Business

If you're hit with a veterinary malpractice lawsuit, find comfort in the fact that lawsuits follow a predictable, step-by-step process. Learn all about that process in the interactive flow-chart below. Roll over each step for more information about what it entails and what you can expect.

Veterinarians -- before they were called veterinarians -- were animals' advocates.

Hiring in big states like Texas and California declined.

A visit to the eco-friendly dream hospital of a former relief doctor.

A visit to the eco-friendly dream hospital of a former relief doctor.

If you provide high-level care and compassion, most clients won't get worked up about fees.

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A 2007 Forrester Research Study with American Business Media on the trends and impact of B2B media on both end-users, decision-makers, and marketers revealed that industry-specific digital media offerings are a critical component of an integrated marketing plan that includes industry-specific magazines and events.

Products may not live forever but they can live a long time as a strong brand with increasing profitability.

According to the Readex Research Red Sticker studies from 1999-2007, as ad size increases, so does the likelihood readers will remember seeing and reading it.

Rethink your stance on marketing and consider what it's really about: providing valuable information to a client so he or she can make an informed decision about purchasing a product or service.

A big challenge at our busy hospital is keeping everyone up-to-date on hospital changes.

We wondered aloud over the din of the roaring river if these rapids were runnable.

Will anesthesia hurt her baby? Is it risky for her to be around sick pets or toxic drugs?

Sandy scratches. A lot. When her leg gets going, it makes a sound against the floor like a hammer driving a nail. My mother-in-law, Jane, first noticed Sandy's behavior a few months ago. When Jane took Sandy, a mid-sized 13-year-old mixed-breed pooch, to the veterinarian, he suggested a diet change to curb the scratching that makes her so uncomfortable.

Q. What do you do when clients say at checkout they want to pay later?

A compassionate animal lover rescued a guinea pig near death and nursed it back to health, renewing my belief in the healing power of love.

A self-serving team member may be pulling the strings at your practice. Why are you letting it happen?

To get the most from your practice's Web site, think of it not just as an electronic brochure, but as a living, breathing marketing tool, says Linda Wasche, president of LW Marketworks Inc., in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. A well-run Web site is a cost-effective and powerful tool for building interest in your practice and creating a sense of community among your clients. Once current and prospective clients have found you online, give them reason to visit-and revisit. Here's how.

This tool helps you think through the steps you'll take to achieve your objectives and spot potential obstacles.

Biannual deworming protects patients and encourages regular wellness visits.

Good associates are rarer than hen's teeth, so how do you attract them to your cozy practice and keep them?

Dr. Dan Lorimer, DACVO, wanted his specialty practice to look professional. For that, he needed respectable neighbors. To attract those neighbors, he bought six acres and built a 40,000-square-foot building-which was not his hospital.

Everyone can start to break the impasse between private practitioners and shelters by listening.

A refurbished ambulance transfers referral patients between WestVet Emergency Center in Meridian, Idaho, and nearby practices.

Why do clients pretend they gave medication, swear their pup stays on a leash, or claim their cat never goes outside?

Before this doctor bought a single machine, he did his homework. The first thing he considered: cost-effectiveness.

Do you see yourself-or your boss-in these findings about male and female owners of family businesses?

"Pet owners don't want their pets to suffer, so we rarely encounter resistance to our pain management recommendations," says Robin Downing, DVM, Dipl. AAPM, owner of Windsor Veterinary Clinic and The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management in Windsor, Colo.

Do you ever get frustrated or annoyed when clients come to your practice loaded with medical information they found on the Internet-especially when it's wrong? Do you find yourself grumbling about the misinformation the client is spewing? Who's the doctor here, anyway? Heck, if people can find instructions for building a bomb online, maybe your clients can just whip up some Otomax or Tresaderm too. Then they can buy themselves an ultrasound machine and a textbook. Who needs a veterinarian?