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I was having dinner last month and a customer approached me to ask why my co-worker was “over-vaccinating” her dog with so many “shots.” She was pleasant and tried to understand why the vet was “asking me so many questions about Lola’s lifestyle.” Yes, we are taking him camping. Yes, she goes to doggie daycare, and yes, she is our family. She struggled to make the connection between her pet’s risk factors and why her dog was vaccinated against infectious diseases. I started chatting with her about why her dog was getting these vaccines, and by the end of the conversation she understood but then said, “I just feel like you tend to be more like “vaccinators” these days.
This got me thinking…Has the pendulum shifted in the client’s perception of what wellness care means? Or do we have work to do to better describe what wellness care means for their pet? As veterinary professionals, our primary goal is to ensure the health and well-being of our patients. We are committed to treating illnesses and injuries, but it is equally important to emphasize the importance of preventative care. October is National Pet Wellness Month, the perfect time to remind ourselves and our customers about the wellness care of our animal companions. And it has come a long way beyond standardized vaccination protocols. Here are the reasons why wellness care is important:
Prevent disease
Wellness care is about preventing diseases before they take hold, especially zoonotic ones. Routine vaccinations, regular checkups, and preventative medications can protect pets from a variety of illnesses, including deadly diseases like parvovirus and rabies virus. By promoting these preventative measures along with fecal testing, we prevent animals from suffering and reduce the financial burden on their owners. I have always said that VIP in veterinary medicine stands for Very Individualized Pet. How we customize a vaccination protocol to meet the needs and desires of both parent and pet is critical. Asking questions is essential to creating a vaccination and prevention plan that best suits the pet. Listening to our clients is essential to providing exceptional, compassionate veterinary care and creating lasting trust with them.
Early detection
Regular wellness exams allow veterinarians to detect health problems in the early stages. This is particularly crucial for diseases like cancer, where early intervention can make a significant difference to prognosis while increasing the chances of treatment success and survival. Our profession has come a long way with liquid biopsy for cancer screening. I also see that many clinics recommend DNA testing to their patients. We now know that these tests are essential for recognizing genomic markers that may be precursors of disease. In fact, several clinics promote early DNA testing in puppies and kittens to increase pet insurance compliance.
Improved quality of life
Preventative care is not just about preventing disease; it’s also about improving an animal’s quality of life. I love that we now have wellness prevention programs in place for our aging pets. Personalization is crucial for the aging pet. Regular dental cleanings, good nutrition and weight management contribute to healthier, happier pets. Taking a proactive approach to recognizing and understanding pain in pets is also essential when discussing wellness care with our clients.
Well-being in practice
We shouldn’t dedicate just 1 month to wellness care, but October is a good reminder to keep it in mind. Wellness care for pets is like regular maintenance on a car: it keeps everything running smoothly, prevents breakdowns and ensures a longer, healthier journey. Here are some ways you and your team can keep wellness care as the core of practicing good medicine:
Customer Education
Educating clients is one of the most effective ways to emphasize the importance of wellness care. Provide your customers with video information, brochures, flyers and online resources explaining the benefits of preventive care. Encourage them to ask questions and address their concerns with patience and empathy. If you want to improve customer education, host a virtual happy hour. This could be a recorded event where you rotate your staff and physicians through a monthly discussion on various wellness topics.
Promote pet insurance and wellness plans
We know the importance of pet insurance, but it can be confusing for customers. Provide tools and resources to customers to help them make more effective decisions. Wellness plans offer pet owners a convenient way to budget for preventative care. Consider offering wellness packages that include annual exams, vaccinations, dental cleanings and pest control at a bundled rate. This can motivate customers to commit to regular care of their pets.
Use social media and email
Leverage digital platforms to keep wellness care top-of-mind for your customers. Knowing your audience makes the difference and will improve your customer knowledge base. Maybe your customers prefer mailers to text messages. Share informative posts, videos and infographics on social media that highlight the importance of wellness care at all stages of a pet’s life. Inclusive marketing sends a powerful signal in favor of wellness care for all ages. Send monthly email newsletters with tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your pets and appointments.
Collaborate with pet-related businesses
Collaborate with pet stores, groomers and boarding facilities to promote animal welfare. Develop cross-promotional partnerships where customers can receive discounts or incentives for using multiple pet-related services. This reinforces the message that wellness care is a holistic approach to pet health.
Take the walk
We are the trusted voice of our customers. Nothing sends a stronger signal to your community than posting your dog or cat undergoing a physical exam by you or someone else in the office and featuring it on your blog or on your social networks. This sends a powerful message to your customer base: “Even we take our pets to the vet for an exam. »
Takeaways
National Pet Wellness Month serves as a valuable reminder of the essential role we play as veterinarians in promoting the health and happiness of our patients. By continually emphasizing the importance of wellness care and implementing creative strategies to keep it at the forefront of our clients’ minds, we can make a lasting impact on wellness. -be animals that we take care of. Let’s take this opportunity to educate, inspire and collaborate with pet owners to ensure their beloved companions enjoy long, healthy and happy lives.
