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Train your team
to excel at feline
handling.
Educate all team members on
appropriate feline handling techniques
and cooperative client communication.
1
Download the American Association
of Feline Practitioner's (AAFP) Feline-
Friendly Handling Guidelines at
www.catvets.com/guidelines. Use
pheromones, place yoga or bath mats
on exam tables, speak softly and
calmly, and perform the exam where
the cat is comfortable whether in the
carrier with the top removed or under
a towel. Get certification as a Cat-
Friendly Practice (https://catvets.com/
cfp/veterinary-professionals) and
Fear-Free clinic (https://fearfreepets.
com/fear-free-certification-overview/).
Offer preventive
care plans.
If finances are an obstacle,
preventive care plans provide a
solution. A preventive care plan is a
comprehensive package of annual
veterinary services aimed to keep a
pet healthy, which enables the client to
pay monthly or in a lump sum.
Plans typically include one or more
exams for preventive care, essential
vaccines, deworming, and diagnostics
such as a heartworm/tick test,
intestinal parasite screen, blood
work, and urinalysis. Plans may have
add-ons for a spay/neuter surgery,
dental treatments, and parasite
preventatives. The pet owner commits
to a year of defined preventive services
and paying monthly installments. Get
information on AVImark wellness plans
at https://avimark.net/wellness-plans/.
Are you ready to reveal
the "secret cats" hiding
in your practice?
Talk with your team about
which strategies you'll use
to welcome back more
feline patients. Mrs. Jones
will appreciate that you're
looking out for Simba, too.
About the author
Wendy S. Myers, CVJ, has been training
veterinary teams for more than 20 years
as owner of Communication Solutions for
Veterinarians in Castle Pines, Colorado.
She helps healthcare teams improve
telephone and communication skills that
result in getting more pets the medical care
they need. Wendy shares her expertise
through conferences, online courses, and
monthly CE credit webinars. Wendy is a
certified veterinary journalist and author
of five books. You may reach her at
wmyers@csvets.com or www.csvets.com.
Offer
house-call
services.
A doctor and veterinary nurse could
provide in-home services ranging from
checkups to euthanasia. Many clients
are appreciative and willing to pay for
the convenience of house-call visits.
Designate specific hours or a day of
the week to schedule house-call visits.
Promote house calls through social
media, feline reminders, footers on
invoices, message on hold, overdue
reminder calls, clinic bulletin boards,
counter signs, and more.
If the house-call schedule isn't full
within a few days of the date, schedule
in-clinic exams so you don't have gaps
in appointments. Get tips on setting
fees and marketing strategies from
Dr. Carin A. Smith in her book,
The House Call Veterinarian's Manual
(www.smithvet.com/books).
1. Ten Solutions to Increase Cat Visits. American Association of Feline Practitioners 2013. Available at:
https://catvets.com/public/PDFs/Education/Solutions/solutionsbrochure.pdf. Accessed July 19, 2019.
2. Markidan L. 21 Customer Support Statistics That You Absolutely Need to Know. Groove.com.
Available at: https://www.groovehq.com/support/customer-support-statistics. Accessed July 16, 2019.
3. Burns K. Pet Ownership Stable, Veterinary Care Variable. Published Dec. 31, 2018.
Available at: https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/190115a.aspx. Accessed July 12, 2019.
4. Benchmarks 2017: A Study of Well-Managed Practices. Columbus, OH: WMPB; 2017:16,53.
