Columns

A standard liability policy might not be sufficient for your practice. Consider umbrella coverage to protect against larger or multiple claims.

The number of lawsuits filed and monetary awards handed out have increased in today’s litigious society. As a result, coverage limits in standard commercial general liability policies — typically $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in annual aggregate — are often insufficient for modern veterinary practices. Your liability related to the transmission of zoonotic […]

Actively listening and focusing on feelings are keys to building stronger client relationships and reducing the risk of compassion fatigue in yourself.

Much has been written about how caring the veterinary profession is and how the extent of our caring can lead to high levels of stress, burnout and compassion fatigue. People, companies and organizations that focus on ways to improve personal well-being are producing studies and surveys and leading seminars and discussions aimed at creating healthier […]

Overall clinical volume rises more than 5% nationwide, but growth isn’t as strong among East Coast practices.

Welcome to The Vetalytix Report for the second quarter of 2019. In the tables that follow, we reaffirm a consistent theme that no two markets for veterinary medicine are identical and that the practices that serve those markets face unique challenges. For the independent practice to thrive in today’s hypercompetitive environment, it’s critical to understand […]

New York lawmakers approved the first statewide declaw ban and, along with New Jersey, is looking at imposing rules on groomers. Who’s next?

2019 is a watershed year for politics and the pet care industry. Issues that drew scant attention for decades have caught the public eye or, better yet, the eager eyes of politicians wanting to tap into the surge of interest in pets. New York and New Jersey are prime battlegrounds for the issues of declawing […]

Veterinary medicine needs more possibilist thinking. Technology holds the key.

In his brilliant book “Factfulness,” physician-statistician Hans Rosling defined “possibilist” as an alternative mindset to an optimist (who simply believes that good outcomes will happen) or a pessimist (who doesn’t spend the energy to imagine good outcomes and who, by the way, is kind of boring). A possibilist instead believes that a strong set of […]

Client-led, no-charge tours familiarize anxious pets with the hospital environment. Don’t forget the treats.

Most consumers express increased satisfaction when they hear the magic word “free,” whether it’s a complimentary upgrade on an airplane flight or a no-cost vanilla latte at Starbucks. Business owners, however, often struggle to find value in giving away a product or service. Allow me to introduce you to the Happy Visit, a free service […]

When carving out space for alternative medicine treatments, your goal should be to create a calming atmosphere by reducing noise, odors and other distractions.

I’ve witnessed many changes in animal care over my almost 25 years of designing veterinary hospitals, from technology and standards of care to treatment options and growing awareness of preventive and wellness care, to name a few. To me, the biggest change has involved pet owners and their mindset that pets are no longer merely […]

If you’re considering practice ownership, learn the differences between an equity purchase and an asset purchase.

One of the most important aspects to understand when you buy a veterinary practice is whether you are getting the business’s assets or equity in the existing company. I know I’m asking you to understand accounting terms, but this is important and pretty easy to grasp. When you buy the assets, you get all the […]

If you don’t control your money, your money will control you and you will be unable to achieve peace and contentment.

Any given day we are bombarded with news that can terrify. Turmoil with North Korea and Iran, trade wars with China, Russia increasing its nuclear arsenal, to name a few recent headlines. One or all can impact our economy and world security. In addition, political battles between Democrats and Republicans continue to escalate and talk […]

General practitioners, specialists and even students have a role to play in the evolution of telehealth and the elimination of barriers to veterinary services.

Lots of stuff is going on in the world of virtual care as its utilization shifts from innovators to early adopters and becomes more mainstream. Recent articles have shown increased client demand for telehealth services and satisfaction with its use. This past spring, the American Veterinary Medical Association hosted the Veterinary Virtual Care Summit, which […]