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Dr. Andy Roark Community

12 Things NOT To Do In Veterinary Medicine (If You Want To Be Sane)

July 29, 2015 by Dr. Andy Roark Community

We all tend to have a slightly glamorous vision of veterinary careers. We like to imagine ourselves changing the lives of every client, patient and stray animal that crosses our path every single day.

Then our careers begin and we are bombarded with the not-so-glamorous aspects: the medical records, inoperable tumors, anal gland explosions, crazy clients, long work hours, gossip, lack of sleep, joint pains, headaches, and realization that you just don’t have enough strength to do it all. I believe that, as we get further into our careers, we will all need to follow these tips on what NOT to do in the veterinary industry if we want to survive (plus keep your sanity).

Do not:

1. Save every pet

I know we all want desperately to save every pet that comes our way. That desire is probably what got us started in veterinary medicine in the first place. However, it just takes watching an episode or two of a pet hoarding show to realize this nightmare could become your reality if you take responsibility for every stray and abandoned animal that crosses your path. Help those you absolutely can, but be brave enough to say “no”.

2. Worry

Once you begin to worry about the day ahead, your surgeries, the sick pet you once lost under anesthesia, or your staff, you risk losing focus on what you can actually control. Worrying will get you nowhere.

3. Skip a vacation

We are tired, fatigued and stressed people. You need your beauty rest and a week of relaxation. Even if that means a stay-cation, sometimes you need a break.

4. Get into the drama

Who honestly has time for petty drama? Pick your battles and ignore the rest. If things are getting out of hand, go to your boss and not your co-worker.

 5. Eat all the donuts

Who can resist all the scrumptious treats our clients drop off? Unfortunately, if you indulge in every one, you might notice your waistline gradually (and continuously) expanding. Treat your body well and it will continue to hold up for years to come.

6. Bring your baggage

Whether you are affected by your work life or home life, you need to leave your baggage at the door.

 7. Take your boss for granted

Most of the time, your boss is wearing many hats. This person may be trying to manage, lead, own a clinic and fit being a veterinarian in somewhere as well. Don’t take it for granted that he or she juggles these duties all day, every day. Cut ‘em some slack.

8. Pass up a veterinary convention

Veterinary conferences or conventions are a ton of fun. They are usually packed with exciting lectures, contests, and concerts; and who can resist the freebies in the exhibit hall? There are new things to learn and new inventions to discover. It can gel to become some fantastic time away from the clinic.

9. Judge pet owners

You never know who your clients truly are. You cannot judge them based on their appearance or initial attitude. The old adage holds true here; never judge a book by its cover!

10. Forget about your support staff

The support staff (assistants, technicians, receptionists and kennel staff) is the heart of your clinic. The moment you take them for granted is the moment your clinic gets crushed with gossip, turnover and turmoil.

11. Tell distant relatives and acquaintances your profession

 Unless you want late-night texts and phone calls about hairballs and fleas, it would be wise to not broadcast your profession. Don’t you get enough questions from paying clients?

12. Join social media groups for dog breeders

Do you really want to have an aneurysm reading all the crazy things rogue breeders are up to? You cannot fix the world and you should probably never join one of these groups unless you want to make it to an early grave. Just trust me on this; you will not win this battle!

The veterinary industry is full of stressors, but they can easily be managed if you know what NOT to do. Take some of the stress out and choose your battles wisely if you want to survive. 

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.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jada Lewis, CVT – Originally from Wisconsin, but now residing in Glendale, AZ., Jada has been a CVT since 2008. She enjoys writing blogs and helping clinics provide better patient care with Smart Flow. You can check out more of her blogs at http://blog.smartflowsheet.com.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Team Culture

Why We Fail Pets When We Judge Pet Owners

July 18, 2015 by Dr. Andy Roark Community

Years ago, I worked for a small animal clinic in Fleming Island, Florida. The area was becoming more developed, but there was still a lot of rural area around, with a majority of old country folks living there. Our clinic saw mostly dogs and cats, with birds and exotics making up the balance.

One day, an older lady showed up without an appointment. To all appearances, this lady didn’t have two pennies to rub together. Mrs. Strange was thin, with much-worn clothes and the sallow complexion of a lifelong smoker. The dog with her wasn’t much better off. The older black pit bull, Coal, was emaciated but with a swollen, pendulous belly and a wicked cough. It was clear, however, that she loved this dog with all her heart.

Coal was Mrs. Strange’s companion and protector while her husband drove a long-haul tractor trailer for days or even weeks at a time. The dog had even kept Mr. Strange from entering his own home one late night when he returned home from a run a few days early. Not until he reassured the dog, ‘Coal, it’s Daddy,” was the gentleman of the house allowed in.

Coal was somewhere around ten years old, and had never been on heartworm preventative. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t been seen by a vet since he was a puppy.

Certain that most of the diagnostics I offered would be refused, I was mildly surprised when Mrs. Strange agreed to blood work and a heartworm test. Unfortunately, we didn’t get as far as the ELISA test; a direct smear revealed more microfilaria (heartworm larvae) than red blood cells. And, just in case there was any doubt, Coal coughed up an adult heartworm onto the exam room floor. Clearly, the prognosis was bad.

Dr. Mike Ricker explained everything to Mrs. Strange and she opted to take him home and think about what to do. In as poor a condition as this dog was, treatment might even prove fatal. We offered to refer them to the University for a modified treatment that might be less stressful thinking anything we could do to help this poor, sick dog should be discussed.

Mrs. Strange’s husband was due home; She wanted him to be a part of the decision. We sent her home with medication to make Coal more comfortable, and she paid her bill in full with cash. We honestly didn’t expect to hear from them again, except perhaps to be told that Coal had died on his own.

The next day they called and scheduled euthanasia. Mrs. Strange and her husband came at midday with Coal. Mr Strange looked much like one would expect a long-haul trucker to look; long grey hair, ball cap, worn and faded jeans and a t-shirt advertising a far-away truck stop. We spent a surprising lunch hour laughing and crying along with them while they said goodbye to their Coal. Once again, they paid their bill in cash and took Coal to bury him at the only home he’d known.

Once more, we never expected to see them again.

In areas with rural residents who are used to doing for themselves, it’s not uncommon to have pets brought in at death’s door. The owners often hope we can work some kind of miracle to snatch their pet from the brink. They feed their dogs table scraps and Old Roy, get their vaccines from the feed store, and do their doctoring at home. Only when something is beyond their abilities do they seek help. Educating these people out of their self-sufficient mindset seems practically impossible.

Two days after Coal’s passing, Mr. and Mrs. Strange called to make an appointment for a new puppy. They came that very afternoon with the most beautiful red-nosed pit bull puppy I’d ever seen. Her name was Ruby and we all fell in love with her. No one was more smitten than her proud new parents.

We were told they wanted to do everything right by this dog. Ruby wanted for nothing; she was fully vaccinated and promptly started on heartworm preventative. Ruby’s owners followed our instructions to the letter, always grateful and appreciative of our help.

Over the next year, they presented us with two more red-nosed additions to their family. Both of them were accorded the same complete and loving care as Ruby. Mr. and Mrs. Strange became some of our favorite clients, and I looked forward to their visits.

Most of all, these people taught me a valuable lesson. Appearances are deceiving, sometimes in a good way. If we had all assumed that they were (and treated them like) uncaring pet caretakers because of their first dog’s condition, I’m willing to bet they never would have come back.

Never assume you know someone’s story just because of how they look or act. Coal may have been a medical nightmare, but he was loved. The feelings his owners had for him ensured his successors were the most pampered, healthiest and happiest dogs I’ve ever known. I was, and still am, grateful for the lesson.

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.


Debi Matlack

Debi Matlack is that rarest of creatures, a native-born Floridian. She still lives there with her husband, another Native Floridian, and four cats. She hopes that someday her writing might prove popular enough to support her in the manner to which she would like to become accustomed, probably becoming a crazy cat lady (but a well-financed one).

You can find Debi’s recent novel Old Dogs for sale here.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Life With Clients, There I Said It

Stop Counting Victories in Saved Lives

July 15, 2015 by Dr. Andy Roark Community

Several days ago, a client was waiting for a procedure to be finished on her “therapy cat,” which she can’t be separated from. Interpret that how you will, but it’s safe to say this client would fall into the “high maintenance” category. To be honest, I am not sure she is from this planet originally.

Rather than waiting in our waiting room or on one of the several outdoor benches provided on the hospital patio, this client decided the front deck of my home would be a great place to set up camp and chain-smoke cigarettes while she waited. Granted, I do live on the same property as the hospital, but my house is across the parking lot with signs clearly marked “private.” I have never had a client be so brazen before. I love living on-site most of the time, but the lack of privacy during business hours can be challenging at times.

This intrusion really bothered me. I am self-confessed Type-A, moderate OCD, and a non-smoker. To be honest, I have been known to freak out a bit if a trashcan is turned the “wrong way” on the treatment cart or if surgical scrub gets missed when the counters are wiped down.

A few months ago I would have had a total tantrum and told her to get off the private residence property and “no smoking on grounds!” On this day (after a few fleeting seconds of internal irritation) I let my eyes wander to the gorgeous scenery and the sun shining… and decided it just wasn’t worth it.

This woman was the type of client that, if kicked off my porch, would likely just go bother someone in the waiting room. Some battles aren’t worth fighting.

Literally five minutes after this client left, there was another pet owner in my front yard with his dog. He was sitting on a bench in a small aspen grove. This gentleman was closer to the hospital than to my house, but he did have to climb up a rock-covered retaining wall to get where he was, so he must have known this was not part of the hospital grounds.

I felt like saying, “What the heck is going on? Is it ‘violate my privacy and wander all over the property day?’” Then I found out he was putting his dog to sleep and wanted to do it outside in the grass by the aspen trees rather than inside. My heart melted.

bigstock-Sweet-dog-laying-down-looking--25723856

It truly was a serene way to say goodbye to his companion and something special our vet hospital can offer. I took a moment to look around at the beautiful place that I get to live AND work in, and counted my blessings. Perhaps during good weather, this could become a service that we actually offer to our clients.

It felt really good to overlook the intrusion of my first client and then see the beauty of one small thing bringing such joy and peace to this man and his dog.

As veterinarians we often count “victories” in saved lives. We also hold ourselves to an unrealistic standard where we see all else as “failures.” We lose sight of the small things that make an enormous difference to pet owners on a daily basis, and our own happiness suffers for it. Sometimes just being caring and sensitive to make a client’s experience a little brighter during euthanasia is a victory to cherish.

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.


ashleigh head shot

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashleigh Olds, DVM, DABVP (Equine Practice) owns and practices at Aspen Creek Veterinary Hospital, a four-veterinarian mixed animal practice in Conifer, Colorado.  Dr. Olds particularly has particular interests in equine lameness, surgery, and dentistry. She can also be found treating dogs, cats, pot-bellied pigs, various small ruminants and camelids on a regular basis.  She shares her home and hospital with dogs, barn cats, horses (can there really be “too many” horses?), and her amazing daughter.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Life With Clients

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