Fear Free Nail Trim Techniques

We have pets too

It's easy to forget that veterinary professionals have pets at home and when those pets get ill, or develop problems, often times our minds go into overdrive. We are amon
gst that group of people that have enough knowledge to be dangerous and therefore as soon as one of our animals limps, coughs, or vomits, our minds automatically jump to the worst possible conclusion out there. You will find that when it comes to our own pets, we lose all sense of medical knowledge in that immediate moment. I can't help but think of the time my sweet Madeline (a now 5 year old boxer) was only about 12 weeks old and choking on a piece of bedding - from a bed that she had nicely destroyed while at the hospital with me for my overnight ER shift. I completely lost my cool, forgot all sense of emergency veterinary experience I had, and instead handed her off to my colleague to deal with  her because at that moment I was not a doctor - I was a pet parent. Luckily she was fine and continues to shred bedding when at the hospital with me.

I tell you this story to say, we know what you are going through when your pets are sick. Please don't think for a second that just because we see these things day in and day out, that we aren't affected by it or that we can't relate or empathize to your concerns.  We know how scary it can be when your pet is hurt or how worrisome it can be when they just haven't been themselves for a few days. We know how it feels to hear that your pet has cancer, is diagnosed with seizures or needs more extensive testing. My 8 year old Boxer had a seizure today while with me at work - I know how scary those are and just sitting there with him while he recovered, I am thankful for the knowledge I have as a doctor and that I can empathize with my clients. I can relate because I have been there - and I think that helps make us better doctors.

So ask us about our pets - ask us our opinion on what you should do in situations - the odds are, we have been there too.

What Makes us Different

As I embark on this new journey of practice ownership, I knew I had to set my hospital apart from the rest. Let's be honest, there are a LOT of veterinary offices out there. And often we do the same types of things - we offer preventative care (i.e. vaccines, deworming, heartworm and flea prevention) as well as routine surgeries, dental cleanings, x-rays, and often times in house lab work. Some of us may offer services such as emergency care, sick pet hospitalization, emergency surgery and ultrasound exams. Often newer offices have newer technologies, so we are able to advertise that we provide the "Newest technology in digital x-rays" or "Up to date anesthesia monitoring" or "New laser therapy". And most times consumers see New, Up to Date, or Advanced and they assume that means the best. And often times it does. So what makes my office different from the new office around the corner, or the office 10 minutes away that many of my clients have been going to for years, or even the office on the other side of town that has been open for 30+ years?

I can tell you that we are different than the rest, and not just because I am biased and I think we have the BEST staff in town. Part of my passion in opening a new hospital was a movement started roughly 1 year ago by Dr Marty Becker called the Fear Free Movement. It is still new and gaining a lot of momentum in the veterinary field but it is not very well known amongst the general public. Fear Free takes into account that coming to the veterinary office is stressful for everyone - for the clients as well as the patients. I began to learn about Fear Free at my previous job and started to educate myself on the techniques - and I can tell you firsthand that they work! This isn't just some marketing ploy that we use to try to branch out from the rest. These techniques really do put our patients at ease.

I saw a dog last week that was a bundle of energy - he had  come to me because of a hematoma on  his ear and his mom was happy to get an appointment with us the same day she called (obviously as a start up hospital, our appointment book is more open than other clinics). This pup came in with a very ouchy ear and was reluctant to let any of us touch it. Upon entering the exam room I sat down on the floor and this pup climbed into my lap. After a few minutes of rubbing and playing with him, he allowed me to take a look at his ears without any issues. In fact his mom even commented at the end of our time together that she was so impressed by the techniques we used and that a doctor would be willing to be on the floor with her dog. It convinced her that we were the clinic for her and she is willing to drive 30 minutes to see us.

Our office is brand new - so we have all the fancy bells and whistles. We offer high quality medicine and we strive to create individual medical plans for each pet. But what really sets us apart is the time we take to get to know our clients and our patients. We may sit with your pet for 15 minutes and just allow them to sniff us, or explore the exam room, or eat treats from us before we start our exam. If your pet isn't feeling too friendly that day and we can't achieve everything we need to, that's ok. We won't push them or force them - we want them to come see us and be happy about doing so. If that means it takes a few visits for them to adjust to us and to complete their medical care, so be it. The more times they come to see us, the more times they get treats and petted and loved on. And the more our bond with them grows. We believe in Fear Free and we want to educate all our clients and the general public about the positive results it can create. Have questions? Call us and ask what sets us apart. Check out www.fearfreepets.com and our website www.chestnutarborvet.com to learn more. Come see us to see the difference in Veterinary Care. You and your pets will be glad you did!

Please check out my new hospital's website!!


chestnutarborvet.com

Big Changes Coming

It's been a bit since I posted anything....and this is for a number of reasons. My life has taken an interesting series of turns in the past 6 months. Some of these changes have been challenging, to say it nicely, and others are proving to be very exciting. The biggest of which is the decision to open my own veterinary hospital after 13 years of private practice. This decision was one I did not come to lightly but I am extremely excited about the potential this holds and the future it brings me, both personally and professionally.

I have been extremely lucky during my career to work alongside a number of successful veterinarians who have inspired me to pursue this dream. I have learned so much, not only about veterinary medicine, but also about good business and I can't wait to put these lessons into action. Notoriously, veterinarians are not interested in the business aspect of our jobs however I am a bit of an anomaly, in that I actually love the business aspect. I like crunching numbers, determining profitability, comparing market reports, and so on, and so on. I am excited to be able to set up a practice with the quality of medicine I hold dear to my heart, but also to grow a successful business. It's a scary adventure, because at the end of the day, there is no one else to blame if it fails except for me. However, imagine the immense pride when it succeeds.

The building is under construction and I am anxiously awaiting the day when we get to start our portion of the build-out so I can start to see the exam rooms, treatment area, surgery suite etc. I am excited to pick out wall colors, decorations and countertops. I will be ecstatic the day I get to set up my office and the first time the phone rings to schedule an appointment. I can't wait to stand back, my daughter by my side, and say 'this is mommy's other baby'.

We are hoping to open our doors this fall - our website is underway and you can watch progress of our hospital at chestnutarborvet.com or on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/chestnutarborvet/). I'm looking forward to sharing this adventure with all of you!

We call her Fat Cat

My name is Jennifer and my cat is fat.....not just a little chunky, she is fat. In fact her name is "Fat Cat".  And truly there is only one person to blame for it - me. Obesity is a far too common occurrence in many of our patients today. I am unsure if it is a reflection of the busy schedules of us as owners, or our desire to keep our pets 'fat and happy'. Either way, obesity is a problem for our pets. It is one of the few diseases, if it is not a symptom of an underlying entity, that can be 100% controlled by us.  Our pets cannot control the food they eat, how much they eat, nor can they decide to go on a diet or exercise more. They depend on us to make those decisions for them. And in the case of my sweet kitty, I have failed her. She wasn't always this fat - she started off as a sweet little cat. But somewhere along the way, her food bowl remained full at all times (mostly to stop her from meowing at my head at 5 am) and before I knew it she was 12 lbs.

Obesity predisposes our pets to various other problems including diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease and even cancer.  Therefore, it is more than just cosmetic for our pets - we know that pets that are overweight live shorter lives, have more orthopedic problems and develop more secondary issues. They have a tougher time under anesthesia and don't metabolize drugs appropriately.  Trying to maintain a pet at their ideal, lean weight is vital to a long and healthy life with us.

Often owners feel like they can't do anything to help their pets get in better shape - or they don't want to deprive them of treats or special goodies. I will say that getting a dog to lose weight is easier than a cat- you can take dogs for walks, take them to the park, play fetch etc to get them some exercise. Cats can be more difficult. Some will walk on a leash or chase a laser pointer around the house - or sometimes your dog chases the cat around the house which helps! Substituting healthier options for treats can help - try raw green beans or carrots, plain rice cakes or even ice cubes as treats for your dogs. Stay away from raisins and grapes tho!

If weight loss still eludes your pet be sure to consult with your veterinarian - there are some underlying medical conditions that predispose pets to gaining weight, such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease. Your vet will want to run some lab work to make sure this isn't the cause. Sometimes prescription weight loss diets are needed to help a pet get down to a healthier weight.

Whether you do it on your own, or enroll your pet in your veterinarians weight watcher's club - having a lean and healthy pet will benefit you both in the long run!

We cried

It's been awhile since I posted and it's not for a lack of trying or due to a lack of things to talk about. It mostly had to do with giving myself some time and space to process things recently. A lot has happened since my last post ... holiday season has started, a new president-elect has been chosen, my Panthers have continued to disappoint me, my Buckeyes have made me proud and my wallet has been emptied of hard earned money in an attempt to surprise my daughter with a mountain of gifts on Christmas morning. And in the midst of all that I continue to practice medicine day in and day out - some days good and others bad. This time of year the bad days seem to out number the good ones. The holiday season brings with it joy and happiness, but in veterinary medicine if often brings a large amount of sad stories, unfortunate accidents and too often to count, excrutiating decisions regarding patient care due to financial constraints of the holidays.

I follow other blogs online, mostly veterinary oriented because let's face it....the only people who can truly understand what we deal with is other people in this crazy field. I opened my email last week to see a blog post from A Vet's Guide to Life (http://avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com/). The title - "Death, death and more death". It was quite fitting to see this topic last week when I spent many days looking at my appointment book to see 2 or 3 scheduled euthanasias each day.  Most of these were not unexpected, a few being patients that I knew were drawing to the end of their lives but some were unplanned and decisions had to be made based on new information, new sickness or unfortunately lack of funds to care for the ailing pet. Even though I did not disagree with any of the choices that these owners made, it never makes the actual deed any easier. The hardest part of it all is having to compose oneself after these events and go on to the next appointment - whether that be a happy puppy or another sick pet. You have to pick yourself up, dust off the emotions of the last appointment and start over again in the next room. Exhausting to say the least.

I try to remind myself that I am helping to end the suffering of a patient and bring comfort to the family when they can no longer provide care for their pet - whether it be due to finances, quality of life or other unknown reasons. But to be honest, when you have to do several of these a day for several days in a row you want to just curl up in a ball and cry. Often I hear myself screaming in my head, 'this isn't why I went to school'. I went to school to make their lives better - to help these animals and their owners. To try to solve problems, cure illnesses, make patients happy again. And yes, euthanasia is part of that process.....just not my favorite part. It takes its toll on all of us.

The staff and I gathered around a particular case recently - a sweet labrador who was suffering from diabetes and pancreatitis. We couldn't manage to get either condition under control and more diagnostics revealed that she most likely had cancer contributing to her condition as well. Based on all this information her family made the tough choice to let her go. They wanted to remember her during her good times so they chose not to be with her at the end but I assured them that myself and the staff would be. The entire staff and I gathered around this sweet girl and treated her to a royal last meal - 2 slices of pumpkin pie, whipped cream, numerous buffalo wing flavored potato chips, chocolate candies and as many doggie treats as she could handle. I cried as I watched her enjoy this time with us - I cried not only for her, but for all the other animals I had to say goodbye to that week, for their families and a little for me. For the little piece of me that left with each and every patient I said 'see you later' to. The staff cried too....they may not have known what I was crying for but they knew it had to be big, cause truth be told, I just don't cry that often in front of them.  We all said our goodbyes as this sweet girl closed her eyes for the last time. Then we dusted ourselves off and did it again the next day......we look for the good in each day, even when it is difficult to see. Sometimes the good is simply the joy in a piece of pie..