DrAndyRoark.com

Articles, Videos, & Training on Pets & Veterinary Medicine

Jennifer Shepherd, DVM

Thank You to the Superheroes

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Behind every great superhero is an even better supporting character. Someone hiding in the shadows, never in the spotlight, an unsung hero who doesn’t gets the credit they deserve. Iron Man has Pepper Potts. Superman has Lois Lane. Batman has Alfred. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians have our front office workers – the client service representatives (CSRs), receptionists, and managers.

At many veterinary clinics, there is “the front” and “the back”. The back is where the action takes place – where surgeries are performed, procedures completed, tests done, lives saved. But the front is where the hard work takes place. Important work that we overlook and fail to acknowledge.

Our front office workers are the real rock stars of the veterinary world. You can handle four lines at once, screening calls, taking detailed messages, triaging patients, answering questions. You know our clients by name, greeting them as they walk through the door, knowing what the client needs before even asking. You comfort our clients during the most difficult and emotional times. You serve as a punching bag for our most stressed clients who take their frustrations out on the easiest target – the person sitting at the front desk asking them to pay their bill.

You can diffuse an angry client, console a grieving client, make a new client feel at home. You keep our patients healthy by organizing our records, reminding clients when their pets are due for vaccines, help patients get the medications and foods they need.

The front office team is the backbone of every great veterinary team. Without you, we could not function. If a veterinarian calls out, we adjust appointments. If a veterinary technician or nurse is sick, we work a little harder. If a member or two of our front office team is gone, we crumble!

To all of the front office workers, we see you, we love you, we couldn’t do our jobs without you. But we give you so little credit. Thank you for all you do to keep us running efficiently, to allow us to take our care to the next level, for keeping us organized and sane. Thank you for being the real Super Heroes!

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.

A Simple Way to Improve Morale

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I looked at the schedule and saw it was going to be a very busy day. Our surgery schedule was overbooked, meaning procedures would probably go into lunchtime. In addition, the appointment schedule was double booked for most of the morning.

“I will buy lunch today,” I announced and assigned one of the technicians to pick the place and take everyone’s order. To my surprise, my announcement wasn’t met with the excitement I expected. Usually, everyone loves a free lunch, and it’s even better when they get to pick the place. There were mumblings amongst the team and one technician announced “I would rather pay for my own lunch and actually get a full lunch break!” she complained.

I was taken back by her comment. Every day I made an effort to make sure that everyone had a lunch break. If surgeries went into lunch hour, the technicians swapped out to give everyone a chance to leave. It was myself and the other doctor who sacrificed our lunch time in surgery many days.

I made a conscious effort over the next week to observe how lunch times went. The head technicians and managers made sure that everyone took a lunch break, but many days it was very rushed. They came back after fifteen to twenty minutes to swap out and allow someone else to have lunch. On days when appointments and procedures didn’t go into the lunch hour, it seemed that the phone rang as someone was about to clock out, and the unlucky person was dealing with the client’s needs for the next 10-20 minutes, eating away at their break. On days when everyone left on time, one lone receptionist was left to deal with four phone lines that never seemed to stop ringing.

I thought about my dentist’s office. They were closed from 12-1, they locked the doors and shut off the phones. Could we do that, too? We closed over lunch for our monthly team meetings, what would happen if we did it every day? Would our clients be angry if they couldn’t reach us for an hour? Would our team be overwhelmed before or after the lunch hour? What about UPS and Fed Ex – they always made their deliveries around 12:15.

I talked over the idea with my leadership team and was met with resistance. They had the same questions I had – “but what about our clients???” “But what about our team?” I asked. We were weary. Summers have always been our busiest time and now with COVID, we felt ten times busier. There wasn’t anything I could do about COVID and all the changes, hassles, and headaches it brought, but I could give my team a small break during the day, a chance to leave for a while, to get fresh air, recharge, and refresh. I convinced the leadership team to try it for a month. If it didn’t work, we could always go back.

We planned ahead to start in two weeks. That gave us time to get the word out through Facebook, signs on the door, and to inform the clients of changes coming. I announced the change at our next team meeting. Again, I didn’t get the excitement I hoped. It was more of a muted optimism wondering how long this change would last.

I was out of the office the first week of our lunch time closure. One less doctor should make it less busy and make it easier to implement the new change. Still, I was concerned how the closure went over. Was my team dealing with angry clients? Were they feeling rushed trying to wrap everything up by noon? Were they inundated with messages when they came back an hour later?

I walked in the door Monday morning and what I saw brought a smile to my face. Everyone was more at ease and relaxed. There was no longer the uncertainty of “will I actually get a real break today?” Instead there was laughter as they made plans for their lunch hours. The technicians held a mini Olympics with various competitions, including arm wrestling and a sprint down the street, with bragging rights for the winner of that week’s competition. They brought their dogs to work and walked to the park across the street to let them play. When everyone came back at 1, they were ready to face the afternoon again.

I asked how clients handled our new schedule. If someone had called in a refill, everyone had done a great job of telling them our new hours. Much to our surprise, the clients did not complain. Some clients have even said that they would adjust their lunch break to pick up their medication, food, or pets either before or after our lunch break. Even Fed Ex and UPS quickly learned and started dropping off our packages an hour later.

Our system isn’t perfect. There are still many times when appointments or surgical procedures run into the lunch hour. But when this happens, we still turn the phones over to voicemail and have one less thing to worry about. We often come back from lunch to see three cars waiting in front of the clinic. They arrived a little early for their one o’clock appointment. We always thank them for being patient and accommodating our lunch break. Messages are checked and clients are called back immediately.

COVID has brought a lot of changes to veterinary clinics, most of which have made our jobs harder and added more stress to our teams. I am happy that I was able to find a change that made their jobs a little easier. I had planned for the lunchtime closure to be a temporary change that would end when COVID restrictions lifted, but seeing the morale boost it created makes me think it might just be a permanent change.

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.

COVID-19 and Your Pet

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It has been a life-changing week in Northern Minnesota. Less than a month ago, COVID-19 was known only as “The Corona Virus” and thought to be a disease of foreign countries on the other side of the world. We were warned but didn’t really believe that it would make its way to the United States. Suddenly it’s here and our lives have changed dramatically overnight – schools and restaurants are closed, events are canceled, and everyone is urged to keep a six-foot social distance from each other.

As we slowly adjust to this new normal, many will start to wonder what this means for their four-legged companions. The truth is, at this time, we don’t know exactly how our pets will be impacted. Here is what we do know:

Both dogs and cats can become infected with strains of coronaviruses. But these coronaviruses are not COVID-19. COVID-19 is a novel virus, meaning that it is a virus that we have never seen before. The coronaviruses that commonly affect dogs and cats are not the same and they do not cause disease in people. Although COVID-19 is believed to have originated in an animal (some reports say a bat), there is no evidence as of yet that the virus is transferred from dogs or cats to people.

There has been one report of a dog testing positive for COVID-19 after his owner became sick with the disease. The dog never showed signs of illness. Further testing is in process to determine if the dog was just exposed or if his immune system produced antibodies to COVID-19, meaning his body was infected with the virus. Another dog who was also exposed repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19. On March 13, 2020, Idexx, a veterinary reference laboratory, announced that it has tested thousands of dogs and cats for COVID-19 and has not obtained any positive results.

There is a possibility that COVID-19 may transfer from a person to a pet, but the primary mode of transmission is person to person spread. However, until more is known about COVID-19, if you are infected with the virus, the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends to avoid contact with your pet. The website states:

“Have another member of your household take care of walking, feeding, and playing with your pet. If you have a service animal or you must care for your pet, then wear a facemask; don’t share food, kiss, or hug them; and wash your hands before and after any contact with them.”

A bigger concern to pet owners is that pet fur may act as a fomite, an object capable of carrying an infectious agent.  If an infected person coughs on their pet, the virus may be present on the pet’s haircoat. How long it will survive there is not known at this time, but it could potentially be hours or more. Collars and leashes can also act as fomites and carry the disease. This is another reason why it is strongly advised to avoid taking care of your pet if you are sick.

There is still so much we are learning about COVID-19 and new information is coming out daily. If your pet is showing any respiratory signs, the best thing to do is to contact your veterinarian for guidance.

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.

Pixie’s Story of Hope, Kindness and Second Chances

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She had been seen wandering around the country roads for at least three days, an old black lab with a graying face. Every day she seemed to get slower and slower and she became weaker and weaker. Finally, one evening, when she couldn’t wander anymore, too sick, hungry and dehydrated to go on anymore, she lay down in a ditch to die. Sam was on his way home from a busy day at work when something in the ditch caught his eye. He stopped, stepped out of his car, and was greeted by the sweetest set of brown eyes he had ever seen. He knew he couldn’t leave her there, but didn’t know what to do so he picked up his phone and called the police department.

Officer Johnson was in the area and the first one to respond. He checked the reports for any missing dogs in the area but did not find one that matched this sweet girl’s description. With no collar or identification, he scanned her for a microchip and found nothing. She had been abandoned and left to die. One look in her sad eyes and he was taken back to his childhood, to his best friend and partner in crime, his Lucy dog. But unlike his Lucy, this girl was sick. She needed more help than he could provide.

It was getting late and the only veterinary clinic open at this time was the emergency clinic in Duluth, about thirty miles away. Officer Johnson couldn’t take her there, he was still on patrol and the clinic was out of his jurisdiction. Sam wanted to take her but he barely had enough gas to get home and no money to put gas in his tank. Officer Johnson looked at her sad face again, reached in his wallet and pulled out $20 for gas. Sam took the money, then grabbed a blanket from his car, scooped up the sweet girl, and put her in his back seat.

Sam was apprehensive as he entered the emergency clinic. He was worried she was beyond hope and would be euthanized. On any other night, that is what would have happened, but not tonight.

Jodi arrived at the emergency clinic and held the door open for Sam as he carried the sweet stray in. Jodi was a certified veterinary technician at another vet clinic. On any other night, she would have been home with her family, recovering from a stressful day at work. But tonight, Jodi had been asked to bring her dog in to donate blood. Being in the veterinary field, Jodi could see immediately this poor stray was very sick, but one look at her sad face and Jodi knew she had to help her. Dr. Erickson, the emergency doctor confirmed that the stray had a pyometra, a life-threatening infection in her uterus. She would need surgery but first needed to be rehydrated and stabilized. Dr. Erickson said he would do his best to stabilize her so that she could be transferred to another clinic in the morning for surgery.

Jodi’s text came through at 5:42 am “I have a huge request! Can you PLEASE help?” Her hospital was booked and couldn’t perform the surgery. I had only met Jodi the week before when we helped a mutual friend rescue stray kittens outside an assisted living home. It was only through this little adventure that Jodi had my cell number. It was early, I was tired, and I had a busy day ahead of me with my own patients. I did my best to ignore her. But as the pictures of the sweet gray face started to pop up on my phone, I couldn’t say no. I was her last hope. If I couldn’t perform the surgery, she would be euthanized. 

My day was fully booked and the only time I had to do surgery was over the lunch hour. I asked Jodi to bring her over first thing in the morning so we would have time to do an exam and prepare her for surgery. She was carried into the clinic, even after a night of intravenous fluids and antibiotics, she was too weak to walk. She looked up at me with her sad eyes and my heart melted. This sweet girl had already been through so much and I was her last hope. I knew the odds were against her, but I had to try. Jodi had mentioned that she also had a mammary tumor, but it wasn’t until I did my pre-surgical exam, that I realized the extent of the mammary mass. It was the size of a child’s football and would have to be removed before I could even get to her abdomen to perform the pyometra surgery. Thankfully another surgery had canceled, giving me more time. The mammary tumor was even more challenging than the pyometra surgery, but everything went better than expected. I was so hopeful she would do well.

She spent the next 24 hours with us recovering from her surgery. She was quiet and sick, but she also seemed grateful for the attention and love. Whenever I checked on her in her kennel, she nuzzled in close begging to be petted. Jodi shared her story on a Facebook page she manages called “Missing Pets in the Northland,” a page devoted to reuniting lost pets with their families. It wasn’t a surprise that no one claimed her. But she touched the hearts of so many people and donations started pouring in to pay for her care. 

Jodi picked her up the next day and said she would take her to her house until she recovered and we had the results of the mammary tumor. She didn’t want to adopt out a dog that may have cancer. She also needed to find the right home. We estimated the sweet girl to be about ten to twelve years of age and Jodi wanted to make sure she would live out the rest of her life with all the love she deserved.

The test results came back a week later. I called Jodi with the good news: the mass was benign! Jodi told me how well the dog was doing and how she fits in with her family perfectly. They had decided to adopt her and named her Pixie.

I get regular updates about Pixie, complete with pictures and videos. She went from being shy and sickly to playing fetch, snuggling on the couch with her new family, and enjoying the life she deserves.

When I think about Pixie’s story, I am filled with joy and can’t help but smile. Whether you call it fate, divine intervention, or just blind luck, Pixie was given a second chance. Along her journey, kind-hearted people helped her, giving a little and expecting nothing in return. She brought out the best of humanity and in return, Pixie gave us hope.

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.

My Vet Team Cares About Your Pet

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“Veterinary clinics don’t care about animals anymore, they only care about making money.” People have been saying that a lot lately and it makes me upset because it simply is not true. People in the veterinary field are some of the most caring and compassionate people I have ever met. If you have any doubts, let me tell you about one day this week at Cloquet Animal Hospital.

It started with a call from Sammy’s owner. Sammy had been sick with anemia for a few weeks. He initially responded well to treatment, but suddenly took a turn for the worse over the past couple of days. We hoped today would bring good news. Unfortunately, Sammy was a lot worse and the family couldn’t let him suffer. It was time to say goodbye. The family was told to bring Sammy in right away. My team immediately started to get everything ready so the family didn’t have to wait. They rearranged the morning schedule to accommodate Sammy. As the family was saying goodbye, they had one special request – in addition to the clay pawprint we always make, could we also dip his paw in ink to make a print on a piece of paper? Mom wanted to remember her beloved kitty with a tattoo of his paw. After Sammy was gone, my technician said: “I hope they don’t mind coming back to pick up the paw print because they deserve a really good one and I want to take my time to make sure it’s perfect.”  

Trixie was scheduled to have her teeth cleaned and an oral exam. She hadn’t been eating well and her mom thought it was because of a bad tooth. Her pre-surgical blood screen said otherwise. Her liver values were high and we needed to treat this first. Trixie’s mom was called, the abnormal blood tests were explained and diagnostic and treatment plans were discussed in detail. A treatment plan was made and an ultrasound with the specialist scheduled. When Trixie’s mom arrived to pick her up, she was upset and scared. My veterinary technician took the time to answer all her questions and reassure her that we would do our best to find out what was wrong with Trixie and treat her appropriately.

Next came a call from Alice’s family. Alice’s front leg was broken. We had applied a splint to immobilize the leg and were performing weekly bandage changes. Alice had a splint change appointment in two days, but her bandage was really rubbing on her and irritating her skin. We found a time to have her come in so that we could make her more comfortable. When the splint was removed, a cry of “Oh that poor girl!” came from a very sympathetic vet tech. My team gently treated Alice’s bandage sores, readjusted her splint to avoid rubbing and made sure there was extra padding, all while she received reassuring pets on her head to make sure she wasn’t scared. 

Margo had an appointment in the afternoon. She was a senior patient who had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus at another clinic a few weeks ago. The client came to us for a second opinion. We did an exam and tests to confirm the diagnosis. Margo’s mom was a young college student and didn’t really understand how to care for a diabetic dog. I explained the disease process and treatment to her and told her I would be back with a treatment plan. While I wrote out her treatment plan, my technician went into the exam room, demonstrated how to give insulin, discussed an appropriate diet, weight loss, and exercise plan and answered all of her questions. Margo’s young mom left feeling confident she could treat her sweet dog that had been with her through most of her childhood.

Star was an adorable German Shepherd puppy who came in with her family – a mom and two little kids. Star was greeted immediately upon entering the building and loved on by the receptionists. The technician then took the family into the exam room to answer all of their questions about the health and training of their puppy. The family had never had a dog before and needed a lot of guidance. When the children started to zone out, the receptionist found them a movie to watch to occupy them so that their mom could focus all her attention on Star. She was educated about the risk of intestinal parasites, especially with young children, and how to keep everyone safe, as well as important preventative care to help Star live a long healthy life. After her exam, Star was taken for her own private tour of the treatment area for more treats and attention with the hopes that the veterinary clinic wouldn’t be so scary. She had her own little photoshoot and featured her adorable face on our Facebook page.

Kendall was a black lab with an ear infection. Kendall is a nervous dog and doesn’t like veterinary visits. We were aware of this and prepared for his visit. We had his mom give him medication at home, prescribed by us, to reduce his anxiety. We had his favorite treats ready and knew to go slow and gentle with him, but also work efficiently so that his visit was quick enough that he didn’t have enough time to get too worked up. He was still nervous, but we all worked together to make him feel as comfortable as possible, worked within his limits to not stress him, and still gave him the treatment he needed.

Sally was another sick kitty. She was only two, but this was her fourth time hospitalized. Sally liked to eat Nerf bullets and had to have a couple surgically removed. Even though the family had banned Nerf bullets in their house after the first surgery and searched the house from top to bottom to remove any remaining Nerf bullets, Sally had a magical ability to find one hidden somewhere. Sally was really sick and her family had said they could not afford another surgery. She had passed a toy before with just the help of intravenous fluids and we hoped it would work this time as well. But instead of getting better, Sally seemed to get worse as the day went on. She was painful and sad. We all watched Sally and gave her lots of love throughout the day. Our hearts broke for Sally and we were afraid she wasn’t going to make it. Sally’s family agreed to give her one more night of fluids. Transferring to the emergency clinic for overnight care wasn’t in their budget so we agreed to hospitalize her overnight, knowing she would be alone. Later that night, a few hours after we closed, I drove back to the clinic to see how she was doing and make sure her fluids were still running. When I walked up to her kennel, it was like another cat was there. She was purring, begging to be petted, and eating. I was so excited that I took her picture and immediately texted the team that had been working with Sally all day. They all had the same response as me – ecstatic that she was feeling so much better and she was going to make it.

This was just one day at our clinic. In that day, I saw a team that cried as a family said goodbye and worked to give them one last gift with a special pawprint. I saw a team go the extra mile to make sure a diagnosis and treatment plan was understood. I saw them help a family to build the bond with their new furry family member. I saw them do their best to reduce the anxiety of a scared patient. And I saw them spend the day comforting a sick kitty and rejoicing together when the kitty turned around.

The veterinary team not only cares about your pet, they love your furry friends as if they were their own.

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.

It’s Easy to Say “Be Kind” But What is Kindness?

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Today is World Kindness Day. Taglines about kindness are everywhere: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind,” “It doesn’t cost anything to be kind,” and “Practice random acts of kindness” are just a few examples. Ellen Degeneres has an entire line of products, including T-shirts, socks, mugs and even shoelaces with the simple phrase “Be Kind.” 

What is kindness?

If you search online, you will find many definitions for kindness including “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate,” “acts of goodwill,” and “a behavior marked by ethical considerations, a pleasant disposition, and concern and consideration for others.” My favorite definition is from the Urban Dictionary: “respect and helping others without waiting for someone to help back.” True kindness is doing something for someone else without expecting anything in return.

How does kindness apply to veterinary medicine?

The field is already filled with some of the kindest and most compassionate people you will ever meet. We have devoted our lives to helping animals who can’t say thank you and sometimes don’t even appreciate our help.  But people in the veterinary field also suffer from stress, burn out and long days with little free time. Some days we can barely keep our heads above water, how do we have time to perform acts of kindness?

Kindness doesn’t have to be a grand gesture.

Many times it isn’t. I remember a day this summer when our clinic was crazy busy. We were short-staffed and double booked. It was midafternoon and we weren’t sure how we were going to make it to the end of the day. The door chimed again and we groaned at the thought of another appointment. But instead of a sick patient, it was the husband of one of our former technicians. He had driven by and seen all the cars outside the clinic. He knew how stressed his wife used to get on days like this and he also knew our favorite way of coping with stress – CHOCOLATE! It took maybe ten minutes and $5 for him to drive to the nearest store and buy us a bag of Hershey kisses but his little gesture had a huge impact on our day. The mood around the clinic instantly lifted. Someone noticed we were having a bad day and performed a small but meaningful act of kindness to brighten our day.

I also remember a day this summer when I chose to be kind. It was another busy day. I was scheduled to only work half a day and leave at noon, but it was close to 1 PM by the time I wrapped things up. I was tired and hungry and just wanted to get on with all the nonveterinary things I had planned for my afternoon.

I was gathering my things and noticed two clients with their stressed-out chihuahua sitting in the waiting room. The clients had a scheduled appointment with the other veterinarian at 10:30 AM. I asked the receptionist if everything went alright with their appointment because they were still in the waiting room, even though it was supposed to be just a quick follow up exam. She said the appointment went fine but their car had broken down and they were waiting for a tow truck. Although they appeared to be waiting patiently, I knew they must be frustrated and as eager to get home as I was, especially with a nervous chihuahua sitting in their lap. So I pushed my desire to run out the door aside and offered to give them a ride home. After trying to decline my offer and me assuring them I wanted to do it, they finally agreed. I took the husband and their nervous chihuahua home while the wife decided she would stay and wait for the tow truck. They were so relieved to bring their scared little dog home and for the husband to get back to work. The drive to their house was fifteen minutes out of my way, but it was worth it. All of the stress of the morning melted away and I felt good about myself knowing I had helped make someone’s bad day a little better.

I know how busy veterinary clinics are and, although these examples took less than fifteen minutes, sometimes we just don’t have that amount of time or energy. But there are so many little things we can do to be kind. All it takes is to stop focusing on ourselves and notice the needs of others.

Here are a few examples to remember:

  • Help an elderly lady carry her cat carrier to her car.
  • Open the door for the client who has his hands full with two big dogs pulling on their leashes.
  • The overweight kitty with mats along his back because he can’t reach to clean and his owner can’t brush it out without getting bit – grab the wireless clipper and shave the mats.
  • A mom brings her young child to the appointment and the child is getting restless – give her some crayons and ask her to draw a picture of her pet.
  • Another child brought a stuffed animal with him – give the stuffed animal a quick physical exam and tell the child his stuffed tiger is healthy.
  • Your client doesn’t understand how to sign up for the online rebate program – enroll them as they are checking out.
  • Your client has her arm in a sling. Ask her how she feeling and if she is going to be able to give her cat the medication or if we need to come up with another plan.
  • You are going for a coffee run on your break – ask your co-worker who was up all night with a sick child if she wants you to pick her up a latte.

These are just a few examples of small acts of kindness that take seconds but can make a difference in someone’s day. Today is World Kindness Day. I hope you take a minute to forget about your own stresses and notice the needs of others. Not only will it brighten someone else’s day, but it will also help lift your spirits knowing you did something kind, expecting nothing in return. Once you realize how good it feels to be kind, you may find yourself practicing random acts of kindness every day!

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.