Originally published by Vet-Advantage on July 6, 2021
Business is booming for most veterinary clinics, judging by industry numbers.
“You’ve likely seen reporting on the boom in pet ownership in the wake of the pandemic,” said Link Welborn, DVM, chief veterinary officer of Covetrus.
On the adoption side alone there has been a 15% increase from 2020 versus the previous year, according to Shelter Animals Count. “People spending more time at home (and likely seeking out a four-legged companion) are big contributors here, as well as pet parents working at home having more time to observe their pet’s problems.”
In addition, disposable income has been redirected to veterinary care with consumers spending less money on travel and entertainment. “This is leading to many practices, especially smaller, local clinics, having a hard time keeping up with appointments and sometimes leading to overworked veterinarians and practice team members,” Welborn said.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused most veterinary practices to quickly adjust to seeing pet patients and their owners in new ways, with many moving to curbside care, drop-off appointments and telemedicine. But as new ways of interacting with clients take hold, Welborn said it’s important for veterinarians to continue to emphasize the importance of in-person examinations.
“It’s very simple,” he said. “A hands-on examination is very often essential to making the right diagnosis, from the start. Without it, some veterinarians may make a diagnosis and prescribe medications when a physical examination would have altered the diagnosis and care.”
This could result in a delay in the pet receiving appropriate care while the pet parent and veterinarian wait to see if medications work or fail. Additionally, while some may argue that telemedicine has worked well for human healthcare, Welborn said that it’s important to remember that we, as humans, benefit from the ability to speak with our care providers, allowing us to share our specific issues and have a constructive dialogue. “Clearly, animals do not have this same ability. Therefore, assessing pain and other sensations that pets feel through audiovisual means is extremely challenging for veterinarians.”
Veterinarians are very trusted by pet owners, “who recognize we’re trying to do the right thing for the right reasons. So we’re still quite successful at being able to develop those relationships, it’s just a little bit more of a challenge [within the pandemic environment] than it used to be.”
A disconnect can lead to lost revenue for a practice, but also missed opportunities in a pet’s care. Veterinary care is best provided by a team that includes the client, veterinarian, the practice team, and other trusted sources of services and products including specialists and outside pharmacies, Welborn said. Whenever the veterinary practice doesn’t provide medications, either directly or through a trusted home delivery pharmacy, there is a greater chance for error, incomplete medical records, and associated diminished quality of care.
“It’s also well-documented that traditional brick and mortar stores and e-commerce retailers are getting into the prescription and specialty pet foods space in a big way,” he said. “Yet these retailers largely compete on cost, and they don’t have the same understanding of a pet’s individual care needs as their veterinarian, who traditionally provided these services. These large retailers are threatening to cut out veterinarians entirely, which will lead to detrimental health outcomes.”
Supporting local veterinary practices is more important now than ever by purchasing medications within the practice since pharmacy sales still represent about 25% of practice revenue, he said. “Just like all small businesses, consumers moving to online purchases was a challenge for your neighborhood veterinary practice – and with the increase in the need for care due to that influx in pet purchases, pet owners will need these practices to be left standing strong.”
Read the full interview here: https://vet-advantage.com/vet_advantage/vet-practice-practices-blending-the-old-with-the-new/