Business

Inventory is one of the most profitable and vulnerable segments of income generated within a veterinary hospital.

I remember when I started my practice over 20 years ago that I was surprised and intrigued by certain employment policies that I heard some of the newer "corporate" practices, as well as many smaller practices had implemented.

The companion animal veterinary practitioner is faced with a number of unique legal considerations in the daily discharge of his or her professional duties.

The veterinary staff sees families at their moments of greatest worry concerning their companion animals.

Did you ever stop to think why clients come to your hospital?

Most veterinarians desire to do well while doing good. I have found that community outreach programs that simultaneously promote my practice help our team fulfill that desire.

When it comes to achieving financial success as practicing veterinarians, we are definitely our own worst enemies.

Veterinarians have the unique position of experiencing their patients' deaths at a rate seven times that of human physicians, frequently leading them into unique shared emotional experiences with clients whom they have known for many years.

The veterinary team is a most influential element of practice management ensuring a well run and efficient hospital.

Class IV laser therapy is a profit center that empowers you to provide advanced care and market your practice as a state-of-the-art facility.

Ready to run more tests on your patients? Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Fred Metzger, DABVP, owner of Metzger Animal Hospital in State College, Pa., has four tips to put your in-house lab or reference lab to work for you:

Veterinary school and law-school training actually have quite a bit in common. For example, when I finished each, I soon realized just how huge was the volume of practical things I needed to know but did not.

This map shows how many pets per small animal practitioner live in each state.

Where do horse owners get their info? Sometimes from you, sometimes from less-reliable sources. Here's what they want to know-and how they'd like to learn it.

Veterinarians' salaries continue to rank near the low end of those within the health-care field, but DVMs job security and job-growth prospects are among the best, according to the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Here are the top 10 toughest parts of your job, in order, with advice for solving them from our Editorial Advisory Board.

Pet owner diversity calls for creative client service.

I think a lot of veterinarians see poor compliance because they ask clients to do things that are all but impossible. For example, say you're treating a dog that has a horrible ear infection, and you would need to manhandle the dog to get an ear drop in. And then you tell the client to give the dog three drops a day at home. The client can't do that.

More clients are complaining about their veterinary care because they expect more of you.

Owners and associates aren't on the same wavelength when it comes to team education. What's causing the divide?

Your clients look to you for medical knowledge-so give it to them.

According to a survey by BtoB, the average percentage of the marketing budget spent in 2008 on online marketing will be 33.8 percent, up from 26.5 percent in 2007.

Pets still need care even when times are tight.

When it comes to veterinary spending, the issue isn't clients' income level but how pets fit into their lives.

We veterinarians often, inadvertently, treat human patients.

It's hard to initiate task-sharing. But once you do, you'll never go back.

We educate clients about pet insurance by putting fliers in puppy and kitten kits because it's too late to offer to help defray the cost of treatment once a chronic condition is diagnosed. We direct clients to the brochure or to a pet insurance company Web site.

Don't be afraid to start planning now.

Boarding and retail are important revenue sources for some veterinarians. Others say no.

You wish more of your clients had pet insurance, but do you know enough to help clients get the information they need?