Sharon DeNayer

For us, veterinary medicine is a form of friendship, and caring for hospice and palliative-care patients is a team activity that asks for attention, care and skill from every single team member in our hospitals.

"Help clients who make the difficult choice to euthanize their pet by approaching the associated costs with sincere consideration," says Sharon DeNayer, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and the clinic manager at Windsor Veterinary Clinic in Windsor, Colo.

When I turned 70 in 2011, people started asking me if I was going to retire. Now that I am 73, friends ask when Im going to retire.

Use these tips to ease the pain and strain of a veterinary visit for senior pets.

Use these steps to make your practice more friendly for veterinary clients with disabilities.

Remind clients old age isn't a disease.

Grab clients' attention and encourage compliance by using descriptive terminology, suggests Sharon DeNayer, a Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member and the practice manager at Windsor Veterinary Clinic in Windsor, Colo.

After a loss, take these steps to recognize clients' special relationships with their pets.

Whether from accidents, illness, or euthanasia, pets die every day, often in your hospital. Do you know what to say--and what not to say--to clients before, during, and after a loss?

As the practice manager, how can I encourage team members to come to me with their problems first, before approaching the owner?

Picture this: You're explaining why Baxter needs heartworm preventives when the tinny sound of Beethoven's 5th erupts from inside your client's purse.

A client sent us a thank-you card for our prompt, undivided attention and praised our team members for their kindness and courtesy. I'd like to post the note on the bulletin board in the reception area. Assuming the client gives permission, is there a downside?