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interview with Jamie Sale

real estate investment advice

interview with liz marshall

bankers and return on

investment

Pet advocacy and compliance

aNd much more!

Profitable PracticeVeterinary edition summer 2013

a helPful reSource for you aNd your Practice

pubLication management agreement #41073506

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1 | editor’S PageS two celebrity interviews, cats, equine canada and other content James Ruddy

3 | real eState

real estate investment - Some thoughts Todd C. slaTeR

5 | Practice maNagemeNt

the bells and whistles Jon. J. WalTon

7 | baNkiNg

are you climbing without a Sherpa? david Bazak

9 | feature iNterview

the ghosts in our machine inTeRvieW WiTh liz maRshall

12 | book review

the cat whisperer by mieshelle Nagelschneider kaRen hendeRson

15 | feature iNterview

interview with Jamie Sale ediToR

18 | Practice maNagemeNt

dispelling the myths of online marketing david RouRke

20 | veteriNary techNiciaN iNterview

a Peek into the life of a young Surgery technician inTeRvieW WiTh ChRisTina TaTaRyn

22 | Practice maNagemeNt

Pet advocacy and compliance—

why owners Need to hear what you have to Say dR. BeRnhaRd Pukay

25 | veteriNariaN SecretS

Subscription information and more

Profitable Practices u m m e r 2 0 1 3

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editor’S PageS

Feature Interviews, Cats, equine Canada and Other ContentThis issue of Profitable Practice features interviews with two well-known and respected Canadians. Jamie Sale, the olympic gold medalist in skating relates a story about what Cooper, the family dog, means to them. she describes her life now after a professional career in figure skating, and reveals what is next for her. Liz Marshall is an award win-ning and Gemini nominated filmmaker and director whose latest film The Ghosts in Our Machine is sure to cause debate on the issue of animal rights and why they must be treated as sentient beings. our third interview features Christina Tataryn, a hard-working registered veterinary technician who offers her perspective on becoming a surgery technician and working at the West Toronto veterinary surgery.

Cats and The Cat WhispererKaren Henderson, our managing asso-ciate editor, reviews the book The Cat Whisperer. Mieshelle Nagelschneider is a cat expert whose book contains interesting and often effective treatments for cat disorders and poor or unwanted behaviour.

Cats are found in 25 per cent of american homes. a cat lover is known as an ailurophile.

25 strange yet interesting facts about cats1. There are more than 500 million

domestic cats in the world, with 33 different breeds.

2. Cats “paw” or “knead” (repeatedly treading on a spot - sometimes its owner) to mark their territory. Cats sweat through the bottom of their paws and rub off the sweat as a marking mechanism.

3. Cat urine glows in the dark when a black light shines on it. if you think your cat or kitten has had an acci-

dent in your home, use a black light to find the mishap.

4. The print on a cat’s nose has a unique ridged pattern, like a human fingerprint.

5. 25 per cent of cat owners admit to blow-drying their cat’s hair after a bath.

6. if your cat is near you, and her tail is quivering, this is the greatest expression of love your cat can give you.

7. if your cat is thrashing its tail, she is in a bad mood - time for you to keep your distance!

8. only domestic cats hold their tails straight up while walking. Wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.

9. during her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. a single pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just seven years.

10. sir isaac newton, discoverer of the principles of gravity, also invented the cat door.

11. The more you talk to your cat - the more it will speak to you.

12. kittens begin dreaming when they are over one week old.

13. a group of kittens is called a kindle. a group of grown cats is called a clowder. a male cat is called a tom, a female cat is called a molly or queen and young cats are called kittens.

14. Cats spend 30 per cent of their waking hours grooming themselves.

15. each year americans spend four billion dollars on cat food. That’s one billion dollars more than they spend on baby food!

16. Cats can make over 100 vocal sounds, while dogs can only make 10.

17. The majority of cats do not have any eyelashes.

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Profitable Practice: veterinarian edition is printed and distributed 3 times a year by Jamieson-Quinn holdings ltd. dba advertising in Print for Roi Corporation Brokerage. The contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Roi Corporation Brokerage.

Please return undeliverable addresses to: 200 - 896 Cambie street, vancouver, BC, v6B 2P6. Tel: 604-681-1811 Fax: 604-681-0456.

Publication mail agreement no. 41073506.

While the publisher has exercised every effort to ensure that the information presented is complete and accurate, it may contain errors, omissions or information that has subsequently become outdated by industry changes or conditions, new laws or regulations, or other circumstances. neither author nor publisher accepts any liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information, ideas, opinions or other content in this publication.

This publication complies with the Canadian advertising-editorial Guidelines and is printed by Roi Corporation Brokerage for educational, marketing and informa-tional purposes only. our contributors are seasoned professionals who have agreed to share their advice in Profitable Practice and some of them partially fund this publication designed to provide our readers with timely information about industry news, analysis and stories in support of the veterinary profession across Canada.

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Roi Corporation Brokerage PubliSher Roi Corporation Brokerage is licensed under the Real estate and Business Brokers act, 2002 (ReBBa).

James Ruddy editor-iN-chief

karen henderson maNagiNg aSSociate editor

natalia decius ProJect maNager fullcoNtactmarketiNg.ca

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18. Cats have been used to deliver mail: in Belgium in 1879, 37 cats were used to deliver mail to villages. however they found that the cats were not disci-plined enough to keep it up.

19. in a lifetime, the average house cat spends approximately 10,950 hours purring.

20. a cat’s jaws cannot move sideways.

21. Cats rarely meow at other cats.

22. When cats are happy, they may squeeze their eyes shut.

23. Cats don’t use their voices’ natural frequency range to verbally communicate feelings such as affection, anger, hunger, boredom, happiness and fear - this would be inaudible to humans as this frequency is much lower than humans can hear. some researchers believe cats may have learned we can’t hear them in their natural range and have adapted so they can relate to us on our terms.

24. The reason for the lack of mouse-flavored cat food is due to the fact that the test subjects (cats, naturally!) did not like it.

25. Cats see so well in the dark because their eyes actually reflect light. light goes in their eyes, and is reflected back out. This means that their eyes actually work almost like built-in flashlights.

Source: Yahoo Voices

equine Canadaequine Canada describes itself as …the dedicated na-tional voice working to serve, promote and protect the interests of horses and Canada’s equestrian community. We asked their representatives to respond to the following questions.

What is Equine’s position and recommendations with regard to the current debate on cutting funding to the horse racing industry and farm industry?

equine Canada is extremely concerned by the actions of the ontario government and the impact it will have on the racing industry and the equine industry in general. We have supported the industry as much as possible including writing letters to the Premier of ontario. The changes that are being implemented will have a devastating effect on the racing industry and horse owners outside of the racing industry will also be adversely affected.editor’s note: Since the above statement was made there have been some conces-sions made to lessen the impact of the government’s funding cuts. the full impact of the cuts will not be known entirely until considerable time has passed.

With regard to horse care and welfare in a general sense, what are the central issues/concerns being faced today?

equine Canada and our members are committed to horse welfare at all levels and we must stand behind that commitment. in the past two years we have funded our health and Welfare committee at the highest levels in our history. They have created policies with regards to life cycle management and have provided significant input into the recent Code of Practice for equine. a current project is biosecurity protocols for competition organizers and competitors.

With specific reference to equine veterinarians, what are their trials, tribulations and especially their triumphs from Equine Canada’s point of view?

Probably the most significant area of mutual interest between equine veterinarians and equine Canada will be the subject of traceability. Recent rule changes by the Fei will require all new sport horses to be micro chipped effective this year. This will probably become the beginning of traceability implementation and will require close cooperation between equine Canada and the equine veterinarian community.

Content notesTodd C. Slater, the $imple investor outlines some important thoughts on real estate investment. Jon J. Walton, a regular contributor to the magazine, gives insights for sellers and purchasers on the issue of new equipment in a veterinary practice that is for sale. Dr. Bernhard Pukay, a highly respected and well-known veterinarian provides practical solutions and answers to questions that relate to the issues of compliance and pet advocacy. David Bazak at RBC provides insight on return on investment issues for veterinarians. David Rourke, a Roi Corp. associate, explains online marketing for a veterinarian practice.

Things to rememberReaders are reminded that for subscriber information, please go to the inside back cover of this magazine. don’t forget to check out our Cat Quotes there as well. as always we welcome your comments and suggestions for the magazine; if you would like to write for the magazine and have a story to tell that would interest our professional reading audience, please contact: editor@profitablepracticemagazine.com

James ruddy James ruddy is the editor of Profitable Practice Magazine and can be reached at editor@profitablepracticemagazine.com

real eState

by todd c. Slater

hello everyone and welcome to this edition of Profitable Practice. For those of you that have been following my articles, you’ll know i always try to focus on investment real estate advice that will benefit you for years to come. in this article, i would like to discuss the current state of the actual real estate market as it looks for spring 2013 - as well as mortgages and rates.so let’s get right to it. The market….it’s horrible….or is it? if you want to compare today’s real estate market to the last 10 years, then today’s outlook is not good. But i think that is very unfair. The last 10 years were incredible and something that cannot be viewed as normal; other than for the last 10 years. The average increases year over year ranged from 7 to 10 per cent, which is remarkable. if you were a real estate investor with the proper leverage in place, your returns would have exceeded 30 to 40 per cent annually. But that was yesterday and yesteryear.

real estate investment – Some thoughts

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by Jon J. Walton

Canada and specifically urban centres in ontario, alberta, and British Columbia have become location hot spots for a large and very multicultural portion of the population. These locations provide many amenities and a much greater acceptance of multiculturalism. Just like any fee for service industry, veterinary practices and the largest number of veterinarians have located in these densely populated areas. in these areas there are practices on almost every street corner and plaza almost to a point of super saturation.not only are veterinarians flocking to these areas, but schools are graduating an ever-increasing number of veterinarians yearly. To make matters even more competitive, these new graduates come out with debt; but not the same debt level as graduating veterinarians from other parts of the world. This is due to the level of subsidization given to them by the Canadian government.

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the bells and Whistlesso what does the future hold? The latest forecasts allow me to say i told you so. The national prediction is a 2 to 3 per cent increase with some of the major markets out performing those numbers. The “i told you so” comes from our simple seminar®. For those of you that have attended or have read my previous articles, you will always hear me say … Be Conservative. Real estate markets can fluctuate and if you always use a 2 per cent market increase year over year in your forecasts, you will be safe.

Where will the markets end up? We should see volume (the number of sales) cool off as they already have, but values should remain stable. The main thing that has remained consistent is mortgage rates. This in itself has made our strong market remain solid and it looks like it will remain so for the near future. i will get back to rates in a minute. of course, the other factor which drives all markets is the first time home buyer. Real estate markets are driven by the first time buyer purchasing from the first time seller who is moving up to the next level, with that seller moving up as well. This sequence normally ends when families move into their final home for many years and then start the downsizing process, which we will see many baby boomers do in the years to come. The entire pro-cess is driven from the first time buyer, and this is where interest rates come into play.

Where will interest rates go? if mr. Flaherty had his choice, he would make them go up substantially. one of the large banks recently published their five-year rate at 2.99 per cent and mr. Flaherty immediately went to the media and declared that he did not encourage competition in mortgage rates. Wow, i am not sure if he understands the difference between good and bad debt, but home ownership encourages responsibility, employment and forced savings. over the last few years, the borrowing restrictions have tightened which makes sense. Canada never wants to follow the path of the united states in lending, but that said, the restrictions in place are defi-nitely able to safeguard both the lenders and consumers. ultimately it looks as if rates will remain low for the next 12 months, which allows borrowers an excellent opportunity to buy or invest in real estate. however, there is one rule that has recently become more apparent and this has directly affected real estate investors. The number of mortgages you may have or the dollar value of the mortgages has changed. some lenders will limit

you to five mortgages or one million dollars in mort-gage amount. needless to say, this is making it difficult for investors to build real estate portfolios. The lenders want to move investors over to their commercial departments so they can get higher interest rates and have investors put more money down. i understand they are trying to limit their risks, but when professionals like you have strong income and good equity, this rule is ridiculous. We have found that one of the top five banks will allow more exposure - which is good news. if you are interested in whom that is, please feel free to contact me.

in closing, i would like to say that i feel the market is going to remain stable. This is actually the way it should be. decent properties available that can sell in realistic time frames with affordable interest rates will stabilize a market. They say slow and steady wins the race and this market will produce winners for a long period of time. i would be happy to answer any questions you have, so feel free to contact me anytime. until next time, take care and enjoy the summer!

Bottom Line: This article analyzes the current real estate market for investment purposes.

todd C. Slatertodd c. Slater is the president of the Simple investor real estate group inc. todd has been one of canada’s top realtors as well as host of realty tV for 4 seasons. With his innovative approach to managed real estate investment properties, todd educates and provides investors with solutions and opportunities for investment real estate. He can be reached at todd@thesimpleinvestor.com or visit www.thesimpleinvestor.com .

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ontario alone graduates over 100 veterinarians from ovC and almost as many graduates from the vsTeP program each year. and this account ignores any veterinarians relocating from other areas of Canada to urban ontario, alberta or British Columbia.

Regardless of the above facts, average veterinarians in today’s market are holding on to their practices longer. This may be due to a financial hit in their portfolio when the market crashed or their oldest child has remained a dependent longer than expected or because of a personal divorce. as a result of these factors and others, there is heavy competition when veterinarians attempt to purchase an established practice in an urban area of Canada.

many selling and purchasing veterinarians even with this competition in mind get caught up in what brokers refer to as the bathroom theory. selling veterinarians frequently ask me when approaching the time of sale or during the appraisal process, “Jon, should i purchase some new equipment before i sell?” some seller veterinarians believe that by having new, cutting edge equipment in their practice, even though the equipment currently in place is in working condition, will lead to a smoother transition and a higher selling price.

This strategy is not recommended in most situations!

When new equipment is purchased at or very near to the time of sale to replace equipment that is fully functional, the direct purchase price is added to the assets of the practice. This weighs heavily on the cash flow of the business while not currently producing any extra income, as none of the clients are educated to this new equipment. now not only will the new purchaser have to learn the intricacies of the newly purchased practice, but will also have to completely re-educate the clients as to the new fees and services that are provided due to the upgrade in equipment. This results in a lot more responsibility for a new owner to take on.

as a purchaser, although shiny, new equipment in a practice looks great, the purchaser has to realize that he/she is buying an income-producing business, not a basic asset like a house that sits and either increases or decreases in value as the housing market in your area fluctuates. he/she is purchasing a cash flow, a client base, business systems in place and vacation time. it is important to realize that the selling veterinarian is producing the gross income and the cash flow with the current, often dated equipment. updating equipment, painting walls, and bringing the practice into a more modern state is a great way for the purchaser to make the practice his/her own! it can be done over time as he/she gets to know the business, the clients and while he/she gets accustomed to the cash-flow already coming in because he/she has purchased an existing, established practice.

Bottom Line: Veterinarians should not get overly caught up in the equipment and appearance of well-established practice. Equipment is easily replaced and is a small expense over the years of ownership when considering the gross income produced by the veterinarian’s hard work in the practice.

Jon J. WaltonJon J. Walton is a national sales representative at roi corporation brokerage and one of the directors of the Hamilton academy of Veterinary medicine. He can be reached at 519-829-5953 or jon@roicorp.com.

if you own a veterinary practice, you know all about return on investment. Roi is a critical business metric – one that can inform important business decisions and help boost the profitability of your practice. and while it might be easy to calculate the Roi associated with buying that new piece of equipment or hiring that new associate, what happens when the nature of the investment is a bit more challenging to pinpoint? like, for example, trying to calculate the Roi of working with a bank that specializes in dealing with vets as opposed to one that offers a more general, ‘off-the-shelf ’ approach to working with health care professionals.That’s not to say that generalists don’t have important roles to play. Technically speaking, a family doctor is a generalist, able to assess and

treat a broad range of health issues. But if a doctor finds a problem with a patient’s heartbeat, they’ll call in a cardiologist, a specialist with years of additional training and expertise in the structure, function and disorders of the heart.

The same thing goes for mountain climbing which, when you think about it, is a lot like building a practice. Both require proper planning, the right tools and determination. The fact, however, is that someone setting out to climb mount everest can increase their chances of success if they have one of nepal’s famous ‘sherpa’ mountain guides at their side.

so what’s the financial equivalent of a sherpa or a cardiologist when it comes to running your veterinary practice? “i think the value a team like ours adds to our clients’ practices stems from the fact that we under-stand the veterinary business. We speak the same language as our clients. We have an appreciation Pr

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by David bazak

are You climbing Without a Sherpa?Whether you’re scaling a mountain or building your veterinary practice, having a trusted specialist by your side can pay real dividends

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interview with Liz marshall

i am a fan of filmmaker liz marshall’s previous film Water On the Table. i don’t doubt that The Ghosts in Our Machine will be as important and well done. - Woody Harrelson, Actor

The rights of animals are the next frontier in the search for both justice and environmental sanity. - Maude Barlow

The connection that i have to animals while i’m photographing them is one of empathy. There is a huge mistreatment and inequality between human and non-human animals, and that’s always in the forefront of my mind. - Jo-Anne McArthur

i chose Jo-anne as the protagonist because her mission is a sympathetic entry-point into the animal question, and her powerful photographs invite us to consider non-human animals as individuals. - Liz MarshallFilmmaker and director liz marshall’s latest film lives up to harrelson’s expectations. marshall along with fellow producer nina Beveridge has released a film that is moving and thought provoking. The film poses the moral question: are non-human animals property to be owned and used, or are they sentient beings deserving of rights?

The Ghosts in Our Machine refers to the animals that are like ghosts and go unseen in terms of how they are used in societal machinations whether it is in the fashion, food, entertainment or research industries.

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the ghosts in our machinefor the many unique characteristics of their busi-nesses and we provide advice and solutions tailored specifically for vets,” says Tina mcdonald, account manager in the health Care Professionals Practice at RBC Royal Bank in newmarket.

“it’s about providing the clinic owner with more than just the transactional-based elements of a banking relationship,” says mcdonald. “it’s about offering a full life cycle approach that can create tangible business benefits at any point along their career path, from graduation to succession planning and retirement.”

mcdonald cites some of the business challenges seasoned vets will be all too familiar with, including the seasonal nature of the business and the all-important clinic start-up phase. “We know the winter months tend to be slower for many vets. so we can help them manage those ebbs and flows in their cash flow,” she says. “We also know the first six to 12 months in business are critical. so for many vets, we will suggest or arrange an interest-only loan for that period to help them establish their client flow during that time.”

“it was really refreshing to work with banking profes-sionals who understood the veterinary industry and the challenges that we vets face when starting up a practice from scratch,” says dr. danny deRose, who founded the Cachet village animal hospital in markham, ontario in 2009. “i really liked the fact that RBC has been available to provide guidance and insights along the way to help me make key decisions related to my business. The bank also set up a six-month period of interest-only loan payments when i launched my practice, which really helped ease the cash flow pressures at a time when i was building my client roster.”

Whether it’s helping to arrange professional banking services or solutions around equipment purchases, commercial mortgages, managing the practice or personal wealth management, teaming up with a bank that has specialized knowledge and experience in the veterinary business can pay real dividends.

“We know the questions to ask. We understand their business objectives and we know, at the outset of the relationship, the kinds of challenges they’re going to be dealing with,” says mcdonald. “We can start adding value from day one. and RBC Royal Bank® has the infrastructure to support that relationship and help position the practice for continued growth and profitability down the road.”

RBC Royal Bank® has a dedicated team of account managers who, like mcdonald, specialize exclusively in dealing with health care professionals. Given their

intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the vet-erinary business, they’re able to provide useful guidance and insights to help position the practice for success.

“i really value that RBC has been extremely attentive and flexible along the way,” says dr. deRose. “They’ve continued to stay up to date on how the business is going and on many occasions have come back to me with proactive questions or ideas aimed at helping me build my practice.”

“Whether you’re acquiring an established practice, starting from scratch, expanding, looking at succession planning options or if you’re looking for a second opinion regarding the financial management of your existing practice, we work closely with you to ensure all your financial needs are met,” says mcdonald. “We’ll also help the client prioritize their investments into areas that tend to have better payoffs.” she gives the example of dissuading clients from pouring too much cash into creating a ‘pretty’ location, since such renovations don’t tend to translate into future revenue. “They’re often better served investing in a new piece of equipment that can help them service their clients more effectively,” she says.

so as you continue to navigate the peaks and precipices associated with running your own practice, consider how a banking partner with proven specialization in the veterinary industry might be able to add value to your business and help enhance your bottom line along the way. the information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide specific leasing, financial, business, tax, legal, investment or other advice to you, and should not be acted or relied upon in that regard without seeking the advice of a professional. Your advisor can help to ensure that your own circumstances have been properly considered and any action is taken on the latest available information.

® registered trademarks of royal bank of canada. rbc and royal bank are registered trademarks of royal bank of canada.

Bottom Line: This article contains investment analysis of return on investment specifically directed at veterinarians and their practices.

david Bazak Vice President, Health Care Professionals royal Bank of Canada

David leads the Health care professionals segment at rbc royal bank®. the Health care team includes commercial account managers who have extensive experience helping health care professionals at every stage of their career.

please contact David at david.bazak@rbc.com or call him at 416-974-0960.

photo courtesy of Jo-anne mcarthur

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liz marshall answered the following questions: you have worked with some very special peo-ple. Can you tell us what it was like to work with maude Barlow on the film, Water On the Table?Working with maude Barlow was one of the highlights of my career to date. i was inspired by her commitment to water justice; her vision for water to be protected as part of the public trust. she believes that water must be available for all, whether people can afford it or not. maude also believes that water must be protected for future generations, for other species and for us. This is a crucial message, and its messenger is a woman i have a great deal of respect and affection for. Water On The Table is character driven focusing on maude’s mission to have water declared a human right. she is a magnetic and a compelling public speaker.

your latest film, The Ghosts in Our Machine, addresses what is described on your website as … From food and fashion to entertainment and product testing and research, the Ghosts are the animals used within the industries as commodities for our consumer goods. Can you elaborate?every year billions of animals are used as products within industries worldwide. The schism is that most people love animals, and many have pets. it is as if we are blindfolded to what is happening to the ghosts. We are not fully conscious of the use and abuse of animals and therefore indirectly participate. i wanted to shine a light on this reality … to bring it out of the shadows. The simple yet profound take-away of the film is that as consumers we can all make a difference for the animals in many ways, and one very concrete way is to simply vote with our dollar.

you selected Jo-anne mcarthur as the protag-onist photographer attempting to bring to light the animal rights issues that are largely ignored by people living ordinary lives. Why did you select Jo-anne for this role?First of all, Jo is an outstanding photographer and has been bringing her message about animals to the world through her images for over a decade. Jo-anne identifies herself as a war photographer, photographing an invisible war. in crafting the story of the film i wanted to capture her efforts and in turn help her with

her efforts through the powerful platform of film. she is celebrated internationally within animal advocacy circles and she is trying to get her images seen in mainstream publications. There is no reason why this shouldn’t happen. The challenge is societal but this is changing. People are afraid to face the truth about our collective consumer behaviour. The emergence of mainstream interest in the animal question is beginning to flower. i selected Jo-anne because she is a relatable heroine and she will help audiences to see that her work is “an emergency”.

The film is a full-length documentary. much

of it is shot using contrasting lighting: dark imaging is used for the negative and abusive elements with regard to the animals and the brighter sunlit bursts reflect that not all is negative and that there is hope for some societal change about acceptance of the sentient nature of animals. Can you reveal for us some of your overall strategies for setting the mood and location to create the backdrop for your film’s message?i juxtaposed the extremes of two realities: desaturated high contrast urban industrial reality with lush, bursting softness of otherworldly heaven-like sanctuaries. Farm sanctuary in upstate new york is a place where Jo goes to restore herself, to be with happy animals who have been rescued from the system, and it is where we get to know two of the main animal characters: sonny and Fanny. The ebb and flow between these two worlds is continuous in the film - through sound design, music, colour treatment and intimate observational cinematography. it was important to make a film on

this subject matter that does not condemn but instead illuminates animal sentience: that illustrates that animals are not objects. in part, the film follows two animals (sonny and Fanny) from when they are rescued from the dairy industry to a life of peace and liberation at Farm sanctuary. The humans are their stewards and do not consider them as property. each animal’s individuality is allowed to flourish.

The challenge was to make a film that achieved the right tone… to not point fingers. i wanted to make a gentle consciousness raising film that has a dramatic impact.

What are the short and possibly longer-term influences on you personally in making this film?i had been a vegetarian since i was 18 years old. it all started years ago when i read John Robbins’ Diet for a New America. it changed my perspective on many issues, and in making The Ghosts in Our Machine i went further. i see animals as fascinating creatures, all of them.

What do you do to unwind?That is a good question and one i have thought a lot about recently. i have been on the go since the mid 1990s and i have not really slowed down; if anything, i have ramped up over recent years. it has all led to good stress but i want to take my time with this film to get it distributed properly… to do this well. i enjoy time with friends, reading, watching films, taking better care of my health, being with my amazing life partner lorena and our rescued cats.

What is next for you?i have several ideas incubating but i am not planning to actively develop them right away. i have been going non-stop from project to project for quite some time. i have several ideas in mind but i am going to think long and hard about what is next – and in the meantime catch up on my sleep and make sure Ghosts is seen! There is a huge audience for our project all over the world. i feel an enormous sense of responsibility and obligation to ensure that the film is seen and that it makes an impact.

do you have any final thoughts for our readers about The Ghosts in Our Machine?i am a social issue filmmaker. i aim to shine a light and pose questions, in new ways, on significant global ideas and issues. making The Ghosts in Our Machine has tweaked my own moral compass; my take-away from the film is that i have a new relationship with animals, one that i hope rubs off on many others. non-human animals are an integral part of life, but animals have been largely ignored. it’s time to care.

Bottom Line: An interview with a highly respected Canadian filmmaker whose award winning films include Water On the Table with Maude Barlow and her latest release, The Ghosts in Our Machine that brings a new perspective to the animal rights issue.

Liz MarshallLiz marshall is a multi-talented individual whose films are thought provoking and moving. She can be reached through the editor of this magazine. please see the following: the website for the film is www.theghostsinourmachine.com, the website for Liz marshall is www.lizmars.com and finally these are the upcoming theatrical dates in toronto for The Ghosts in Our Machine at carlton: may 31 - June 6 and at Kingsway: June 7 - 13.

photo courtesy of Jo-anne mcarthurphoto courtesy of Jo-anne mcarthur

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book reviewby Karen Henderson

The Cat Whisperer: Why Cats Do What They DO - and How to Get Them to Do What You Want by mieshelle nagelschneiderit’s virtually impossible for animal owners not to know the name Cesar milan, the dog Whisperer who performs miracles with troubled dogs – and their owners. Cat owners can exhale with relief because we now have mieshelle nagelschneider, the Cat Whisperer.

her book is a wealth of information about difficult feline behaviors and presents wonderful results of her work. she begins the book with some fascinating insights into her introduction to the world of animals. she comes from a family ‘steeped in animal life’…horses, goats, cows, sheep and fowl. she tells a hilarious story about how, at the age of four, she made some bunny ears and a tail and hopped into the pen of a huge (unhappy) bull to make him happy. her parents had warned her how dangerous the bull could be but when they found her, she was sitting in the dirt with the bull, stroking its head, neck and throat. But

underlying this move was something bigger: The desire to have a cat, which her parents had consistently refused. Finally they relented and let her keep a stray and thus began her career with cats around the world.

according to her web site, “mieshelle has studied feline and animal behavior for 20 years, conducted behavior studies, and most recent study of animal behavior was at harvard university. she travels extensively to lecture on cat behavior and works with the animal Welfare league internationally. as the international Cat Behavior expert for Whiskas on their international cat behavior media tour, mieshelle educated cat owners on the latest research in cat behavior to better understand and help their cats. she has guest starred as “The Cat Whisperer” on animal Planet, the behaviorist for a national Geographic documentary, made numerous guest television appearances on shows like The Circle, The sunrise show, FoX, and countless other radio shows and media interviews across the country and internationally.

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mieshelle is very good at reading cats’ body language and understands whether a cat is upset about something in the environment, another cat or both. For the past 12 years she has run The Cat Behavior Clinic (www.thecatbehaviorclinic.com) in oregon. she claims her success rate is near 100 per cent for most behavior issues and over 90 per cent for even the most difficult problems. The majority of her consultations are over the phone.

The seven classes of behavior problems in catsThe books focuses on the following behavioral issues and provides case studies for each:

1. cat-to-cat tension

2. aggression

3. litter box issues

4. Spraying

5. excessive meowing

6. destructive and unwanted behaviors

7. compulsive behaviors

The information provided is detailed, almost exhaustive but certainly worth reading.

all therapies revolve around The C.a.T. Plan, a cat positive behavior modification plan specifically tailored to your cat not only in the context of its behavior problems and particular household environment, but its natural wildcat instincts still genetically prevalent from the african Wildcat. The three components are:

• CisforCeasetheUnwantedBehavior

• AisforAttracttheCattoaDesirableBehaviororLocation

• TisforTransformtheTerritory,orenvironment

The C.a.T. Plan must be followed in its entirety for 30 days – and sometimes 60 to ensure success.

the nagelschneider methodThe Cat Behavior Clinic is also the home of The nagelschneider method, a way of reintroducing cats who’ve gotten on the wrong foot. Pioneered by mieshelle, this method of getting unfriendly cats to curl up next to one another again is exclusive to the clinic.

some pointers from the book i feel worth sharing:

• ensure there are no medical issues which may be the underlying cause for difficult behaviors

• separate your cat’s food and water since cats prefer to drink water that is located away from their ‘dead prey’ or cat food. Both should also be placed away from the litter box

• Toys and a regular playtime are important to cats because they are more predatory than dogs…and need to strategize, hunt and kill more than any other animal. interactive toys, like wands with feathers, can make your cat feel it’s stalking and catching prey

• in spite of the old adage ‘Cats don’t have owners…they have servants’, cats require companionship; it is a form of stimulation

• most cats prefer an unscented, medium-grain clumping litter or a very fine-grain silica or sand-like litter. she does not recommend corn or wheat litters for adult cats and also does not recommend covered litter boxes (which i have and have never had a problem). if you need a larger box, purchase a large, see-through, low-sided plastic storage container

60,000+ shelter cats are put down in Canada each year• according to the Canadian Federation of humane

societies (CFhs) there are an estimated 10.2 million owned cats in Canada and the owned cat population is growing at a rate faster than the number of households across the country

• Today 37 per cent of households in Canada include one or more cats

• shelters are at or near capacity to care for the cats that arrive at their door

• sterilization was also identified as a successful solution to cat overpopulation but unfortunately too many people don't realize how important it is to spay or neuter their pets

• statistics show that one female cat can produce to 370,092 kittens in seven years

• it is projected that more than 600,000 homeless cats in Canadian shelters did not find new homes in 2011

according to animal services in Toronto, in 2008 they took in 2,944 owned cats; just under 2,500 cats were euthanized after they were assessed as sick, injured or having medical conditions prohibiting adoption, 831 due to behavioural problems, 707 because they were feral and 764 at the request of their owners.

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• Cat bites can cause blood poisoning and should be treated immediaTely as they can be fatal. i know – i was hospitalized with bites that required intense antibiotics and other treatments

• Clicker training can work with cats

• a cat lying on its back is not submissive/happy the way a dog is; the position is simply a way to inhibit an attack. karen’s note: my cat maxim lies on his back in the hall all the time and appears happy and secure in this position!

• The author offers a helpful checklist for curing outside-the-box elimination and a web site that supplies information on behavior tools (www.catwhispererproducts.com)

problems i have with the book• some solutions that she claims work really do not.

example: i purchased several scratching posts, boards etc. but maxim continued to claw at the back of the couch (always unseen by me) to the point where the couch was ruined. she also suggested purchasing and placing plastic carpet runners with the pointy nubs facing up…something i would not want to live with

• many cats owners like me also have a dog. i would have appreciated a chapter on how to cope with things like:

• how do i stop my dog from eating the cat poop? (apparently it’s like caviar for dogs because of the high protein content)

• how do i ensure that the play between the two animals is not too stressful for the cat ? (half the size of the dog).

• What are the signs that the cat is stressed out by the dog? solutions?

my personal cat experiencesi must admit that i have somehow avoided facing severe cat behavioral issues. however my cats have all had their own unique peccadillos. my first cat suki (siamese of course) delighted in eating our hand made woolen mittens and then bringing up huge wool balls. my next cat Patches gave birth to her kittens under the covers at the bottom of my bed, her favourite place. my darling calico Jenny Jones would crawl under the bed covers and immediately pass gas. Chardonnay would only drink from the bathtub tap. my present handsome tuxedo cat maxim piddles in the bathtub when he is unhappy with his litter box; when he thinks it’s time for breakfast, a purr and lick on the face are not enough

for him. he literally hurls his 14 - pound body from the floor up onto my chest…a rude awakening to say the least.

summaryThe book is definitely worth purchasing if you are having cat behavioral problems. Too often it is mistakes made by owners that result in difficult behaviors; the book will definitely point out these mistakes.

The web site www.thecatbehaviorclinic.com is challenging to wade through. it is so promotional and repetitive that i gave up. The list of testimonials is mind-boggling.

Bottom Line: If your clients have a cat that is making their lives miserable, suggest this book. Punishment does not work; what does work is understanding how the mind of a cat works and learning how to convince the cat to do what you want. Really.

Karen HendersonKaren Henderson is the managing associate editor for Profitable Practice Magazines; she is an accomplished writer and researcher and brings a wealth of experience, particularly in the area of long term health care.

She can be reached at karen@profitablepracticemagazine.com

Who is the Canadian Federation of humane societies?The Canadian Federation of humane societies (CFhs) is a national organization representing humane societies and sPCas in Canada. Founded in 1957, the CFhs works toward positive, progressive change to end animal cruelty, improve animal protection and promote the humane treatment of all animals. as the convener and representative of the largest animal welfare community in Canada, the CFhs advances the welfare of companion animals, farm animals, wildlife and animals in research with a strong national voice promoting the interests and concerns of animal welfare to government, policy makers, industry and the public.

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interview With

Jamie Sale

Jamie sale, the former olympic figure skater and celebrity comments on her life now and the place that pets have in it. she shares her life with her husband, Craig simpson (the former edmonton oiler and now hockey analyst), her son Jesse and pet dog Cooper. she relates a story about how Cooper came into their lives and what he means to them. soon there will be a new member in the family because the happy couple is expecting their first child together.

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Jamie sale answered the following:

Describeatypicaldayforyounow.i really do not have typical days. every day is different. i am busy with my mom duties, charity events and pro-moting a wine distributing company. i do some public speaking, guest appearances and work closely with childrens’ charities like sick kids, special olympics and child self-esteem projects.

Doyouhaveanypets?We have a small lap dog named Cooper. he and my son Jesse play a lot together. We all get great pleasure from Cooper.

What kinds of things give you satisfaction?small things. i enjoy quiet times with a good coffee or snuggling with my boys watching a good movie. my friends and family are very supportive and i am very family-oriented; i cherish quality time with them and i plan family dinners together as much as possible.

Being a good mother to my son is important to me. it is a constant job requiring discipline, caring and sharing … and watching him grow up from a boy to a little man brings me so much joy. as mentioned i like work-ing with children and also i get a lot of happiness from my relationship with my husband Craig.

What do you do to unwind or when you feel stressed?i work out regularly and i love the feeling i get from doing physical activity and staying fit. Today i am go-ing out with some girlfriends for a spa treatment and dinner. This is special occasion and something we look forward to. it is girl-bonding time.

For the most part i am a homebody. i like to cook and

watch our favourite Tv shows. Craig boosts me up. he likes my positivity and says i have a refreshing attitude. We feed off each other; we are both good communica-tors and have great positive interaction with each other.

Doyouhaveanycomplaints?not really, i am in a very good place right now. as mentioned i have a very positive view of things and have a lot of energy to put out there. i really believe as my mother says that everything happens for a reason and i try to grow as a person …no matter what hap-pens …i want to turn any negatives into positives.

Doyoumissskating?i miss performing. i was fortunate to be able to turn pro, travel a lot and make a good living. But much of it was a real grind… it is not as glamorous a life as people think when you are on the road, living on a bus and out of a suitcase. i love my life at home now.

What is next for you?We are expecting a baby in July. i am thrilled about that and having two children will take up much of my time i’m sure. i am also involved in a business venture with some friends. it is called simmer Fine Wine and spirits and is doing quite well. i can see down the road that i will want to stay involved with it and some other proj-ects and charities. For now i foresee some volunteering and driving my kids to activities and sports events for quite a few years.

Please describe the role pets have had in yourlife.i have fond memories of pets stemming from my child-hood with my brother and our dog Buddy. actually we had two dogs named Buddy at different times. They were part of our family and brought so much joy and laughter. There was always great cuddling with Buddy and we played chase ball constantly. The dogs gave us unconditional love. When i was performing i missed having a pet around and the love they return. i know it sounds warm and fuzzy but we get that now with Cooper who is very affectionate.

Doyouhaveanyfinalthoughtsor advice for the average pet owner or veterinarian professional?Pets and animals have opened our world. i can’t believe that people ignore, neglect or abuse them. all they require is some love and attention and you get so much back from them. They become a part of the family. Cooper is a companion for Jesse and is available for all of us. We try to provide him with the best healthy food

and proper care. he is a happy to be around us but at night he is quite content to go to his kennel and sleep there. he is very much an individual with a personality of his own.

our veterinarian takes a very holistic approach to pet care. he tries to avoid drugs and uses a natural path approach. There are times when certain procedures and medicines are necessary but for the most part he avoids any quick alternatives to a more holistic style of healing. i respect and agree with what he does.

editor’s Note: Profitable Practice asked Jamie to relate a story about Cooper and howhefitsintotheirfamily.Jamiewrotethe following:Cooper was introduced to our family on november 18th, 2012 as a little puppy only nine weeks old - about the size of a small stuffed animal. Cooper was a bit of a surprise to my husband Craig and son Jesse but i felt that because Jesse, who is over five years old and an only child (at the time), it would be nice for him to have a little “buddy” or playmate and that the timing in our lives was perfect. i am home most of the time now and can care for a dog; i felt safer having a dog around when my husband is gone on weekends.

Well it’s turned out beautifully! Jesse has been in love since i brought Cooper home, calling him his brother. Craig and i get a lot of joy out of watching Jesse play with him and seeing Cooper become a huge part of our family!

We often laugh at his personality and spunkiness. We are in stitches watching him toss his stuffed animals around or act quite spastic and run back and forth on the couch or around the house like he wants to play catch me if you can. he is a very affectionate and caring little guy. When someone is sick or sad he snuggles up to them as if to say, “don’t worry, everything will be ok. i’m here for you” and it melts our hearts. i really believe he is talking to us a lot...the expressions he makes and his body language are hilarious... human like!. Craig laughs at this but i think it’s true.

Cooper has been kennel trained and one of his oth-er favourite things to do in his kennel is wrestle with his bedding and rough house in there for a bit until he decides it’s time to pull it all out of the kennel and chew it or drag it around the house. i believe he thinks it’s funny... i put it back and he does it again. We have to close the kennel so the game stops eventually.

his favorite toys are the ones that squeak and at first when he discovered them he would make a crying sound along with the toy as he would make it squeak.

We weren’t sure if he thought he was hurting it or that he just didn’t understand what the noise was. We keep his toys in a small basket beside his other bed. When he was a young puppy, it was so cute when he would

pile in there with all of the toys. he still does this even though he is the same size as the basket now. he doesn’t seem to care at all and we still think it’s cute... and hilarious!

he loves sitting on anything we are taking with us for our day - from Jesse’s hockey bag to my purses/bags or even a suitcase when it’s being packed, as if to say, “you’re taking me too.”

i’m six and a half months pregnant and i’m experi-encing a special bonding time with Cooper. When i’m lying down he will come and lay on my belly or right beside me. i don’t know if he really knows i’m pregnant but he sure acts like he does and he wants to protect and be close to the baby already.

Cooper has been a wonderful addition to our family bringing even more laughter, love and happiness to our home! We couldn’t imagine our lives without him now.

Bottom Line: This article contains an interview with one of Canada’s most accomplished figure skaters and includes a vignette written by her about the importance of a pet in any family setting.

Jamie Sale Jamie Sale is a former skater, an olympic gold medal winner and a highly respected canadian for the work she does for children’s charities and for being a super-mom. She can be reached through the editor of this magazine.

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by David rourke

Dispelling the myths of online marketing

veterinarians like most professionals love technology… they really do! Recently a client spent a great deal of time excitedly walking me through all the things that he was able to do with CBT. While i generally had no idea what i was looking at i was blown away by what i was seeing. The catch is, veterinarians love technology when it comes to veterinary medicine but quickly shy away when it comes to marketing. Those that embrace it often spend far too much money on social media gurus who produce a lot of excit-ing things that deliver poor results.The reality is the online world has dramatically changed our world and will only continue to do so. Best Buy, the number one north american retailer in technology is struggling because they Pro

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didn’t adapt to the world of online retailing, at a time when they should be flourishing. all the major car companies are shifting advertising dollars away from cable television and moving them to youTube, leaving nBC searching for the next seinfeld that not enough people are going to watch.

The shift is inevitable and the trick is to be smart on how you leverage it. here are thoughts on some of the key online marketing approaches that veterinarians are facing today.

Websites – yes, you need to have one now. a typical new patient/client doesn’t walk into a veterinary clinic and ask to talk to the veterinarian. instead, they see the name on the door, go home and Google the name looking for office and staff pictures and information before they make their first call. The good news is pa-tients have a low expectation of a veterinarian’s web-site. a clean, simple, friendly and welcoming website with photos goes a long way. veterinarians should use a templated website with a designer to keep costs down but provide personal content – it costs little and is better than a fancy, complicated and overbuilt website. This level of website will suffice for the next 3-5 years. Right now a sophisticated, next level of website is like buying a flat screen Tv in 2002. very cool, but also very expensive.

Social media – however you want to define it, this is a content driven, user-based platform. in other words, if people aren’t genuinely interested in what you have to say then you won’t see any benefit from it. i’m not say-ing don’t have a Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest account. i’m just saying don’t spend any money on it, the Roi will be non-existent. That being said, if you have young staff in your practice this is a great way to leverage their knowledge and engage them in an important aspect of your business. instead of paying a guru to run it for you, let your staff get involved. it will play a bigger role down the road and it doesn’t hurt to get a head start, just don’t spend money on it.

videos – if you aren’t camera shy this is an incredibly effective way to engage your patients/clients and future ones as well. youTube offers a completely free although uncontrolled means of hosting a video while companies such as vimeo offer you the chance to share videos in a controlled manner. either way, with your basic templat-ed website you can now share videos of you speaking directly to anyone who chooses to view them. Take the message that you share over and over on a daily basis with your patients/clients and put it online.

search engines – This is where more and more people go to find service professionals and there are two ways to approach it. The more aggressive marketer will want to target their city or region. To do this, there is no sim-ple solution if you are situated in a competitive urban area. unfortunately, many veterinarians are paying the experts big bucks to keep them at the top of the listings. While effective, i would question the return on invest-ment. What you can easily do and should do - is protect your name. make sure that when someone Googles you, dr. XXXXXX, they find your web page and office map. i recently Googled a prominent lawyer as a quick way of finding his phone number. imagine my surprise when Google identified his office as being the same as my office at Roi Corporation Brokerage. long story made short is that a reference to this lawyer was on our website and Google drew a natural correlation - that is how it works.

The mobile Revolution – This is the next step and one that most experts believe is going to happen faster and have more impact than the internet revolution. i completely agree and believe that to stay ahead of the curve we need to consider how everything we do going forward interacts with a phone. What is exciting about this for the veterinary world is that it will shift the focus away from bringing in new patients/clients to retain-ing the patients/clients they have and engaging them better outside of the clinic. This is a fundamental shift that warrants it’s own discussion and is the subject for a future article.

Bottom Line: This article addresses head on the new marketing strategies using the Internet and various other forms of social and visual media.

david rourke David rourke is a sales associate with roi corporation brokerage, operating in the province of ontario. He can be reached at david@roicorp.com or 647-519-5775.

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hind-end procedures; epidurals are valuable because these allow us to use less inhalant anesthesia, resulting in safer procedures for our clients. We have a wonderful animal care assistant - aCa – who helps with surgery setup among many other things.

other than that, there is a lot of client communication. i call the clients after the surgery to update them, as does dr. miller. i call again before i leave and again the next morning…communication is so important to very worried pet owners.

What is the best part of your day?i love anesthesia because i am constantly problem solving. There is no cookie cutter approach to anesthesia; every case is different because of the pet’s age, general health, different blood work. it is wonderful having a specialist here because i learn from every surgery.

other than that it’s the teaching. The bond you create with the clients is so fulfilling. even though we work with clients for a short period of time, the owners absolutely trust us and as a result a real bond is created.

Andthemostchallengingpart?organizing the clinic! With both surgeries and appoint-ments time management can be very tricky. i don’t want people waiting so time management is critical. emergencies of course can throw everything off!

We take referrals from all over the province, anyone in Canada really. dr. Wolfer in the eye clinic is one of the few who does retinal surgery so we can get referrals from the us and europe.

You work in a surgical clinic; how does your role here differ from the role of a veterinary technician in a general practice?a lot of things are very similar but i am more special-ized in the surgery skills i need. in a regular practice the veterinary technician can end up doing everything - being a receptionist, an X-ray technician or dental hygienist for example. here our roles are more defined.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career to date?seeing a happy client! They come in here so anxious, so nervous…when i can reduce the anxiety i feel terrific. The other day an owner came back post knee surgery and was absolutely thrilled about how well her dog was doing; she could hardly believe it. of course the credit goes to the wonderful skill of dr. miller but still, we all played a role in this successful recovery.

Can you give an example of a particular case where you felt especially proud of making a difference?some cases do not end well. in a recent case i remember the pet had to be euthanized. This older dog came in with some masses and did not look well; dr. miller was honest with the young owner who was distraught. i actually sat outside with her and talked about her dog and what he meant to her. she decided not to go through with any procedures and actually asked us, not her regular veterinarian, to euthanize her dog. so it was a sad ending but i felt so gratified that she bonded with us so strongly in the hour we spent together and asked us to perform this last painful act.

Have you ever suffered from compassion fatigue?Probably…there are times when it gets tough. i work part time in an emergency clinic and will get emotional when a pet has to be put down which happens often. i have gone home and thought enough is enough but then you get up the next day and see a new case and remember why you are a veterinary technician and why you love the job. i recover when i see the positive side of the job.

In this issue we also feature an interview withfilmmakerLizMarshallwhotalksabout the abuse of animals in the areas offood,entertainmentandresearch. How much abuse do you see at the emergency clinic?We see animals who come from the humane society and sometimes do wonder about possible abuse but it’s maybe one per cent of the pets we see at the emergency clinic. i did see one animal that was shaken, similar to shaken baby syndrome and had to be put down but overall we find owners really love their animals and want to do the best for them.

What would you advise those who are considering a career as a veterinary technician?it is a tough job; the hours can be long. if you are looking to make a lot of money you won’t find it in the veterinary world. you need to be prepared to deal with euthanasia. you have to be a pet lover but also a human lover since you are working with people all day long. Finally you can’t be frightened of aggressive animals; you will come into contact with them and need to be able to handle them.

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Christina has always had a strong desire to work with people and animals. after graduating in 2007 from Georgian College, Christina achieved her Regis-tered status and became a a Registered veterinary Technician (RvT). shortly after graduation, she started working for the ontario veterinary College (ovC) while finishing her Bachelor of science (animal science) degree at Guelph university in 2010. Christina continued to work at ovC until october of 2011 when she started working for the West Toronto veterinary surgery. Christina is elated to begin a new adventure as a surgery Technician, as she has a keen interest in anesthesiology and attaining her anesthesia specialty credentials. in her free time you can find her camping or portaging with her miniature schnauzer “mister higgins”.

Why did you become a veterinary technician?i have always had a desire to work with animals. When i was young i had a dog and when they gave her her first set of vaccines she had an ana-phylactic reaction. When i saw how they treated her and got her out of it, i was hooked! Then i started teaching at the ovC and realized how much i loved this side of the business; i love to educate the owners on all aspects of pet care. When people come to this clinic, they know that something serious is the matter with their pets. i get to teach them what we will be doing with their pets and can help ease their anxiety.

Tellusaboutyourclinic.as you can see, we have a lovely state-of-the-art 4000 square foot facility. There are four fully equipped examination rooms and an open con-cept treatment and recovery area allows efficient patient observation from nearly anywhere in the hospital. We also have two fully equipped surgi-cal suites; everything here in this purpose built facility has been designed to enhance patient safety, comfort and to prevent surgical infections. The emergency service provides guaranteed 24 hour monitoring of all surgical patients by experienced veterinarians and their staff. We also house the ani-mal eye Clinic.

We are a surgical referral clinic; if something needs to be done that a veterinarian is not comfortable doing it, the surgery can be referred here. We do a lot of canine knee surgeries, similar to aCl sur-gery in humans as well as abdominal and thorax surgeries. We also have a specialist in veterinary anesthesia and pain management. she of course does the complex surgeries but also will work with pets who need to be spayed/neutered for example, and for whom anesthesia may be more risky for a variety of reasons.

What does a typical day look like for you?i am the person who keeps the day on flow; in the morning i check on overnight eR patients; i do meds etc. then i set up for appointments for that day. i will start an appointment - get to know the pet and its story, essentially do the workup for the doctor. Then i move to the next case; basically i cut down the time the doctor needs to spend pre-op with each patient.

We can do surgeries any day of the week because we are a smaller, more flexible clinic. i may do the anesthesia with our specialist. We usually do the epidurals along with regular anesthesia on our

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interview with christina tataryn

a peek into the Life of a Young Surgery technician

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to follow up on those recommendations to ensure that our clients comply with our recommendations. Why is this important? The short answer would seem to be that we want to increase our profitability by providing more services. This viewpoint, however, is both shortsighted and, from a moral or ethical point of view, questionable at best.

The importance of compliance has to do primarily with pet advocacy. as pet advocates, it is up to us to make sure that the pets that we see in our practices receive the level of care that they need and deserve. Pets need advocates because they cannot speak and it falls to us to “speak for those who cannot speak for themselves”.

a significant factor in non-compliance is this: Clients fail to comply simply because the practice team does not make a recommendation. in fact, clients actually want the veterinarian and the health care team to recommend treatment options and they tell us this in survey after survey. Clients have a right to be included in the decision-making process regarding what is in the best interest of their pets. at the very least, they should have the right to decline treatment. To assume that clients may not want a particular treatment and then failing to offer it not only short-changes the client but it cheats the pet of the best possible veterinary care.

From the practice team’s perspective, there is often a hesitation to recommend services because we “don’t want to be pushy” or because we fear rejection. however, if you truly passionately believe in something, you are more likely to offer that service or product and it no longer feels like “selling”.

in the same way, many veterinarians assume that cost is a factor in owner compliance. on the contrary, while many significant factors contribute to non-compliance, cost is not on top of the list! it is only in the absence of perceived value that cost becomes an issue. it is up to the veterinarian and the support team to demonstrate true value to the client.

a close examination of various scenarios presents a good example of how pet advocacy can lead to increased compliance.

YourRecommendation... “your pet needs a Wellness Test done”

The Facts: Wellness testing is a good idea for several reasons. Besides being an effective tool to determine health status and the presence of an underlying illness, Wellness Testing also provides a baseline for what can be considered to be the patient’s normal values. This can be helpful for future reference. most importantly, Well-

ness Testing can provide peace of mind to pet owners. like parents, pet owners worry about their “furry kids” and knowing that their pets are in good health can be a comfort and relief to the conscientious pet owner.

Your recommendation… “you should feed your pet the diet we recommend”

The Facts: There are hundreds of diets on the market and we cannot possibly know them all since there can be significant variability in quality. The mantra of your veterinary team should be: We believe in the quality of the diets we sell, we consider proper nutrition critically important to your pet’s health and we know all about the quality of our diets, can answer your questions about them and we will back them up after sale.

Your recommendation… “your pet will need a recheck exam”

The Facts: We need to make sure that the treatment we prescribed is effective and that the pet will not suffer needlessly and this message needs to be conveyed to the owners. Failing to do rechecks on sick pets risks having a pet suffer needlessly because of a treatment failure (a good example is ear rechecks for otitis). a recheck examination will provide “peace of mind” to a client and confirm that the treatment was effective. it also conveys the sense that their veterinarian truly cares about the health of their pet.

Your recommendation… “your pet needs a dental prophy”

The Facts: your message is: We need to prevent a disease called “periodontal disease” that can cause all kinds of medical problems in your pet. it can also lead to suffering and pain, if not now then later on. Rath-er than wait for the owners to make up their mind, a gentle “nudge” in the right direction can help: “When would be the best time to book the prophy? monday or Tuesday?”

offering two “yes” options suggests to the client that you are confident, positive, in control and believe in what you are saying. offering a “yes” and “no” option sends the message that “no” is a reasonable option.

summary:• don’t project your own financial prejudices onto

your clients

• Watch for “unintended” messages that you may be projecting

• Truly believe in what you are offering

by Dr. bernhard pukay

What does “Compliance” mean and why has it become such an important issue lately? Compliance simply means that all the pets that come into your practice receive the kind of care that you and your practice team believe is best for them. most practice teams would assume that this statement simply states the obvious: of course we are a high-quality practice and of course we always recommend the best care for the patients under our care…so what is the big deal? The “big deal” is that many pets do not actually receive the level of care recommended by the veterinarian due to a lack of “follow up”.several studies, including the landmark study commissioned by the american animal hospital association (aaha) and hill’s Pet nutrition

in 2003, show that compliance rates among pet owners is usually lower than we think. The joint aaha/hill’s study surveyed 52 Practices, 1000 pet owners, examined 1400 medical records from 240 Practices and analyzed the industry and interviewed veterinarians and practice managers. The results: compliance was poor with most services recommended by the veterinarian.

The success of any practice depends heavily on support staff, both in the reception area and the treatment area. The practice team on the “front lines” can often spell the difference between a “good” practice and a “great” one. it should therefore come as no surprise that compliance depends to a very large extent on “buy in” by both the veterinarian as well as the cooperation of the support staff. unless both “buy in” to the importance of and need for owner compliance, there is very little likelihood that the job will get done.

The key to owner compliance involves two simple basic concepts: (1) we need to make recommendations to our clients and (2) we need

pet advocacy and compliance— Why owners need to Hear What You Have to Say

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Christina tatar ynchristina graduated in 2007 from georgian college; since 2011 she has worked as a surgery technician for the West toronto Veterinary Surgery. She can be reached at 416-232-0211 or c_tataryn@hotmail.com.

• use terms like “i Believe…”/ “you need to….”: not “i recommend…”/ “you should…”

• deliver value: “real value” + “perceived value” = True value

• enhance your credibility: Believe in yourself and what you do

• Give owners instructions both verbally and in writing (e.g. home care, rechecks).

• use visual aids to bring your message home: People remember:

• 20 per cent of what they heaR

• 40 per cent of what they see

• 70 per cent of what they see and heaR

• Buyer’s remorse is an emotional condition whereby a person feels remorse or regret after the purchase of an item or service. validate owner compliance when they agree to a service that you have recommended. Positively reinforce their decision.

• ask the client to schedule an appointment at the time of recommendation

• Provide reminders for services (telephone, mail, email, social media)

• Follow-up with telephone calls

• make follow-ups part of your standard of care i.e. “service sequence”

• set Compliance Goals and then measure levels of compliance

Bottom Line: This article provides practical advice for prac-titioners to follow in order that their clients receive the best possible care.

dr. Bernhard PukayDr. berney pukay is on the Veterinary advisory board of petsecure pet Health insurance. He is the former president and ceo of alta Vista animal Hospital in ottawa, ontario. He works as a veterinary consultant and is the executive producer at Smashangle media, a digital media company.

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things Your Veterinarian Won’t tell You1. looking for a way to say thank you to your vet?

last year, one pet owner gave us a check for $100, saying we could use it at our discretion for an animal in need. That was a wonderful gift.

2. The reason your pet is fat is because you are too. i would never say that to someone in an exam room, but the fact of the matter is, if you have an owner who overeats and is inactive, they are very likely to have an obese pet.

3. every time i save a life, every time i fix a patient, that makes everything worth it. and i love it when a client says; i wish my physician would treat me as nice as you treat my pets.

4. you should never give pets chocolate, because it’s toxic to most of them. But my cat is obsessed with it and is all over me when i’m eating it, so sometimes i give her a sliver. Just an itsy-bitsy, tiny one.

5. every time we help a pet, we help a person. The classic example is the 80-year-old grandma who has nothing in life but her cat. she’s a widow with very limited social contact, and the cat is what connects her to life. so when we help her cat, she’s really the one we’re helping.

6. When people surrender their pets because they can’t afford their problems, i often end up with them. i’ve got a three-legged cat, a one-eyed cat, three dogs that required major surgeries, one goat, and 11 chickens.

Source: 50 things Your Veterinarian Won’t tell You www.rd.com/slide-shows/50-things-your-vet-wont-tell-you

EllieTesher’sTipoftheDayTurn grief from a pet loss into a constructive way to help other animals while honouring yours.Source: toronto Star monday april 8, 2013. See how people have dealt with a pet loss.

SubScriPtioN iNformatioN aNd cat QuoteS

Cat Quotes“owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.” —Christopher Hitchens

“i wish i could write as mysterious as a cat.” —Edgar Allan Poe

“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.” —Leonardo da Vinci

(continued from page 21)

I know you have a dog; only one?

i have a miniature schnauzer. yes-just one since i work long hours so it’s best. of course i could bring him into the clinic every day but a lot of sick animals come through our doors and i don’t want my dog to pick anything up. our office manager is very happy bringing her dog in; it’s a personal preference.

In your experience what qualities should a successful veterinary technician possess?Time management skills, people skills, communi-cation skills top the list. For obvious reasons you need to have a strong stomach, and you need to be a team player. our success depends on the team - who can go where and do whatever needs to be done. lastly i believe you really need to be gen-uine and truly compassionate with both animals and people. owners can see through pretense.

What do you do to relax, relieve stress?i love music; i play the guitar and take lessons. i am also a keen camper in the summer, hiking with my dog…just being outdoors.

Is there anything else you would like to comment on?i originally wanted to be a veterinarian, a sur-geon, but i have learned that i don’t want to be the bearer of bad news for clients; i’d rather be the support and shoulder they can cry on. i admit i was a little jealous of my friends when they started veterinary college but now when i see them years later still at school, with student loans and exams i realize i am very happy with my life. i get to be a part of the surgical team and the wonderful work they do.i weighed the options and am happy with my decision. i love earning my living this way.

Bottom Line: An interview with a young surgery tech-nician who revels in the constant learning and teaching opportunities that her job offers.