The Veterinary Business Letter A monthly business letter to Veterinarians. First Published 1985. © COPYRIGHT 2006 Malcolm Dennis & Associates Ltd Issue 239 December 2006 Sponsored by Merial New Zealand Limited Patron - NZVA Foundation for Continuing Education Home Page

Business Articles linked - left . MERIAL Promotions & Information on the right. SPECIAL OFFER for the book Harry's Resigned is available to NZ Veterinarians

VETERINARY BUSINESS CONTENT MERIAL NEWS Compassion Fatigue More >>> Dress Your Clinic with FRONTLINE Plus More >>> The 12 C's for Team Building More >>> EQVALAN .. CAPs Promotion More >>> WORMWISE - getting the message across .. More >>> Controlled Release Capsules in Lambs & Hoggets More >>> Shadow Shines in Therapy Role More >>> Merry Christmas and a sincere Thank You for your support throughout 2006 from the entire Menial New Zealand Team. Itís hard to believe that I have been back almost a full year. This year has absolutely flown by; as I am sure it has for most of us. It is important at this time of year to take a few moments and review progress made through the year. (How far forward have we pushed the peanut?) In reviewing our year, I believe that we have made progress, not quite as much as I would have liked, and that we are on the right track to create a sustainable, customer focused business. So now we look forward to 2007, and the opportunity to win your business and your support for another year. Sincere thanks again to you all for your support throughout 2006. I would like to wish you all and your families an enjoyable Christmas, happy holidays and a great New Year. Best Regards Steve Rochester Head of Merial Oceania. DeaDear Veterinarian, Have a Very Happy Christmas and plan for 2007 with confidence. You can guarantee it will be another exciting year of change and challenge. Best Wishes for the Festive Season. Malcolm Dennis.

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Compassion Fatigue in Veterinary

Compassion Fatigue in Veterinary Although the body of literature exploring prevalence of compassion fatigue continues to grow, the lack of research to support the underlying theory of the concept in relation to measurement is cause for alarm. The advances made in the mental health studies still do not provide adequate tools to differentiate between an individual suffering from burn-out, compassion fatigue or other post traumatic stress syndromes. Compassion Fatigue can also stem from within - from the very nature of being a caring person in a caring profession. Dr. Lisa Miller, former chair of the AVMA Committee on Wellness and a faculty member at Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, notes Compassion Fatigue results when an individual is depleted of internal emotional resources. (Ref AVMA CF 2004.) People in care giving professions can be vulnerable. "Because of the caring nature of our field, some of us practice our empathy to the extreme, to the detriment of ourselves," Dr. Miller says. "If we don't fill up our 'empathy bucket' from time to time, we run out." While many veterinarians have taken the time to learn how to help a client during a difficult time - the death of a pet, for example - those same veterinarians may not be as attuned to the toll these situations take on themselves. Awareness of compassion fatigue has grown, and is being addressed more in veterinary school. "It can be difficult," Dr. Miller says, "Because everyone comes to it at a different level. And because it's not a hard science, it may not be a priority. When you're newly graduated," she points out, "You're trying to learn all the hard skills - it's easy to put off learning the soft skills." Through the years, health issues can crop up. Balancing work with personal and family priorities can be tricky. For many solo practitioners in small towns across the country, isolation can be an added frustration. Having a strong support system - professional colleagues, friends, family members, and others in whom to confide - is one of the basic recommendations for reducing stress. Take care of yourself. Most veterinarians already know how to do this but donít always make their own health a priority. Eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising will pay big dividends to cope with daily stresses. Have fun on a regular basis. Novelist Iris Murdoch wrote: "One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats." It may also be one of the secrets to a less stressful life. Big treats like a dream vacation may help relaxation (or may actually add to stress with the planning, the expense, and the worry of missing work). But little treats, done on a regular basis, can be an effective way to cope with daily stress. Take your kids to the park. Try a new restaurant. Join a _______ (fill in the blank with something you love) club/team. Have a hot fudge sundae. Spend time with friends who make you laugh. Go see a game. Go play a game. Turn to nature. Take a walk through a local park. Plant some flowers in the back yard. Plan a getaway to the bush, or the beach. Find a relaxation technique. Explore deep-breathing. Consider yoga or meditation. Knit or paint or play the piano. There are many resources for learning relaxation techniques. If you can't change the stressors, change your attitude. Think positive and spread optimism. Allow yourself to not be perfect. Try to look at conflict as an opportunity to grow. If you can appreciate that your marriage is happy, or your parents are healthy, or your kids are thriving, then you can more easily write off a bad day at work. Know when to ask for help. When bad days outnumber good, itís time to seek professional help. Stress warning signs: inability to concentrate; feeling confused or forgetful, or thinking of several things all at once; being quick to anger; feeling anxious, depressed, guilty, or frustrated; experiencing chest pain, fatigue, sweating, trembling, or frequent headaches, colds, nausea, or other unexplained aches and pains; drinking excessively; throwing or breaking things; yelling; or crying. One of the biggest favours a veterinarian can do for his or her patients, colleagues, and family is to take self-care and stress control seriously. Dr. Miller recommends 'Stress Management for Busy People,' by Carol Turkington. Available at www.amazon.com for around US$4. Amazon Books Further reading: http://www.sciquest.org.nz Compassion Fatigue: Ogilvie GK, Moore AS. Proceedings of a Companion Animal Oncology Symposium. FCE Publication No. 248, 131-133, 2005. Course Proceedings. http://www.jaaha.org Understanding Compassion Fatigue: Keys for the Caring Veterinary Healthcare Team. Mitchener and Ogilvie J, Am Anim Hosp Assoc.2002; 38: 307-310. US$5 reading access. http://www.avma.org Lisa M. Miller, BSc, DVM, PhD, MEd (Washington State), Dip ACVP Associate Professor of Anatomic Pathology, University of Prince Edward Island. E-mail:lmiller@upei.ca Back to Top CONTACT: Malcolm Dennis

WORMWISE® ...... Ricky's Been Out and About

Ricky's Been Out and About Well the truth is, Rickyís been doing a spot of reading and asking a few questions in the market too. On the matter of reading, itís been the ëConclusionsí of the Management of internal nematode parasites on beef rearing farms in the North Island of New Zealand survey that caught his eye. On page one of the Conclusions - itís stated: The initial screening process for selection of participants ruled out many farmers, because of unavailability of scales, lack of interest and because of insufficient numbers of cattle of the age specified in the protocol. Yet two pages on we read: Scales were used routinely by about 75% of farmers but the survey did not enquire as to whether growth rates were routinely calculated and used as an indicator of when to treat. On closer reading and in discussion with the authors, the second comment relates to the participants in the survey - though it is not obvious. (Well not to Ricky!) Can anything be drawn from the comment? Maybe! The point is, unless weights are an active part of animal health management, other factors can become the norm. From the survey Conclusions again: An interesting observation was that despite all farmers [in the survey] having a planned programme, there was still heavy reliance on signs of parasitism such as scouring or dirty hocks, and poor growth rates or condition scores, and intuitive ëgut feelingí for deciding when to treat for internal parasites. Itís said that maybe scales are installed on farms but other factors inhibit use such as - poor maintenance, more animal handling involved and location at the main yards becomes inconvenient when stock are on run-offs or seemingly too far away to be driven to the yards just for weighing. Ricky's comment: To encourage better quality animal health decisions, availability of scales should be encouraged! Ricky also gained one (stress one) interesting comment from a farmer who said, ìThe vetís been on at me about doing some resistance checking for ages, but I reckon it was only because I didnít use their product. I bought their dual action and havenít heard a peep since. Makes you wonder doesnít it!î Ricky's comment: Veterinarians need to protect their professionalism and not have their judgement [or recommendations] swayed by product margins. Wormwise newsletters can be received free by registering on their mailing list. Phone 0800 696 328 or e-mail wormwise@meatandwoolnz.com. Excellent technical reference and learning is available at www.vetscholar.org.nz Register for The Parasite Management Drench Resistance Resource Centre. 'Paravet.' To be continued. Correspondence welcome. malcolm@vetbusiness.biz © COPYRIGHT 2006 Malcolm Dennis Back to Top

The 12 C's for Team Building

The 12 C's for Team Building Team leadership and team members should consider the following issues: 1 Clear Expectations - for the teams performance and expected outcomes 2 Context - do the team understand why they are participating? 3 Commitment - do team members feel the team mission is important? 4 Competence - does the team feel that it has the appropriate people participating? 5 Charter - has the team designed its own mission, vision, and strategies? 6 Control - does the team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter? 7 Collaboration - does the team understand the team and group process and are the team members working together effectively? 8 Communication - are team members clear about the priority of their tasks and is there an established method for the teams to receive honest performance feedback? 9 Creative Innovation - is the organization really interested in change? 10 Consequences - do the team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements? 11 Coordination - are teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success? 12 Cultural Change - does the organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling organization of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be? Ref : Working in Teams by Shawn McVey. MA MSW smcvey@eyecareforanimals.com The 5-minute Veterinary Practice Management Consult - Blackwell Publishers ISBN:0-7817-5984-6 CONTACT: Malcolm Dennis. Back to Top

Shadow Shines in Therapy Role

Shadow Shines in Therapy Role Just over a year ago, the Auckland Poodle Club rescued a neglected young standard poodle with pressure sores, ribs showing and no social skills. He was adopted by a Waikato DHB social worker, Kinnie Mienie, and rehabilitated. With a lot of physical care, love and training, Shadowís life was turned around. Kinnie says. ìWhen I gave Shadow a home, I realised what a special dog he was. It triggered my interest in pet therapy, which is not a new concept overseas. I thought ó why not here? It took months of research, planning, training Shadow and preparation to get to the approval stage.î Now, this beautiful, happy dog, works as a therapy tool for Kinnie as part of her work with patients in Waikato Hospital. He is not a pet to pat. Heís an official part of Kinnieís therapy programme, and has been working in the role since July this year. Evidence and outcomes There is plenty of evidence that animal-assisted therapy can be a useful part of physical, emotional and social rehabilitation for some patients. Kinnie explains, ìIn hospital, you are dealing with people in emotional as well as physical pain. Some people are withdrawn or anxious, or have lost motivation to recover or mobilise. Others have relationship difficulties, which are exacerbated by the illness/accident. Dog assisted therapy can be a powerful tool in these situations. It works particularly well with the elderly and the young,î she says,î but not exclusively of course. The animal can draw out a response from patients who may be having difficulty responding to other people, expressing fears, needs, emotions.î Kinnie points out that what she does is different from Pets for Love Charitable Trust which visits resthomes and hospitals with animals. There is a clear distinction between animal visiting schemes and animal-assisted therapy. ìWhat I do with Shadow is not a general pet visiting service. Itís a therapeutic intervention with specific goals and measured outcomes. The ward multidisciplinary team refers specific patients who might benefit. The length and type of input varies. It may be four or five times over a number of months, or a more intensive programme - perhaps every day for several days. It depends on what the need is and how the goals are being achieved. Shadow is another model of intervention that I am able to use in order to assist the patient to deal with issues.î Strict standards Kinnie affiliates with the rules and processes the Pets for Love Trust has put in place. Waikato Hospital already accredits the Trust, and there is an acceptance of the standards they set. The strict criteria include temperament, training, hygiene and grooming standards. Shadow has to be treated to ensure he has no intestinal parasites, and no fleas in his ëwoollyí coat. The treatments are auditable, and to help with the costs, Merial New Zealand Ltd. are supplying FRONTLINE free of charge. As a poodle, Shadow has a head start. His non-shedding ëwoolí coat is viewed as non-allergic and is pleasant and easy for patients to handle. On the job Although only a three year old, Shadow is relaxed and gentle when heís on the job. He stays calm around kids who may display stress or behavioural problems. He takes his time with elderly patients who may be overwhelmed and confused by the hospital environment. Sometimes Kinnie uses him simply to rest his head softly against them, comforting and quiet. For some patients, Shadow is someone they can talk to more easily. Kinnie has seen people gradually opening up, ìpouring out their sorrows to Shadow non-stop, which they werenít comfortable doing directly with a human being. ìThen the patient and I can move on from there.î Shadow can assist Kinnie to trigger reminiscing and help them regain confidence in interacting firstly with the dog and then with other people. Shadowís size has meant a small child struggling to stand up and balance has used his large, stable body to assist in regaining mobility without fear. On duty, Shadow may be the perfect gentleman. But when heís off duty? Kinnie confesses heís playful and full of energy, just like a normal three year old dog. Kinnie works in the orthopaedic wards. She made sure CNLs understood and supported introduction of Shadow as a therapy tool in their wards. "All the staff have been very supportive," she says, "And Shadow is becoming a welcome extension of the service given in the orthopaedic wards." (Thank you Kinnie. Ed.) CONTACT: Malcolm Dennis. Back to Top

Other Issues of the Veterinary Business Letter

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					Special	Memorial	Back to TOP

CONTACT: Malcolm Dennis - Editor, Publisher, The Veterinary Business Letter Author Harry's Resigned - the book about business systems and best practice standards. MERIAL Veterinary Technical Services Go to Merial WEB PAGE Back to Top Sponsored by Merial New Zealand Limited

Merial is a world-leading, innovation-driven animal health company, providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health, well-being and performance of a wide range of animals. Merial employs approximately 6,000 people and operates in more than 150 countries worldwide. Its 2004 sales were in excess of US$1.8 billion. Merial Limited is a joint venture between Merck & Co. and sanofi-aventis. For further information please see www.merial.com Back to Top

Check out the WORKLINX software package to bring Best Practice SOPs to life in your practice Also visit www.harrysresigned.co.nz Back to Top

LINKS

Vetservice	Merial New Zealand Limited	SciQuest	Massey Vet School
Lincoln University	NZVA	John Sheridan's UK Vet Business Letter
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons	NZVA Veterinary Business Management Group		Harry's Resigned - about best practice
Malcolm is a Rotarian and has built his club website. View here.	Malcolm writes a Weekly Business Column in the Daily Post - Rotorua.	Malcolm is a member of Business Swap Rotorua

SPECIAL OFFER for the book Harry's Resigned is available to NZ Veterinarians

Harry's Resigned on sale at Amazon.com 'Harry's Resigned - there goes half of what we know about everything we do' ... is available at Amazon.com - the largest bookstore in the world. Now we can satisfy international orders through Amazon.com If you've read the book, and I hope you have, you may wish to add your review to the Amazon.com site. Just enter Harry's Resigned search and go to reviews. You'll have your name in lights! There is a Special Offer for New Zealand Veterinarians on this NEW book on business systems by Malcolm Dennis To Find out MORE about the Special Offer e-mail Malcolm for details. Back to Top To view the Harry's Resigned website click here www.harrysresigned.co.nz