Just for fun! What else can we say? Source: Modern Dog, December 2016. Holiday gift ideas and irresistible finds for dogs & dog lovers. INSIGHTS: Our team found a couple items from the 48 shown that might be valuable for one of the four dogs in our collective households. Check out the onesie in slide 11 and the automatic ball launcher in slide 19. Just for fun! … [Read more...]
Use a travel checklist to make horse transportation as easy as possible
Equo says this time of year is horse-hauling season with an estimated one million horses to be transported across the country. They offer a travel checklist for all items to consider for those cross-country jaunts. Source: Equo, November 14, 2016. Another ‘must-have’ for every trip is your documentation, make sure you contact your vet before your trip and ask him what … [Read more...]
Social media is meant to be social
Using social media effectively means much more than having an online presence. It means choosing content wisely and actually engaging with clients to build their confidence and trust in the practice. Source: Veterinary Team Brief, November/December 2016. Team take-a-ways: Veterinarians: As practice owners, the ROI of paying team members to spend time online likely is … [Read more...]
Quench winter thirst
“Water is key. I think we underestimate the effect water plays on the metabolic systems of the horse,” says Britt Stubblefield, DVM, of Rocky Top Veterinary Service in Guffey, Colorado. He explains that access to water is especially important for horses when there are extreme changes in the environment, such as fluctuating temperatures fall turns into winter. Source: Western … [Read more...]
Bigger is not better
Larger dairy cows don’t necessarily mean they will feed efficiently. Size and yield in dairy cows are not genetically correlated, says Lou Armentano, a University of Wisconsin dairy nutritionist. Source: Dairy Herd Management, December 8, 2016. But we are currently selecting for big cows, reducing positive [genetic] pressure on yield while selecting against feed efficiency. … [Read more...]
Quick-hitting thoughts from Drs. Blach and Clark
Dr. Blach shares intriguing thoughts on veterinarian accessibility in Don’t hide from your clients and reminds practice owners to fund education for staff in Educate your heavy lifters. Dr. Clark warns against some of the risks of year-end inventory deals in Year End “distributor or manufacturer buying” unintended consequences reminder. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, … [Read more...]
Pets help people manage mental illness
Anyone who owns a pet knows how it can help us weather rough times. This may be even more so for those with serious mental illness. A United Kingdom study found that some people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder say pets help them manage their condition more than anything else. The study was published December 9 in the journal BMC Psychiatry. Source: NPR Shots, December … [Read more...]
Talk about feline heartworm limited
Veterinary technicians don’t talk about preventive care as much as they could, says Ciera Miller, CVT, VTS. Feline heartworm has been diagnosed in all 50 states. It was important enough that the American Association of Feline Practitioners crafted an entire campaign about it. But reluctance remains strong. Source: Vetted, November 22, 2016. Many veterinary staff members are … [Read more...]
6 holiday horse care tips
The busy holiday season and winter’s short days directs much of our attention to families, friends and work. Remember the horses are not “out to pasture” and need winter care. Source: Ride with Equo, November 18, 2016. Equo shares various horse care tips to follow for this holiday season to successfully look out for horses in the busiest time of the year: Find time to … [Read more...]
The cost of convenience euthanasia
Your behavior could be costing you on many levels, writes Portia Stewart, editor of Vetted. About 10 percent of pet owners who relinquish their pets say it's because of behavior issues. Consider that 7.6 million pets end up in shelters each year and 2.7 million are euthanized, behavior is a high risk factor that can disrupt the human-animal bond. Source: Vetted, December 1, … [Read more...]
Why wellness plans?
"Use a picture. It's worth a thousand words.” That’s all that’s needed to introduce how a wellness plan program transformed Dr. Brandy Fraser’s practice. DVM 360 staffers turned her experience into a flowchart. Source: Firstline, November 30, 2016. Premier Veterinary Alliance veterinarian Brandy Fraser shared a wellness plan program that has changed the way they practice. … [Read more...]
You’re probably a bad listener
Most people don’t think that they’re bad listeners — but they are. Are you? The first and most important step in overcoming bad listening habits is to become more aware of them. Source: Bottom Line Personal, September 15, 2016. Roger Flax, PhD, shares nine common bad listening habits, plus strategies for becoming a great listener. INSIGHTS: We especially liked how Dr. Flax … [Read more...]
10 things humans do that dogs don’t like
This list of don’ts caught our eyes. Consider using this on websites, blogs or in newsletters. A version of this would be good in new pet orientations as well. Source: About.com, January 2016. Jenna Stregowski, RVT, provides concise reasoning for each of the 10 don’ts to match descriptive photos: Hugging Dressing them up Getting in a dog's face and personal … [Read more...]
Effective strategies for winter calf raising
Winter weather is coming any day now. Luciene Ribeirio offers recommendations for improving results when raising calves in the winter. This content could be used in newsletters, blogs or websites. Veterinary clinic staff members and sales representatives can consider identifying a target group of customers where winter problems are well-known. Then, send the article by e-mail … [Read more...]
Holiday pet safety tips
Marianne Lipanovich writes about the risks of holiday changes to pets in this article for pet owners. She reminds readers about the chewable risks and the effect of confusing human activities and guests that can stir up pets. Animal health pros can use this content in blogs, websites and newsletter ahead of the upcoming holiday celebrations in December. Source: The Bark, … [Read more...]
Drs. Blach and Clark offer tips
The recent edition of Is My Practice Healthy? contains good food for thought on improving customer experiences, managing inventory and the use of a loyalty credit card to extend accounts payable terms for drugs and supplies. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, week of November 21, 2016. … [Read more...]
Keep pets safe this Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a week from today. It’s a great holiday, but it can also present hazards for pets. AVMA offers home, party and travel advice that’s ready to go in clinic counter material, blogs and newsletters. Source: AVMA. Holiday food needs to be kept away from pets, and pet owners who travel need to either transport their pets safely or find safe accommodations for them … [Read more...]
R E S P E C T retains clients
Steven Pearson, DVM, shares five ways to ensure your veterinary practice can meet clients' needs. He reminds us all that time is valuable, regardless on which side of the exam table you stand. He says practices must provide high-quality services in a relaxed and consistently respectful manner to reach their full potential. Source: Veterinary Practice News, November 1, 2016. … [Read more...]
Mobile greatly influences searches, purchases
Price transparency is truly in-hand, according to a recent survey that investigates how U.S. consumers use their smartphones in stores. 47 percent plan to use their smartphone to search for competitors' prices 36 percent will look up product reviews 30 percent will sign up to receive in-store promotions 28 percent will take pictures for future reference 16 … [Read more...]
Warmth and competence critical to first impressions
When you put people into decision-making mode they are being influenced by logic and emotion. Additionally, the bigger the decision, the more emotion influences the final outcome. So, very often your technical competence as a DVM or vet tech will work against you when dealing with increasing customer compliance. Source: Business Insider, January 16, 2016. If someone you're … [Read more...]
How millennials are changing distribution
Distributors are re-examining their strategies as millennials become a populous and educated segment of the workforce, Michael Wilson writes. Their online purchasing preferences are reviving the need to practice consultative selling as distributors shift to meet customer preferences. Source: Industrial Distribution, October 4, 2016. Consultative selling refers to a method … [Read more...]
Future of logistics is ever-changing
Animal health pros and our customers depend on logistics. The fulfillment systems we use to speed product and service delivery to the animals that need them are evolving with lightning speed. We all benefit from efficiencies the internet has created. For example, it’s now common to send a last-minute report to be printed at a hotel across the country as we’re en route and have … [Read more...]
A recommendation or a need?
Last month, we featured an article by Dr. Andy Rourk in which he posits, “Stop abdicating our (DVM) position.” One of the main tenets of the principles of influence is authority. As a DVM or vet tech, you are the authority and it is time to start using it and the other principles to influence your customers and increase your hospital’s patients’ levels of compliance. Source: … [Read more...]
Rising prescription drug prices affect pets, owners, vets
Soaring prescription drug prices are hitting pet owners’ pocketbooks hard. And, giving a pet the medicine it needs can be more expensive than caring for a person since the owner may not have pet insurance or the pet may have a pre-existing condition. Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus recommends that pet owners shop for best prices, especially when a pet is prescribed a … [Read more...]
“Why Stay?” Important conversations.
Most years, an average of 14 percent of your hospital clients will move. One percent will die and one percent will get seriously ill. Job loss will hit another 1.25 percent and 1.5 percent will divorce. Combined with a natural, annual attrition rate of almost 20 percent, it is important to prioritize how you will attract new customers. Unfortunately, that attention to new … [Read more...]
Editorial – Manage product deliveries efficiently
Amazon will soon deliver to businesses and homes. If we accept that a 2 full-time DVM equivalent veterinary hospital places 10 orders weekly to replenish its inventory, then it is likely that those orders will arrive in 20 to 25 different boxes. Some of these boxes come via UPS, FedEx, U.S. Postal Service and some from distributors or manufacturers. This can add up to three … [Read more...]
Be visible and contribute to your community
Ed Blach, DVM, MS, MBA, believes relationships matter and community visibility is important for veterinarians. He discusses trust, millennials and relationships based on his experiences. Source: Is My Practice Healthy?, September 26, 2016. Building trust with your clients is crucial to developing loyalty, word-of-mouth promotion, and return visits to your clinic. … [Read more...]
Dr. Leah Dorman talks about antibiotics
Dr. Dorman shared a few insights on how producers can effectively talk with consumers about antibiotics ahead of the 6th Annual NIAA Antibiotics symposium. Her comments provide reasoning for handling antibiotic discussions. Source: NIAA, September 29, 2016. Dorman is the Director of Food Integrity and Consumer Engagement of Phibro Animal Health. In this role she provides … [Read more...]
Satisfy 2 clinic customers
Ed Blach, DVM, MS, MBA, reminds us of the dichotomy of servicing both humans and animals as veterinary clinic customers. The same is true of retail associates who deal with the public. He says veterinary teams must love to service humans as much as they love dealing with animals to be successful. Source: Vet Advantage, September 2016, page 20. The client experience is … [Read more...]
Manage the pressure to discount
A longtime, good customer you cannot afford to lose suddenly asks, “Can you get me a better price?” Now what do you do. In our experience, price discussions are really about value. This customer doesn’t perceive the value equals the price you are asking, has forgotten the value he’s already getting or has read the latest book about negation. Source: Harvard Business … [Read more...]