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Articles, Videos, & Training on Pets & Veterinary Medicine

Wellness

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.

Stop Being a Martyr & Start Modeling Healthy Behaviors

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This week on the Cone…

The amazing Dr. Marie Holowaychuk and Dr. Andy Roark discuss martyr status in vet medicine and how we need to stop competing to be the most burned out.

Original article: marieholowaychuk.com/2019/10/16/sto…lthy-behavior/

We are supported by PSIvet!
The PSIvet Healthcare Initiative hopes to introduce new ways to ensure all Veterinary Professionals get the healthcare coverage they need. Learn more at www.psihealthcareinitiative.com/

ABOUT OUR GUEST: marieholowaychuk.com/

Dr. Marie Holowaychuk is a specialist in small animal emergency and critical care and a passionate advocate for wellbeing in the veterinary profession. She lives in Calgary and travels worldwide as a speaker and locum. Marie received her DVM from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2004 and then completed a year-long rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Washington State University, followed by a 3-year small animal emergency and critical care residency at North Carolina State University. After becoming board certified in 2008, she accepted a faculty position at the Ontario Veterinary College, where she was Assistant Professor of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine until 2013.

Dr. Holowaychuk has been primary or co-author of more than 30 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals and is an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. She has spoken at conferences across Canada, Europe, and the USA, in addition to various general practitioner and veterinary technician continuing education programs. She helped train ten emergency and critical care residents and mentored interns, graduate students, and veterinary students in clinical research, facilitating their co-authorship on veterinary publications. She is also co-editor of the Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking.

Marie has a diversity of experiences in veterinary medicine including time spent in general, specialty, and academic practice. One thing that Marie feels is consistent no matter the veterinary setting is that all members of the profession are susceptible to compassion fatigue and burnout. As such, Marie facilitates Veterinary Wellness Workshops and Retreats for veterinary care providers that include lectures, yoga, and meditation practices. She is a certified yoga and meditation teacher and has completed a mindfulness-based stress reduction course for professionals. She also has Compassion Fatigue Training from the University of Tennessee School of Social Work, Mental Health First Aid Training from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training from the Centre for Suicide Prevention, and a Life Coaching certificate.

Marie’s favorite self-care activities include strength training, practicing yoga, rollerblading, watching movies, and hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the DrAndyRoark.com editorial team.

PSIvet Covers a New Approach to Healthcare in Veterinary Practices

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This week on the Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast, Dr. Andy Roark talks to Kelly Fusco, CVT of PSIvet. They’ll discuss the new Healthcare Initiative that has been 2+ years in the making and hopes to introduce new ways to ensure all Veterinary Professionals get the healthcare coverage they need.

Learn more about the PSIvet Health Initiative HERE.

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 OUR GUEST

Kelly Fusco is a seasoned professional in the animal health industry and is currently a Strategic Accounts Manager for PSIvet. No stranger to veterinary medicine, Kelly spent much of the early part of her 20-year career in critical care and emergency medicine. As a CVT, she has worked in almost every aspect of the industry as well as outside the clinic as a sales consultant. In 2018, Kelly took on a role with PSIvet to help transform the traditional GPO offering to veterinarians by leading strategic initiatives that add more value to the veterinary hospital and to their employees. One of the key initiatives Kelly heads up is the PSIvet Healthcare Initiative. This initiative provides various benefits and health packages that empower practice owners to care for their people and strengthen the practice, forging a proactive business strategy against new market entrants through enhanced recruitment and retention efforts. Kelly’s knowledge of the veterinary industry, from the inside, combined with her drive to provide new programs and services that help veterinarians grow and stay independent will help define healthcare and benefits to veterinarians for years to come.

What Substance Use Disorder Recovery Can Teach Us About Overcoming COVID-19

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On this episode of the Cone…

Dr. Andy Roark talks to Dr. Phil Richmond about substance use disorder in veterinary medicine and how the steps that help people overcome substance use disorder can lend insight to weathering the COVID-19 storm.

Trigger warning: Suicide, addiction

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 OUR GUEST:

Dr. Philip Richmond is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine (UFCVM) and practices in New Port Richey, Florida. He has been in recovery for more than 10 years and is passionate about helping and mentoring medical professionals in early recovery. He currently serves as the chair of both the FVMA Professional Wellness and Well-being Committee and the FVMA Outreach Committee. He is a member of the UFCVM Well-being Curriculum Committee. The committee was formed with the intention to teach wellness and well-being to veterinary students and create a model for veterinary wellness education in North America. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Florida Medical Professionals Group, an organization that supports medical professionals in recovery in the state. Dr. Richmond is a published writer and speaker, a Certified Health Coach — Behavioral Change Specialist, Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional and a Certified QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor. He has earned the Coursera/Penn Foundations in Positive Psychology Specialization Certificate, the BerkeleyX Science of Happiness at Work Professional Certificate and the AVMA Workplace Wellness Certificate. He is currently on schedule for a Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology and becoming a Certified Resilience Trainer in June 2020. In 2019, Dr. Richmond received an FVMA Gold Star Award for his service to the organization and the veterinary profession. He is married to Dr. Carla Channell, who is also a veterinarian. They have two children, three dogs (an Aussie, Beagle-Dachshund mix and a Maltese-Affenpinscher mix), a bevy of cats and turtles, a sulcata tortoise, a ball python and a corn snake. He is a Krav Maga practitioner, and he enjoys weightlifting and functional training.

Philip Richmond, DVM, CHC-BCS, CCFP
Certified Health Coach—Behavior Change Specialist
Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional
Certified QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor
Chair, FVMA Professional Wellness & Wellbeing Committee

Connecting in Times of Chaos

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Do you ever have those *headdesk* moments where you just can’t understand why something was branded a certain way? I feel that way about #socialdistancing. Don’t worry, I understand the concept and why it’s important, I’m an asthmatic and my husband is a double-lung transplant patient, I get it. But it doesn’t change that heart-wrenching hurt each time I see or hear #socialdistancing. We need each other more than ever. It’s too late for a rebrand, but I’ve got to hope some of us can think of it differently and that will make an impact. We need physical distancing for sure – I need and you need that curve to flatten out. I need it to be the flat landscape I remember from a childhood road trip across Iowa, where it seemed you could just see forever. But just as much I need that connection of finally arriving at that family reunion that made those days in the car and the miles of flatness worth it all. We need connection in the chaos.

A number of us have already been put into mandatory quarantine while others are waiting for the same. Some of us are working 12-16 hour shifts while others have lost their jobs. What we have in common now is the need for connection and community. How do you connect with people now, when we need it the most and it feels the hardest?  

Here are 5 things I’ve done to find connection in the chaos and I hope that they can help you get your footing in this rapidly changing landscape.

1. Get on the phone.

Yes, the phone (I’ve even done FaceTime) and talked to my family at least once a week. This has been a challenge for me as I don’t like being on the phone or on video. Even 5 minutes has helped me feel connected and I know it’s good for my family, which means I’m helping and that makes it easier to do.

2. Schedule games night by Skype or messenger calls with small groups.

(Need ideas on games to play – here’s a list of 21 https://apppearl.com/games-to-play-over-calls/) The best part about this was that it leads to a lot of laughing, which we all need right now.  I’ve been tempted to host a “Knock-knock Joke Night” but that might end up with me in a laughter induced asthma attack. I tend to not be able to tell jokes because I start laughing in the middle. Here’s my favorite which I can never get through. Why can’t you tell a dog a knock-knock joke? (I just lose it here, I can’t even get to the next part) You: Knock, Knock. Dog: BARK, BARK, BARK! (I know, it’s so ridiculous, but it makes me laugh so hard).

3. Virtually exchange recipes with friends.  

Ingredients:
2 Premade frozen pie crusts
1 Can chicken (not drained)
1 Can cream of chicken soup
1/2 Cup milk
1.5 Cups frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Prepare one pie crust as directed on the package for baking. Thaw the second pie crust. Mix soup, milk and canned chicken together. Mix in frozen vegetables. Spoon into prepared crust. Top with the second pie crust thawed. Use a fork to seal the crust by pressing the edges together. Use a fork to poke holes in the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

4. Write thank you cards that have been very long overdue.

I’ve been combining this with crafting which has been helping my brain stay healthy. I’ve been doing quick doodles or small watercolor paintings on the cards I’m sending out. To be clear, my brother is a world-renowned graphic artist and I am not, but I do love to art and I love it when people share their art with me.  

5. Talk to my neighbors from the porch.

This was a lot more fun than I anticipated. I love that our fences are short and chainlink. I think that I’d feel a lot more isolated if I couldn’t see my neighbors in their yards spreading mulch and I’d sure miss the opportunity to talk to them about gardening.

While we are staying 6-feet apart, let us find ways to find the social connection in the chaos and grow closer together. What’s working to help you to stay connected today?  

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.

Applying Braces in an Uncertain World

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I have a confession that I’m not proud of: This week I went through my first round of serious coronavirus-related anxiety. Even though I’ve been living in a country with the disease for over 2 months, I let my guard down and let my anxiety get the best of me this week. 

Some background: My wife and I moved from New Jersey to Hong Kong in August of 2019 to work in a growing private practice. We arrived exactly one week after the Hong Kong airport shut down from national protests. And luckily, the protests haven’t impacted us much other than changing or plans some weekends. 

By late December, we started hearing rumors of a new respiratory virus in China, and by January Hong Kong was in full national response mode- partially shutting down the border with China, shutting down government-run parks and buildings, and providing guidelines for citizens to avoid potential exposure (which amounted to what we now call social distancing). By the end of January, rumors had started that the Chinese government would cut off the supply of paper goods like toilet paper to Hong Kong, which induced panic buying – we couldn’t find any toilet paper, cleaning products or hand sanitizer for about one month (and now they are everywhere – hope is coming for you as well!).

But none of that seemed to bother me. Things would keep moving along, and we could handle them. Until this week – COVID-19 started to take hold in the US, and specifically in NJ and NY where my friends, family, and former co-workers were located. I suddenly found myself with a mounting anxiety for their wellbeing, something I could do nothing about. I watched as former coworkers were temporarily laid off due to uncertainty and emergency cost-saving measures. Coupled with a week of difficult cases, it was enough to push me to the limit. I found myself doubting my abilities as a vet, distancing myself from others mentally, and even missing some deadlines on projects.

It’s a situation I’ve never been in before and my mind went into overload and partial shutdown. I luckily have a great support system in my wife and close friends who helped me rebound, but I don’t want it to happen again, or happen to anyone else.

So what do you do when you face a situation as you’ve never been in before? You can start by applying what I call BRACES to your day to keep everything together as things seem to be falling apart:

1. Breathe. Take a minute, collect your thoughts. You still have responsibilities to people and to animals who need you, but they need you to think clearly. In a time where situations can change hour to hour (or seemingly minute to minute) don’t get caught up in the endless barrage of news and fear. Give yourself time to react rationally.

2. Recharge yourself. Take the time to recharge and re-energize. In a time where it feels like you are being pulled in hundreds of directions at once, you still need to take time to fulfill your needs. Taking time off from work mentally is vital for your long-term health and has even shown to improve your quality of work. Schedule your recharge time like you schedule appointments and stick to it.

3. Acknowledge the uncertainty. There is no getting around the fact that we live in uncertain times. We are currently at a point where we can’t say what tomorrow will look like, let alone next week or next year. Acknowledging this fact, but not letting yourself be paralyzed by it, is essential. As veterinarians, we are almost uniquely prepared for changing situations and chaos. Adopting the mindset to change and adapt based on the current facts will improve your decision-making abilities and improve your long-term results. 

4. Clarify. Provide clarity and certainty where possible. Now that you know that things outside of your control could change over time, start to focus on the things you can control. Be mindful of your reactions to the news and to other information. Where possible, provide clarity to your staff as well – they are looking for guidance and some level of security in this time. Discuss your daily procedures with them and be sure to effectively communicate any changes as needed.

5. Establish a routine. Take control of your days by planning in advance. You don’t need a minute by minute schedule, but block the amount of time you will spend at work, how much personal recharge time you need, how much time you will be on social media/catching up on the news, how much Netflix you will watch, etc. Setting a schedule before you start these activities will keep you from falling into the time-sucking black hole of social media or Netflix binging. Taking control of your daily routine is a great way to add some certainty to your day in an uncertain world. To-do lists are also a great way to keep on track with larger projects

6. Stay connected to others. Just because you are physically separated from others, doesn’t mean you have to mentally or emotionally be separated. More than ever, take the time to talk and connect to your friends and family. We are all in this together. Even half a world away, it’s been comforting to receive a text or call from family or friends to talk about what we are all going through.

I know these things are easier said than done, and I know I’ve failed at them from time to time. But the important thing to remember is that there are always ways to improve our situation. We are all in a position now, both personally and professionally, that we haven’t experienced before. But with this change, we have the chance to shape our profession to be even better and stronger than it was before.

And finally, although times are trying and it can be difficult, make sure to keep your mind sharp and occupied. If your plans are altered and you have extra time, take that online CE course or read those journal articles you have been putting off. Or make it a priority to pick up that new hobby you wanted to start but never had the time (mine is photography). Or just take the time to connect with your family/spouse/pets in a way that you haven’t been able to because of work. Do whatever you need to do to keep from falling into the cycle of fear and despair that comes with mounting uncertainty.

And above all, stay safe and healthy.

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

Colin McDermott, VMD, CertAqV is a New Jersey native but is currently working at a private practice in Hong Kong. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011, and has undergone further training and has been seeing exotics patients ever since. In addition to his special interests in fish and reptile medicine, he has become more interested in practice management and bringing out the best in all veterinary staff members. When not in the clinic, he and his wife enjoy hiking, camping and exploring the new food options in Hong Kong.