?" "Do you speak clearly and politely?" "When you put someone on hold do you ask them first and then get back to them in a timely manner?" "Do you thank them for calling us and ask them if we can help with something else?" These might sound like minor details, but they add up to create one big punch.

How about you and your local veterinary hospital? How do they "handle" you on the phone? What makes you angry; what works well; and what do you wish they would do better? Do you think the phone holds that much importance? (photo from bigstockphoto.com)

--Dana

"You Found What?"

To all of you wonderful pets out there...we're running a very cool contest today. It's called "Eating The Weirdest Thing and Living To Tell About It." It's fun, easy to enter, and doesn't require much thought (actually, intelligence only decreases your chance of winning). Several professional veterinary journals have monthly columns with the recurring theme of: "You Found What?" Here are some highlights:

• A 10 month-old Queensland healer who swallowed part of a horse bridle he had been seen running with in the barn.
• Zach, a two year-old German Shepherd who swallowed 33 golf balls.
• A pet chicken who swallowed 115 metallic objects including screws, nails, wire, pieces of glass, and one bullet.

And some favorites from our own pet hospital:

• A dog who ate a pair of ladies underwear
• A dog who ate a bread knife (it was removed without one single cut)!
• A dog who swallowed 10 coins (2 quarters, 5 dimes, 2 nickels, and a penny...Wow! $1.11 all total (that sure comes in handy when poochie is near the soda machine)!

It's funny...I don't see any of you cats on these lists. I guess you're a bit more discriminating about what you choose to put in your mouth (well, except for that whole dead mouse and bird thing).

Would any of you like to enter the contest? We're waiting! (Disclaimer - there are no prizes for this contest! It's just for fun! Image is from http://img.metro.co.uk and the object swallowed? A Rubber Duck!)

--Dana

The Twilight Zone

It's time for Rod Serling to speak his infamous words. Yes...yesterday at the pet hospital was taken straight from a Twilight Zone episode. We get them occasionally as I'm sure many of you do too. Yesterday was definitely the "weird and creepy people" day.

At about 10:00 a.m., a man drives up to the hospital in a white pick-up truck. We see right away that he's not our lawn maintenance person. He proceeds to pick up all the trash surrounding our parking lot and lawn area. Before we have a chance to figure this all out, he grabs our sprinkler key for the sprinkler system and drives off in a rush. ????????? Okay...that was interesting.

At noon, Steve comes back to the hospital after buying some hospital supplies. He sees two teenagers (a boy and a girl) sitting in the stairwell to the back door of our hospital. He approaches them asking, "May I help you?" The girl replies in a cryptic voice..."we're waiting for the bunny." ???? "You mean a patient inside the hospital?" Steve asks." "Oh no...we don't have any pets of our own but we're just here waiting for the bunny," the girl replies. "Okey Dokey then, I think it's best if you go and wait for your bunny away from my stairwell. Maybe across the street perhaps?" (Or perhaps maybe Mars?)

It's hard for us sometimes because of all the pharmaceuticals we carry at the hospital. When you see two unknown teenagers hanging around the stairwell, you can't help but think about the Morphine and Ketamine inside the hospital.

Fortunately, everything has worked out fine. The "bunny" twins did indeed, go across the street, and we now have purchased a new sprinkler key. What about you? Have you ever run into a truly odd person at your veterinarian's office? Do you think veterinarians "attract" some people whose cheese is not sitting straight on their cracker? Share your stories!

--Dana