I spend a lot of time thinking about customer service, and how we as veterinarians are sometimes so focused on being amazing clinicians we neglect to remember the fact that we are in a customer service industry. You can be the most astute diagnostician in the universe, but if your front desk staff or technician (or you!) is rude, ambivalent or just generally unpleasant, it ruins the whole client experience. It doesn't take much to be minimally pleasant, but I'm amazed how uncommon that has ... Read more »
Blog
Death Match: Social Media vs. Rotary
Two weeks ago, I had the honor of speaking at the AAHA National Convention as a part of the BlogPaws veterinary social media track. In a fit of what I can only imagine was perhaps a hypothermia-induced lapse in judgment, Bill Schroeder invited me to co-present for the day. For those of you who don't know, Bill helms In Touch Vet, a veterinary marketing company that works with 8,000 vet clinics across the country with website design and social media. And I, well, I manage one site, which ... Read more »
Minimizing the Stress of Euthanasia
I can't believe Koa's been gone over a month. Sometimes I still look for her around the corner or find some black fur stuck to a sock buried in the laundry pile. We are still adjusting. I did a quick Google Hangout video talking about some of the lessons I've taken from my own dogs as well as my experience in the clinic. I hope it has some information people find useful, especially to those who have never been through the process before. ... Read more »
Puppy Cupcakes- now with video!
Shortly before we moved, I got to shoot a cooking series with the incomparable Robert Semrow of Pet World Insider. He was an awfully good sport since I made him bake for this one: For the original post, see here: Which reminds me I am over due for a new cooking piece, aren't I? Now that I have a kitchen unpacked and all. Hmmm....Easter.... ... Read more »
Gaming the system
Raising kids is a lot like raising dogs. There's a lot of responsibility, a lot of poop, ridiculous amounts of cleaning, and no small amount of frustration. Regardless, the benefits far outweigh the costs, and with a little consistency and training, it's all good. Training being the key component. My son likes Legos and chihuahuas, two things I kind of like but wouldn't really say are my "thing". He is his own kid. I realized he was fascinated with mechanical devices more than biological ... Read more »
I want to go where they went
I do not profess to know what happens to us after we die. Even those who have strong faith in what will happen to us after we go are sometimes unsure of what happens to our beloved pets. And to them, I quote the great Will Rogers: "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." When someone close to me passes on, be it person or pet, I have a dream about them a week or so later. I don't know why, if it is a quirk of my subconscious or an actual visit or who the ... Read more »
Dr. V, Mega Commuter and Expert Snake Avoider
I read in an article on CNN the other that that a scant 8% of the population is comprised of 'mega commuters', that unlucky club whose commute consists of 90 minutes each way, three hours on the road a day. I felt sorry for them, until I realized I was one of them. When we moved in December, in search of better schools and a better commute for my spouse, I hadn't taken into account what we would do if our home school district didn't have space for us. Of course they would, right? Except they ... Read more »
Spay Day, that Golden study everyone’s talking about, and why I still happily remove testicles.
Today's the day- 2013 Annual World Spay Day! I have to tell you, it doesn't tickle the old joy centers quite the way, say, Ben and Jerry's Free Ice Cream Cone Day does, but it's here and I'm glad it exists. Now, two things to note before I give my thoughts: 1. Although it's called "Spay Day", the event encompasses both spay and neuter. Nobody's trying to leave the fellas out, I think it just rolls off the tongue better this way. 2. Yes, I know it's a Humane Society of the United ... Read more »
Muscle Memory
Scientists have long been fascinated with the concept of "muscle memory", that subconscious part of our brain that controls movement without us having to think about it. It's what allows us to do complicated tasks such as riding a bike or typing "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" without having to stop and say, OK, I need to contract my left hamstring while extending my right quadricep and all those tricky things that go into motion. It's what allows me to tie a knot during surgery ... Read more »
Why Dogs are Better than Boyfriends. :)
Two of my favorite forces- The Honest Kitchen and Lili Chin from Doggie Drawings- teamed up for this awesome little V-Day nugget. Enjoy! ... Read more »
