Ernest E. Ward Jr., DVM

Get your patients taking long-term meds on a plan for rechecks.

We see it every day: fat cats, fat dogs, fatter cats and fatter dogs.

We do it every day with practically every patient and client.

You're the heart of your hospital. Making changes to get fit, eat healthy, and work smart will take courage and resolve, but we know you've got it in you.

Send your team home on time and impress clients by replacing old-fashioned callbacks with e-mails and text messages.

Print this multi-page PDF to educate clients about ideal pet weights, pets' caloric needs, and the caloric content of common treats

Don't let silence prevent you from helping patients. Learn to comfortably talk to owners about their pets' obesity.

Tips for talking about a pet's weight with an apathetic client

Print this PDF with tips to help clients exercise their overweight dogs

Print this PDF that clients can use to keep track of dogs' food and exercise

A delicious recipe for a super-healthy drink

With dedication, training, and planning you can run a 5K race.

This eight-week plan will help put the finish line at your first race in sight.

Don't wait until you collapse on the floor of your clinic to make much-needed changes to your lifestyle. Personal wellness is crucial to fulfilling, successful practice ... and it could save your life.

Clean up with 12 monthly resolutions for your best year yet! Plus! Three more must-do's from the experts!

Your client says, "You care more about my money than you do about my pet." How do you respond?

When you remove barriers, you're free to realize your true potential.

Remember, most clients won't appreciate the seriousness of periodontal isease until they see it.

I have an elderly client who I don't think can properly care for her pet any longer. How should I approach her?

Most part-time employees don't qualify for health insurance, retirement, or other employee benefits. And you must offer fair and equivalent benefits to all team members, regardless of whether they're a new hire or a 15-year veteran at your reception desk. If you don't, you're asking for a discrimination case.

You're a dedicated doctor. You spent eight years preparing for and enduring veterinary medical school. For the past six years as an associate, you've lived your dream.

Most part-time employees don't qualify for health insurance, retirement, or other employee benefits. And you must offer fair and equivalent benefits to all team members, regardless of whether they're a new hire or a 15-year veteran at your reception desk. If you don't, you're asking for a discrimination case.

If any of these phrases pop up when you're discussing the possibility of an employee working part time, beware. Part-time status won't solve anything if your employee's saying ...

Alex Martin was raised in a dog-friendly home. As a child, he shared a bedroom with his brother and a 60-lb Labrador retriever. Most of his family photos include various dogs the family owned over the years, but no cats are in the portraits. "Cats hung around the house, but were never considered part of the family," Martin says.