Weekly Veterinary Industry Review #1
It’s July 31, 2020, and, not surprisingly, this roundup features a lot of veterinary news on the continuing reverberations from the pandemic. Along with that, however, are plenty of articles that counter this negativity. There is a lot of positive information coming out about ways the veterinary community can not just learn from this time but perhaps come out even stronger on the other side. News has also emerged on a pivotal veterinary recruiting event, euthanasia during the pandemic, and some feel-good news in the pet world, so let’s get to it.
How to Handle Euthanasia During the Pandemic
This story out of Tallahassee, presents changes in the way euthanasia is being handled during this pandemic.
Office Manager and vet tech at The Animal Hospital & Resort Mary Schwartz notes of the changes in pet euthanasia during the pandemic:
“In these times, we have made some changes—ordinarily, the staff is in the room, petting, soothing, talking to the animal. But now it will be only a gowned and masked veterinarian and the family. But we make sure the pet is relaxed and calm, hearing the voice of its owner as it falls asleep….”
My Virtual Vet is the Latest Invention Designed to Advance Telemedicine
Whether you like it or not, telemedicine isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, this latest invention is designed to help pet parents get their fur babies treatment without having to set foot in the clinic.
From the press release on My Virtual Vet:
“While MVV does not fully replace in-person veterinary care, the service minimizes pet parents' anxiety and costs associated with expensive urgent care visits or routine visits addressing issues such as skin, ear, and gastrointestinal problems. Offering more than an advice line, MVV can connect pet parents with veterinarians who can both treat and prescribe based on their state's veterinary telemedicine regulation. MVV meets a substantial need for pet parents, with 30% of app downloads converting to a scheduled appointment.”
The Growing Need For More Diversity in the Veterinary Field
Second-year veterinary student Chris Hollingsworth writes about the notable lack of diversity and even racism he’s experienced in the veterinary field in an article posted by DVM360.
As Hollingsworth notes in the article about being a minority in the veterinary field:
“My transition to a predominantly white space has made me more aware of the dismal lack of diversity in veterinary medicine and propelled me and my minority peers to demand change. Representation matters, and we are seeking to balance out the numbers within our field.”
Five Ways to Support New Vet Grads
Graduating from vet school can be intimidating, as many of these students have expressed their concern over the fact that they are expected to become doctors overnight.
Here are the tips DVM360 offers to help new veterinary graduates:
- Understand the new grad mindset
- Be patient
- Help them establish a client base
- Give both positive and negative feedback
- Model healthy boundaries
Some Feel-Good Pet News
Now more than ever we need some good news in our lives, which is why you need to check out our two feel-good stories this week. The first story is about a pitbull who, for whatever reason, thinks he is like his cat brothers and sisters, so he climbs on the cupboards in the kitchen!
The second story is about a man in Illinois who pulled the seats out of an old bus he bought and replaced them with dog crates. He now helps out working pet parents in the area by transporting pets to the local doggie daycare facility.
A Possible Downturn in Positive Pet Adoption News During the Pandemic
King's Harvest Pet Rescue in Iowa says they started quarantine out strong when COVID-19 hit, nearly clearing out the entire shelter. Unfortunately, they're now filling back up with fewer resources. While the verdict is out on whether this trend is nationwide, this is a story to watch.
DVM360 is Holding a Virtual Recruiting Event
Looking to reach your next goal in the veterinary field? DVM360 is hosting a virtual veterinary recruiting event (supported by the VCA). Taking place on Tuesday, August 4 from 3 PM-5:30 PM EDT, the event will be sourcing for veterinarians as well as veterinary support staff. And while the event is virtual, we highly recommend you get out of your jammies to put your best foot forward.
The Veterinarian’s Responsibility to Recognize Animal Abuse
An unfortunate part of the job of any veterinarian is to recognize animal abuse when they see it, and the person bringing the animal in for the appointment may or may not be the person causing the abuse. It could be law enforcement, a shelter employee, a good samaritan, or an owner who doesn’t know about the abuse. Thankfully, there are stricter laws in place as of last year, and signs to look out for, which are discussed in this article from TodaysVeterinaryPractice.com.
Average Revenue Growth of Veterinary Practices Continues to Surge During the Pandemic
A survey of 644 member practices revealed average revenue growth of 14.6% in June compared with the same month in 2019.
Here are some vet job statistics from the article in TodaysVeterinaryBusiness.com:
“According to an April 2020 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinary jobs are expected to grow by 18 percent from 2018 to 2028, with 15,600 new jobs added.”
“We have not seen increases in new-client numbers in several years; this is a significant change,” wrote Karen E. Felsted, DVM, CPA, MS, CVPM, CVA, the author of the monthly “Insiders’ Insights” report, going on to add, “It will be interesting to see if this turnaround holds.”
4 Steps to Enlisting Introspection for Preventing Veterinary Burnout
As everyone in this industry knows, burnout in the veterinary field is rampant.
Popular veterinary blog My Vet Candy offered the following four ways to use introspection to prevent burnout in your own life:
- Get centered using meditation or peaceful music.
- Focus on what’s good and bad for you as far as feelings (a full day of patients could be exhilarating to some vets but overwhelming to others)
- Idealize - in other words, if you had a genie and a magic lamp, how would you want thinks to be? Work towards that.
- Enjoy the NOW - resist the urge for destination addiction.
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