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

IDEXX: Contributing to something bigger

Peter Carlos, RVT, has been a veterinary technician for the past decade and works at the Taylor ER Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Turlock, California. Nearly 4 years ago, his path intertwined with the bright and bubbly Jaycee Leonardo, who joined the team as an assistant at just 16 years old.

Not so long ago, the duo combined forces in an unexpected way and have since become social media sensations within veterinary medicine.

“We became such great friends working together and are constantly joking around. We think the same things are funny and have the same sense of humor. We sing, dance, and make work fun,” says Leonardo.

Carlos agrees. “We do have an age gap, but our friendship really grew from liking and laughing at the same things. We just make work fun, so the stress of daily veterinary medicine doesn’t burn us out.”

At the height of the pandemic last year, the pair started an account on TikTok, a newly popular (at that time) video-sharing app. It was a slow day at the clinic when Carlos decided he wanted them to perform the viral “foot shake dance challenge” that had been spreading like wildfire among the medical community. After posting that video, they decided TikTok was something they wanted to pursue and continued to post.

Five video posts later, their following had grown tremendously.

Now more than a year and a half later, they have accumulated nearly 2 million followers and counting, and their TikTok presence continues to flourish, despite neither having prior experience in social media besides personal accounts.

As their popularity grew, the duo decided to shift gears and make their TikTok platform educational—for those inside and outside the veterinary industry.

Carlos began his career in the veterinary industry at the pet store Petco. He started working there during his junior year of high school and continued after he graduated. He says he began experiencing burnout from his job due to customers looking for medications at the store instead of getting treatment for their pets. This, along with his love for animals, led him to Carrington College in Stockton, California, where he began taking veterinary technician courses.

After completing the necessary schooling and requirements, Carlos became an RVT and has been working at Taylor ER Veterinary Emergency Hospital for the past decade. He even married the practice manager, whose father is the owner.

Leonardo’s path that led her to where she is today was significantly different than Carlos’.

“There are so many different routes to get to where you’re going, I just think people need to not be afraid to start,” Carlos says.

Leonardo says she wanted to be a veterinarian her entire life. Or so she thought. Once she got to high school, her mother enrolled her at a local college to begin taking veterinary technician classes. Through these classes, she discovered the differences between veterinarians and veterinary technicians and decided to pursue a career as a veterinary technician instead.

“I always wanted to be a veterinarian until I got started in technician school—and then realized I really enjoyed the technician side of veterinary medicine and focused on becoming a veterinary technician,” says Leonardo.

After taking technician classes and volunteering at the Taylor ER Veterinary Emergency Hospital for 2 years, she received a job offer on her 18th birthday and has been working there ever since. She’s scheduled to take her RVT certification in August (after it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Carlos’ and Leonardo’s videos cover a wide range of clinical content, featuring patients from the hospital or highlighting everyday items to show viewers veterinary medicine through unique approaches. For example, the pair created videos of them inserting microchips, but their spin is adding microchips to fruit to show the process.

“A lot of the comments were...‘Does that hurt’ or ‘What’s the microchip for?’” says Carlos. “Then someone said jokingly, ‘Microchip a grape.’ So I microchipped a grape. That video kind of evolved because then people wanted to start seeing more videos like that. Someone commented, ‘Microchip a strawberry.’ So I did, and that video took off again.”

They’ve also shined a spotlight on dental health, which has become one of their most popular topics. Their videos have shown viewers, among other things, how they remove calculus from teeth as well as extract an abscessed tooth root.

“The most popular topic of our videos would be dental cleanings,” Carlos says. “People can’t believe the amount of gunk and junk we take off the pet’s teeth.

“We’re educating [viewers] on calculus, tartar, [and] toothbrushing and [raising] the overall awareness that pets need daily hygiene when it comes to teeth. People are always so amazed at what’s on dogs' teeth and then what they can look like once they’ve been cleaned.”

Through educational content, Leonardo and Carlos have created a space where pet owners can learn about procedures and proper care and veterinary professionals can learn tips and tricks to help improve the care of their patients.

Although social media is a great resource to help get your brand out there and attract customers, it also poses some challenges for practices, particularly due to negative feedback or comments. Through their TikTok experience, Carlos and Leonardo have discovered the good and bad aspects of social media when it comes to business.

“Negative words will carry much further than good words, and someone who has a negative experience will tell 10 friends,” says Carlos. “And yet, when someone has a good experience, they will maybe tell their neighbor about it.”

According to the duo, there is no way to avoid negative comments. No matter what you post or say, there will always be someone who disagrees or does not like what you’re doing. When you come across this, it’s necessary to defend yourself, your practice, and fellow staff members to maintain credibility and continue to build your online platform.

Use a team-based approach to ensure that all the social media responsibilities are not all on one person.

Be original, and when you see trends, try to put your own spin on them.

Do not oversell or bombard followers with ads or products.

Be consistent. Remember, not every post will get hundreds of likes or views.

Showcase and tag clients and pets. People will most likely share a post they’re tagged in, which can help boost your following. 

Create posts that show off all aspects of your practice.

Instead of using stock images, share real images of your staff, clients, and practice.

On the “pros” side, social media can provide a behind-the-scenes look at how a practice is run, helping clients better understand your clinic. This knowledge can be crucial to your practice because it shows who is taking care of their pet and what exactly is happening.

According to the duo, social media can help illustrate “what all goes into” the blood work, for example, by providing some background on “how everything that we do is not as simple as it sounds.” Take dental health. TikTok has enabled them, through their dental videos, to show “what is really happening. It is not just brushing your dog’s teeth.”

“We just keep posting. We love sharing what we see daily, and we love to share the real side of veterinary medicine,” says Carlos.

Leonardo agrees. “We want to continue to share our side of veterinary medicine and teach people that a lot more goes into caring for pets than just feeding and showing love at home.”

With their passion for educating their viewers, the popular TikTok duo is helping to elevate veterinary medicine to new heights on social media. Their continued goal is to focus attention on the role and importance of veterinary medicine and to help pet owners and veterinary professionals find common ground to learn from one another.

“If we can show just a small side of what we see, then maybe we can change just one person’s view on what veterinary medicine is. Then we feel we have done our job.”

Check out Leonardo and Carlos at @vet_techs_pj on TikTok.

Articles

This dynamic duo has transformed their highly followed TikTok account into a learning house for both veterinary professionals and pet owners.

Saving lives, one video at a time 

Topicals such as pour-ons, shampoos and ointments, provide concentrated treatment for both focal and generalized skin problems while minimizing systemic adverse effects. Although there are many other antiparasitic, antimicrobial, otic, and ophthalmic topicals, this article focuses on ingredients available in the United States.

With any dermatologic problem, cytology is the first step for ruling infectious agents in or out.

 Slides stained with Diff-Quick can identify bacteria and yeast.

 A trichogram, which is a direct examination of hairs, has some efficacy in diagnosing dermatophytosis.

 Superficial or deep skin scrapings can detect mite infestations.

 In general, the more samples that can be obtained, the better the likelihood of making a diagnosis.

 The authors recommend sampling from at least 2 or 3 locations on a patient to improve sensitivity. These noninvasive, inexpensive diagnostics can sometimes make the diagnosis or discover the next step to a more expensive and more invasive test. Veterinary technicians can be trained in obtaining and reading cytology to achieve efficiency in busy clinics.

The growing prevalence of methicillin-resistant 

 species in companion animals necessitates judicious systemic antimicrobial use in veterinary medicine and emphasizes the need for topicals as sole-agent therapeutics for superficial and local pyodermas as frequently as possible.

 Chlorhexidine 2% to 4% is effective for 

 and comes in multiple convenient formulations, including shampoos, sprays, wipes, and mousses. For focal lesions, twice-daily application for 10 to 15 minutes of contact time would be ideal. For generalized lesions, bathing twice weekly with chlorhexidine 4% shampoo has an efficacy similar to systemic amoxicillin-clavulanate administration.

 Because the turnover of skin takes about 3 weeks, this study recommends the duration of topical treatment be similar to that of systemic antibiotics for superficial pyodermas: a minimum of three weeks, with one week beyond clinical resolution.

Another effective treatment for superficial pyoderma is a 5.25% solution of bleach. It has been shown that the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) may require a 1:32 dilution (ie, ½ c bleach to 1 gal of water), although anecdotally a 1:50 dilution (ie, ⅛ cup bleach to 1 gallon of water) may still be clinically effective.

 The dilution loses stability after 24 hours. There may be limited published clinical evidence in veterinary medicine.

 Bleach is commonly used in human medicine to decolonize or treat resistant bacterial skin infections.

Povidone-iodine can be bactericidal, but it can also be drying and irritating and cause staining.

 Benzoyl peroxide can be effective by lowering the skin pH but can be drying.

 To attenuate the drying adverse effects of these ingredients, consider pairing with conditioners and/or emollients. Mupirocin ointment can be applied to focal infections. However, a concern for growing resistance has led some countries outside the United States to withhold it from veterinary medicine.

 Silver sulfadiazine cream can also help with focal infections, but may best target gram-negative bacteria.

 yeast dermatitis can be treated topically with twice-daily administration of combination shampoos containing 2% chlorhexidine and 2% miconazole.

Clinics may elect to carry only 3% chlorhexidine products for both bacterial and yeast dermatitis, although there is less evidence supporting this as a sole agent compared with the miconazole-chlorhexidine combination.

 Lotions containing antifungal ingredients such as clotrimazole or miconazole administered twice daily may also be considered in focal infections.

 mites have often been treated with the isoxazoline class, although none is labeled specifically for this indication.

 Many isoxazolines are oral, but in the United States there are topical spot-ons of fluralaner for dogs and cats and of sarolaner for cats.

Benzoyl peroxide shampoos administered twice weekly can be an adjuvant treatment for demodicosis by effectively flushing out mites, but they can be drying.

 Weekly application of a moxidectin/imidacloprid spot-on has demonstrated safety but also potentially lower efficacy.

Amitraz dips are the only FDA-approved treatment for canine demodicosis (labeled every 14 days but perhaps more effective weekly), but their use is decreasing due to toxicity risks in both humans and animals.

For cats, 2% lime sulfur dips once to twice weekly have been used for both 

, but efficacy was a variable. The idea of bathing cats may be a nonstarter for many clients.

For dogs and cats, dipping in lime sulfur (8 oz diluted in 1 gal of water) twice weekly along with oral antifungal administration and environmental decontamination can be the fastest clinical resolution, in about three weeks.

 Lime sulfur must be left on for about an hour until dry and should not be rinsed off. There is a rotten-egg smell associated with this product, and animals with white coats in particular man be temporarily stained yellow following administration.

 Young or small animals are susceptible to hypothermia during the drying process, and ingestion may (rarely) lead to oral ulceration, pharyngitis or gastrointestinal upset.

If lime sulfur is not available or owners request a different option, then biweekly use of a shampoo containing 2% miconazole and 2% chlorhexidine may be effective, but not to the same degree as lime sulfur. The topical should be combined with oral antifungal medications and environmental decontamination.

 Chlorhexidine as monotherapy is not effective for the treatment of ringworm.

 For focal lesions, clotrimazole and miconazole can be considered. But due to limited data on efficacy, they should not be used as sole therapy. There is limited in vitro evidence demonstrating some efficacy of shampoos containing other antifungals, such as climbazole, terbinafine, and ketoconazole. Similarly, accelerated hydrogen peroxide formulated as a leave-on rinse may be a future adjuvant, but in vivo studies are needed to confirm safety and efficacy.

Disorders of the superficial layers of the skin, such as ichthyosis, sebaceous adenitis, or primary seborrhea, can cause the skin to be either too dry or too greasy, depending on the condition, resulting in a compromised skin barrier function.

 Topicals used to address these problems are generally classified by their keratoplastic or keratolytic effect. Keratoplastic activity restores normal rate of keratinocyte division and skin layer turnover, whereas keratolytic activity eliminates excessive layers of skin for scale removal.

When degreasing is needed, once- to twice-weekly benzoyl peroxide shampoos are effective options.

 In the past, coal tar or selenium disulfide have been used, but they can cause a rebound increase in seborrhea and/or skin irritation when discontinued; both can be toxic to cats. Regardless of the topical of choice, long-haired dogs will need to be shaved to have appropriate shampoo contact with the skin.

For disorders leading to excessive drying, emollients that soften and lubricate the skin or moisturizers that increase the water content of superficial skin layers are beneficial. These are also indicated following degreasing therapy to balance and restore the protective barriers of the skin. A wide range of ingredients, such as propylene glycol, mineral oil, lactic acid, urea, and glycerin, can carry out these functions.

 The authors’ first choice is 0.1% phytosphingosine administered as a shampoo, mousse, and/or spray. Alternatively, spot-on products containing essential oils can be applied to the skin between the shoulder blades once a week for 2 months, then every 2 weeks for maintenance.

There is some evidence that topical polyunsaturated fatty acids, like omega-3 and omega-6, may restore the skin’s barrier. However, they are typically an additional ingredient in some veterinary products, rather than the sole therapy for keratinization disorders.

 Coconut oil may be popular among owners, either as a topical or oral supplement, but is not recommended because there is no scientific evidence to support its use and it can aggravate secondary infections.

Clinicians should always address the underlying causes of pruritus, such as allergy or infection, but topicals may provide short-term relief to focal and mild lesions. For moderate-to-severe or multifocal-to generalized pruritus, oral anti-inflammatory doses of steroids are more appropriate.

The chronic administration of topical steroids, like OTC hydrocortisone, or even such a soft steroid like mometasone furoate can lead to focal skin atrophy, hyperpigmentation, or delayed wound healing (if applied to traumatized skin).

Nonsteroidal agents, such as colloidal oatmeal or polyunsaturated fatty acids, have only mild efficacy in relieving pruritus.

 They typically provide relief for 24 to 48 hours, do not have any antimicrobial action, and should be offered only as adjunctive therapy for anything beyond mild pruritus.

 Clinicians may consider offering oatmeal-based shampoos for long-term maintenance. Dogs with atopic dermatitis should be bathed once every other week with this shampoo, which will help remove environmental allergens and support skin barrier function.

Efficacy of treatment largely depends on owner and patient compliance. Topical therapies can be more labor-intensive for owners and may not be feasible for some patients. Slow introduction and positive reinforcement is essential for any patient, but particularly for those with a history of anxiety or aggression. It is important to provide clear instructions and to troubleshoot if an owner is having difficulties with topicals. Here are some of the topics you should discuss with the pet owner about treatment.

 Many topicals need to be left on the animal for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing (chlorhexidine, benzoyl peroxide, bleach) or may require up to one hour to completely dry on the animal without rinsing (lime sulfur, amitraz). Animals will need to be monitored during this time or even wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent licking.

 Bleach, benzoyl peroxide, or lime sulfur may permanently stain towels and furniture before drying. Similarly, chlorhexidine and lime sulfur may temporarily stain the patients’ fur.

: Owners should be instructed to avoid the animal’s eyes and face while bathing or applying topicals. Lesions on the face should be treated only with a cotton ball or makeup pad soaked in lukewarm water to avoid burning or overheating the animal in warmer months or inducing hypothermia in colder months. Drying should be done only with fans or low-temperature hair dryers, as heated air may cause burns and/or inactivate some topicals like bleach.

A handout from your clinic may be helpful to walk a client through the preparations and supplies needed for bathing and the instructions for contact time, rinsing, and drying.

For many superficial dermatologic diseases, veterinarians have the unique advantage of practicing “external medicine” with topicals. If owners are willing to overcome the minor cost and increased time and labor required with topicals, their pets can benefit from a safe, inexpensive, and often effective sole or adjunctive treatment.

Miller WH, Muller GH, Scott DW, Griffin CE, Campbell KL. 

Muller and Kirk’s Small Animal Dermatology.

Moriello KA, Coyner K, Paterson S, Mignon B. Diagnosis and treatment of dermatophytosis in dogs and cats. 

. 2017;28(3):266-e68. doi:10.1111/vde.12440

Mueller RS, Bergvall K, Bensignor E, Bond R. A review of topical therapy for skin infections with bacteria and yeast. 

 2012;23(4):330- 41, e62. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3164.2012.01057.x

Canine and Feline Skin Cytology A Comprehensive and Illustrated Guide to the Interpretation of Skin Lesions via Cytological Examination

. Springer International Publishing; 2018.

Morris DO, Loeffler A, Davis MF, Guardabassi L, Weese JS. Recommendations for approaches to meticillin-resistant staphylococcal infections of small animals: diagnosis, therapeutic considerations and preventative measures. 

 2017;28(3):306-e69. doi:10.1111/vde.12444

Borio S, Colombo S, La Rosa G, et al. Effectiveness of a combined (4% chlorhexidine digluconate shampoo and solution) protocol in MRS and non-MRS canine superficial pyoderma: a randomized, blinded, antibiotic-controlled study. Vet Dermatol. 2015;26(5):339-344.doi:10.1111/ vde.12233Hillier A, Lloyd DH, Weese JS, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy of canine superficial bacterial folliculitis (Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases). 

. 2014;25(3):163- e43.doi:10.1111/vde.12118

Pariser M, Gard S, Gram D, Schmeitzel L. An in vitro study to determine the minimal bactericidal concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) required to inhibit meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius strains isolated from canine skin. 

. 2013;24(6):632- e157. doi:10.1111/vde.12079

Mueller RS, Rosenkrantz W, Bensignor E, Karaś‐ Tęcza J, Paterson T, Shipstone MA. Diagnosis and treatment of demodicosis in dogs and cats. 

Creech CB, Al-Zubeidi DN, Fritz SA. Prevention of recurrent Staphylococcal skin infections. 

. 2015;29(3):429-464. doi:10.1016/j. idc.2015.05.007

Bond R, Morris DO, Guillot J, et al. Biology, diagnosis and treatment of Malassezia dermatitis in dogs and cats. 

. 2020;31(1):73-77. doi:10.1111/vde.12834

Blaskovic M, Rosenkrantz W, Neuber A, SauterLouis C, Mueller R. The effect of a spot-on formulation containing polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential oils on dogs with atopic dermatitis. Vet J. 2014;199(1):39-43. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.10.024

Olivry T, Deboer DJ, Favrot C, et al. Treatment of canine atopic dermatitis: 2015 updated guidelines from the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA). 

. 2015;11:210. doi:10.1186/s12917-015-0514

Topical therapeutics should be a veterinarian’s first line of defense against superficial dermatologic conditions. Follow this rundown of the ingredients and multiple types of treatments for skin problems. 

Time for topicals: A spot-on guide to treating dermatologic diseases

Pet Releaf, the market-leading hemp health brand for pets, has released Sentesa, a hemp-based supplement featuring a triactive formula. Sentesa was developed by veterinarians, exclusively for veterinarians and specially made to help manage canines’ inflammatory response, calmness, joint flexibility and mobility, and discomfort, according to a company release. Proved safe and fast acting to guarantee efficacy, Sentesa’s triactive formula consists of cannabidiol (CBD), β-caryophyllene, and caprylic acid.

"We knew from our veterinary partners that there is an unmet need for data-driven product development in the hemp space. We focused on delivering products to the veterinarian that can safely and effectively manage their patients’ longterm health and well-being,” says Alina Smith, CEO and cofounder of Pet Releaf, in this 

. “We are proud to offer Sentesa as a safe, effective, and natural alternative to help bridge a needed gap in pet care.”

Made with the highest-quality ingredients and manufactured in a cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) facility, Sentesa has undergone testing in a third-party accredited laboratory and evaluation in clinical studies.

“It can be difficult to treat pets through chronic diseases and long-term pain. Incorporating Sentesa into veterinary practices can help pets suffering from a multitude of ailments in a more all-natural way, without the harmful adverse effects that may be caused by pharmaceuticals,” says Joseph Rosentel, DVM, PhD, MS, vice president of product development and supply chain, in the release. “With the data-driven approach to development, completed safety and PK study, and an ongoing field safety and efficacy study, we are thrilled to offer the veterinarian a new option for the treatment of their patients.”

The capsules are available in 2 sizes: for small dogs (11-33 pounds) and medium/ large dogs (33+ pounds). Sentesa for small dogs contains 10 mg of CBD, 10 mg of β-caryophyllene, and 10 mg of caprylic acid. Sentesa for medium/large dogs contains 30 mg of CBD, 30 mg of β-caryophyllene, and 30 mg of caprylic acid

Hemp-based capsules that promote patient health and healing are the first product
of Pet Releaf’s Professional Line for veterinarians.

Pet Releaf debuts professional product line with Sentesa

Digital marketing and communication have evolved exponentially over the past few years and have been cemented as pillars of client retention and a quantifiable revenue stream in the veterinary industry. Meeting clients where they are—often on their mobile devices—with pertinent information tailored to their needs is essential to succeed in the current climate. In fact, the veterinary software industry is rapidly growing and is expected to surpass $2 billion by 2027.

 But not all communication services are created equally.

Too often, hospital owners and practice managers are overwhelmed with the software options available or find themselves constrained by the generic templates supplied by outdated systems. Providing timely, appealing client communications should not require a Master’s degree in IT. 

dvm360® recently spoke with 3 experienced veterinary professionals to pinpoint common problems that practices encounter with subpar communication systems, while also shedding light on how AllyDVM has become an asset to their businesses.

Mending the communication gap between veterinary professionals and their clients. 

A 2018 study conducted by the Partners for Healthy Pets— a collaborative alliance led by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association—revealed significant disconnects between the viewpoints of pet owners and practitioners, particularly when it came to what occurred and was discovered during a physical exam for their pets, including pain assessments and dental exams.

Clients do not always absorb the pertinent information relayed during an appointment or they fail to properly recall the recommended next steps.

: Enhancing staff-client communications within the exam room setting is important, but having a follow-up tool to reiterate the services performed and veterinary recommendations could have a tremendous impact on client comprehension and compliance. For veterinary professionals who have struggled with this for years, it is easy to understand why AllyDVM’s direct messaging feature is quickly becoming one of the most popular components of the suite. Beyond sending appointment reminders—which it does seamlessly—it provides another channel of communication between the client and practice.

“More and more, our clients want instant communication and a quick turnaround of information. It is very easy to do that with AllyDVM. A client can send us a request and we can get right back to them,” says Patti Christie, CVT, CVPM, the practice manager at Minnehaha Animal Hospital and Pet Doctors Animal Clinic in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Clients also really appreciate that they have the ability to connect with us without having to make a call.”

 veterinary hospitals in central Illinois— Greenhaven Animal Clinic, Prairiehaven Animal Hospital, and Best Friends Animal Hospital—says he cannot place a high enough value on strong practice-client communications. “It is so critical today. It’s not just the younger generations that use the feature; everybody likes texting.” 

The client service representatives and technicians at his hospitals regularly use the direct messaging/texting feature to follow up with clients after a visit. “Our clients love the fact that it is relatively quick and easy for us to check in with them,” he adds. “It helps with client communication and retention, as well as bonding the client to the clinic.”

Practices lose a large amount of potential income when client compliance and retention lapse. 

Pet parents are notorious for missing the recommended schedules for vaccines, annuals, and other health services. This is detrimental to a patient’s health and could prevent the early diagnosis of treatable diseases.

 There are steps practices can implement to increase client compliance for routine wellness visits and vaccinations. These, in turn, have evident effects on the bottom line. AllyDVM’s client retention calendar makes it simple for hospitals to notify clients when their pet is due for a wellness visit and encourages multi-pet homes to schedule all of their exams at once.

“The retention calendar was a huge [selling point] for us because it is so helpful to show us the other pets in the household that are due for exams. I do not know how many times we have had clients get mad at us for not letting them know their other pets were due to be seen, too,” explains Kerry Lueker, CVT, hospital manager at Crest Hill Cat and Dog Clinic in Joliet, Illinois.

Dr. Armbruster utilizes the retention calendar to forward book all appointments. “If you are in for a routine wellness exam, we are making your exam appointment for 6 months from now before you leave. Or if it is a sick patient, then you are getting booked a week or 2 out, depending on the doctor’s recommendation.”

minder system can be programmed to send automatic reminders. This has helped practices decrease the number of no-shows and last-minute cancellations. “From a convenience standpoint, you’ll get a reminder text that your appointment is coming up. It is nice that the feature is 

customizable, too. We can set whether the reminder text goes out 2, 3, or 4 days in advance to let the client know they have a pending appointment,” Dr. Armbruster says.

Generic email communications are left unread; valuable information never reaches clients. 

Veterinary clients are savvy. They can recognize when a blanketed email campaign lands in their inbox and can generally infer by the subject line if the topic is of interest. It is imperative that hospitals stand out from the dozens of emails that people receive on a daily basis. It is counterproductive to send an email about senior bloodwork testing to an entire database when it only applies to a small segment of the clientele. Similarly, households with only cats are not interested in discounts on canine heartworm preventatives.

Make your communications matter. Each message should be valuable to the intended recipient. AllyDVM has proven to be one of the leaders in providing filtering capabilities. Users can target the right client segment—by species, procedure, age, disease, etc.—at the right time, automatically.

“We can target information relative to senior pets, for example,” Christie explains. “So we can target the patient individually and use that opportunity to provide information as well as give them a reason to set up an appointment for their pet.”

Incorrect or invalid client contact information leads to otherwise avoidable miscommunications. 

For Lueker, clients not receiving intended phone calls and reminders was one of the biggest challenges her hospital faced. Previous communication software missed the mark in alerting her of errors within the system. “We didn’t have a way to track that before. Our old software would alert us that 10 emails did not get sent out, but not which specific clients.”

AllyDVM is designed to highlight missing information or possible contact errors. “It will show me if someone 

put in ‘Yahoo’ with an extra ‘o’ or if someone spelled something wrong,” Lueker explains. Fixing those mistakes is simple and has a profound impact on ensuring intended communications are received.

“One thing that is really nice about the feature is that it also tells you how much you are potentially missing in revenue by not getting the right information, like the correct email or telephone number,” Christie adds. Similarly, AllyDVM has tools to reflect the revenue gained by taking advantage of the retention calendar features.

Box stores and commercialized websites are steering clients away from hospitals’ dedicated online stores and pharmacies. Practices may feel they do not have the means to compete with retailers.

 Recently, AllyDVM launched its buzzed-about manufacturer partner program to complement the communication services that practices have grown to depend on. The Synergy Partner Program is a turn-key marketing tool kit that includes simple, automated email campaigns. The email capabilities also include money-saving offers from some of our top manufacturer partners in the industry, designed to drive pet owners into the practice to purchase products.

Lueker has found the program particularly helpful in getting clients to act on offers related to heartworm medications. Clients would call as a result of receiving the email, and the staff provided further information about the product and how it could benefit their pets. “We’ve gleaned quite a lot of revenue just from getting them to come in for ProHeart®,” she explains.

Her practice had a similar experience after sending a Synergy Partner Program email regarding Simparica Trio®. “A lot of people were waiting for it to come out since it is an all-in-1. As soon as they received the email, they were on the phone calling us to see what they needed to do next for their pet to receive it.”

Clients crave ease and instant gratification. The standard routine of calling a clinic, being placed on hold, and then trying to sync schedules based on availability does not fit those criteria.

 AllyDVM’s live bookings calendar can be easily added to a hospital’s website or patient portal, the latter of which syncs directly to a hospital’s practice management system. 

“Our clients love it,” Lueker says. “They can access pet health records, set up appointments, request refills, and view loyalty points. There are also hot buttons that will take them over to our online pharmacy, website, Facebook, etc.” Additionally, it provides clients with control over finding an appointment that works best for their schedule

“With AllyDVM it shows clients the actual days and times that are available,” she adds. “Our old software did not show that, therefore, people would be requesting appointments for the next day and then getting upset with us that we could not fit them in.”

The calendar also shows availability based on appointment type. “For example, our sick appointments are longer visits,” explains Lueker. “So if they are requesting a sick appointment, but we only have a 20-minute spot open versus a 40-minute slot, it will not even show them that slot. It will just show them the 40-minute ones.”

When it comes to finding a client-communication service, don’t settle. Your practice’s reputation and revenue are on the line. 

“AllyDVM is one of the most important tools we have in our toolbox, quite honestly,” Christie explains. “It was really well designed by people who certainly understand the industry and the needs we have."

WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP YOUR PRACTICE SUCCEED Leverage all of the offerings and programs from MWI to help you improve compliance, grow revenue, and support pet health and happiness. www.mwiah.com/compliance/dvm360

Allied Market Research. Veterinary Software Market Statistics, Growth Analysis and Forecast - 2027. Allied Market Research, 2019. www.alliedmarketresearch.com/ veterinary-software-market#:%7E:text=The%20global%20 veterinary%20software%20market,6.1%25%20from%20 2020%20to%202027. Accessed May 14, 2021. 

2. An American Animal Hospital Association-American Veterinary Medical Association White Paper. The Opportunity Pet Owners Don’t Always Hear What We Think We Tell Them (and How to Fix That). Partners for Healthy Pets. 2018. Accwww.aaha.org/globalassets/04-practiceresources/The-Opportunity. Accessed May 14, 2021.

With the expansion of digital marketing and communication in recent years, the number of software options out there can overwhelm practice managers and hospital owners. Find out why these 3 veterinarians prefer AllyDVM. 

The veterinary ally: A comprehensive communication solution

Editors note: This story was originally published in our sister publication, Dental Products Report®

In the past year, there have been a number of new innovations in all types of clinical practices to help deliver medicine to those who need it. Below is a few ideas that dentistry medicine could have for veterinary medicine, and includes one item where animals are enriching that practice as well.

The mobile dentistry practice has gained traction over the last few years. It provides flexibility and adaptability, allowing dental professionals to meet patients where they are. It allows practices to expand with minimal startup costs while also adding a new revenue stream, increasing visibility, and marketing to new patients.

This trend in dental practice design creates a warm and inviting space. A great example of this trend is Orange Dental Clinic in Tianjin, China, which was designed by RIGI Design. Using a bright color palette, the practice’s interior creates a soothing, calm atmosphere. Its airy, light design features nonlinear furniture that provides an informal waiting room.

As most parents know, kids usually hate going to the dentist. So why not make it as fun for them as possible? That’s exactly what Dustin James, DMD did at 

 in Wilsonville, Oregon. The waiting room is bright and cheery, with tons of books and games for kids to play. Each operatory has its own theme, including a jungle theme, an underwater theme, and a flight theme. Plus, kids can watch a movie while they’re being treated.

Therapy dogs are trained to provide physiological or physiological therapy to people in stress or in need of comfort. These dogs and their handlers volunteer at hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other public places. Petting dogs is said to boost serotonin and lower blood pressure. That’s why Dr. Dan Ford trained his labradoodle Comet to be a therapy dog for his 

pediatric practice in Brisbane, Australia

. Comet eases stress and reduces anxiety for his younger patients.

These unique practices offer patients new experiences and give dental professionals flexibility.

4 Nontraditional dental practices

As we're amidst the dog days of summer, we continue to offer the most current, intriguing veterinary news and information.

 that measures pet temperatures under the foreleg or hindleg and swiftly sends the results to practice management software.

recently acquired its third acquisition of the year

, Central Animal Clinic, expanding its new veterinary clinics to 6.

 to find out what's causing this Frenchie with intervertebral disc disease skin lesions. 

 as the new CEO, bringing 15 years of scientific and commercial expertise within the animal health industry to the team.

From a smart cat water bowl to online scheduling platforms, here's a 

rundown of the latest veterinary products

Stay tuned on social media and dvm360.com for more veterinary news.