I'm thrilled to share this podcast with VetVine Members. Me and my colleague - Dr. Lori Kogan from Colorado State University - were interviewed by Allison White - a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - for her Animal Academy Podcast. We had an opportunity to chat about VetVine, the Human-Animal connection, and pet loss. It was a wonderful 36 minute conversation! I hope you enjoy.  If you can't play it here, you can also visit Allison White's podcast page.     This post was edited by Sheri Berger at October 22, 2020 6:30 PM EDT

A new puppy or kitten visit provides veterinary caregivers an opportunity of a lifetime. Literally. That first appointment is an opportunity to establish a partnership with the client to provide care through the lifetime of their new animal companion. When you think about it, that's a huge responsibility and it includes educating a client about the essentials to disease prevention (e.g. wellness exams and preventative care measures) as well as financial tools that can help pet owners manage the costs of that care over the lifetime of that pet. If we blow the opportunity and fail to establish a meaningful connection with that client, we stand to lose out on an income-producing opportunity (for years to come) and perhaps even worse, a client without someone partnered to ensure the best possible care for their animal. New puppy or kitten “packages” or wellness plans that bundle essentials such as vaccinations, endo- and ecto- parasite prevention or management, and preventative dental care help us to guide and support our clients in caring for their pets in healthy, happy times. At the end of life, however, we know that many veterinary practices miss the mark in guiding and ensuring a continuum of care for pets and their owners.  As an animal approaches the end of its life – whether naturally due to age or associated with a chronic or terminal illness – there are many opportunities for veterinary professionals to provide guidance, support, and to prepare clients for a good end-of-life experience (both for the client and the animal patient). A bad end-of-life or euthanasia experience can lead to client attrition. One statistic I’ve heard is that around 20% of clients will not return to a veterinarian with another pet after having a euthanasia experience that’s left them feeling angry or upset. I recently read the Pet Loss Best Practice Guidelines for Veterinary Teams (June 2020) published by Seneca College's Social Service Worker and Veterinary Technician Programs in collaboration with VCA Canada and funded by Seneca Innovation. They studied the client experience with veterinary teams during their pet's end of life. The project involved client surveys, a literature review on the pet loss experience in the context of veterinary practice responses, and interviews with industry experts. The purpose of this project was to establish Best Practice Guidelines to strengthen the industry's capacity to respond to clients' needs. "The strongest memories for a client are typically their first and last day with their pet.” This sentence – included in the Guidelines document - resonated with me personally and I took pause to contemplate that further.  While most veterinary professionals are not party to that “first” day, we are party to most “last” days of that relationship. As such, we are privileged to be entrusted by pet families to care for their animal companions during this time and we have a tremendous responsibility to provide for the best death experience possible. So how can veterinary practices ensure a continuum of care at the end of life? We do a pretty good job in early life with wellness plans and promotion of preventive care measures. How can veterinary practices raise the bar on the back end and do death well? I’ve been delighted to work with people involved in end of life care, training in euthanasia best practices, and in pet loss and grief support. I am especially proud of the work that VetVine is doing to support veterinary colleagues who are committed to learning more in these areas and in elevating the end of life experience that they provide in their practices: The Human-Animal Bond Program – approved for up to 8 hours of CE credit by AAVSB RACE and NY state can be viewed at no charge and compliments of our Sponsors including ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, BioResponse Solutions, Euthabag, and CAETA. VetVine is hosting the self-paced online Euthanasia Certificate Course presented by the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). VetVine’s Virtual Pet Loss and Grief Support Service is a resource for clients experiencing anticipatory grief or grieving the loss of their animal companion.  We are proudly partnering with veterinary and pet care professionals to serve as an extension of their practice or business to provide this important support and to ensure a continuum of care. Contact Us to learn more about how your practice or business can partner with VetVine in this regard.

Here are some COVID-19 resources that may be helpful to colleagues ... there is an abundance of information out there! On the topic of "change" - provided by Gina Fortunato: HRDQ:  Mastering the Change Curve William Bridges:  Transition Model   On finding the positive and empowering teams - provided by Dr. Wendy Hauser: Scott Berinato - Harvard Business Law. That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief Creating Sustainable Success: Scenario Planning for Coronavirus & Future Disruptions Webinar hosted by Anders Sorman-Nilsson AVMA COVID 19 site (updated daily) For ideas about how to structure merit based bonuses (Today's Veterinary Business) COVID 19 in Veterinary and Animal Group Health Settings: Protecting People and Animals Empowering and protecting your family through the COVID-19 Pandemic    

In her presentation on the topic of Maintaining & Enhancing the Human-Animal Bond Through Telemedicine Dr. Charlotte Lacroix, DVM, JD discussed how telemedicine can serve to connect veterinary professionals with pet owners, and best practices for implementing telemedicine in the context of current legal concerns and standards.We contacted Dr. Lacroix to comment further in light of the current environment and the coronavirus crisis, as veterinary practices are needing to try and maintain relationships and provide continuity of care and services to clients. Here is what she had to say:"Check and lobby your states to allow the adoption of the American Association of Veterinary State Board’s interpretation of “sufficient knowledge” so veterinarians can - on a case by case basis - determine whether they can provide medical advice without a physical examination. considering softening the physical examination requirement of the required VCPR. Below is from Pennsylvania which suggests out of state health care professionals could provide telemedicine to Pennsylvania residents. The implications still need to be clarified. Also the FDA has relaxed certain of its guidelines" ... >>>  FDA pushes telework visits for veterinarians to encourage social distancing In an effort to encourage social distancing between veterinarians and owners of sick animals, the Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it would waive portions of the federal veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) that requires in-person visits. Typically, the federal VCPR definition requires that veterinarians physically examine animal patients or visit the locations where the animals are kept. The FDA said that under the relaxed guidelines, the owner of a sick dog could share a video with a veterinarian and the veterinarian could prescribe a drug not approved for use in pets (when other drugs are not readily available). Or the a vet could remotely examine and diagnose a group of farm animals, and then authorize the use of certain drugs in the animals’ feed. “We need to provide veterinarians with the latitude to expand the use of telemedicine in the care of animals, not only pets but also the animals that produce our food,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement. “The FDA is providing flexibility that will help veterinarians maintain the health of animals during the pandemic, while allowing for the social distancing that is so important in limiting the further spread of coronavirus disease across the country and the world.” The agency cautioned that veterinarians still need to consider their state and local VCPR requirements. <<<   CONTACT your state board to get the answer for your state.

The economic impacts of COVID-19 are already hitting close to home for many … and it’s just the tip of an iceberg. The fallout of this is going to be substantial and felt for a long time to come.  Veterinary practices - although getting advice from the AVMA and their state VMAs (I hope) - seem to be scrambling in their response and are inconsistent in their protocols / operations. For example, there is - as of this afternoon - no hard and fast indication on whether veterinary practices are even considered “essential” services. In NY, the NYSVMS is taking a position (after consulting with their attorney) that they are “essential” although our Governor and the Federal government has not declared so (yet).  Just today I learned of one animal-related business in NYC shutting down - effective immediately - after 23 years in business. Because people are having to self-isolate for the next 3 weeks (minimum) - they have no need for the services that this business provides. One of the largest restrauteurs in NYC laid off 2000 people - bam. The economic impact of this is going to be felt for a long time, and I think it's going to affect our profession in a big way. This forum provides for the sharing and exchange of ideas and concerns. I'm starting this thread and invite colleagues to share what's on their minds, as well as steps your practices are taking to protect and serve (humans and animals) in this unprecedented time. What is on your mind? What worries you most (if anything)? What steps have you implemented to try and get on the "up side" of all that is happening ... to protect yourself, your co-workers and/or staff, and the public? What information or guidance are you seeking?