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Cherie Buisson, DVM, CHPV

How to be a Good Boss: Make Your Employees Feel Safe

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When I was a baby vet, I worked for a taciturn male veterinarian who never failed to surprise me with his forward thinking. He always asked me questions, not to quiz me, but to soak up some of my fresh-out-of-school knowledge. He pushed me and protected me during the three years of my employment. If we had a misunderstanding, he was the first to pick up the phone and try to smooth out the situation.

I struggled with being female and looking very young. I had clients ask “where is the real doctor?” or “is your dad the doctor here”? I found this annoying and embarrassing but never really looked beyond the surface of these comments. One day, a backyard Chow breeder came in with his aggressive dog and her tragically aggressive puppies.

He insisted upon standing close to me on my side of the exam table instead of on the bench where he belonged. He commented about how cute I was and told me he bet my boyfriend loved to have me examine him all the time. He never touched me, but it was pretty clear that if he wanted to, he could. If I’m being honest, his horrible dogs bothered me much more than his behavior. I did blush and get out of the room as quickly as possible. I breathed a sigh of relief to have some space.

I casually told my boss about the guy – again, highlighting that he had aggressive eight week old puppies. I mentioned that he was also a “close talker” and had made a “pitiful” attempt to hit on me. My boss was enraged. I remember looking into his angry face and blinking, not really understanding what he was getting so worked up about. “You NEVER have to see that client again. You tell me right away if anyone ever says anything even slightly off-color to you. You don’t have to put up with that!”

Another boss of mine had one of her wealthy clients lay into me because I wouldn’t give treatments that her cat had received in the past. She was cruel and threatening. I went to the treatment room to gather myself and dry my tears. The technicians gathered around me and soothed me. They got me through the appointment. When my boss found out, she went into the room and had it out with the client. This was someone who spent thousands of dollars with the clinic every year and we earned every penny putting up with her behavior. She told the client to apologize to me or leave for good. She apologized, and I never saw her again.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what a good boss does. A good boss does NOT force you to see abusive clients. A good boss does not require you to stand silent while a client yells or curses at you. A good boss does not permit bullying behavior no matter how long someone has been employed or how valuable they seem. A good boss doesn’t allow a 40 year old man to physically intimidate a 25 year old woman in a small enclosed space because he’s “been a great client”.

A good boss takes care of their work family first and expects that because they are safe and supported, they will take excellent care of clients and pets. And a SMART boss knows that requiring you to tolerate those situations can have serious legal consequences. It is not a kindness to protect employees from harassment, it’s an OBLIGATION. We should all make sure we remember that and act accordingly.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Five Little Phrases for a Happier Workplace

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I’m from the south. I was born in Kenner, Louisiana and spent the first 9 years of my life immersed in southern hospitality.

My parents kept up their southern traditions when we moved to Florida. I still have trouble calling someone by their first name if they are my parents’ age or older. Seven years at Mississippi State University were the icing on the cake.  I fell easily into my southern manners and made “ya’ll” a permanent part of my vocabulary.

When I was working in private practice, my habit of saying “thank you” was frequently noted by my coworkers. My colleagues mentioned how nice it was to be thanked when handing me something, calling a client for me or when I left at the end of the day.  I was taken aback the first few times it was mentioned as an oddity. Doesn’t everyone say “thank you” all the time? Apparently not.

I’ve started paying more attention to how people at work and out in public speak to each other, and I’m appalled, ya’ll!

A little bit of kindness and respect goes a LONG way. I’m going to share with you my five go-to phrases that bring some positivity into my daily life. Most of us were taught these five words as children. Let’s bring them back and see if we can create a culture of respect in our practices!

1. Please

Put this in front of whatever you’re asking, even if you’re not technically asking. “Would you please call Mrs. Smith and let her know Tiger’s blood results are all normal?” Yes, you expect this to be done, but there’s no reason you can’t ask respectfully. If you say “please” to another veterinarian but bark at your staff, they see it, and they lose respect for you.

2. Thank you

It’s such a simple thing. Two little words to let someone know you appreciate what they’ve done. If you don’t already thank your staff at the end of the day, try it for two weeks. “Hey, thanks everyone – you did a great job today!”.  I’m betting you’ll notice an increase in morale and helpfulness pretty quickly.

3. No, thank you

If someone took the time to track you down and ask you if you’d like to order lunch, the least you can do is thank them for offering. Plus, there’s a bonus of practicing using the word “no”, which we all need to say more often!

4. Excuse me

I’ve been told to “MOVE!” more times than I can count, both inside and outside the clinic. Being elbowed aside and told to get out of the way is insulting. “Excuse me” may have two more syllables to contend with, but the person hearing it isn’t likely to wish you’d stand up quickly and bang your head on a cage door.

5. I’m sorry

If all else fails and you end up treating someone badly, seek them out when things have calmed down and apologize. When I apologize, the staff usually laughs at me. They didn’t notice I was being snotty, but I know when I’m being impolite or unkind. Most mature professionals understand that things said in the heat of the moment weren’t personal. Hearing you say it lets them know you respect them and don’t want to upset them.

These phrases may not create huge changes in your life, but I guarantee you the difference will be noticeable. Obviously, if there’s an emergency, all bets are off, but most of the time when our colleagues are rude, it’s laziness and not panic that is to blame. Making the effort to be kind shows the people around you that you respect them.

Keep in mind as well that clients are watching everything you say and do. If you treat your colleagues disrespectfully, how are you treating their pet behind closed doors? I’ve had clients remark to me in private that they couldn’t believe people actually thought it was ok to speak to someone that way.

And speaking of clients, make sure that you take the time to let them know they are appreciated. If there’s a client who makes your day better just by showing up, say it out loud.  Be sure you acknowledge that they are special and that they mean the world to you and your fellow staff members.

Are there things you say that make the day better? Has a colleague said something to you that lifted you up? Share with us!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

What I Learned From Getting Stood Up at a Conference

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I’m sitting in an empty room at a conference trying to decide if I’m upset that no one showed to hear my lecture. I’m about 90% not taking it personally, and 10% feeling small and unimportant.

Logically I know that it’s Sunday morning (the last day of the conference), and this was a very specialized lecture placed in the first time slot of the morning.  This is a recipe for disaster. People often skip the first lecture of the day because it’s too early. I know, because I’ve been one of those people. Ten am seems so much less annoying than driving to get somewhere for 8 or 9, especially on a weekend.

There’s a little bit of disbelief and delight that I’m being paid to sit quietly in an empty room for an hour. How many of my fellow veterinary professionals just wish they could do that for free? What should I do? Meditate? Sleep? Catch up on social media? No, I’m choosing to write an article (i.e. work). Call it a great work ethic if you like. Personally, I think there’s something wrong with me.

So I’m writing an article and being mindful of my breathing (now I’m multitasking – seriously?!?). I’m trying to find the lesson in this moment. I also have three more lectures, and a tiny voice in my head is asking if anyone will show. Is it possible I’ll have four hours of solitude? (spoiler alert – NO – I’m talking about compassion fatigue later, so everyone will be here).

I think the lesson here is to seize the moment. Instead of stressing out and sweating and pacing – I found something to fill the time. I rested my voice (and my aching feet). I wrote. I thought. I breathed. Feeling content with your circumstances isn’t about what you intended to happen. It’s about finding a way to seek the beauty, fortune, or peace in what IS happening. Sometimes we are given a gift in the guise of a loss or disappointment, but if we focus on the loss, we can miss its sidekick: opportunity.

I’m not advocating for “grin and bear it” or always seeking the positive. Ignoring a small or large disappointment isn’t generally the best tactic. However, wallowing in it doesn’t exactly provide great results. Here’s my advice:

Acknowledging that this is something that really upsets you comes first.

Being ok with the fact that you are disappointed, hurt, or upset and loving yourself anyway is second.

Looking for the lesson is third. If you can’t find a lesson, just allow yourself to “grieve” for as long as you need to and then move forward.

Veterinary professionals tend to gravitate toward dissatisfaction, especially with their own performance (at everything). This does not in any way lead to peace or happiness. The next time you are disappointed, look for a way around it, rather than continuing to throw yourself against a closed door. Look at what lies beneath what you want and you may find exactly what you need.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Learn From the Customer Service Story of My Family Legends

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When I went away to college at Mississippi State University, I was a wreck. I’d never been away from home. Though I fell in love with the campus the second I set foot on it, being left alone there was another story. College was something I had worked my whole life for, but I was absolutely terrified.

I put aside my anxiety and bravely attended my first day of classes, only to find that my name wasn’t on the roll in any of them. For an introverted 18-year-old kid, this was the stuff of nightmares.  When I called to find out what happened, I discovered my entire schedule (that I had woken up at 5am to secure) was gone because a small fee had not been paid.

At orientation, Dr. Ruby had given all the parents his home number with instructions to call if they ran into trouble. When I called my Dad and told him my schedule had vanished, he was going to calmly try to talk me through how to fix it myself.

When he heard me holding back tears and panic because I’d already tried, he decided to avail himself of Dr. Ruby’s number.  I think it’s telling that he had the number ON HIM at work.

While I sat in my dorm room trying not to cry, this is what was happening at my Dad’s office:

His boss, seeing his red face (and likely the steam coming out of his ears), put him in a private room to make the call. Dr. Ruby answered.

“Dr. Ruby, I’m going to try really hard not to yell at you right now. My baby is up at MSU away from home for the first time. She has two thousand dollars on account, and some idiot in the registrar’s office just canceled her entire schedule over a $25 fee. We were assured everything was paid when we left.”

Now I have to tell you, my Dad has a VERY scary voice. I mean pee-your-pants scary if you get on the wrong side of him. They called him “the Voice” at the office and sent unruly customers to him. Those customers almost always settled down after a few words. While this may not look scary in type, trust me, there was murder in his tone and you could hear his teeth gnashing.

In deep voice with a thick southern drawl, Dr. Ruby said pleasantly, “Mr. Buisson, let me assure you. I will handle this evil which has befallen you”.

BOOM.

He left my Dad nearly speechless. “Okay” was all he could manage before hanging up. I called him 15 minutes later.

“What did you DO? All my classes are back!”

This story has been told umpteen times every year for the last 23 years. It’s one of our favorites. Seriously, if you ever meet my Dad, have him do his impression of Dr. Ruby.

Mulling it over, I realized what a brilliant customer service move Dr. Ruby made. Here’s why:

  1. He listened. He didn’t interrupt, or tell my Dad to lower his voice. He just listened.
  2. He responded in a way that indicated he heard the words, the tone, and the feelings
  3. He acknowledged the gravity of the situation – he held in his hands my Dad’s eldest child and only daughter as well as a big financial investment
  4. He kept his promises
  5. He disarmed my Dad with humor (for those of you who need to be told, this isn’t always appropriate)

In two sentences, he calmed a freaked out parent and made sure his worry was addressed. This is what we do every day in veterinary medicine. We handle freaked out parents who have trusted us with their beloved pets. Our clients often feel out of control and helpless. They may not be 700 miles away, but they feel as though they are. If we take the time to hear them, let them know their concerns are valid and important, and promise only what we can deliver, then we may gain their trust and loyalty.

It isn’t always that easy. Dr. Ruby got lucky in that my Dad was trying to be reasonable and has a wicked sense of humor. I wonder, though, how many of us spring to defensiveness first and then sort out the carnage later. Had he chosen that route, this story wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining.

Next time you have to deal with a person in distress, pause a beat. Take a breath. LISTEN. If you look at good customer service as a challenge instead of a chore, you might start to enjoy the nuances. You may even become the stuff of legends.

Thank you, Dr. Ruby.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Why You Should Consider “Drastic” Measures for Your Pet’s Cancer

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I hate osteosarcoma. This bone cancer is a cause of major pain for pets and heartbreak for their owners. Many dogs with osteosarcoma have a greatly improved prognosis with limb amputation.

However, the word “amputation” sends owners into a tailspin, and for good reason. They either have personal experience or they watch TV shows and movies where humans have amputation performed. Then they watch the amputee suffering through the mental and physical trauma as they adjust to missing a limb.

No one wants that for their beloved pet. What they don’t realize is that animals adjust rapidly in most cases. The pain they experienced in the cancerous limb is much worse than the healing pain of the amputation. My biggest problem with leg amputation is trying to keep my patients from running around while it heals!

In some cases, amputation is curative. Please, please read that again. Cancer can be CURED with amputation of a limb. Death can be warded off for months or even years in cases where a cure isn’t possible. Most importantly, quality of life can be restored to an acceptable level once the offending part is removed.

There are some cases where an amputation may not be the best choice. Pets whose cancer has spread can benefit from removal of the pain, but the cost of the procedure in relation to time left with good quality of life must be considered. If a pet has severe arthritis in their other limbs, removing one puts more pressure on the others.

However, with joint supplements and proper pain control, this may still be an option. I am still surprised and sad to see so many pets at the end of their lives that have never had any pain relief at all for their arthritis, but I digress.

When I worked in the shelter, I performed a large number of amputations. We didn’t have the funds to have fracture repairs done on pets. Amputation of a fractured limb was our only option. Animals with eye trauma or disease had eye removal (enucleation) performed. I vividly remember one of my enucleation cats rubbing her eye stitches against my hand while purring just a few hours after surgery!

If amputation isn’t an option for you, I completely respect your choice. I just want to make sure you are making a well-informed choice instead of having a knee-jerk response to the word “amputation”.

I’d hate for you and your pet to miss out on quality time together. If you have fears about the procedure, ask your veterinarian or veterinary nurse about their experiences (odds are, they’ve not only created tripods, they’ve owned them!).

This was my tripod, Jambie. He was injured badly as a kitten, and I amputated his leg. I was a young vet and terrified to perform the procedure, especially on such a small patient. He did extremely well. Sadly, I only had him for 3 years before a urinary problem from the trauma of the accident took him from me.

Still, I’m happy we got to love each other for 3 years and am grateful my boss was generous enough to allow me to operate on him. I took him home with me the night of his surgery to watch and worry over him, and he never left!  If you have a tripod (or tripawd), please share their story so we can save more lives and get more time with our pets because of this procedure. Don’t let fear steal your pet early!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

Why I Support Pet Owners Who Drop Their Pets Off for Euthanasia

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If there’s one thing I’ve learned being in hospice practice it’s that every grief journey is different. That’s why it pains me when I hear people pass judgment on a person who can’t or won’t stay with their pet during euthanasia.

Of course, we’d love all pets to pass in the arms of the one they love best, but sometimes that’s just not possible. Before we cast stones from our glasshouses, let’s consider WHY someone might not stay with their pet.

Years ago, I had a lovely family present me with a tiny Calico cat named Little Jeannie. She was 5 years old and six pounds of feisty adorableness. Jeannie hadn’t been feeling well, so she wasn’t her usual self.  We ran labs, all of which were normal. Because she was vomiting and not eating, I hospitalized her.

Nothing I did helped. I watched helplessly as this young, sweet cat deteriorated before my eyes. In a matter of 36 hours, she went from very sick to dying despite treatment.

I talked seriously with the owners about taking her to a specialist all the while knowing that it was very unlikely they could help. I was pretty sure she had Feline Infectious Peritonitis, one of the worst diseases in veterinary medicine. It’s a virus with no cure. The owners and their children were devastated. They elected to euthanize her.

I asked if they wanted to be present and was surprised when they said no. They had done absolutely everything I asked, spent large amounts of money and still I couldn’t save their beloved girl.

They kissed her goodbye (she barely noticed), and left crying their hearts out. I had no doubt of the love these people had for their cat – NONE. They just couldn’t bear to see her leave them. I euthanized her and then broke down, something that rarely happens to me. It was agonizing for me. I can’t even imagine that family’s pain.

We never know what’s going on in a client’s heart, head, or home. That person we judge could have just lost a family member. They could be suffering from depression or feeling suicidal. Maybe they have PTSD. Maybe they are afraid that their anxiety will betray them and they’ll have a panic attack in front of us.

Whatever their reason, it isn’t our place to push, or lay a guilt trip, or sneer. Rather, we can give them the gift of empathy and say, “You don’t have to be here. We will hold her and tell her goodbye for you. We will see her safely to the other side”. Those words could ease their pain. They could save a life. And isn’t that exactly what we are here to do?

A Veterinarian’s Promise

You left your baby with me

I knew you couldn’t stay

I told you I’d be by his side

I promised you I’d say

That mom and dad both loved him

And though they missed goodbye

They held his memory in their hearts

Their love would never die.

Just because you weren’t here

Doesn’t change the fact

That you gave him a gift today,

A final selfless act.

Though my hands held him gently

As he ceased to breathe

Know that YOUR hands gave him to me

For a peaceful way to leave.

-Dr. Cherie Buisson

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.