As many of us gear up for a spooktacular holiday, Dr. Roark reminds you to take steps to make sure your pet has a safe Halloween night. He also wants to remind you that his giant anteater costume is going to win the costume contest. [tweetthis]Pet safety tips for Halloween that WON’T terrify… Read More
Blog
Why I Sedate Every Pet for Euthanasia – and You Should Too
Sedation is one of the major controversies in end-of-life care medicine. I’m grateful that it isn’t as rare as it once was. When I talk to veterinarians about sedation, this is what I hear from those who don’t use sedation: 1. I don’t need sedation to hit a vein 2. Sedation takes too long 3…. Read More
How to Break Up With Your Veterinarian
Hopefully, you have a veterinarian who you really like. Maybe even love. (But when I say love, I do not mean love, because that is another problem.) The veterinarian-client-patient relationship is built on mutual respect and trust. Sometimes the veterinarian-client-patient relationship becomes a friendship, which is confusing, and not necessary or even advisable. A successful… Read More
5 Ridiculous Ways to Tick Off Veterinary Clients on Social Media
Facebook and other social media sites can be great customer service tools to delight your veterinary clients in between visits. However, veterinary hospitals can also manage to really tick customers off with some seemingly harmless posts. Here are a few moves I’d avoid to keep pet owners coming back to your social media accounts (and… Read More
The One Conversation That Makes You A Crummy Veterinarian
Some days in the clinic, I’m just tired. It’s usually on those days when I’ve had about a dozen nearly identical conversations about the importance of clean teeth, heartworm prevention, or weight control. Sometimes it’s not though. Sometimes it’s just hard to get going and be enthusiastic after a vacation, or weekend, or lunch, or… Read More
The Unfair Necessity of Euthanizing an Aggressive Dog
Over the years, I have euthanized hundreds of dogs and cats for a multitude of behavioral issues that made their life with their families unsustainable. The vast majority of them were young and physically healthy with the potential to live years longer. These families either tried behavior modifications unsuccessfully, attempted to find a safer home,… Read More