Finance

Pet owners said they'd sooner cut groceries than pet supplies.

Veterinarians and veterinary staff members strive to provide the best possible care for patients, but the amount of disposable income that an individual client has for their pet's care may not always meet the pet's medical needs. One way to help these situations without cutting corners may be to provide the same quality-but less costly medications.

Quicksand fees will sink a practice.

Schaumburg, Ill. - Educational indebtedness for 2007 veterinary medical graduates increased nearly 100 percent since 1997, while starting salaries rose 46.5 percent during the same 10-year period.

The Internal Revenue Service is trying hard to convince everyone to file income-tax returns electronically.

Owners are devastated when they learn their practices are worth only a fraction of what they anticipated as they approach reitrement and contemplate a sale. But if you can understand why this occurs and identify if your practice is at risk, you can begin the process of recapturing this lost value for your practice.

It has been 17 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. Although some veterinarians still fall short when it comes to making their business premises - and the practice itself - ADA compliant, others have used financial and tax incentives created to help ease the cost of complying with the ADA to improve and grow their practices.

Learn how to cut your costs and keep more in the coffers with these tips.

Make the most of downtime with a well-earned vacation, wellness appointments, and practice housekeeping.

Almost all clients opt for the additional surgery cost for the laser.

Why are so many equine practitioners having trouble selling their practices? Don't let it be you.

It's no secret that staff salaries are the biggest expense at most practices. At the same time, your team is your most valuable asset. How do you balance these two realities?

The story of a practice makeover that's been years in the making. It's inspirational and humorous because of the owner's positive outlook, along with his love and respect for his profession, his team, his patients, and his clients.

If you've been thinking about making a capital equipment purchase, consider doing it before the end of the year to receive the tax benefits next year.

Regular diagnostic testing for senior dogs and cats is plenty profitable, says Dr. Thomas Burns, owner of Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod in South Yarmouth, Mass.

With business loans becoming harder to obtain, many DVMs are turning to community banks.

Most veterinary medical graduates care more about the chance to diagnose and treat patients than the size of their paycheck. Still, salaries matter, especially when today's former students are saddled with an educational debt load of $100,000 or more.

Team retention, good medical recommendations, and consistency will help your practice to beef up income.

The world's weirdest ice-skating extravaganza? No. It's canine reproductive work, a profit center for Dr. Patrick Grogan at VCA Woodland East Animal Hospital in Tulsa, Okla.

Owners, make sure buyers purchase your practices at a good price.

View pictures of Dakota, a German shorthaired pointer who was our October cover dog, during her long-suffering modeling debut.

"We couldn't practice medicine properly without fluid pumps," says Dr. Robert Esplin, owner of Sylvania Veterinary Hospital in Sylvania, Ohio.

This preventive care program increases client bonding and extends pets' lives.

Compare your value-based fees with Well-Managed Practices'.

It's time to reconsider these myths and misconceptions about pricing.

Dr. Steve Bishop needed a strategy for reminding his clients when their pets were overdue for exams or treatments. It freed up receptionists, cost less, and could be done with flexible hours.

Renew those old relationships with a well-crafted letter to inactive clients.

Good will is one of those intangible business assets that usually has little or no impact on a veterinary practice's tax bill - until least expected.