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Tag: Behaviour

  • Being powerful during a crisis, pt 3

    Being powerful during a crisis, pt 3

    3: Role model the way

    It is inevitable, during times of crisis, that people will look around for reassurance that everything is going to be okay.

    So, think of yourself as an emotional barometer where you set the emotional temperature for those in your team – or your family – and it will give them cues on how to respond.

    You’ve got the power…

    Whether you want to be a role model or not, we should all try to step into the best version of ourselves as much as possible. Why? Because someone you love or respect is watching.

    You don’t need to be in a leadership or management position for this to be relevant – at home you could have family (especially those with young children) who are looking to you for guidance.

    How incredible if we could be someone who is powerful and impactful, rather than someone who is dramatic, confused, or negative.

    Stay positive

    Now, no one is invincible, and everyone needs support. However, if you are able to show up with optimism, empathy and positivity, this will reassure and inspire others to do the same.

    Make sure you take time often to review and assess how you are showing up each day, and consider the impact of how your emotions, actions and behaviours spread into your team, family or friends. What could you change for the better?

    It is important to set intentions for our behaviour, and reflect on how we did during that moment, day or week.

  • Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 4

    Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 4

    Belief #4: A career in veterinary science doesn’t pay well

    Compared to many other professions, veterinary science is not what you would call a high performer on the salary front. Depending on who you ask, vet wages fall somewhere between that of a plumber and a hat rack. But is this always true?

    Here’s a little secret: a lot of wealthy vets are out there. We’re talking fancy sports cars and boats, holiday houses in top-notch locations and early retirement.

    Many of these stories of above-average financial success contain healthy doses of good timing and luck, but I can tell you what none of them have in them: someone plugging away in a salaried position for 20 years, complaining about the fact they don’t get paid enough.

    So, what is the secret to going from wage slave to financially successful vet? Here are a few things that seem to be common trends among financially satisfied vets.

    Attitude

    They’re not embarrassed to expect to make a good income from their profession, and to actively pursue it.

    Many of the loudest complainers about low wages are also the first to accuse others of unethical behaviour, gouging and exploitation. Many vets probably err too far towards the side of the ethical. But I have seen time and time again it is possible to strike a sustainable balance.

    Adding value

    Vets who fall on the right side of the income bell curve never just do what is expected of them. They find ways to add value wherever they are – whether it’s as an employee in their workplace, or to their communities.

    It’s very simple: if you want to earn more, find a way to generate more.

    Note that “more” does not have to simply mean “more dollars”. You can add huge value to a business in ways that don’t directly equate to an immediate increased dollar income. It’s not all about billing more.

    Business ownership

    It is entirely possible, and likely mostly overlooked as an option, to create a profitable niche for yourself within an employed position. Having said that, most of the high-earning vets I know are business owners or partners.

    Maybe it’s a personality thing. Or perhaps it’s the increased feelings of autonomy, of being in charge of your own destiny, and the incentive of “work more, earn more” that causes business owners to invest more time and energy into work, which usually equates to higher earnings.

    Either way, owning your own business certainly seems to be the most common path towards more moolah.

    Hard work

    Our wealthy vets put in the work. We mentioned luck before, but even the luckiest ones put themselves in a position where they were ready to be the receiver of any good fortune by generous amounts of sacrifice and elbow grease.

    The good news is that, in most cases, these hard workers are also the ones who eventually end up with more free time after those initial periods of increased effort.

    Taking risks and extending themselves

    My favourite story that illustrates a willingness to take risks came from one of the MiniVetGuide Vet Vault podcast guests, who started his first practice when he was in his 20s with AUS$40,000 (£20,000) borrowed from his gran. It was pretty much everything she owned. No pressure, right?

    It’s that kind of measured risk-taking that paves the way to financial security. While the rest of us stick to our risk-free salaried positions where we haggle about pennies and sulk about how bad the pay is, the risk-takers are making decisions that could irrevocably alter their financial futures.

    Diversification

    It’s the eggs-in-one-basket theory: our fiscal achievers usually have many eggs in multiple baskets. They seldom depend on their income solely from their primary vocation.

    Some side gigs are hobbies that have the potential to generate income, while others have become a primary source of income. Whatever they are, it’s clear these vets do not live with blinkers, and are not scared to venture outside their traditional roles as “vet”.

    What’s great about our profession is that it can provide a stable, predictable and flexible income stream that allows you to keep your head above water while you dip your toes into the streams adjacent to the familiar clinical practice pond.

    So, what’s it going to be? Accept the conventional wisdom, do your work and grumble about your pay, or pull your head out and look for opportunities?

    The money is there for the making, but it’s not going to come looking for you.

  • Always learning

    Always learning

    Following the recent plea to the UK Government by the British Veterinary Association, I’ve seen several articles over the past month all addressing the welfare and ethical issues concerning the sale of rabbits by themselves.

    I’ll be honest, reading these articles has filled me with a mild sense of guilt as I myself had a single rabbit as my very first pet.

    What we consider normal

    I think rabbits are quite a common choice for first time pet owners as they give the impression of a very low-maintenance option when compared with a cat or a dog.

    However, the general public are sometimes under a misapprehension about what is normal for our pets, especially the small ones. The smaller the animal and the more different from ourselves, the harder it becomes to judge its behaviour and whether its needs are being met.

    That is why, for generations, people have been housing their goldfish in bowls and rabbits by themselves. In the same way all fish need a filter, a heat source and environmental stimulation, rabbits need companionship – just like us.

    The norm

    It makes perfect sense when you think about it: rabbits in the wild are social creatures that live in large colonies to help with rearing young and watching for predators. Primates are the same in that regard; our closest relatives enjoy the perks of group living. Both apes and humans have been seen to suffer from prolonged isolation – it makes us nervous, depressed and can have negative impacts on our health.

    Sadly, rabbit research has been a little thin on the ground until recent years, and nobody realised their loved and cherished fluffy friend was lonely or in any way deprived.

    Domesticated rabbits have been commonplace in the UK for a long while, although they were originally kept more for food than companionship. While this trend has changed dramatically, the way in which we house our rabbits has not.

    The blame game

    I loved the rabbit I had as a six-year-old – coming home to Flopsy (do forgive me for my lack of originality) was one of the favourite parts of my day. Neither I nor my parents knew any better than to keep him by himself, or indeed to feed him carrots like they were going out of fashion.

    Much like my six-year-old self, an alarming amount of the general public have no idea that carrots for rabbits are like chocolate for us. For such a small animal they are surprisingly high in sugars and since rabbits wouldn’t naturally eat root vegetables as part of their diet and like any good thing, eating too many can impact their health in the long run.

    With all of this in mind:

    • Who is to blame for all these common misunderstandings? Is it, in fact, the cartoon rabbit franchise with their carrot munching propaganda?
    • Is it the owner’s responsibility to research their animal before they bring it home, or is the role of the seller to ensure the buyer is making an informed purchase?
    • Does the vet have a duty to triple check the animal management of every pet they see – and is this truly feasible in an average 15-minute consult alongside the routine check-up and actual reason for the appointment?

    Collective responsibility

    When it comes to understanding our pets, I believe we’ve still got a long way to go – and I don’t think its fair to blame any one person or authority for misconceptions, myths or a general lack of education regarding animal husbandry.

    It’s probably best to say it’s down to everyone to do their bit towards making sure every animal is as content and cared for as legitimately as possible. Owners should certainly do their own research when it comes to pet ownership, but it is also the responsibility of every veterinary practitioner to be a willing source for this research.

    The pool of information we have on pet care is ever changing and expanding which can hopefully only mean good things for our furry friends.

  • Aggressive patients

    Aggressive patients

    I’ve discussed before the massive emotional shift that seems to occur in the transition from a student to a new graduate – namely due to the responsibility – but the transition to being an actual vet also means being on the front line when it comes to aggressive patients.

    As a student, you are often given the “nice” patients to practise blood sampling or catheterising – or even just examining. If a pooch utters a slight growl, the muzzle will be on, with a confident RVN holding for you at worst, but, in most cases, the vet would just take over to keep you out of harm’s way.

    As such, when I started out as a “real vet”, this meant I had very little experience in dealing with the more difficult patients.

    Exposure

    At vet school, we were shown how to make a bandage muzzle if all else failed and practised stuffing a cuddly toy cat into a cat bag, but, again, we were rarely involved with any real-life angry cats or dogs.

    Obviously, this was in the interests of our safety, and I’m not suggesting they put us in dangerous situations deliberately, but in the real vet world, we are now the ones who ultimately need to gain that blood sample, despite flailing paws and teeth.

    Safe handling of aggressive, or often just scared or nervous, patients who lash out from fear is something that can only be gained from experience – which, as a new grad, is fairly limited at this point. Drawing on ideas from your colleagues and nurses is probably the best way to learn – especially for behaviour-related things that aren’t necessarily taught very well at university.

    Near misses

    IMAGE: jonnysek / fotolia.
    Dealing with difficult patients on the front line is “quite a scary place to be”. IMAGE: jonnysek / fotolia.

    Nearly being bitten by a little dog with severe dental disease (who could blame it for not wanting me to touch its mouth), that then seemed immune to sedation and therefore needed a general anaesthetic to even examine its mouth, was my first taste of having to make a call based on my own safety, but also the need to make an accurate assessment.

    I’ve also had a few near misses with horses – in particular, one that really did not fancy a nerve block and decided to fling its front legs at mine and the other vet’s head height instead.

    Support each other

    Being a vet can be a dangerous job, since we work with unpredictable living creatures better equipped with natural defences than us, and often a lot bigger and heavier. We just need to help each other work as safely as possible around them. But, if you’re on your own with bared teeth, it’s still quite a scary place to be.

    Just another thing to add to the list of “things they don’t teach you at vet school”.

  • Cat-proofing the Christmas tree

    Cat-proofing the Christmas tree

    Having acquired two new bundles of fluffy joy this year, our Christmas tree is looking a little worse for wear. Now six months old, our kittens’ new favourite game is trying to de-decorate said tree at lightning speed.

    Many clients are aware of the edible dangers to pets at Christmas time, but the tree itself, while one of the most prominent symbols of Christmas time in many homes, may not immediately come to mind as one of the seasonal hazards for our animals.Cat tree

    For cat-owning clients, here’s some top tips on cat-proofing the tree this Christmas:

    Fake snow

    There have been some reports of adverse reactions in cats who have ingested the fake snow found on some artificial trees. If cats are seen licking or chewing the tree, clients should watch for any unusual behaviour (vomiting or seizuring, for example) and seek veterinary advice ASAP.

    Anchoring

    Ensure the tree has a sturdy base or is attached to a wall to prevent toppling if the cat climbs it. A tree skirt can hide an unsightly base (but my cats tend to try to destroy these too).

    Positioning

    Placing your tree at a distance from any “launch pads” such as shelves or the arm of the sofa may discourage cats from taking a leap at the tree.

    Choose decorations with care

    Avoid fragile glass decorations or baubles that are likely to smash – these may cause injury if your cat does climb and topple the tree.

    Pine cones

    It appears cats don’t like walking on pine cones, so placing them under the tree can discourage nosy pets from getting too close. I can’t vouch for the success of this one, however, as I haven’t tried it…

    Beware of foreign bodies

    Tinsel is irresistible to cats but may result in a linear foreign body, so watch out for persistent vomiting. Even if no symptoms are seen, but you suspect your cat is steadily chewing through your supply of tinsel, a check with the vet may be worthwhile.

    Cat bauble smash.
    Baubles that break easily can cause a whole heap of problems… IMAGE: fotolia/tibanna79.

    Likewise, fake berries and other dangling decorations may end up in cats’ stomachs, so keep an eye on what your cat is keeping an eye on.

    Wires

    If your tree looks like a flashing beacon you may want to protect any loose wires around the base of the tree to prevent them from being chewed. This can easily be done using cardboard tubes from the centre of kitchen roll, for example. This will protect your cat from injury and keep your tree lighting the room.

    Suspending the wires can avoid damage if your cat urinates under the tree. However, if your cat chews the wires hidden in the boughs of the tree itself, consider abandoning tree lights altogether.

    Avoid chocolate decorations

    Cats are less likely to raid chocolate gifts and decorations than dogs, but I still wouldn’t take the risk of having something poisonous dangling from the tree, which are just asking to be chewed by your moggie.

    Have a wonderful Christmas everyone, obviously, but remember – among the madness of it all – to keep your pets safe among the madness of it all.