Do You Recommend Pet Insurance?May 21, 2012 After two weeks in Michigan State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Katie, a 5-year-old Labrador retriever with a clotting disorder, was deemed healthy and was released. Multiple blood transfusions, medications and critical care had brought her owners an $18,000 bill. Fortunately, they were among the less than 1.5 percent of U.S. pet owners who subscribe to pet insurance. Because they had it, they were reimbursed more than $14,000. With improved technology and extensive veterinary offerings, costly medical bills are fairly common—as is an owner’s inability to pay unexpected bills. This can mean euthanasia for many animals, an increasingly unnecessary and passé practice. Frustration with pursuing Plan B treatment options or euthanizing an ill animal instead of treating it are leading more practitioners to promote health insurance for pets. “With pet health insurance, there’s no need for economic euthanasias,” says Lloyd Meisels, DVM, of Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Coral Springs, Fla. “None of the insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions, but many of the companies now offer 80-90 percent payment with a client co-pay, which significantly eases the blow.” After spending more than 80 hours researching pet health insurance options, David H. Wright, DVM, of …
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Learn This And Be A Life SaverMay 7, 2012If you saw an adult suddenly collapse and become unresponsive, would you know what to do? The old way to do CPR involved alternating chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing. The American Heart Association (AHA) has moved away from this mantra and now recommends a simple, two-step protocol: • Call 911 (or have someone do it) • Hands-only CPR (a.k.a. continuous CPR) This new technique is easier to learn, easier to perform and more effective than traditional CPR. It’s also simpler for 911 operators to explain to people. In fact, the chances of survival are approximately doubled with hands-only CPR (23 percent vs. 14 percent). The “new” CPR concept was developed by Gordon Ewy and Karl Kern, two cardiac researchers at the Sarver Heart Center and professors at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. Here is how they describe the technique: • Quickly place the person on their back, on a hard surface • Check for responsiveness by “shaking and shouting” • Put the heel of one hand in the center of the chest (between the nipples) • Put your other hand on top of the first • Very importantly, lock your elbows • Put your shoulder directly over the …
Let Staff Play, And They Will StayMay 4, 2012 Over the weekend I had the pleasure of joining a large veterinary practice on their annual retreat. It was in Oregon/Washington, up in the wilderness in the pine woods and hills, and it was fantastic! They had invited me to present a day-long workshop on burnout and compassion fatigue, my favorite topics! Two of their team members had seen me present on these topics at SWVC (yes, they came down from Oregon to San Antonio), and took the topics back to their leadership. A long winding road up into the hills, and six hours later, we ended a wonderful day of interaction and positive energy. (By the way, I don’t do very well on long winding roads, so I was a bit green when we arrived up there. I was smarter on the way down, and pre-medicated myself appropriately!) But enough about me; let me tell you the most fantastic part of the story. This practice, which has a long history in the Portland area, holds this staff retreat every year. They change locations from time to time, and being in Oregon, they have the luxury of having one in the hills or one at …
Equine Practice: What Clients WantMay 2, 2012Equine practitioners constantly face diagnostic challenges. Without hesitation they invest in the knowledge, resources and equipment needed to meet these challenges, because it is their passion. But very few practitioners take the time to diagnose the health of their business. Good business and good medicine must work together for practices to truly succeed. One important component of good business and client service is to understand and implement an effective services marketing plan. Sample 1 The services marketing mix considers seven P’s: product, price, promotion, place, participants, physical evidence and process. When marketing veterinary services, all seven P’s should be considered. To put this into familiar terms: • Determine the service products horse owners want; • Set the price for those services; • Promote those services; • Decide where services will be offered (in the field, clinic, race track, etc.); • Manage the participants (clients and staff); • Provide physical evidence of these services; and • Control the process of service through procedures and flow of activities Sample 2 Beyond a “Gut Feeling” One of the most important of the seven P’s is product, and in the case of veterinary medicine, services are the products sold. In …
Keeping Hospice In Veterinary HandsMay 2, 2012 Our focus with this article is on people who compulsively collect old or sick animals and proclaim themselves operators of pet hospice homes or sanctuaries. Unfortunately, most of these self-proclaimed hospice workers use little to no veterinary medical supervision. Their collected animals suffer to death without proper pain management, comfort care or the human-animal bond. They might have started out as good Samaritans, working alone or with a group, rescuing animals and keeping a few, then a few more. Over time, they develop a strong urge to “save” more old and sick animals that were “abandoned.” That urge develops into a compulsive disorder. They collect more and more old, sick and special-needs animals. When their animals die, they exhibit tearful distress, blind denial or experience a pathological enlightenment. Their compulsiveness to collect more animals winds up harming their animals, themselves, their neighbors and their communities. A certain percentage of compulsive collectors of sick and old animals can maintain their operations for a time. But eventually many find themselves overworked, in debt, depressed and overwhelmed. The tipping point is when they acquire more animals than they can properly care for and house. Another tipping point into …
Construction Loans On The RiseMay 1, 2012 Lenders dedicated to the veterinary community say construction loan requests are up in the first quarter of 2012—in some cases double that from the first quarter of 2011. This increase is in part attributed to veterinarians’ need for additional space and lack of existing practices for sale. Not only are more veterinarians asking about loans, but more banks are willing to lend. While criteria for loan approval differ among lenders, experienced veterinarians able to prove a potential for profit are given consideration. “The down economy has forever altered the criteria by which veterinarians are approved,” says Annemarie Murphy, senior loan officer for Live Oak Bank of Wilmington, N.C. “A big difference is that lenders previously willing to give practitioners who filed bankruptcy a second chance, now are not. But strength of the individual to pay bills that would be acquired with a new practice on the amount of revenue currently generated is a good start.” Murphy says some who filed bankruptcy in the past but were given another loan again filed bankruptcy when practice revenue dropped. This is a risk banks are no longer willing to take. Interest Rates Lenders say interest rates for …
How To Ensure A Successful BuildMay 1, 2012 Before any successful commercial construction project begins, an “A Team” must be assembled: lender, architect, contractor and, of course, the owner. The team will work together to ensure a successful project and support the owner in decision-making. Some critical elements of all construction financings include sufficient capitalization and budget, timelines of the build-out, and the quality and strength of the contractor and architect. When the lender “builds” the project, a number of questions must be answered. Is the contract inclusive? An experienced lender checks contingency, permits, scope of work. What is and is not included as part of the project? Landscaping, security systems and phone generally are not included in the contract. Is the property properly zoned or does it need to be subdivided? What are the timelines on zoning and permits? What fees must be paid? Many municipalities require monies up front to review drawings, go through the planning process and issue permits. What is the deadline for closing on the land or building? Many times, a lender will provide a “bridge” loan to carry the project until the permit is issued. How many months will construction take? An experienced lender will add additional …
Change Is Inevitable; Profitability Is OptionalMay 1, 2012 The only constant in life is change; witness the veterinary profession over the past 50 years. Change has involved all facets of practice from species to quality and scope of medications and available treatment modalities. Reluctance to stay abreast of changes results in an increased chance of becoming obsolete in today’s competitive environment. This is especially true with the relative stagnation generated by an increased number of practices vying for the same limited pet population. To understand today’s problems, one must look back to the inception of veterinary medicine in the United States. Initially the profession’s minds and hands were not emphasized when price was placed on veterinary services. Most pets relax during laser therapy. Often, there was no charge for the diagnosis, only for the treatment. Compounding this problem, there was no charge for the treatment except for the medication. In other words, the profession was saying our time and expertise are worthless but the medication is worth far more than a reasonable markup. In essence, we became a store from the onset. Back in the early ’90s, we emphasized the sale of products. We marketed the practice as “one stop …
Bond And Beyond Bonus Content: A Brief History Of The Veterinary Hospice MovementApril 30, 2012 EDITORS' NOTE: This is special bonus content for Alice Villalobos' May 2012 column, Keeping Hospice in Veterinary Hands. The veterinary literature advocating for pet hospice as a professional service has been evolving since the 1990s. Two main groups have organized the pet/animal/veterinary hospice movement. Historically, the first group is the Nikki Hospice Foundation, founded in 1996 by thanatologist Kathy Marrachino, Ph.D. Nikki organized the first and second veterinary hospice symposiums in 2008 with some veterinary faculty and in 2009 with almost no veterinary faculty. I was an invited speaker at the 2008 event and Dr. Dani McVety attended the 2009 event. Our thoughts are recorded below. As of Jan. 17, none of the veterinarians listed on the website as part of Nikki’s Board of Directors are still serving. An official statement of the University of California, Davis, Veterinary School says it has severed its relationship with the Nikki group and has nothing to do with the symposiums even though they will be on the Davis campus. This begs the question: Is there any veterinary oversight for organizing the third Veterinary Hospice Symposium scheduled for July? We …
Y/d Feline And Concurrent DiseaseApril 27, 2012 The most common concurrent condition is chronic kidney disease, said Lynda Melendez, DVM, medical director of clinical research at Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. About 30 to 40 percent of cats with feline hyperthyroidism also have chronic kidney disease, she said. The most common concurrent condition is chronic kidney disease, said Lynda Melendez, DVM, medical director of clinical research at Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. Veterinarians have had nutrition as a new tool for managing feline hyperthyroidism for a little more than six months. Previously, veterinarians typically relied on radioactive iodine, thyroidectomy or anti-thyroid drugs, options that can prove expensive and have varied side effects. Nutrition can also be useful in managing concurrent diseases associated with hyperthyroidism, according to Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc., which launched its Prescription Diet y/d Feline Thyroid Health in both dry and wet formulations late last year. The most common concurrent condition is chronic kidney disease, said Lynda Melendez, DVM, medical director of clinical research at Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan. About 30 to 40 percent of cats with feline hyperthyroidism also have chronic kidney disease, she said. “Since [both are geriatric diseases], it’s not at all surprising …
