July 2024

Clark's Bark: Not All News is Good

By Dr. Andrea Johnson + Clark

There have been a lot of headlines lately that are not kind to the passionate people who have dedicated their careers to helping pets and their families.

“Why You Are Paying Your Veterinarian So Much”- New York Times

"How much is a vet visit? Behind the soaring cost of pet care" - USA Today

Reading these articles, which are designed as clickbait, as well as dealing with pet parents who have read them, can be very emotionally draining. Our profession attracts the most altruistic and servant-oriented individuals who are impacted by these sentiments. Add in social media warriors, and it's no wonder that veterinarians and hospital teams experience mental distress.

It is TRUE that veterinary costs have risen, and FALSE that veterinary greed is the cause.

How did we get here?  

Several interrelated factors have contributed to the rising costs of veterinary care. We have many technological advancements in diagnostics and treatment options in veterinary medicine that were only available to humans 10 years ago. Pets are more important to families than ever and these families want the same care they would receive for themselves. The standards of care around surgery and dentistry are constantly elevated. While these technologies enhance the quality of care and treatment outcomes, they come with substantial upfront costs for veterinary clinics. The pharmaceutical landscape has also evolved, with a greater array of medications and treatments available for various conditions in pets. Monoclonals have revolutionized treating allergies and arthritis, and this advancement is expensive.

Additionally, the cost of veterinary education has soared in recent years. This financial burden compels veterinarians to require higher salaries to repay their student loans.   This financial burden also puts practice ownership out of the reach of most newer graduates.

COVID also changed the profession.  Adoptions spiked, creating more pets to be seen, and ushered in the retirement of many boomer veterinarians. This created a veterinary shortage nationwide that will take a long time to correct. The shift from privately owned practices to corporate ownership has diminished the opportunities for veterinarians to own their own practices.

Post-COVID inflation has driven up the cost of everything from salaries to supplies, and the only way to keep a business open is to increase the costs of the services provided.

PetVet365 solves for many of these

Ownership opportunities reemerge, putting the profession back in the hands of the veterinarians.

The Fear Free experience lessens the chasm between price and value. PetVet365 clients feel their pet had an experience beyond their expectations at a reasonable price. In creating this value, clients feel partnered with in their pets' care. The locally owned hospital is something pet owners are able to find less and less, but PetVet365 provides. VIP Wellness plans offer a more affordable option to provide the care you want for your pet with 12 payments. PetVet365 is exploring even more options to help pet parents afford their pets' care (Rectangle, MyBalto, AVMF Angel Fund). We close at 5 but offer a connection to our clients for peace of mind via texting. These happy clients make life inside the hospital less stressful. When we read the reviews from our clients, we hear in their words how we make them feel. That is the TRUTH and a much better read than clickbait anytime.

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Newport Local Partnership is a Win-Win

By Dr. Candice McGowan

Here in Newport we recently formed a partnership with Kenton County Animal Services (a local shelter). They needed surgery services (spay and neuter) for their cats and we needed cats in our Kitty Cafe for adoption. We have been working together for 3 weeks and have already helped over 25 cats!

Not only does this type of partnership benefit pets in our community, it can also help doctors who are less experienced with spays and neuters get some additional surgical experience and improve technique!

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New Oral Treatment for FIP

By Dr. Amy Voss

Stokes pharmacy in conjunction with Bova Group has compounded an oral treatment for FIP in cats and made it available to veterinarians in the US! GS-441524 is an active metabolite of remdesivir. The oral GS-441524 dosages are roughly double the SQ equivalent. The typical protocol is 12 weeks (84 days) of continuous treatment with the following oral dosages:

• 6-7.5 mg/kg BID for cases without ocular or neurological involvement

• 7.5-10 mg/kg BID for cats with ocular signs

• 10 mg/kg BID when neurological signs are present
  

It is recommended to give the medication in a small treat or on an empty stomach, leaving a gap of an hour or more before feeding a larger meal, however further study is needed to know the effect of food on drug absorption. The cure rate for FIP with GS-441424 is suspected to be over 80%, with treatment failures due to misdiagnosis, inadequate dosage, complicating disease conditions, and drug resistance. Young cats are easier to treat and have a higher cure rate than cats >7 years of age. Cats with wet or dry FIP not complicated by neurological or ocular disease are easier to cure than cats with neurological/ocular FIP due to reduced drug absorption across the blood/brain and blood/eye barrier.  If oral medication cannot be administered, there is a subcutaneous injectable form of treatment.  The dosages are lower, but can cause significant pain and injection site pathology. The doses for SQ administration start at:

• 4-6 mg/kg/day for wet or dry form cases without ocular or neurological involvement

• 8 mg/kg/day for ocular FIP cases

• 10 mg/kg/day for neurological FIP

Oral and subcutaneous dosages should be readjusted based on weekly weight checks as weight gain and growth for kittens will necessitate an increase in dose to stay within the dosage parameters. Not increasing the dose based on weight appears to be one of the most common causes for a poor response to treatment and treatment failure.

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Dogtor in Training

Our vet school ambassador from UC Davis, Izzy Pulido, had the opportunity to visit Denver in June and spent time at Westminster, Alpenview, and Somerset. Izzy has been documenting her journey through vet school on her blog, Dogtor in Training. She followed up her visit with a post detailing her experience with Fear Free at PetVet365 as well as the incredible teams and leadership she encountered! Check it out here: PetVet365: Veterinary Care Revamped!

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Fear Free Tip of the Month

Submitted by Dr. Stephanie Day at PetVet365 Ross Park

Try to recognize and intervene in stress as early as possible because it's much easier to treat anxiety and fear before they snowball. Consider prepping the owner early for how well our anxious patients do on pre-visit calming oral medications. The time to intervene with medication is when they are too stressed to eat, are trying to avoid the exam, and have tails tucked, ears flat, and pupils dilated. You don't have to wait until there is growling, lip curling, and snapping. The sooner you intervene, the better they can start to form an association between good things and the vet office.

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Head to Tails with Dr. Kristen Ostrosky

Role: PetVet365 Wilkins Township Owner

Tell us about your pets: Pumpkin is a cattle dog/long hair Doxie mix. She loves to sit on the couch and watch everything out of our front window. She is more cat-like than dog-like and is a great companion! We are currently looking for our next pup through Cross Your Paws rescue.

Best Thing about PetVet365: Opportunity and community

What do you do daily that brings you joy: Workout and a good cup of coffee :)

Favorite indulgence: A new restaurant every month! And an Oakmont Bakery "oakmonter"

What do you want people to know about you: I LOVE the beach and I'd like to live there. I enjoy being near water. Nothing brings me more joy or fulfillment than helping people understand and heal their pets/family members.

Something you would like to give to others: A smile and a plant - all the plants!

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Head to Tails with Dr. Mychelle Scott

Role: PetVet365 Southlake Associate DVM

Tell us about your pets: I have an 8 year old pitbull named Pina (like pina colada) that I adopted while I was in vet school in St. Kitts. She was a foster failure :). We love to go on walks around parks in Dallas and get pup cups.

Best Thing about PetVet365: 100% the people. So far, everyone I have met associated with PetVet365 have been great and it has been a fun start.

What do you do daily that brings you joy: Be with my dog after a long day at work - get some snuggles and walks.

Favorite indulgence: Chocolate

What do you want people to know about you: I am a fun person with a bubbly personality. I like coming to work with a smile on my face and try to lighten other peoples' days.

Something you would like to give to others: Smiles.

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Celebrations

Parkaire Landing Opened!

Dr. Tim Cox & Dr. Pam Hale

Colerain is officially Fear Free Certified!

Our team has grown significantly! We now have...

27 open hospitals, over 70 doctors, and over 350 team members helping pets get the very best care!

15Five Wins

586 High Fives were given out in June. That's 136 every week! Keep up the great work and keep celebrating each other!

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Open Forums

Don’t forget about our Monthly Open Forums. These are 30-minute calls scheduled every month for you to ask all of your questions and provide feedback. Upcoming Topics:

• August: Recruiting

• September: Training / Education

• October: Fear Free
  

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Quote of the Month