Practice Management

The 2012 Veterinary Economics Business Issues Survey and our expert decide who has the toughest job in a veterinary practice. Opinions vary.

Save the client lecture-try handouts instead.

Does the word "contract" send shivers down your spine? Are your palms sweating just thinking about noncompete clauses and restrictive covenants? Let us ease your fears and set the record straight on what's legal.

For one in four veterinarians across the country, clients who don't speak English are increasingly common. Here's how two practices tried to bridge the language barrier.

One DJ gets a taste of his own medicine – courtesy of a veterinary office manager

It can be hard to say no to an emotional veterinary client, but if you stick to your guns, you might be stuck with big problems.

As our pet and human populations grow, so will the demand for veterinarians in the fields of companion animal health, food and animal safety, disease control, and public health.

The right interview questions could help you achieve service excellence.

"Kiss the dog," suggested Dr. Christina Winn in our May 2012 cover story about building strong doctor-patient-client relationships. Boy, did it generate a lot of letters. Here's a sampling, plus a response from Dr. Winn herself.

Playing bingo is a good way to remind veterinary team members to do tasks.

Hiring trends prove it: Joining a mixed animal practice appeals less and less to new veterinary school graduates.

Use a bulletin board to display seasonal information and discounts.

When you feel like you're constantly trudging through your day, a change in careers might be a refreshing solution. But if you decide to get out of veterinary practice ownership and sell – be prepared.

Too many options from a veterinarian can be confusing – streamline your clients' and eliminate their frustration.

Just like this institution, your veterinary practice can be a well-oiled machine.

So, you've got a website. Now you need to update it and drive your clients there. Veterinary Economics wants to help! Use these resources to populate your site, reach out to pet owners, and develop more compliant clients.

Just like humans, horses like a little TLC on their sore and tired spots.

Your toolbox for promoting flea control to clients, including articles for your veterinary practice's website, Facebook posts and tweets, and blurbs for your e-newsletter.

Everybody benefits when the practice is in the black.

I'm a male technician in a mostly female practice. I've been here just as long as another female technician who's less experienced than me. She was promoted-I wasn't. How do I get my fair shake?

Use plastic vaccine trays to collect urine by free catch.

Keeping track of clippers by mounting to ceiling

Whether it's a budding workplace romance, best friend blues, or family drama, personal relationships can really wreck the peace in a veterinary practice. Practice management experts and team members who've been there will offer advice to keep personal relationships from interfering with professional life.

Use IV lines to tie endotracheal tubes during dental procedures.

Use colored dot stickers to quickly identify expiration dates.

Sometimes veterinary team members' emotional responses have more to do with their own self-esteem than with what you've said.

Do clients typically take advantage of the free office visits you offer under your annual plan? I'm considering offering two exams and three free office visits. Subsequent visits would cost 50 percent less than a regular visit.

The future of mixed-animal practice will survive if practice owners are willing to compromise with associates.