Owners

Enjoy a happy veterinary career by leaving your angst at the door.

As we discussed last month, the first day on the job sets the tone for everything that follows. And a great first day leads to a smoother transition, improved performance, and less turnover. Here's more on how to make a new employee's experience a great one

A problem staffer asked for a copy of her personnel record. Must I release it?

We took in a boarder from a longtime, good client, who said the pet was a stray that he acquired from the local groomer. During our exam, we found a microchip and were able to locate and contact the original owner, who said the dog had been stolen about six weeks earlier. What are our rights and responsibilities in situations like this?

Regardless of his or her work history, a staff member's first day on a new job can be intimidating. For some, it's so overwhelming and confusing that they don't return for a second day.

Think you're working too much? Odds are you're not delegating enough to team members-who are hungry to help.

Use these strategies to address discord before interpersonal issues undermine your business-and your passion for practice.

Take these steps, and find that new person who fits with your team perfectly.

Bob Barker, longtime host of "The Price is Right," has always encouraged viewers to spay and neuter their pets.

Recent pet-related news from the courts.

As pets grow nearer and dearer to the human heart, they also grow nearer to legal trouble. Here are a few recent sticky situations pets and their people have found themselves in:

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

Acres Animal Hospital in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, has found a way to help both the practice and its clients see green.

I'd wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 7 years old, but after 12 years in practice, I didn't know if I could stand another day. I was frustrated, tired, and worn out by the constant stresses of practice, including staffing headaches, client turnover, and financial strains. And those stresses were having a profoundly negative influence on my personal life, too.

You may need to change your credit-card receipts this year to comply with the The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACT), which demands truncation of credit-card and debit-card numbers.

E-mails you send to clients to inform them of new offerings or to update them on practice happenings could be considered spam under the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-SPAM). To stay on the right side of the law, follow these guidelines, set forth in the CAN-SPAM Act, for commercial e-mails to existing and potential clients:

West Hollywood, Calif., is trying to ban cosmetic surgery on animals, including tail docking, de-fanging, ear cropping, and botox for noncurative reasons.

Confrontation in the workplace can be tricky—you don't want to burn bridges, but you also don't want to suffer at the hands of a colleague.

I've been asked to be a witness in an animal cruelty case. How should I be paid?

Commit to these 10 culture changes to build a terrific practice.

With the advent of e-mail, it's easy to jot a disjointed note and send it off to clients or colleagues. But a slap-dash approach may lead you to say things you'd never consider appropriate if you were using a pen and paper. Keep out of trouble with these e-mail etiquette tips:

Studies show morale and turnover improve when team members feel appreciated.

A new San Francisco law passed by the Board of Supervisors says that backyard dogs deserve a daily change of water; edible and nutritious food; nontipping bowls; and a dog house with a roof, floor, and three sides.

I've played hockey for many years, often once or twice a week. One day it dawned on me I wasn't improving. Instead I was doing the same wrong things over and over--I was playing but not practicing. Finally, I took a skills class and was amazed at how much I didn't know.

At our practice, we have an inventory team that handles ordering and tracking of drugs, lab supplies, food, and so on. But we still struggle with inventory accuracy. Would establishing an incentive program for the inventory team help?

Dr. Ron Linkenheil, owner of the Corning Animal Hospital, in Corning, N.Y., brightens up staff members' Mondays with a special snack, which helps jump-start the week.

The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to decide whether the mandatory fee on cattle sold in the United States is legal. Half of the money goes to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and half to state beef councils to help fund advertising, research, and education programs.

In prior articles, I gave advice on creating and writing a strong, compelling vision for your life and work. But crafting the vision is just the first step. Next you must figure out how to make your vision a reality.

Work better with goal planning.

This goal planning form helps you think through the steps you'll take to achieve your objective and spot potential obstacles. (PDF)