DrAndyRoark.com

Articles, Videos, & Training on Pets & Veterinary Medicine

Jessica Taylor, DVM

Looking for the Vet On-Off Switch

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Veterinarians are a tough crowd. We are high-achieving, motivated, soft-hearted smart people who put a lot of emphasis on getting it right. Who doesn’t do a happy dance when you confirm the Demodex case you diagnosed from 30-feet away as it walked in the door? And who doesn’t kick themselves and bemoan the missed radiographic finding or unexpected outcome of a patient? We are hard on ourselves, and others in our profession. We know that veterinary medicine is a practice, and art, and not something that is ever perfected, but we can nearly kill ourselves trying.

These things exhaust us, make our palms sweat, and drive many people out of the profession. Do you know who doesn’t care if the last client of the day was happy when they left or if the surgery has stitches that are perfectly apposed? Your kids or your parents or usually even your spouse. We take these things home, but the people at home don’t judge you for them, thank goodness. Good spouses will listen and sympathize and sometimes even offer to take out that abusive client, but they still love you at the end of the day.

How do we as professionals learn to leave work at the door? I know I have taken many calls from an emergency doctor or a specialist returning phone calls late, sometimes at the expense of dinner with the family or playtime with the kids. I try not to do this – I try really, really hard, but it still happens. I would love to espouse how we should turn off our devices once we walk through the door and let our cases and business be put on hold until the next day at the office. It rarely happens.

I think a better goal is to aim for discreet victories. I handed off dinner duties to my husband at least one night a week. So, one recent day when I got home, I plopped down and played ”Go Fish” for a good 30 minutes and didn’t think about any cases or pets. I laughed at my 8-year-old’s enthusiasm for a match and kept a lookout for my sneaky 11-year-old’s wandering eye. It was glorious. Two hours later, while the kids were getting ready for bed, I was checking bloodwork and finishing emails. I knew it would still be there in the morning, but I also knew I would have thought about it as I lay in bed trying to go to sleep. 

I count this combination of an evening a success. We know we aren’t going to stop practicing medicine as soon as the last client has checked out, but we need to allow ourselves permission to take long breaks. And we need to grant grace when we fail. 

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 Biscuit Rule of Effective Teamwork

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Have you ever had a really good biscuit? I mean the kind that are fluffy, steamy, pillows from heaven and perfect under gravy, with some apple butter, or even stolen off the stovetop before time to leave for the potluck. Now, I know I am going a little too southern for some, but biscuits are important in certain circles.

Until I met my wonderful, truly southern husband and his family, any biscuit I made came from a can. I was then privileged to receive his mom’s biscuit recipe. It was deceptively simple: self-rising flour, shortening, and milk- and yet it took, and is in fact, still taking, a lot of practice and tweaks to make a really good biscuit.

There is a secret, though. Connections. To have a batch of biscuits rise correctly, they need to touch. You can mix the dough, have the oven just right, and space out the cut out biscuits and you will have flattened pucks that taste like biscuits, but not really.

Have you worked at an office that should work, but doesn’t? Shiny equipment, cool medical toys, knowledgeable staff, and yet daily conflicts and errors lead to stress, anger, and even poor patient care. What about the practice that has people as different as can be, is crazy busy, but hums along comfortably? I am willing to bet that communication and relationships are the difference.

Now, I am not suggesting you touch your coworkers a lot (that would be weird). But, building connections inevitably makes working together better. As humans, we judge, rightly or wrongly, and that can quickly set in place conflict and miscommunication. But, if you get a little closer, ask a few questions, and establish a relationship with a person, it is much more difficult to speak poorly of them, ignore them, or allow other people to judge them.

You may not think you have much in common with the new staff member, but maybe you both like the same music or both want to learn to SCUBA dive. You won’t know until you ask. Feel like you are always butting heads? Try a different way of approaching them. Try a compliment before asking for something. If nothing is working, ask for help to sit down and talk. I think we can raise each other up by getting a little closer, but things are tough if we distance ourselves from the people with which we spend so much time.

If all else fails, and you just can’t bear it after a rough week, and everyone is driving you crazy, just bring in some biscuits. That will usually work, too.

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 Four Favorite Stress Busters

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We all have those days. The ones that start out crazy and get worse from there. Where the receptionist slides up next to you and hesitantly tells you a client called and is on their way with a pet that has been vomiting for four days, they are leaving to go out of town tomorrow, and they need to be seen right now.

Where the technicians are pulling their hair out because the IV pump is beeping every five seconds and the dog won’t keep his leg straight. The days when the customer service team is getting hammered with phone calls while dealing with the client who has been talking their ear off for 20 minutes and has just thought of one more question.

Everyone gets testy, and it can seep over into patient care and client communications. Keeping our team happy and focused is essential for good medicine and good business. Sometimes simple gestures and a few minutes of effort can turn a trying day into one where everyone high-fives each other as we turn out the lights.

Here are some reminders for tricks to keep us going!

1.Music break!

Most songs are two to three minutes long, which is just long enough to turn an attitude around. Turn up the streaming music program of your choice with a song that will get feet tapping and inspire a short dance break.

I find boy bands, cheesy pop, and songs that involve hand clapping work well. If the clients hear and make a face, just tell them that we play song requests for our hospitalized patients.

2. Respond to an SOS.

If your receptionist is stuck with Mr. McTalkerson, send out a page asking her to report to treatment for patient care. If your doctor cannot wrap up the longest progress exam ever, poke your head and the door to let her know Dr. Specialist is on line two for a consult. Give them an excuse to step away for a second, and the next person can step in and get the system moving again.

3. Remember the spark.

Take a second to let the screaming child use your stethoscope to listen to their puppy’s heart and watch their eyes widen. Got a pet with a murmur, arrhythmia, or crackles that are classic?

Give your student assistant or technician a chance to hear and appreciate. Point out the weird thing on the x-ray instead of just looking and returning to the client. A few minutes of remembering how cool medicine is will keep you going for the rest of the day!

4. When all else fails- try chocolate and chips.

We may only have 15 minutes for lunch on a crazy day, but it may be worth eating in the car on the way to the store to pick up a bag of chocolate bars and a bag of chips (you know, some people like salty and some like sweet!). After a morning of tough euthanasias and difficult clients, your staff may need a treat to make it through the afternoon.

We know we can’t fix every stressful thing, but hopefully, you and your team can roll with them and pull out a win.

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.

Top 5 Things You Don’t Want to Tell Your Vet (but Should!)

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1. You forgot to give the heartworm pill…again!

Life gets busy – we understand! When you come in and tell us you still have pills at home, we already know that the math doesn’t add up. We can see when you last purchased it. But, please, don’t be afraid to tell us – here is why we need to know!

  • We can tell you if you are still in the safe zone- a few days late may not be a big deal
  • If you have missed a few doses, your pet may be at risk- even a few months down the road after missing the pill. There is a small window where the heartworm pills will kill the immature heartworms. If we miss this, the larva can mature and turn in to adult heartworms. It can take up to 6 months for a positive result to show up! If we don’t detect them early, damage can occur to the heart and lungs and can make your dog very sick. Let us know when the last missed dose happened, and we can develop a plan to ensure your pet is safe.
  • Missing a dose or three during the winter shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Remember that January day that was over 70 degrees and sunny? Mosquitoes can be present all year in our climate, so we need to be vigilant all year! Plus, many preventions protect against more than heartworms (fleas, intestinal parasites).
  • Your veterinarian may have other choices!!! There are injectable products for those of us who forget. There are topical options for pets who are geniuses at spitting out a pill. Ask us- we will help you come up with a plan!

2. Your pet ate something…but you can’t (won’t) tell us what.

If your pet isn’t acting well, we need to know all the details. Unfortunately, they are really bad at filling us in, so we rely on you. Even though your vet has told you before not to give people food, we need to know that Fido got a ham hock. Or that Fluffy may have scarfed a pill off of the floor.

We really want to help your pet feel better as quickly as possible, so we won’t and don’t have time to judge you about what is in your house. Having an idea of what they ate can direct what tests we need to perform and how to start treatment.

3. Your cat goes outside.

Indoor kitties tend to live longer and have lower risk for infectious disease. But some felines just have the urge to get outside! If your cat started as an indoor only pet but has transitioned to spending time outside, we need to know. Vaccines for Feline Leukemia are very important in preventing this communicable and life threatening disease!

However, most indoor only cats don’t need this vaccine due to low risk. Also, no one wants fleas in their house, but the outdoor world is a great place for your mouser to pick them up. We can talk about ways to ensure everyone is safe and sane!

4.You already gave your pet some OTC medicine at home.

When you bring your pet in for a problem, it often has been going on for more than a day and isn’t getting better on its own. The veterinary nurse will ask if Fido is on any medication, and almost all owners say “no”. Then the doctor comes in and asks again if you have given Fido anything for the problem. It sometimes takes asking three or four different ways before we discover that an owner gave a pill, supplement, aspirin, or even some of their own medication. This is very important for us to know!

Pets do not metabolize medication the same way as people, and many seemingly harmless doses can be toxic to pets. It can also significantly change what medications we can prescribe going forward. Tell the staff everything, no matter how small, that you have put in, or on, your pet!

5. You have a budget.

We understand that unexpected costs can upset our budget, and sometimes our pets pick the worst time to get sick! Veterinary medicine is amazing in that we have many wonderful tests to investigate and diagnose problems. Your veterinarian will recommend the best course of action to get to answers quickly. However, if you know you have a certain amount available, please let us know.

There are special medical credit lines and alternative plans that we can discuss with you to make sure your pet receives the best care possible. Having an open dialogue will make sure everyone is on the same page.

Your veterinarian is your pets’ family doctor, and we rely on you, the owner to be their advocate. Being open and honest about your pet and their environment will ensure that your life together will be as long and healthy as possible. So help us out and we will repay the kindness in treats for your furry friend!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jessica Taylor is a small animal veterinarian in North Carolina with a passion for client communication. She shares her home with her husband and 2 daughters, the laziest hound dog on earth, and a tyrant of a cat. In any spare time, she enjoys running, reading, and writing.

Your Job Is What You Do, Not Who You Are

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Love what you do! This wonderful adage is passed down to bright-eyed college students and aspiring professionals every day. How many people get to achieve this goal? As veterinarians, we are often told how lucky we are. How can we be dissatisfied when we get to play with puppies and kittens all day?  How bad can it be when we mess up- it’s just an animal, after all. We pour our lives into loving patients, clients and science with a devotion that is fierce. Yet, our profession suffers from burn-out, compassion fatigue, substance abuse, and drop-out.

Why can’t we love what we do all the time?

Because it is impossible. After euthanizing the third pet of the day, we are emotionally tapped out. We are discouraged after being yelled at for being money-hungry and unfeeling because we could not treat a pet for free today when it should have been seen 2 weeks ago. We are frustrated when we cannot cure the pet that has the most amazing owners and would spend the money, if there only was an option. After dedicating years of our lives and many, many dollars, we need to find that balance between living our dream and living our dream life.

A few years ago, our church did a series on work and careers. We talked about how work is good- it gives us a way to earn a living and help other people in some way. Work is important in balancing our goals and aspirations with our families and faith. We try to find our ideal job, and that is how most of us veterinarians started out- loving animals and taking care of them. Then the details came in- average client transactions, professional liability, business loans, euthanasias, and all the other things that aren’t included in the veterinarian doll set.

The most powerful message that stuck with me from this series was this: “Your job is what you do, not who you are.”

This concept is difficult to process for professions that encompass a life.

Veterinarians are many things to many people. Guardians of livelihoods, caretakers of family members, and advocates for those that cannot speak for themselves. Our practice is ever-evolving, keeping us up at night worrying if that last ligature was tight enough and striving to learn the newest cutting edge techniques. We tell white lies at cocktail parties when asked what we do to avoid “just one question” and fend off relatives and neighbors with late night texts.

But we must hold on to this one question: if, heaven forbid, we got injured or fired or suffered an event that prevented us from being a doctor, what would happen? The truth is, we would still be a parent, a spouse, a child, and a friend.

Those that matter the most would love us.

Sometimes that thought allows me to sleep when I can’t turn off the worry, calculating the bills in my head, remembering the bloodwork that didn’t get called yet, or if the surgical patient is resting well. If I couldn’t be a vet, I would be devastated, and maybe lost for a while, but I would still be a mother and could cook dinner (mac and cheese again!) and tuck my kids into bed. That helps me take a deep breath after the irate clients storms out or the patient I worked forever to save takes their last breath.
Veterinary medicine is our job, but not our life, and the profession will survive without us and I without it. After all, I do plan on sitting on a beach someday, planning my next novel and retirement trip without a hair-covered white coat in sight.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jessica Taylor is a small animal veterinarian in North Carolina with a passion for client communication. She shares her home with her husband and 2 daughters, the laziest hound dog on earth, and a tyrant of a cat. In any spare time, she enjoys running, reading, and writing.