Business

Show and tell how your practice is a safe and comfortable place for pets.

Are you a successful veterinary technician who is considering tackling a new position in the veterinary field? Or are you a technician who has been recently promoted into a management or supervisory position?

Take recruitment and induction seriously if you want a top performing practice.

Accurate and complete financial recordkeeping is important to any hospital owner, but is also important to those who work with the veterinarian. People both inside and outside the hospital all depend on the accurate recording of financial transactions.

It isn't uncommon to find practices that, either formally or informally, offer technician appointments; i.e. patient visits in which certain services are provided to the pet and pet owner by a credentialed veterinary technician instead of by a veterinarian.

For more than a decade, the rule of thumb for setting fees in veterinary medicine was simple: Raise 'em! The corollary to this rule of thumb was: don't worry about clients not wanting to pay; if you communicate the value of the procedure, they will gladly open their pocketbooks.

Trigger Questions are questions or statements that should occur as a trigger result of hearing something else. When dealing with clients, especially new clients, phone shoppers it is important to listen to what the client is telling you and then taking that information to deliver education (triggers) as well as to be alerted to questions (triggers) that you should ask.

Consider developing a monthly statistical analysis report for your practice. Take a pulse of your practice by understanding the monthly statistics that are important and track them in a comparative format; month to month, year by year.

The first part of this session will give an overview of the global veterinary market focusing on the UK and US which are both currently stricken by recession. It is the presenter's belief that we are in for a very hard few years as vets and we are no longer a recession proof business.

For more than a decade, the rule of thumb for setting fees in veterinary medicine was simple: Raise 'em! The corollary to this rule of thumb was: don't worry about clients not wanting to pay; if you communicate the value of the procedure, they will gladly open their pocketbooks.

Regardless of your position in the veterinary hospital, in this day and age you encounter resistance from clients in some way, shape or form almost every day (if not every hour). As a practice manager or owner veterinarian you may not feel that as directly as your veterinary technicians, receptionists or associate doctors do on a daily basis, however.

Today veterinary practices are facing more challenges then they ever have in the past. The economy has forced pet owners to scrutinize every dollar of their discretionary income and often times the money that was previously spent on the family pet is now being spent on food and rent for the family.

Budgets should an integral part of your overall financial plan. With budgets in place you are more likely to control the financial destiny of the practice.

For a veterinary clinic to deliver a successful and sustainable service certain things have to be in balance: People, Profit and Practice

How often do you sit back and really think about what amazing things you do every day as a veterinary technician? How frequently do you pat yourself on the back acknowledging your education, training, and skills? Do you ever reflect at the end of the day on what you accomplished during that day?

You all know the feeling of walking into an exam room, proud of your skills as a veterinary technician, confident that you know what is best for the patient, happy to be greeted by that wagging tail, and excited to work together with the client to keep their family member at his healthiest.

Do you divide your staff responsibilities? By dividing responsibilities you reduce the opportunity of potential stealing from your hospital. Basically you should never have one person handle all aspects of a task. For example, the receptionist who handles money directly shouldn't be the person who prepares and makes the bank deposit.

Disease caused by parvovirus in dogs (destruction of intestinal crypt epithelium, lymphocyte depletion, neutropenia) is generally more severe than that caused by coronavirus (destruction of intestinal villi). Coronavirus enteritis is often characterized by mild and self-limiting clinical signs.

Chronic diarrhea (i.e., that which persists > 2-3 weeks) usually necessitates a systematic diagnostic approach (which may mean classic tests and/or therapeutic trials). The first question in the patient with chronic diarrhea is whether the patient has an obvious problem such as parasites or an obviously inadequate or poor quality diet.

Part of the reason technicians, doctors and other team members choose to work in the veterinary field is because they care about pets and want to see them get the care they deserve.

The effects of criticism are dependent on who is giving it – and your relationship to that person. Our world view and understanding is filtered through words. Of all the strategies which handle criticism effectively, the most important is to figure out accurately what the problem is. Be prepared to ask questions to clarify what is wanted or expected.

Is there such a thing as a bad employee? Or are these issues just down to bad management?

One of the many unhappy lessons veterinarians and their teams have had to learn from the recession is that clients don't have bottomless wallets filled with cash to spend on veterinary care.

Understanding profitability in a veterinary hospital can be like understanding a Chinese puzzle. Defining profitability can be confusing based upon the entity type.

There are many different types of leaders and different styles a re required for different people and situations. The idea of a one size fits all is outdated. A good leader must have the ability to recognize what style of leadership best suits the situations that occur in day to ay practice. Learning this skill will enhance your effectiveness and value as a team leader.

This informational presentation is intended to familiarize accredited veterinarians with animal health regulatory concepts and activities. Information presented here does not supersede the regulations. For the most up-to-date regulations and standards, please refer to the Code of Federal Regulations and your local VS Area Office.

The estrous cycle of the bitch consists of proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus. Proestrus is the first stage of heat, when the bitch first shows swelling of the vulva and exudation of serosanguinous vulvar discharge. Male dogs are interested but she does not allow mounting. Estrus, or standing heat, is characterized by softening of the vulva, a change from serosanguinous to a more tan-colored discharge, and flagging and standing by the bitch.

Time and time again veterinarians rate high in the most trusted professions. People trust us!

Charles Figley, PhD, who did the seminal research in the diagnosis and treatment of Compassion Fatigue, defined it in 1995 as: "A state of exhaustion and dysfunction (biologically, psychologically, and socially) as a result of prolonged exposure to compassion stress" (giving of yourself without a way of replenishing your energies and resources).

This session will be particularly good for those who struggle with managing people. By the end of the session, delegates will be understand how the creation of clear and linked objectives for all team members will boost performance and take the ambiguity and certainty out of managing the veterinary team.