This article includes discussion of suicide, depression and mental health issues. If you're experiencing feelings of depression or suicidal ideation, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-TALK; 800-273-8255; 

). It's 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No matter what problems you are dealing with, people on the other end of the line will help you find a reason to keep living.

From challenge comes change, and Jasmin Klocker, BVSc, is hoping her raw and candid insights into the profession she loves—but doesn’t want her daughter to follow her into—will stimulate discussion of ideas around how things can be improved for the better.

Klocker owns and works in a busy mixed-animal practice about 2 hours north of Sydney in rural New South Wales. She has worked full-time for the past 2 decades while raising 4 children. Three years ago, she lost her veterinarian husband to suicide.

In wanting to express her frustrations and fears, but also her hopes, Klocker wrote a poignant 

 to the University of Sydney Centre for Veterinary Education (CVE) to share her story. In the letter, titled “To the veterinary practitioners boards of Australia, the Australian Veterinary Association and anyone else who cares to read on…,” Klocker sets out the problems as she sees them, primarily highlighting the veterinary shortage in Australia. She then details the other factors at play and the issues she feels need to be reassessed before laying out some possible solutions and a call for further discussion.

“I wrote this letter as I fear for the future of the profession,” Klocker told dvm360

. “I feel that the decline in vet numbers in practice needs to be addressed immediately or it might be too late. I fear that Australians with a sick animal after 5 pm will find it hard to find a vet to treat them, and the farmers who feed us will struggle to find someone to help them with their animals.”

Klocker started thinking more seriously about doing something about this issue when she realized that she was no longer able to love her work. “I am constantly tired and stretched to the limit,” she says. Her eldest daughter, currently in her final year of high school, recently voiced her desire to become a veterinarian.

“I was shocked and asked her to consider other things she would like to do also. This made me stop and think and then take a long hard look at why I am feeling this way,” she says. “Unless we make ourselves heard we will not make change happen. I also believe in providing solutions and not just complaining about problems.”

The issues Klocker highlights are facing veterinarians not only in Australia but overseas as well. In publishing Klocker’s letter, Simone Mahe, BVSc, deputy director of the CVE, says it has raised many important points for discussion.

“Jasmin’s appeal is so powerful, brave and thought provoking we couldn’t

 publish it [in the university’s quarterly 

]. Her story crystallizes the challenges faced by many in our profession—complicated problems with no straightforward solutions and bigger than any one individual—but finding answers starts with articulating the questions,” Maher said in an interview with dvm360

Klocker hopes that by working together to address the challenges facing veterinarians and veterinary practices, this change comes soon. “I am hoping that we can brainstorm together, and I am hoping to gather suggestions from veterinarians to help solve some of these issues,” she says. “I would like some Band-aid solutions to help immediately and some long-term solutions to ensure that the profession remains sustainable in the years to come.”

Phil Tucak, BSc, BVMS, is an Australian veterinarian, communications manager and veterinary journalist. As the 

, he works to share the conversation about conservation.

Articles

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, a female veterinarian from rural Australia writes a heartfelt plea for help, highlighting the challenges she faces running a veterinary practice amid a shortage of veterinarians.

A veterinarian’s plea for help

With spring fast approaching, we remain dedicated to providing you with the latest pandemic news and our regular coverage of the veterinary industry. 

To kick off the weekend, check out this week’s top veterinary headlines:

 2021 dvm360® Hospital Design Competition winners

! Top honors went to Fenton River Animal Hospital in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, and VCA West Coast Specialty and Emergency Animal Hospital in Fountain Valley, California.

A report released earlier this week by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and 

alleged that Seresto flea and tick collars have been linked to nearly 1700 pet deaths

Kristina Guldbrand, CVT, BS, CSP, breaks down 

Fetch speaker and veterinary nutritionist Deborah Linder, DVM, DACVN, explains why 

 when it comes to feline weight management.

News wrap-up: This week’s veterinary headlines, plus our 2021 Hospital Design Competition winners 

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) have updated their guidelines on feline health care. Authored by a task force of feline medicine experts, the 

2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines

 define the feline life stages and provide a framework for tailoring treatment plans for individual cats. The guidelines were first published in 2010.

To create a tailored healthcare strategy, veterinarians must understand the feline life stages. The updated guidelines reflect this responsibility by including a detailed evolution of feline physiology over time, noting that approaches to healthcare are quite different for kittens than for senior cats. The updated guidelines include 5 age-related life stages—instead of the previous 6—and note that the end-of-life stage may occur at any age:

Recommendations are included for managing the most critical health-related factors related to specific life stages. 

“All cats of every life stage need full, thorough physical examinations at least annually for the best lifelong care; and we recommend checkups every 6 months for senior cats,” says Heather Loenser, DVM, AAHA chief medical officer, in an association 

. “The guidelines provide discussion items and medical history questions for all life stages, as well as life stage-specific focal points for physical examinations, claw care, litter box management, nutrition, behavior, oral health, parasite control, and vaccinations.” 

Additionally, the guidelines include educational client resources, including a brochure and chart that explain the feline life stages. Also included are quick reference tables and a Feline Lifestyle Assessment Form ­to aid veterinary teams in gathering a thorough history more efficiently.

Because one of the most challenging aspects of delivering regular feline healthcare is that many cat owners don't bring their cat in regularly, the guidelines also include practical strategies for encouraging more feline veterinary visits. 

Boehringer Ingelheim, CareCredit, Dechra Veterinary Products, Idexx Laboratories, Merck Animal Health, and Zoetis Petcare supported the development of the new guidelines through an educational grant to AAHA.

The guidelines outline lifetime care and cat-friendly approaches to improve feline health and well-being. 


AAHA, AAFP release updated Feline Life Stage Guidelines

The hospital sits on a 16-acre farm that is open for public visits. Here, staff members care for the animals and the land, gather eggs to sell, and enjoy the beauty of nature from the hospital’s many windows and the deck that overlooks the space. (All images courtesy of Mount Laurel Animal Hospital) 

In 2004, just out of veterinary school, Robert Mankowski, VMD, joined the bustling practice as an associate veterinarian. In 2013, he partnered with Christopher Torre, VMD, to purchase the hospital. By this time, they were open 24 hours a day, with primary care and 1 specialty offered. The 2 owners agreed that growing the specialty side of the practice made good sense, and before long they had more than 100 full-time employees sharing just over 9000 square feet.

For more than 40 years, Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey has been a fixture in the community. Locals know the hospital as the place to go for primary and emergency care for their pets, as well as a place to enjoy nature on the farm behind the hospital.

The in-house laboratory and pharmacy are conveniently located between the primary care practice (original wing of the hospital) and the new specialty/emergency wing, allowing for a seamless transition between old and new.

“As we added specialists, our emergency practice grew,” Mankowski says. “As the emergency practice grew, it fed the specialty side, and back and forth. Everything grew together, keeping us busy and doing good for the community.”

: Christopher Torre, VMD, and Robert Mankowski, VMD 

: 39 full time, 9 part-time exam rooms: 21

 26,475 square feet (17,328 square feet added onto existing 9147-square-foot facility) 

: Renovation and new construction, freestanding

: Jeffrey L. Grogan Architects, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

The surge in business quickly led them to decide to expand their hospital footprint to better serve the community. The owners began the process of adding space while keeping the 24-hour hospital functioning. The big build resulted in keeping the original facility for the primary care practice and a 17,328-square-foot expansion and addition to house the specialty and emergency sides of the practice.

The smart design earned Mount Laurel Animal Hospital a 2020 dvm360® Hospital Design Competition Merit Award. It also gave the 48 doctors and their team of 200 full- and part-time employees a space to work and serve their community with excellence in an environment they truly enjoy.

Changing a neighborhood fixture can be dicey. But having team members, clients, and the community all on board paves the way for a smooth transition.

Mankowski says it’s important to communicate well with your staff regarding hospital construction updates and progress and to thank them for their patience. Also, he says, create excitement about the new building by involving the team in the design process.

The new design gave room to build an exotics ward, among other specialty spaces.

“We laid out the plans on a bulletin board and empowered the team to take charge of their departments and lay it all out,” he says. “They weighed in on what would and wouldn’t work, what they wanted to see in their space. Getting the team involved in the process helped build their excitement and give them a space that works for their unique needs. We were in constant communication, talking about and looking toward the future.”

Clients and the community also were excited about what was to come. Mankowski says locals were happy that it wasn’t a big corporation coming in, but rather an extension of a part of the community for more than 40 years. “Community members have been with us since the beginning, helping us grow,” Mankowski says. “They feel [as though] they’ve been a part of it all along and are happy for us. And they’re glad to have these resources close to them in a place they are already comfortable with and used to.”'

The hospital boasts 21 exam rooms. The rooms are neutral in color and decorated with photos of clients' pets that they submitted online, leading a personal touch to the space. 

The same holds true for referring hospitals, he says. They are happy to support Mount Laurel’s expansion of services, knowing they can refer even more cases to a local team they know and trust.

A testament to the hospital’s reputation in the community is that of the 2 former owners (the founder and the subsequent owner), 1 has a daughter who works at the practice as a cardiologist and the other is still on staff. “The original owners are very supportive and happy for us, to see how their dreams have grown with us,” Mankowski says.

Here’s something you don’t hear every day: Mankowski and Torre met their hospital builder at a chili party. Old-fashioned socializing and networking brought the perfect builder for their project into their lives as just the right time. 

Granted, the builder had never constructed a veterinary practice. But Mankowski says they had the ability to communicate well and trust one another, which was most important to the process.

Although the hospital tripled in size, the doctors say it was a challenge to fit everything inside, especially with the large amount of space required for CT equipment and wide doors to install the machinery.

The builder had constructed some other types of medical facilities previously. And now, his experience with Mount Laurel Animal Hospital has opened the doors to more veterinary hospital builds.

“We really enjoy our builder and are friends with him now,” Mankowski says. “But you don’t have to be friends with your contractors, as long as you can communicate well and be on the same page as those on your team.”

The hospital has 4 surgery rooms that are seemingly in constant use.

Mankowski also stresses how important it is to do your homework in all areas before starting a construction project. He consulted an architect who has designed veterinary facilities, visited specialty veterinary hospitals, and referenced magazines all to determine exactly what would make a specialty/ emergency practice run most smoothly.

Despite all the research—and the admonitions that most people build too small—Mankowski believes they built too small. He regrets that he didn’t add at least another 10 exam rooms and a third floor to the building.

Building a space to care for animals is important. Creating a space that welcomes the community and offers a peaceful respite for staff members is a bonus.

The lobby is spacious and welcoming, with large windows that let in natural light and overlook the farm and memorial pond. Many unique features pepper the reception area, including an aquarium, a turtle pond, a live green wall,and al ife like 30-foot rainforest tree. Neutral grays accented with pops of red are the color scheme throughout the hospital, with large canvas photos of clients’ and staff members’ pets gracing the walls.

Mount Laurel Animal Hospital sits on 16 acres of farmland. On the farm, staff members raise chickens and sell eggs, care for goats and offer goat yoga classes, and welcome 50 to 80 visitors per day. In nonpandemic times, students visit for field trips.

“This is the dream of the original founder, to be a part of the community and a resource to teach about animals any way we can,” Mankowski says. “We take pride in welcoming people to our farm. It’s an important part of our responsibility as veterinarians to teach the next generation about animals.”

They don’t charge visitors to tour the land, although some have suggested it. The owners want to keep the space a free and welcoming space to all.

Last fall, they asked the public to donate their pumpkins when they were finished with them. They received more than 2,000 pumpkins, then allowed visitors to sign up for a time to come feed the pumpkins to e animals. The time slots were filled within 2 hours.

The auditorium and employee lounge open to a large outdoor fiberglass deck, complete with lounge chairs and surround sound, that overlooks the property’s 16 acres of farmland and a serene pond.

A bonus in all of this is that the farm offers staff peace in the midst of their crazy days. A new deck attached to the hospital overlooks the farm and a serene pond; here, staff members have a spot to enjoy their lunch or take a quick mental break. “Veterinary medicine is such a challenging profession; it’s important to take care of our employees and give them a good work environment,” Mankowski says.

Sarah A. Moser is a freelance writer in Lenexa, Kansas.

A local fixture’s exponential growth offers better care for all.

Hospital expansion also builds community

March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month, a great time to educate clients about some common household pet toxins and to brush up on your toxicology knowledge.

The following 5 articles cover a wide array of toxicology topics including tips and treatment approaches, toxicology myths, common pet holiday hazards, and more! 

The solution to pollution: Top veterinary toxicity tips

: Learn all about some common household items that may be toxic to companion animals, when and when not to induce emesis, and more. 

Don’t eat that!: Top 3 pet holiday hazards

: With spring holidays fast approaching,  it's a great time to talk to your clients about some of the top hazardous holiday items for pets.

Pet cockatiel doused in Febreze makes full recovery

: A recent case involving a pet cockatiel doused in Febreze recounts the proactive steps both the owners and veterinary professionals made to ensure a speedy recovery.

Would you believe? Mirthful myths in veterinary toxicology

: There are so many myths and misconceptions about what household items can hurt or help pets. A

veterinary toxicologist who works at the Animal Poison Control Center sets the record straight.

 Many clients flock to Google to learn about drug toxicities and adverse reactions to food. Unfortunately, not all of the information on the web is useful or factual. That's why Mari Delaney, DVM, developed a smartphone app to help pet parents prevent accidental drug and food toxicities in their pets.

In observance of this special month, here are 5 articles that bust myths and misconceptions about toxicology in veterinary medicine, plus provide useful tips and tricks, and resources. 

5 must-reads for Poison Prevention Awareness Month

Making the transition from veterinary student to practicing clinician is uniquely significant. There is no longer a teacher assigned to guide you through the nuances of a disease, and cases are no longer hypothetical or reviewed in the safety of a classroom. But beginning a veterinary career does not have to be a solitary experience. Finding a senior veterinary professional to serve as a mentor and provide guidance can be a notable factor in the happiness and success you achieve.

 virtual conference last week, Kate Boatright, VMD, and Tannetjé Crocker, DVM, were immediately forthcoming about how having mentors has helped shape their careers. As veterinary students, novice professionals, and even multiple years into their respective careers, both doctors have relied on the stewardship and support of mentors to navigate common challenges that veterinarians face.

“As soon as you get the DVM or VMD behind your name, you are in a leadership role and that can be overwhelming,” said Crocker, who practices at Northwest Animal Hospital and the Animal Emergency Hospital of North Texas, both in Grapevine.

Armed with first-hand experience as both mentors and mentees, Boatright and Crocker hoped to motivate new and incoming veterinarians. They were eager to share advice about how to establish—and make the most of—a mentor relationship.

Creating a professional relationship with a mentor can help alleviate many of the stresses new veterinarians face:

 Moving into the role of diagnosing patients and communicating with clients leaves many veterinarians doubting their abilities and feeling like a fraud. “A good mentor is going to be able to build your confidence and help you express your knowledge,” said Boatright, an associate veterinarian, freelance speaker, and author in western Pennsylvania.

 Having a mentor to offer support is extremely beneficial, she explained. “Yes, it is a teaching relationship, but the keyword there is 

. It is someone who is going to be there to support you through the difficult days.”

A mentor will help develop the areas you are not as skilled in and push you outside your comfort zone. “Right now, with students and young graduates entering the profession not getting as much hands-on experience because of COVID-19, the fear of surgeries and medical cases that are a little more in-depth is higher,” Crocker said. This is all the more reason to seek guidance from a more senior colleague or professor.

When it comes to honing soft skills, nothing compares to hands-on experience. “A great mentor is going to let you observe them when they are having those tough conservations or will walk through those scenarios with you,” Crocker said.

The added stress of the pandemic on veterinary students is not going unnoticed. Although they are daunting, virtual classrooms, a lack of hands-on experience, and canceled externships are not career enders. Instead, mentorship is more important than ever, Crocker said. “You will get through this and be more resilient in the long run. Just know you are not alone and that the COVID complication is real. We veterinarians are very aware of it and want to help.”

Boatright encouraged attendees to make the most of any opportunity that comes their way:

Even if your externship was canceled, do not be afraid to reach out to the clinicians with whom you were supposed to work and start a virtual mentor relationship. “Don’t let it be a completely missed opportunity because of COVID-19,” Boatright advised.

Many students have to forfeit clinical rotations, but Boatright encouraged attendees to take advantage of shadowing opportunities. “Ask the clinicians questions,” she said. “Most of us love sharing stores.”

As the pandemic has progressed, universities, associations, and conference hosts have become increasingly creative. “There are some really cool networking opportunities out there, both through social media and virtual conferences,” Boatright reminded attendees.

Above all, remember that everyone is dealing with the effects of the pandemic. You are not alone in feeling frustrated, unprepared, or confused about what the next steps should be.

Establishing a relationship with a potential mentor while still in veterinary school is ideal, Crocker said. Not sure where to start? The doctors suggested looking into these 3 avenues:

Make connections with professors and clinicians.

 The experts available to you through your college or university can help you explore different areas of practice or research that pique your interest.

 Whether in-person or virtual, conferences are an excellent platform for connecting with potential mentors. Network with fellow attendees, listen to what the speakers are most passionate about, and make an effort to connect after the conference ends.

Join clubs and associations for students.

 The Veterinary Business Management Association and Student American Veterinary Medical Association are 2 great places to start. Crocker advised using the associations’ connections to follow up with speakers who visit your school or people involved in wet labs. “Those people are taking extra time out from what is usually a very busy schedule, and that means they are invested in you as students,” she said.

“The great news is, you can be an amazing networker as an introvert,” Crocker assured attendees. You might have to approach networking a bit more strategically. For starters, commit to the quality of interactions over the quantity. “Focus on intentional one-on-one connections rather than meeting as many people as possible,” she said.

It might also help to bring a friend to new social situations, especially someone who is extroverted and has no apprehension about approaching groups of people. “‘There is no shame in having someone along for support,” Crocker said.

And be sure to take time to recharge. At conferences, use the allotted lunch break to be alone or take an hour before attending any evening events to regroup in your hotel room. “That is important to know about yourself,” Crocker said. “You are going to be at your best when you rest and recharge.”

Do not be afraid to put yourself out there—and you might have to put yourself out there a few times. “If you send an email and don’t get a response, then move on and send the next email,” Crocker said. “It is not a rejection; it just means it wasn’t the right mentor or situation for you.”

Do a little homework before emailing a clinician who guest-lectured at your school or connecting with a speaker at a conference. Find out what specific field they are in, what their research has been about, or what some of their general interests are. Being prepared shows the other person that you care.

Have a question prepared, too, Crocker advised. “Don’t expect to say ‘Here is who I am, now what can you do for me?’ Instead, come to people wanting to know something specific about their career path. That is how you will connect initially, and then organically that relationship can grow over time.”

When you are at a networking event, remember that the other attendees want to meet new people, too. Don’t be afraid to take the initiative and start a conversation. 

You have to be authentic,” Boatright said. “People know if you are not being yourself.”

Creating and practicing an elevator pitch about yourself can make introductions more impactful. “Be able to communicate who you are, what your interests are, and what your goals are, even if you don’t have it all figured out yet,” Crocker said.

“We really think the right mentor is out there for you,” Crocker said. You have to be open to potential opportunities that come your way. “I think mentorship could be one of the keys to success in this profession as a whole.”

Amanda Carrozza is a freelance writer and editor in New Jersey.

Learn how to connect with a mentor who can help you navigate the early years of your career as a veterinarian.