Lyme disease and tick education: What's each veterinary team member's role?

Learn how the whole team can work together to educate pet owners about ticks and Lyme disease threats to help protect pets and their owners.

RECEPTIONIST

You're the first line of defense to educate pet owners. Clients often need to hear recommendations five to 10 times before it sinks in. To start a tick discussion, use questions like, "What preventives are you using for Roscoe?" and "How often do you take Harley for walks outside?"

PRACTICE MANAGER

Stock up on Lyme disease and tick education handouts, and place them in your reception area and hand them out to clients. Hint: You can find free handouts on building your practice's protocol and more in the tick toolkit at dvm360.com/toolkit.

TECHNICIAN

Talk to pet owners about the common myths of Lyme disease. Use the form at dvm360.com/lymeform to prepare answers to seven big Lyme disease myths. And don't forget to remind clients that it's important to keep up with prevention, even when temperatures drop.

VETERINARIAN

Set protocols for parasite prevention so your whole team reinforces your message. For example, your protocol might call for using in-clinic tests that detect common tick-borne diseases and you may define which parasite prevention you recommend and why.