About the Author
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward is an award-winning veterinarian, impact entrepreneur, book author and media personality. When he’s not with family or pet patients, Dr. Ward can be found contemplating solutions during endurance athletics and meditation and on his weekly podcast, “Veterinary Viewfinder.” Learn more at drernieward.com
If you have a question about practice life, personal well-being, leadership or veterinary careers, email openingshotstvb@gmail.com
Written By This Author

Practice Management
Q&A: Client Conflict, Micromanagers and Burnout
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Client Communication
Q&A: Second Chances, Confrontations and the Fee Talk
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Personal Wellness
Q&A: Clinical Guardrails, Time Management and Stress
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Practice Management
Q&A: Team Parties, Absent Vets and Personal Finance
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Patient Care
Move to the Top of the Food Chain
Clinics can recapture therapeutic diet sales using better client communication and popular purchase options.
Personal Wellness
Q&A: Sick Days, Pay Raises and Physical Health
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Practice Management
Q&A: Quitting a Job, Yelling at Staff and Exam Fees
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Practice Management
Q&A: Ex-Owners, Insubordination and Rising Costs
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Innovation/Technology
Basepaws Screening Tools
Early detection methods that improve pet health outcomes
Client Communication
How to Not Talk Like a Salesperson
To achieve client buy-in around pet food, start with the four P’s: permission, problem, practice and philosophy.

Client Communication
How to Expand the Pet Food Conversation
If you want to risk having an argument these days, ask people what they feed their pets.

Practice Management
Q&A: Firings, Hirings and Broken Equipment
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Personal Wellness
Q&A: Workaholics, Responsibilities and Doctor Duties
How do you handle a veterinarian who works too much? What to do about attitude problems? Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Client Communication
Consistency Creates Credibility
When applied to pet nutrition, consistent messages create credibility and promote compliance.
Practice Management
Q&A: Postcards, One-Star Reviews and Active Clients
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Practice Management
Q&A: Shift Work, Medical Errors and Drop-Offs
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Personal Wellness
Q&A: Bad Employees, Rude Clients and Restorative Sleep
Sometimes, the best solution is to jettison problem employees.
Finance
Q&A: Paycheck Chatter and the Need for Time Off
Team members tend to know each other’s pay, particularly within their job role.
Finance
Hunger Pangs, Bad Behavior and Equipment Envy
Whenever workplaces consciously keep employees who are bad for business, the objective is to find a job that reduces their damage.
Client Communication
Tattoos, Stress and Staff Conflict
More veterinary professionals are rejecting staff conflict as unavoidable and demanding better leadership and working conditions.
Practice Management
Q&A: Constructive Criticism, Poor Communication and More
Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Practice Management
Q&A: Staff Strife, Instagram Envy and More
Staff strife, Instagram envy, obese pets and more. Opening Shots columnist Dr. Ernie Ward answers your questions.
Patient Care
Food for Thought
Therapeutic diets are a great way to treat pet obesity. Veterinary teams need to remember the three keys: patience, flexibility and creativity.
Innovation/Technology
In the internet we trust
Know how to positively address negative online comments.
Pet Insurance
How pet insurance may save your career
Pet insurance can’t eliminate every problem, but it can help you avoid some of them.