Customer experience is a key strategy for companies to differentiate their products and services from close competitors. Source: ASCM, October 2022. Link. Customer experience passion must be part of company culture, meaning that employees should never be satisfied with what they are doing for customers today. INSIGHTS: First, someone needs to own the customer experience. … [Read more...]
NAVC seeks input on veterinary community issues needing advocacy
Veterinarian voices matter! NAVC’s Embrace, a grassroots advocacy initiative, zeroes in on issues that are important to the profession and the pet community and enables veterinary professionals to know and provide input on issues important to the profession. Source: Today’s Veterinary Practice, April 14, 2023. Link. Visit navc.com/embrace to sign up to receive advocacy … [Read more...]
Burnout at work isn’t just about exhaustion. It is also about loneliness.
Months before the pandemic and Galaxy Vet’s insightful investigations into our industry’s burnout, Emma Seppälä and Marissa King wrote about burnout and the accompanying loneliness felt by those dealing with individual challenges. Source: Harvard Business Review, June 29, 2017. Link. Burnout’s link to loneliness suggests that greater human connection at work may also be key … [Read more...]
Pause to say, “Good Job” to veterinary teams
Commentary – Complimentary Content While already into 2-Q-2023, the most recent Vet Watch Monthly Insight report shows veterinary teams have stayed the course to meet the demands of pet owners and rebalance some of the previous negative trends. Vet Watch numbers remain consistent down to a regional level. Individual practices are advised to look at their own practice results … [Read more...]
How to ask customers for online reviews
Asking for an online review just after the service or purchase is usually the best time, writes Austin Andrukaitis. He says the review process should be an integral part of your brand experience to help reinforce customer relationships, build brand loyalty and encourage people to tell others about your brand. Over 93 percent of consumers use online reviews to help make … [Read more...]
Why Americans care about work so much
Commentary Derek Thompson challenges us to consider the importance of work and how we got there. Currently, he says the history of work takes only six words: from jobs to careers to callings. It’s what comes next that intrigues him, including anticipating the fourth revolution in work. Today, work and workism are facing a double-barreled revolution—the remote-work … [Read more...]
Interest in miniature cattle continues to surge
Demand for miniature cattle is strong. They are the result of generations of selective breeding and choosing selected genetics to reduce size, while promoting the best breed qualities, conformation and temperament. They are 1⁄2 to 1⁄3 the size of full-size cattle and require less space than regular-size cattle. Two or three miniatures can be kept in an area normally required … [Read more...]
Do opossum feces guarantee EPM transmission?
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitiscan can spread to horses who eat hay, feed or drink water that is contaminated with opossum feces. EPM is a rare disease. Studies suggest that about one third of opossums are infected in Missouri compared to one tenth of opossums infected in Michigan. Not every horse that eats contaminated feed develops EPM and not every opossum is infected … [Read more...]
Animal slaughter is not the same as suffering
Maddy Butcher, author of “Beasts of Being: Partnerships Unburdened” and director of The Best Horse Practice Summit, wrote an opinion column that equine enthusiasts will appreciate. She also shares the realities of owning all kinds of animals. She wishes people with strong feelings about horse slaughter understood farm animals’ lives better, from birth to death. With no horse … [Read more...]
Dewclaws. Leave ‘em or remove ‘em?
Eileen Fatcheric, DVM, says the best answer to the dewclaw question is, “sometimes.” She shares the anatomy, pros, cons and the general opinions of breeders and dog owners based on the activities the dog will be expected to perform. Source: Whole Dog Journal, February 1, 2023. Link. All dogs are born with front dewclaws while hind dewclaws are absent in most dogs. The … [Read more...]
Keep the cat, manage the allergens
Cats are thought to be the third most common cause of indoor allergies, yet over 80 percent of cat owners ignore advice to give up their cat to help manage allergies. So, animal health pros often get questioned about reducing allergens, albeit not that directly. This article explains allergen sources and several ways to reduce their effect on the cat owner and family. Note … [Read more...]
Vector-borne disease screening critical to pet health
To help veterinarians stay ahead of the curve and provide the best care to their patients, this article explores why comprehensive screening is critical to pet health. It includes key insights into a lesser-known tick-borne disease that has become more frequently detected than Lyme. “Anaplasma is becoming the most common vector-borne infection they’re seeing dogs are exposed … [Read more...]
Vet pharmacist. Marijuana intoxication in dogs (video).
Complimentary Content Marijuana intoxication in dogs doesn’t make them high, it makes them incredibly ill. Keep all of those products up and out of the reach of our favorite pets.” – Elaine Blythe, Source: Veterinary Pharmacy Education, Instagram, April 10, 2023. Link. (2:00) Also available on Facebook. Link. Marijuana is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. There is no antidote … [Read more...]
Professional Animal Care Certification
Commentary There’s no doubt animal training improves care and stewardship while helping to increase the quality of life for our pets. It seems every week we see another person or organization launching some level of training. While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, duplication has its own challenges. Third-party training is available for pet care personnel … [Read more...]
Certified Veterinary Assistant Program summer session starts May 15
For some interested in working in veterinary medicine there is a stigma around the education requirements to become a veterinary technician or veterinarian. The Certified Veterinary Assistant Program is an excellent way for such a person to get started intentionally with entry level skills that benefit the practice and confirm the interests of the student. The Certified … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – April 10, 2023
2022 pet industry sales and trends, pet industry’s hottest small businesses, trends from the 2023 Global Pet Expo, Apple Pay support for small business, compliance to laws and regulations while bootstrapping, elevating small business appeal and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites – April 10, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Suicide attempt survivor writes “How Not to Kill Yourself”
Clancy Martin tried dying by suicide more than a dozen times. Using what he learned from those attempts, the philosophy professor with the University of Missouri-Kansas City wrote a new book, How Not to Kill Yourself, A Portrait of the Suicidal Mind. It can be helpful for anyone, but given the high rate of suicide in the veterinary profession, the book can be a lifesaver for … [Read more...]
A 2-minute burn out check up
Burnout is the result of chronic stress and, at work, that stress tends to accumulate around your experiences of workload, values, reward, control, fairness and community. Chris Bailey’s short assessment can help you gauge whether you’re on the path to burnout, and where you should focus your attention to make beneficial changes. Source: Harvard Business Review, April 9, … [Read more...]
Busy work
Self-generated busyness can crowd out the important things we need to do in our personal and professional lives. Source: Fast Company, March 20, 2023. Link. Letting go of distraction can feel difficult at first because it requires courage and determination. INSIGHT: Identify your business and social KPIs. Then determine what activities impact them positively. Prioritize … [Read more...]
The 5 most trusted pet retailers in 2023
Five pet retailers were recognized on Newsweek’s second annual Most Trustworthy Companies in America 2023 list. The list includes Amazon, Chewy, PetSmart and PetCo in the retail category top 10. Tractor Supply was not mentioned in the article but took 10th place. Walmart was ranked 25th. <Link> Source: Pet Product News, April 7, 2023. Link. Also see: Franchising is … [Read more...]
Chewy and Petco are increasingly reliant on pet health care for sales
Commentary With our recent post, “Pet-owning households on decline while spending remains strong” <Link> still resonating, we stepped back to the comments on quarterly reports from pet retailers Chewy and Petco. Gabrielle Fonrouge summarized key points from the respective earnings reports commenting, “Pet health care will be key to whether the companies can grow and … [Read more...]
The virtual vet will see you meow
A lot of us embraced virtual visits with our doctors during the pandemic. Some of us still prefer them. Pet owners’ adoption of veterinary telemedicine has not kept pace. A recent survey of more than 1,200 American cat owners showed that 72 percent of respondents used telemedicine for themselves, yet only three percent used it for their cats. Source: The New York Times, … [Read more...]
Stop giving s*!& away for free (video)
Commentary In what could be described as a rant, Amy N. Newfield, CVT, VTS (ECC), issues a call to action we’ve heard for decades. Stop giving away your valuable services for free! Stop telling clients that you agree that veterinary medicine is expensive and that your prices are too high! Stop apologizing for your prices! You are devaluing your time and your talent.” Amy N. … [Read more...]
Efforts to save endangered equine breeds
“Heritage-breed horses are not just useful and beautiful—they are an irreplaceable reservoir of equine genetic diversity,” says Charlene R. Couch, PhD. “These animals offer valuable traits that were developed over centuries, such as stamina, unique gaits, hardiness, sound feet and good skeletal structure.” The ancestral sources of many of the heritage breeds no longer exist … [Read more...]
Remember the social aspect of working with mules and horses (video)
Arkansas mule trainer Bob Smith shares the approach he uses with mules like Red in this informative video. We often leave the social aspect behind when we’re working with mules and horses. Too often we ignore the social nature and focus on what we want them to do for us . . . ” – Bob Smith Source: Missouri Mule Makeover/Ozark Mule Days, Facebook, March 30, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
Prioritize canine influenza vaccines based on animals at risk during shortages
Scott Weese, DVM, shares ways to determine which dogs need the canine influenza vaccines most since our industry continues to see shortages in flu vaccine supplies. Dogs considered to have increased risk of severe disease include seniors, pregnant, immune compromised, brachycephalic and those with significant cardiac or respiratory disease. Canine influenza is one potential … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – April 3, 2023
British Columbia doubling veterinarian numbers, Illinois legislature working to ban declaws, using AI to find employees to match a company, planning for retirement and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, April 3, 2023. Link. … [Read more...]
You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader
Matt Mayberry shares three actions that hone leadership skills to help become a highly respected and influential team member: Devote time to daily growth Discover and embrace your personal strengths Improve your ability to connect with people Source: Harvard Business Review, February 13, 2023. Link. Introverts, ambiverts, extroverts . . . anyone can learn how to … [Read more...]
Documentary highlights life and work of Temple Grandin
A documentary film about the world-renowned Dr. Temple Grandin recently completed shooting. The film, Open Door, features interviews with Grandin, her colleagues, industry professionals and those she has influenced throughout her career as a champion of human treatment of livestock, autism rights and inclusive neurodiversity. The production team includes eight current Colorado … [Read more...]
Managing compassion fatigue
The reality for most people working in the animal healthcare industry is that you will get compassion fatigue. The only question is do you manage it or allow it to control you? Source: AVMA. Link. . . . build a self-care plan that charts the path you think is best designed to help bring your life back into balance.” INSIGHT: Be compassionate with yourself first. Then your … [Read more...]