Jessica Vogelsang DVM

A Few Do Nots From a Critical Care RVT

July 6, 2016 by Jessica Vogelsang DVM

I am a Registered Veterinary Technician. I work in emergency and critical care, working every day to care for people’s companion animals.

RVTs will relieve their patient’s pain, perform diagnostic tests, treat/cure their ailments, soothe and comfort them, provide fluffy beds and hand feed pets, administer and monitor anesthesia, and assist in their surgeries and recovery. RVTs have exhausted themselves fighting to save a life with CPR, and cried with owners when they’ve made the difficult decision to let their pet’s suffering end with euthanasia. We are constantly furthering our knowledge so we can provide the best care possible.

What might sound like news to some people is this: veterinary hospitals are businesses. An animal ER does not work the same way as a human ER. We are not obligated to see your pet, especially if you are being belligerent or confrontational. We are not required to treat your pet without payment. Payment is due at time of service, not tomorrow, Monday, or at the end of next week. Yes, there are many pet insurances available, but most simply reimburse you after the fact… meaning you still have to pay at time of service. I’m not saying these things to be mean but to make you aware of the reality of the situation.

If your pet needs life saving treatments or surgery do not try to place blame on the veterinary staff for your lack of planning for a potential emergency. Do not call us uncaring, say we are killing your pet, that we clearly only care about money and not animals, or anything of the sort. And especially, do not threaten me, my coworkers, my job, or my hospital.

We care more deeply about each and every patient in our care (yes, even the biting ones) than you could possibly imagine. I’m truly sorry that we see you when you are upset, scared, angry, or worried, but I want you to know that we are there to be patient advocates and will do everything within our power to make your beloved friend/companion better.

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

Nicole is an RVT who works in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently in pursuit of specialty certification in emergency and critical care.

Why You- Yes, You- Should Have a Clinic Blog

July 4, 2016 by Jessica Vogelsang DVM

This post is sponsored by Merial.

Once upon a time, in a long-ago place where you could still find rotary phones and mustard yellow was an acceptable color to wear, people found veterinary clinics using a vast dusty tome known as the yellow pages. They would peruse the various rectangular ads, settle on one based on little more to go on than a name and logo, and actually pick up the phone to call you with any questions.

Oh, how times have changed.

Beginning in the mid-90s, the vast and depthless internet began to integrate itself into our lives, and society was forever altered. It took some people longer than others to catch on, particularly when it came to their businesses, and those who stubbornly continued to pour their advertising dollars into the yellow pages were quickly left in the dust. Let’s assume that since you are here online reading this piece on a site run by an internet veterinary powerhouse, you are not one of them. You are one of those people who sees the value in the limitless control over your branding offered by the world wide web. But does this include a blog?

As recently as 2009, the idea of a veterinary blog was met with incredulous smirks from both colleagues and businesses, who assumed I simply sat at home and photographed my dog wearing silly costumes. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that- now people who photograph their dogs wearing costumes have a million followers on Instagram® and book deals.) I simply smiled and plowed on, sure that history would vindicate me. It did.

Gradually, those same people came to understand that there was both value and necessity in creating an internet presence for businesses. It came with a lot of moaning and groaning, mostly from people who protested that they didn’t know how to write, or didn’t have time to write in a busy clinic, or both. They’d churn out a bland post about heartworm disease prevention statistics and then, when it bombed, point to it as an example of why blogging was a waste of time.

Well sure it is, if that’s how you do it.

The truth is, blogging and blogging well are two entirely different things, and it’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of a constantly evolving vernacular: SEO, bounce rates, page rank, content marketing. If you’re marketing your clinic, you should be aware of what these are, but to me the golden rule of veterinary blogging has always been this: Create Engaging Content. If you don’t, the rest of those things don’t matter anyway.

Throw away blogging for a second and think instead of cooking. If I’m going to make you a pizza, I can do it lots of ways: in a fancy convection oven, on the grill, over an open flame. Every year there’s a new trendy gadget for your kitchen that may help your cooking technique, but if you’re cooking with bland mealy dough your pizza is going to stink.

Yesterday’s Twitter® is today’s Snapchat®; pressure cookers and toaster ovens that will come and go. Your clinic’s story, however, is the ingredient that never changes. Blogging is how you shape that story.

Regular blogging allows you to be in charge of the image your clinic presents to the world and gives Google® something to deliver when people are searching for you.

If you’re not Hemingway, don’t worry. Writing a good blog is not the same as crafting the Great American Novel; it’s a skill that can be learned, albeit often at a price. You can learn by trial and error, or you can skip that work and have someone train you. Lucky for you, if you’re trying to build that skill set, we know of a free webinar about blogging specifically aimed at the veterinary team.

Merial, the makers of NexGard for dogs® (afoxolaner), has teamed up with internet marketing agency Vertical Measures to present an online marketing webinar series open to all. The next session, Blogging Best Practices, will be presented on three dates: July 7, July 21, and August 11.

The 60-minute webinar is free and open to all. For more information and to register, visit this link: www.verticalmeasures.com/nexgard-merial-webinars/.

If you’ve been dragging your feet on getting a blog off the ground, there’s no time like the present. Despite what the old guy with the yellow pages may tell you, we all need to keep up with the times. The effort is well worth it!

Quiz: What Fourth of July party item is your pet?

June 30, 2016 by Jessica Vogelsang DVM

It’s the height of summer! That means time for parties, fireworks, and- because we love you all- silly quizzes. If you’ve ever wondered what fourth of July party item best describes your pet (and who doesn’t?), we have the answer here for you. Enjoy, and be safe!

How Much of Yourself Do You Give To Euthanasia?

June 25, 2016 by Jessica Vogelsang DVM

The worst feeling in the world is euthanizing a patient. It is heartbreaking to listen to the owner cry. It is hard to watch the tears fall and see them at their most vulnerable. Before they walk out the door after saying good bye to their best friend, I have had many owners say to me, “This must be the worst part of your job. I don’t know how you do it.”

To be honest, it truly is the most difficult part of my job, and it has taken me many years to make peace with how I handle euthanasia. I came to the conclusion a few years ago that I wouldn’t just be the technician assisting the veterinarian for euthanasia. I was going to embrace it. I was going to give 100% of myself to keep the patient as comfortable as possible. I was also going to allow myself to be open, vulnerable and genuine with a client. I am sure that those sound like simple things. But truly embracing euthanasia is anything but simple.

It starts with the patient. When a pet comes in to be euthanized, I think about how this is their last moments on this earth. They shouldn’t be scared, anxious or stressed. I am a huge advocate for sedation for euthanasia. I discuss giving a sedative with the owner and allow them the ability to choose if they feel their pet needs it. Very rarely will an owner decline sedation. I explain how it allows the pet to be calm, less anxious. This is a stressful time for the pet and the owner. I also explain seeing their pet relaxed, may help the owners feel more relaxed in the situation. I also try my best to provide warm blankets, lots of pets and definitely lots of treats for the pet.

This ends with the owner and how they perceive their experience. Some owners have had previous traumatic experiences with euthanasias.

Some owners haven’t experienced having to put a pet to sleep. The most important thing I can do is make sure that this is a smooth, peaceful and comforting event for them. I will talk with them about what consists of. I explain that their pet will peacefully fall asleep. I will answer any questions they may have. I provide them with as much time as they would like to spend with their pet before we proceed. I also will listen to any stories and help them navigate any guilt that they are feeling. I will provide an endless supply of tissues. I will put my hand on their shoulder or give a hug if needed. I will walk them out to their car and tell them to “Take care.” I will do this all holding back tears, although sometimes they will fall.

Euthanasia is the ugliest part of our job. But we can make it a beautiful thing by being present, supportive, open and vulnerable for our clients. We can give them the peace of knowing they made a necessary choice. Not every client will remember their first puppy visit at a clinic. But all of them will remember having to put their pet to sleep. It will be burned into their memory. Do your best to make it as smooth of a transition as possible. So to truly embrace euthanasia, you have to always give everything you have to give emotionally to your patients and clients.

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

Jade is a licensed technician of 9 years who lives in Port Orchard, Washington. She enjoys emergency and critical cases, dentistry and creating a bond with her clients and team. During her off time she is busy keeping up with her two crazy Basenjis!

Why You’re Miserable at Work (and Five Ways to Fix it)

June 22, 2016 by Jessica Vogelsang DVM

What is it like to work in a veterinary clinic? You’ll never eat a hot meal (and some days you won’t eat at all). You’ll never have time to go to the bathroom. You’ll smell all day from the urine, poop and vomit that’s on your scrubs. You’ll get yelled at by clients over the phone or in person. You’ll be disrespected/mistreated by co-workers or even managers. You’ll never be able to make plans because you’ll never leave on time. You’ll feel helpless.

Notice that I only mention the negatives. Unfortunately, our profession is plagued by negativity. It’s easy to get caught up in negative thinking and difficult to stop.

I used to think this way, and had to do something to change my thinking. I mean, we are here to make a difference, right? Negative thoughts day in and day out will eat you up and turn you into someone you don’t want to be. You will never be successful in this profession if you let the negativity take over your life.

Here are the 5 lessons that saved me and helped me fall back in love with my profession.

1) Remember why you chose this profession in the first place

You’re an advocate for the patient. Your patients can’t speak for themselves so you are here for them. You take care of them, console them, and love them with all your heart. You make sure that they are back in the client’s arms better than when they came in. Being a part of their life and knowing that you made a difference may just be enough.

2) You Are In Charge Of You

You have rights as an employee. That includes a break. I’ll be the first to say I’ve gone 8 hours without eating many times which made me cranky and probably an ass to work with. Doesn’t mean it’s okay. I’m convinced that a vet tech invented the word Hangry. If you have to find an unconventional way to eat, then do it. It might be when you’re in the bathroom, but look on the bright side: You ate and you emptied your bladder.

3) You may not control how others treat you, but you control how you react

I’ve been cussed and yelled at, bullied, ignored and talked about behind my back. I was very naive early in my career and worried about everything. I complained every day. It’s exhausting day in and day out to be a negative Nellie. One day, I woke up and realized that I was too tired to care anymore what others thought. I know who I am and that’s all that mattered. Smiling just pissed those people off more which gave me satisfaction and helped me throughout the day.

4) Lighten up

We deal with sickness and death every single day. It’s okay to dance a jig every now and then. Favorite song comes on while you’re filling a script? Checking emails? Even in the MRI cage? Crank it up and dance. Yea, I said it. DANCE! Feel better? Yeah you do. Don’t feel guilty for having a little fun at work.

5) You must have a life outside of work

I was pulling in 50 hours a week and my days off were full of sleeping which left me dull and useless to my friends and family. After years of doing this, I had enough. I got my life back once my co-workers and I took turns staying late. Also, life outside of work means going out with people other than co-workers. When I went out with co-workers after work, we only talked about how miserable we were. I love many of my co-workers and consider them family, but can we please talk about something else? Make it a rule to not talk about work when you go out with coworkers. I promise that you will find other things in common.

I always went home knowing that I was put on this earth to take care of animals. Is it glamorous? No. Does it pay well? Hell no. Will the negative environment eat at you? Absolutely. Only you can choose how to live your life each day. You can let the negativity take over your life or you can choose to ignore it. It took me a long time to get there but I finally realized being happy was more important. I promise that each and every one of you can be successful as a technician when you choose to be happy. I would choose this profession over and over again. The good, the bad and the ugly. Only you can choose which one wins.

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

Tosha has been a CVT since 2002 working in emergency, internal medicine and neurology. She has a passion for mentoring technicians to create a more positive work environment. When Tosha is not interviewing prospective candidates for Veterinary Practice Partners and their hospitals, you may find her dancing at a country music concert or relaxing at home in her hammock with Jagger and Dirty.

Does Fear Stop Us From Helping Those Who Need it Most?

June 20, 2016 by Jessica Vogelsang DVM

Lauren Smith DVM — Guest Author LAUREN SMITH DVM

I practice in a very blessed land. One where I am right down the road from a night and weekend emergency clinic and there are no less than 4 specialty and referral centers within a 15 mile radius. I am never on call and I can always offer my clients the best possible care for their pets through referral. I love the opportunities this affords me and my clients. I get to continually learn from specialists and have peace of mind that my patients are being monitored when I’m not around.

Most days, I feel pretty lucky to live in a community that can support this level of veterinary medicine. Some days, I am reminded that there is a downside to this increasing standard of care.

Last week I arrived at the office to find that there was a walk-in emergency already waiting for me in a room. A sweet, 5 year old pit bull named Lilly lay pitifully on the floor. “I think she’s bloated,” Mom said. I wasn’t immediately convinced. Her stomach was a little distended, and she was depressed, but the bloats I’d seen before were typically in much worse shape—shocky and with massively swollen abdomens. Still, the x-ray confirmed Mom’s suspicions. I let her know the bad news—Lilly needed surgery. A board certified surgeon was already scheduled to come that day for a cruciate repair and could perform the procedure.

Mom wanted to proceed with treatment, but finances were extremely tight. I gave her some information on financing options and she went home to try to procure the funds while I began the initial stabilization. Shortly after successfully passing a stomach tube, I got a call to let me know that the family had been unable to come up with the necessary money for surgery.

I reached out to an online community of veterinarians I belong to, looking for advice on some way to save Lilly. “Why do you need a surgeon?” Someone asked. “A pexy is a pretty straight-forward procedure.” Maybe so, but I had never done one. What if it was more than just a gastropexy? What if the stomach had necrosed and I had to do a partial gastrectomy? Give me a complicated medical case any day, but an unpredictable and unfamiliar surgery? Lilly was the one whose stomach was literally tied up in knots, but I felt like mine was too.

The blessing of working so close to so many specialists was suddenly a curse. For many vets, GDV surgery is pretty routine, but not for me. Because there were so many people better than I to do the procedure, I lacked the experience and confidence to do it myself. Still, what was the alternative? I could have said “I’m so sorry for the position you’re in, but Lilly’s condition is serious. If surgery is not an option, we should let her go.” I couldn’t do that though. Instead, I told Mom that although I had never performed the surgery before, I would be willing to attempt it at a reduced cost.

I gowned up, scrubbed in, and made the cut. My fears were confirmed. A large portion of Lilly’s stomach was necrotic. I felt like I was in way over my head, but it was too late to turn back now. I was sure I was screwing things up. Some of the stomach contents had definitely contaminated the abdomen, I wasn’t convinced I had removed all of the devitalized stomach, and even after three layers of stitches in the gastric wall, I still wasn’t sure there wasn’t a leak.

Two days later, bright and active, and eating her small, prescription meals like gangbusters, Lilly went home. A couple days later she was back for a scheduled recheck and looking as great as ever. “Thank you Mom said. Saturday was my birthday and this was the best birthday present I could have asked for.”

Having access to the best care for my patients is wonderful, but I worry that veterinary medicine is moving to a place where only the best will do. If we can’t do it perfectly, we won’t do it at all. We’re practicing scared. We’re scared of not being perfect, we’re scared of being sued, of having our license challenged. These are legitimate fears, and sometimes we need to listen to them, but we can’t let them stop us from doing what we signed up to do—helping animals.

As veterinary medicine becomes more and more specialized, we are offering superior care to some, but are we also refusing care to others who can’t afford it? Are we stunting our professional growth? Are we denying ourselves the satisfaction that comes with pushing ourselves and making a difference? I put myself out on a limb for Lilly, and for days my thoughts were consumed by fears that I wasn’t good enough to help her. I was scared and stressed, but in the end, Lilly’s case was one of the most rewarding ones I’ve dealt with in recent memory.

I plan to continue to offer the best care to all my clients through referrals when warranted, but when that’s not an option, I won’t let fear keep me from taking a chance on those that truly need it.

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

Dr. Lauren Smith graduated in 2008 from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and completed her clinical year at Cornell University. Her professional interests include internal medicine, preventative medicine and client education. Dr. Smith lives and practices on Long Island with her cat, Charlie and dog, Frankie and loves to read write and run in her free time. You can check out more of her writing at laurensmithdvm.com

Jessica Vogelsang DVM

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.

Regular blogging allows you to be in charge of the image your clinic presents to the world and gives Google® something to deliver when people are searching for you.

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.

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.

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.

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