Weekly Veterinary Industry Review #6

 

It’s Friday, September 4th, 2020. Welcome to round six of the Weekly Veterinary Industry Review, brought to you by GeniusVets. This week we discuss the changing of feline vaccination recommendations, an incredibly positive comeback story of an animal hospital that was hit by a tornado, and we continue our look at the always-a-bit contentious topic of Telehealth. So let's get to it…

 

Veterinary Business News

Keeping you at the forefront of veterinary news regarding products, personnel, and conferences…

 

Is Now the Time For a Business Loan? It Very Well Could Be

  • Business is booming right now, but both veterinary financial gurus, if you will, Dr. Tait and Terry O’Neil have warned that financial trouble almost undoubtedly looms around the corner for veterinarians.
  • But you might be asking, “A loan now? In the middle of this pandemic?” According to this article by Veterinary Practice News, the answer to that is, “Yes.”
  • As the article notes: “Despite the uncertainty veterinary professionals face, there are also new opportunities to make meaningful improvements to their practices. Whether you seek to make an immediate impact on your day-to-day operations or pave the path for long-term success, a business loan can help you achieve your goals." 
  • The five reasons they give for getting a loan now in this article are: understand the value of cash flow, consolidate debt, invest in new equipment, but into, acquire, or start a new practice, or enhance in-office comfort.
  • If you want to hear Dr. Tait's extremely detailed and valuable information on how to not just survive but financially thrive during and after COVID, register for his Webinar Wednesday episode.
  • Article posted by Veterinary Practice News

 

Designer Experts in the Animal Space Share Ideas on Designing Your Clinic For Social Distancing

  • At the recent Fetch dvm360 virtual conference, Heather E. Lewis, AIA, NCARB, AAA, and Vicki J. Pollard, AIA, NCARB, AAA, CVT—two of the principals at Animal Arts in Boulder, Colorado—explored the timely subject of creating features for new hospital construction or renovation that will put practices in a better position to maintain social distance and offer protection against the spread of infectious disease.
  • As the article notes: “As you sit down with your design team to work on the initial concept plan, think about how you could use your space if another pandemic were upon us, or you needed to socially distance within your facility,” said Pollard.
  • The article dives into ways to make the outside and inside more socially distant, but also explores hygiene and PPE stations.
  • Article posted by dvm360

 

After Six-Year Battle, Veterinarian Wins Case Over Negative Online Review

  • Dealing with negative reviews is par for the course for veterinarians, as stressed pet owners can often take their frustrations online.
  • In an extreme case in this article by AAHA, an Australian veterinarian was recently awarded 30,000 after a six-year court battle. Allen O’Grady, BVSc, MVSc, sued Carrie Barlow for defamation after she took to various social media sites, calling him “grumpy” and saying he overcharged and “took advantage of a distressed pet owner.”
  • Caitlin DeWilde, a DVM who is also involved in social media marketing, said of taking your negative reviews to court: “I think that is a very personal decision—and one that may not be feasible for all practices. I would only consider [taking legal action] if the business has been significantly impacted, can easily prove that it’s a direct result of the online activity, and if the business has the time and money to fight the legal battle. However, I think this would be very difficult to prove, and the cost and length of the battle alone is an additional emotional and financial drain on the practice.”
  • Article posted by AAHA.org

 

Valuable Pet News For Your Clients

Topical stories your clients will want to hear…

The 2013 American Association of Feline Practitioners Association Vaccination Recommendations Have Been Updated

  • The guidelines encourage practitioners to take into account more feline risk factors, including environment, lifestyle, and life stage.
  • From the article: “Veterinarians should use these guidelines in conjunction with their own clinical experience and expert opinion while considering the needs of the individual patient. ‘Cats used to be vaccinated for certain diseases based solely on whether they went outside or not. Those times have changed,’ said AAHA Senior Veterinary Officer Heather Loenser, DVM. ‘We need to tailor vaccine protocols for individual pets, rather than basing vaccination decisions on a single factor.’”
  • Article posted by Phys.org

 

A Good Reminder to Discuss an Overlooked Pet Topic, Cat Hydration

  • What many pet owners don’t realize is that cat dehydration can happen in healthy cats as well as cats with urinary issues.
  • The article offers the following suggestions: supplements, regulating water temperature, replacing the bowl, replacing water regularly, getting a cat fountain.
  • Article posted by PasadenaNow.com

 

Veterinary Toys & Tech

The latest innovations to keep pets happy and healthy…

Telehealth Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

  • Telehealth or telemedicine has been a current theme in our newsletter, and we’ve covered a variety of opinions on it since our inaugural edition.
  • Some see its necessity for the current moment but look forward to it being long gone, while others are pushing for it remain long past this pandemic.
  • According to this recent Forbes article, “In human healthcare, telemedicine is booming. Telemedicine stocks like Teladoc and One Medical have doubled this year, and 90% of healthcare executives say their organizations are developing or already have a telehealth application.” If you are a veterinarian who supports the expansion of telemedicine, this article has three tips for getting involved: Partner with pet insurers, identify an underserved niche, and redefine pet care (“Aim to make telehealth as seamless as possible while improving preventative care.”)
  • Article posted by Forbes

 

Not-So-Human-Interest

Lighter pet stories to provide much-needed cheer in difficult times...

  • We’re switching this up this week, as we usually feature a feel-good animal story in this section. Instead, this week, we’re going to honor a fellow veterinary practice that has been through quite a harrowing experience.
  • A few weeks ago Monday, the Lombard Animal Hospital was hit by an EF-1 tornado packing 95 mph winds. Due to the quick action and thinking on the part of their team, no human or animal was harmed in any way, which I am incredibly thankful to be able to report.
  • The roof did cave in on itself but that didn’t dampen the spirits nor dim the ingenuity of the employees, who have found temporary places to practice and they’ve decided to rebuild bigger and better.
  • Along with the wonderful news about the saved fur baby lives, the stories of the many communities that have surrounded them with love, donations, and places to temporarily put pets they were housing are positively heartwarming.

 

From the GeniusVets Marketing Blog

Helpful information straight from the mouths of vets...

  • We've been creating some killer content surrounding themes that arise each week from our Webinar Wednesday series, and this week's blog post is about the habits that successful veterinarians seem to share.
  • Veterinarians such as dvm360's Chief Veterinary Office Dr. Adam Christman, AAHA President Dr. Heather Loenser, Executive Director of the SCVMA Dr. Peter Weinstein, and others share tips on scheduling, time management, staffing, and more.
  • From the article: “Right now my supplements for tomorrow morning are already on the counter, my breakfast bowl is there. I know what needs to be done. I always look ahead for the next day to see what appointments I have or what meetings I'm supposed to be in. So I mentally get myself ready for the next day.” - Dr. Christman on his ultra-organized schedule
  • Article Posted By GeniusVets

 

Have something newsworthy in the veterinary field? Reach out to us at [email protected]. Enjoy our weekly veterinary industry review, coming to you each Friday afternoon.