Learn how IDEXX is enhancing the lives of animals, people, and the planet.

IDEXX: Contributing to something bigger

According to Megan Bendtzen, founder and CEO of LifeBacon, motivational trainer, speaker, and life and business coach, the job shortage in the veterinary industry plus new protocols due to COVID-19 have inflicted mental and physical fatigue as well as burnout on the staff.

On this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, Bendtzen shared her advice on implementing joy and laughter into the workday to help curtail these issues.

“Joy and laughter [are] so important because a lot of times people feel that [they] need to be earned like [they’re] something that we can do at the end of the day once we’ve gotten through all this madness, once we’ve handled all our challenges,” Bendtzen said.

“It might feel really counterintuitive and sometimes even considered unprofessional or irresponsible to just stop what you’re doing and go find something to laugh about or bring in some moment of joy or fun or relaxation, [but] that’s going to give you the boost and the energy you need to be able to handle the stresses and challenges that you’re facing,” she continued.

Listen to the full podcast below for more of Bendtzen's insight on including lightheartedness at work for personal and professional success. 

Podcasts

In this episode of The Vet Blast Podcast, CEO and founder of the company LifeBacon, shared the importance of incorporating fun into the workplace, plus how this can help combat burnout.

Episode 64: How laughter can rekindle your love for veterinary medicine

I was 5 years old when I first experienced the magic of Disneyland. I was always intrigued by Mickey Mouse and his costars. I loved Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, among countless other Disney characters. Although I can’t fully recall my first visit, I know that it made me unbelievably excited to return to this enchanted place. My family and I went to Disneyland every year for vacation, and there was always a crescendo of emotions throughout the entire trip. Walking through the gates, seeing Mickey, adventuring down Splash Mountain, rooting for Indiana Jones to make it under the giant rolling rock of terror, whipping through the stars on Space Mountain, and being with the people I loved most the entire time—it was truly magical.

It was no accident that I felt that way. Walt Disney was a savant at creating memorable experiences. He knew how to delight guests, return adults to their childhood, and imbue the entire experience with a sense of importance and meaning. He could do this because he understood our basic desires and needs as humans. In this article, I share my thoughts on how Walt Disney would run a veterinary practice, one that would elevate the client experience and build the strongest and most meaningful relationships imaginable.

When you walk into Disneyland, you are instantly submerged into a sprawling, captivating story with heroes and villains, love and loss, and magic and mystery. The story we tell ourselves about our own life is what gives events and experiences meaning and thus creates our sense of self, confidence, and values. In fact, the most successful businesspeople are avid storytellers.

So what kind of story should your veterinary practice tell? More importantly, how do you want to tell it? Remember, your practice should be in the love story business. The connection that humans and animals share is sacred, and it’s your duty to protect this special bond. I believe that Walt Disney would turn the design of your animal hospital into a shrine for this love story, one that constantly reminds people what this love means, the vital role it plays in our lives, and how it affects our well-being and happiness. He would do it through carefully curated artwork in every practice room, designed to evoke the right emotion; vinyl quotes throughout the facility; and parking lot placards. In a thousand different ways, he would remind pet owners how precious their love story with their pet is and that this is the place that will protect it.

The 3 basic needs that Walt Disney riffs on are the same ones he would want you to emphasize at your veterinary practice.

We are constantly, and unconsciously, evaluating the safety of our environment. If it feels unsafe, we feel uneasy and look for ways to leave it or make it feel safe again. The quickest way to lose a client is by making them feel uncomfortable and unsafe. You should rigorously train your team to promote emotional safety during every kind of interaction with clients and their pets.

We all want to be appreciated and feel as if we matter. That’s why you must make clients feel like they are important to you. From the way your front desk greets them to the way your technicians empathize with them to the way you speak with them, will display how much you value them and their animal companions.

 We long to connect with our environment and the people in it. Many veterinary teams are already great at connecting with their clients—those are usually the most successful practices—but if you want to take it up a notch, strategize how to form stronger connections with clientele at your practice. A simple way to do this is by creating a “discovery” document for each of your clients, in which you meticulously map out what matters to them, their fears, their concerns, notable life events, and more. Before every visit, you can quickly scan the document to reacquaint yourself with their life.

Imagineers design the experience that guests have at Disney parks. If Walt Disney were running a veterinary practice, he would think of himself as an experience designer more than anything. Think about the human needs that you want to address and the story that you want to tell, then imagine the best possible experience that you want your clients to have, for all types of visits. How should it start? How should they wait? What should they see on their way to the exam room? What should they feel once they get to their room? How should they feel when they are talking with you, your technicians, and your support staff ? What should they see and feel when they are leaving?

Be meticulous about creating an unforgettable experience in your veterinary practice, then design everything about your practice in a way that promotes this mission. It is a backward methodology, but when applied correctly, it is incredibly powerful.

Robert Sanchez is the founder and chief executive officer of Digital Empathy, an award-winning web design and marketing firm for veterinary practices. He lectures at national conferences, leads a team of wonderful employees, sits on the board of VetPartners, and shares his home with 2 very spoiled dogs—Cole and Lula.

Articles

“First, think. Second, dream. Third, believe. And finally, dare.” —Walt Disney

How would Walt Disney run a veterinary practice?

The North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) announced it will be hosting its first annual summit—

Level Up: Veterinary Nurses and Technicians

—during Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week from October 16-17, 2021. Sponsored by Vetoquinol, the virtual summit will provide veterinary technicians and nurses worldwide free access to 6 hours of Continuing Education (CE) through the NAVC’s online learning platform, Vetfolio.

"The NAVC is dedicated to helping our veterinary nurses and technicians reach their full potential every day so they can continue to deliver their best to all who depend on them: veterinarians, clients, and, most of all, patients. This is particularly important and timely given the surge in pet ownership and their owner's desire to provide the best veterinary medical care possible," said Gene O'Neill, NAVC CEO, in an organizational 

"The veterinary nurse virtual summit will enable veterinary nurses and technicians all over the world to participate and benefit in a learning forum many otherwise would not be able to attend. It's very exciting and furthers the NAVC's commitment to support the entire veterinary healthcare team," he added. 

Though this event is the first of the new 

 series of virtual learning events the NAVC will host under its Virtual XP learning umbrella, each annual education session and sponsorship opportunity will have dedicated themes based on reader feedback from the NAVC’s publication, 

According to the release, this year's theme is Patient Advocacy as technicians and nurses are perceived as advocates for patient’s health to pet parents, practice managers, and veterinarians. The lectures will include those on patient advocacy, anesthesia, pain management, emergency critical care, behavior, and wellbeing.

Level Up: Veterinary Nurses and Technicians 

North American Veterinary Community. NAVC to host first annual global veterinary nurse virtual summit October 16 - 17. PR Newswire. Published September 16, 2021. Accessed September 23, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/navc-to-host-first-annual-global-veterinary-nurse-virtual-summit-october-16---17-301378692.html

Editors note: All veterinary technician content for this month is supported by Banfield Pet Hospital.

In light of Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week, the nonprofit is offering this free 2-day virtual summit to veterinary technicians and nurses worldwide. 

NAVC to host first inaugural veterinary nurse summit 

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has proposed a position paper and call to action on hemp and its byproducts—including whole hemp plants, hemp seed oil, CBD, and other cannabinoids—in livestock feed and pet food. It is urging the hemp and feed industries to continue studying these as nutritional ingredients to gather information on the products' safety and efficacy.

,  AAFCO can use this data to formally define the various ingredients and offer standards for safe pet and livestock feed when this process is finished.

"We understand the hemp industry is eager to enter the animal food market, but we are concerned that not enough research has been completed on these products. That's why we are urging the hemp industry to conduct appropriate research and submit their results to us for review as a normal step in our ingredient approval process,” said Susan M. Hays, AAFCO executive director, in the release.

Although the 2018 Farm Bill legalized growing hemp, any feed ingredient—including hemp products—is under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As research is required to identify the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids in hemp and what effects the content will have on the intended uses and species, it is not yet determined if hemp products are safe to feed to all animal species.

"Allowing hemp byproducts to be used for animal nutrition before rigorous research and legal approval processes have been completed could have adverse impacts on ranchers' access to markets, on animal health, and ultimately on human health when hemp-fed animal products enter the human food chain," Hays stressed.

Supporters of hemp in feed have recently concentrated on passing state legislation to enable in-state use of hemp as a feed ingredient, but it is lacking national approval based on a comprehensive scientific review of its safety.

According to the release, AAFCO is concerned that welcoming hemp products to market through a state-by-state basis of laws, without detailed research and a formal review process, will result in inconsistent manufacturing methods, unsupported marketing claims nationwide, and restriction of interstate and international markets.

AAFCO urges lawmakers to collaborate with key stakeholders including the FDA, United States Department of Agriculture, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, livestock and dairy associations, consumer advocacy groups, and AAFCO itself within the formal process for review and approval of hemp and its byproducts regarding animal nutrition. AAFCO can help lead hemp producers through the submission and review process.

To learn more about AAFCO's Hemp and Hemp Byproducts in Animal Food position paper, go 

AAFCO calls for hemp industry action on hemp products in animal food. News release. September 20, 2021; Association of American Feed Control. Accessed September 21, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aafco-calls-for-hemp-industry-action-on-hemp-products-in-animal-food-301380249.html

Using these products before extensive studies and legal approval processes can negatively impact ranchers’ access to markets, animal health, and ultimately, human health.

AAFCO urges additional research on animal food hemp products

The Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association (IVPA)—the first nonprofit association committed to uniting independently owned and locally operated veterinarians—commended the Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling to protect licensed professionals, including veterinarians, deeming all disciplinary actions must be based on expert testimony instead of the reviewing board’s assumptions or perceptions.

According to an organizational release, this ruling offers veterinarians with active disciplinary cases the chance to use specialized experts to help defend their license for providing animal care.

“This legislation allows veterinarians to present medical evidence to fairly defend themselves when faced with disciplinary action,” said Jeffrey Powers, DVM, IVPA member and owner of Veterinary Clinics North with 2 Michigan locations, in the release.

“Relying on expert testimony will ensure fair and balanced review of the facts of the case to protect animals, people, and health care providers alike,” Powers added.

The ruling guarantees the state of Michigan will continuously coincide with the more reasoned and appropriate principles applied throughout many states nationwide.

“We’re grateful to have worked with the IVPA to ensure that licensed professionals in Michigan are afforded fair rulings based on reliable and trustworthy testimony from experts,” said Christopher Patterson, partner at Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes. “We consider this ruling a win not just for IVPA members, but for the idea that licensing processes should be fair and based on reliable evidence.”

Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association commends Michigan Supreme Court ruling as it pertains to licensed veterinarians. News release. September 20, 2021; Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association. Accessed September 21, 2021. [email].

The ruling provides veterinarians the opportunity to use relevant experts in license defense cases. 

IVPA praises Michigan Supreme Court ruling pertaining to licensed veterinarians

Though a pet's mouth may appear normal to the naked eye when performing a dental exam, there may be a problem lurking below the surface. According to veterinary technician Denise S. Rollings, AAS, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), founder of Pet Dental Education, “Sometimes we don’t see anything on the oral exam, and we take a radiograph, and we can see some pretty substantial disease.” 

Rollings then highlighted what to look out for when performing a dental radiograph, plus the findings that may emerge.  

"The majority of the tooth is below the gum line and that's where we're going to find the pathology. Generally, we're looking for what we consider attachment loss or bone loss which is going to look for periodontal disease...and then we're also looking for endodontic disease so that's infection from inside the tooth." 

“We can find tooth resorption, unerupted teeth, oral masses in the bone taking radiographs, so they are a part of a comprehensive exam just like it is for us [humans],” added Rollings.

Watch the full video below to learn more about the importance of dental radiology.

Videos

In a recent dvm360® interview, Denise S. Rollings, AAS, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), shared why dental exams are key to detecting disease. 