The Wagging Tail

“Holiday Puppies” are a common present at Hanukah or Christmas. Shelters routinely brace for the surrender of these dogs a few months later. And while dogs are relinquished for a variety of reasons, one of the most preventable is “behavioral issues.” Here are some simple tips you can give to your clients at the first visit with their new puppy that will help mitigate some common behavioral issues, smooth the transition of the new family member and ensure a lasting bond.

Feel free to copy the tips below and distribute to clients:

Contented Confinement: I suggest that every dog should be trained to accept confinement in a portable kennel as early in life as possible. (Prepare her now for boarding or hospitalization later.) For “gone to work” confinement, the ideal setup is a portable kennel connected to, or inside an indoor “exercise pen” with newspaper or fake grass as a toilet. This setup is safe for 8-10 hours at a time and limits the puppy’s access to everything it might do wrong. The best way to introduce the closed kennel is to pair every entry into the kennel with a toy containing a fresh dab of peanut butter. If the puppy cries later, first do a “Needs Analysis” and if elimination, exercise and other needs have been met, it will be necessary to let the pup learn that tantrums don’t work.

Chew Training: A few chew toys inside the kennel during confinement teach the puppy that these are his items to chew. Other times the owner should actively put these chew toys in the puppy’s mouth and praise any chewing.  Start with very easily chewed toys such as Greenies and work up to compressed rawhide that has one end soaked in water to soften it up.  Booby trap unacceptable targets with mouth wash or underarm anti-perspirant.

Reward Based Elimination Training:  Punishing house soiling teaches, “Don’t eliminate when he’s watching!”  This approach makes proper training more difficult because the goal is to BE THERE outside to praise correct elimination.  When home, begin with confinement in a closed kennel which inhibits elimination.  Take the pup out every few hours when awake, and no food or water inside the kennel overnight.  If the puppy does not eliminate, just put her back into the kennel and try later.  She will learn the way to get freedom, play and other rewards is to eliminate in the right place.  Make her urine or feces so valuable she won’t want to waste it indoors.  When she routinely asks to go out, she has earned her indoor freedom.

Leash Training:  After successful elimination, suggest the owner take the puppy for a walk as reward.  This habit of rewarding elimination on the owner’s property reduces the future need to bring baggies on walks.  If an outdoor walk isn’t possible, suggest an “indoor walk” i.e. hold the leash INSIDE the house during post elimination play periods.  This is a positive leash association, and makes it easy to catch the pup if mouthing something inappropriate, or if about to eliminate again.  In the evenings, use the leash to tether the pup next to people to bond, and to prevent sneaking away to trouble.

Following these simple steps will go a long way in making the “Holiday Puppy” a permanent member of the family.

The present economic climate provides a challenge for veterinarians. We strive to provide the absolute best medical care to our patients, and we also strive be sensitive about the affordability of that care. Kristi Reimer, the editor of Veterinary Economics, wrote an excellent article on the matter: Affordability vs. Excellence, Do Veterinarians Have to Choose?  She asks, “Is there a way to maintain excellent medical standards, charge appropriately for them, and still be a compassionate veterinarian who’s accessible to the majority of Pet owners in the community?”

The answer is “Of course!”  We need to be offering the very best we have to every client and every patient at every visit.

The veterinary team and the Pet’s family have the same goal of restoring or maintaining the health of the Pet.  I believe we even have the same financial goals.  We want our clients in sound financial health so they are able to return again, and they want us in sound financial health so we are here when they need us.

Instead of offering “good/better/best” medical plans and “bargaining” with our client until we meet in the middle, consider offering the very best and using the treatment plan as an open dialogue.  Be transparent about what is absolutely mandatory and what is optional for your patient’s well-being and return to health and why each component is important.  You may be surprised with what your client will allow you to do when they understand why each portion of the treatment plan is important.  However, even a gazillionaire is not going to toss money at you for stuff they think you threw in just for the heck of it.

This is where your relationship with your client becomes important.  Clients who trust your integrity and medical expertise will know when you say something is mandatory or even ideal, when you really believe it and when you are probably right.

Sometimes, clients ask for help finding ways to afford the treatment their Pets need.  We may have payment plan options, charity information or other helpful resources available.  However, keep in mind that our clients’ financial situations are none of our business unless they choose to make them our business.  We are no more equipped to guess about the level of care they can afford than we are to guess about the strength of the bond they have with their Pet.  If we are focusing on the financial aspects of a case at the cost of focusing on patient care, we will convey that to the client whether we mean to or not.  

Recommend the very best for your patient.  Explain to your client why the components of the treatment plan you propose are important.  You know your patient is getting the best care you have to offer, your client is well cared for and you are being fairly compensated.  Win-win situations are possible for the patient, the client and the veterinary team, and are worth striving for with every case.

No question about it – these are trying financial times. Fortunately, the stature of the family pet has never been higher, and more than 80 percent of pet owners DO NOT intend to spend less on their four-legged family member in 2009. The American Pet Products Association (APPA) expects pet spending in the U.S. to increase 5 percent this year. In spite of a serious recession, that’s amazing! The APPA predicts the biggest beneficiaries of this year’s growth will be the veterinary care and pet food categories. Dogs and cats must eat, and pet owners have a propensity to bring their pets in for veterinary care.

The ever-present challenge for veterinary professionals is to demonstrate the value delivered. According to a PiperJaffray study of 248 companion animal practices, “While we were impressed with overall growth expectations, we would highlight that nearly 70 percent of the clinics we surveyed believe pet owners are deferring some treatment this year.” The BNResearch PetPoll 2008 concluded that “…with household budgets getting tighter due to the economy, clinics can expect more scrutiny and questions related to the cost of veterinary services. If pet owners do not understand the value of the services they are receiving, hospitals are at risk of facing both unsatisfied and lost clients.” Clearly, it’s never been more important to clearly explain the value you deliver.

So, how do you communicate value?

• See patients and clients on-time. Your client’s time is valuable and finite
• Articulate the comprehensive physical exam as conducted
• “Show and Tell” clients what you see, hear and feel
• Spend adequate time with clients, and probe for pet health questions
• Cliché, but true, a picture is worth a thousand words. Show Me!
• Demonstrate the cost of non-compliance:
  • Obesity likely results in osteoarthritis, shortened longevity, expensive NSAIDS and lab tests
  • Periodontal disease only worsens without veterinary intervention. The systemic risks are significant (see Dr. Glickman/Purdue CVM study of 60,000 dogs linking gum disease with heart disease)
  • Heartworm disease, as well as other diseases, is MUCH less expensive to prevent than to treat

Dogs and cats don’t know or care that the economy is weak. Their health care needs remain unchanged. As Dr. Marty Becker has said, “Your job is to be the spokesperson for the pet’s best interest.” Your oath is to protect human and animal health. Be the pet’s advocate, and everybody wins!

Too many cats and kittens is currently a major concern to the shelter community.  Data shows that 70,179 cats and kittens entered Colorado shelters in 2008, with 34,619 being adopted, a mere 5,175 reunited with owners and 24,619 euthanized. Only by working together can we improve these statistics.  Clearly, there is a lot to do. This blog describes some efforts to attack the problem. Your feedback is welcomed.

First, let me say that it helps the Dumb Friends League (DFL) and the shelter community to have positive working relationships with Banfield, The Pet Hospital, as well as other large practices.  Locally, it helps that we have a strong partnership with the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society.  All of us working together benefits the pets and people we serve.  Here are a few examples:  

Have you noticed the beginning of an advertising shift related to the image of the cat?  This is no accident. Two years ago, the DFL and the Hawaiian Humane Society brought together a group of about 50 stakeholders that included industry, academia, marketing, other nonprofit leaders and the veterinary community.   They came from all over the country for two days of brainstorming on how to “rebrand Felix”—in other words, to change the perceived value of the cat from negative to positive in everyone’s minds.  The intended result is that more cats will receive regular veterinary care, better quality food and be kept safely indoors—plus more will be adopted from shelters. A similar effort started about the same time in California.  Shortly thereafter, the two groups formed the national CATalyst Council.  Jane Brundt, DVM, is its chair. I am a member.  Syndicated columnist and radio host Steve Dale is a member, as are others with national clout.

Two years ago, the DFL worked with our partners in the Colorado Federation of Animal Welfare Agencies to pass legislation that requires mandatory spay/neuters at all Colorado shelters and rescues.  Because few shelters have in-house veterinary staff, most are working with local veterinarians to comply with the law, which took effect last January.

The DFL tried another legislative tactic last year—a bill that would have required urban-area cat owners to ID their cats with a tag or microchip.  The purpose was to reduce the number of unidentified cats in shelters, thus reducing costs to municipalities of maintaining, adopting or euthanizing these pets.  Some lawmakers thought it was frivolous.  The bill never made it out of committee—but we are undeterred. We plan to introduce the bill again in 2010.  

Last year, the DFL and the DAVMS spearheaded the CHIP YOUR CAT campaign. With 100,000 donated microchips from Bayer resQ and HomeAgain, we offered cat owners a year-long opportunity for free microchip implants and wellness exams at shelters and participating veterinary clinics in our six-county area.  While only about 20,000 cat owners took advantage of it, it still represents quite a number of potentially new clients for the veterinarians and thousands of cats that now have identification, making their return home a lot more likely, if they get lost.  

Together, we are making inroads.  None of us could do this alone.  This will be a long-distance marathon, not a sprint.  It will take years, but I believe we’re on the right path to addressing our cat/kitten concerns.

I think most people, when they find a stray animal that is in need of care, is injured or unwanted, immediately turn to their veterinarian for help. I’m sure many of you provide medical treatment and housing until the owner or a new home is found. More than likely, your hospital has to absorb the costs, too, not to mention your team members having to volunteer their time.

I was reading about San Luis Obispo Animal Services in California where an account for homeless animals has been established. Donations made to the “Animals in Need Fund” give animal services the ability to provide veterinary care to unclaimed Pets or those without owners. So for example, a dog brought in that was hit by a car and suffers from a broken leg, could have surgery done by a local veterinary surgeon, with the fund paying for the cost of medical and surgical procedures. The hospital team then takes care of the Pet during recovery until a new family (or the owner) is found. Integrating special events — dog walks and related fundraisers — sounds like a good way to boost the account overall.

There are probably more programs out there than I can list, but here are few others I’ve come across:
- RAP Medical Fund (NY): provides vaccines, wormings, heartworm testing, and spays/neuters. It also includes heartworm treatment, tumor removals, dentals, orthopedic surgeries and critical care
- Citizens for Humane Action Emergency Medical Fund (OH): for non-routine medical expenses for dogs and cats. Financed solely by donations.
- The CARE Medical Fund (Companion Animal Rehabilitation and Emergency Medical Fund, VA): helps the Virginia Beach SPCA provide specialized medical treatment for animals that would have once been considered untreatable by many shelters.
- LifeSaver Fund (GA): serves animals with life-threatening medical conditions whose owners are struggling financially as well as animals that have no homes or no one to care for them.
- CHAMPS Emergency Medical Fund (KY): provides medical care to animals with torn ligaments, eye injuries, rare fungal infections and many other conditions.
-  Banfield Charitable Trust Charity Bucks (Nationwide): donates funds to help offset the cost of urgent care while helping families in need provide their Pets with lifesaving care.

Visit these websites to find out more information and details about additional programs available. What’s going on in your community and how can others help?