National Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week is October 16-22, 2022. This week we celebrate our amazing licensed veterinary technicians! The “backbone,” “heart,” or “insert organ system of your choice here” of veterinary medicine!

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, take time this week to talk about the invaluable contributions veterinary technicians make to the veterinary profession. Our hosts share tips on how you can recognize your vet techs, why they deserve a whole year of celebrations, and how to attract more great folks to the vet tech profession.

The pair also discuss their views on “resilience” and some of its associated risks as this year’s theme.

Viewfinders, we hope you’ll take time to do something special for your vet techs from October 16-22, 2022. If you do, please share it on our Instagram or Facebook pages! If you have questions or ideas for future podcasts, email us at veterinaryviewfinder@gmail.com.

Veterinary colleagues, we need your help with the 2022 US Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey! Sign up today at PetObesityPrevention.org.

This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT discuss how veterinary professionals can help gather information on pet obesity rates in the US this October. The duo discusses findings from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) 2021 Pet Owner Weight Management, Nutrition, and Pet Food Survey, including current pet parent attitudes on grain-free diets, DCM, best sources of pet food information, and much more!

We need your help with this year’s survey. Our primary goal is to enroll as many veterinary clinics and professionals to collect BCS and body weight information. In addition, we ask that you share the Pet Owner Survey on your social media to help us better understand contemporary attitudes and opinions on pet weight loss, food, and how we can better help pets achieve (and maintain) a healthy body condition.

PRIZES! Did we mention prizes? The veterinary professional that submits the most pet data will win a YETI COOLER! The clinic that submits the most pets will receive an IPAD! We’ll also give away several prizes to random participants, including BASEPAWS GENETICS TEST KITS! Stay tuned to APOP’s Instagram and Facebook for additional details and prizes! Be sure to sign up by October 12!

“Acting your wage” is the latest social media, well, TikTok, trend to hit the US workplace. Gen Z’ers have taken “quiet quitting” and defined it in their terms. Bonus, there’s also taking a “workcation” popping up on feeds everywhere. Viewfinders, you don’t want to miss this one!

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, explore what “act your wage” means for veterinary practices, the root causes of these issues, and changes you can make in your management and leadership styles to help.

Viewfinders, these trends are primarily in response to chronic low wages and benefits, poor or toxic workplace cultures, and managers more focused on profits than people.

There’s a lot to discuss on this topic, and we’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Email us at veterinaryviewfinder@gmail.com or drop us a DM on our socials. While you’re at it, please click on the Apple Podcasts link and drop us a 5-star to keep our little podcast growing! Thanks, and we’ll talk to you next week!

Have you ever worked in a veterinary clinic that split vaccine dosages? What about recommending half-dose heartworm or flea preventives? Ever stray so far off label that you felt uncomfortable? If you’ve ever encountered one of these dilemmas, you don’t want to miss this episode! (Although you may need to turn the volume down, so your boss doesn’t hear.)

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, share real-life stories of vet practices that may have pushed a little too far beyond the scientific and moral boundaries of veterinary care.

Importantly, the pair discuss the impact of observing these uncomfortable acts on our mental health and physical well-being. In fact, they speculate these “tiny tensions” are a major contributor to veterinary burnout.

Our hosts offer practical, although potentially painful, advice for anyone seeking to “stand up against” a questionable clinic protocol or practice.

Viewfinders, this is yet another good discussion of a complex - and confounding - problem in veterinary medicine. It’s a good one!

With the fall veterinary CE season ramping up, we thought we’d discuss what to wear and how to act at CE events. Yes, we had to go there. Listen and you’ll learn why.

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT share some of their tales of attire and attitudes at the scores of vet med events they’ve attended. From flip flops and tank tops, to feet propped up on chairs, to lecture hall Candy Crush marathons, our duo dish on some of the more interesting personal choices they’ve observed, and why it matters.

Viewfinders, this conversation is about much more than the clothes we wear at CE events. It’s about our attitudes and behaviors and getting the most out of our precious educational opportunities.This is an episode you really need to listen to before you comment.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on what to wear (or not) to CE and what behaviors you think are a distraction (or helpful!).

Thanks for listening!

Feedback: everyone needs it to improve. But what happens when we get unexpected negative feedback? How can veterinary professionals separate “context from content” and learn the valuable lessons nearly any form of feedback offers? For a “profession of perfectionists,” there’s a lot to discuss in this episode!

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, start by defining what valid feedback looks like in veterinary practice. From there, they review why nearly any form of feedback can be beneficial for your professional (and perhaps personal) growth, why your network is essential in evaluating feedback, and how to remain in control, even when you don’t like what, or how, feedback is being delivered.

Viewfinders, there’s a lot to consider in this podcast that transcends “feedback.” We’d love to hear your thoughts!

And we’d appreciate you giving us feedback over on Apple Podcasts by pressing the 5-stars! Your review really helps us reach more of our colleagues!

“Quiet quitting” has gone viral. This week we examine what “quiet quitting” really means, how it’s actually been around for a long time (thank you, Gen Xers), and how you can learn from this workplace trend.

In our 300th consecutive weekly episode (!), hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT discuss the latest Gen Z TikTok trend of “quiet quitting.” The pair explain how this applies to veterinary professionals, and why this may be a healthy movement.

Dr. Ward reminds the Viewfinders that, “You are not defined by how many hours you work.” He shares why establishing healthy boundaries between work and personal life are essential for a long - and satisfying - career in veterinary medicine. (And he’s been doing this for over 30 years.)

Beckie examines the workplace pressures many veterinary professionals feel if they “take time for themselves” and how many clinics may be reinforcing toxic relationships with work by “texting you at 2 a.m. to ask about work" and then getting upset if you don't respond immediately. Someone needed to hear that...

Viewfinders, thank you for allowing us to get to 300 podcasts! Back in 2016 when we started, we could not imagine how much we’d grow and how much fun we’d be having!

Share this podcast with a colleague who needs to hear it and don’t forget to head over to Apple Podcasts and give us a 5-star review so we can reach more veterinary professionals!

Many of us see things that need changing or improving nearly every day. Sadly, few of us take action to make those changes or improvements. Stefanie Perry, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) recognized that Arizona veterinary technicians didn’t have an organization, so she and two others decided to make that change! This week, we learn how you can help the AZVTA and steps you can take to make changes in your world!

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT are thrilled to introduce you to Stefanie Perry, CVT, VTS, the current President of the brand new Arizona Veterinary Technician Association (azvta.org). She’s part of a growing movement of licensed veterinary technicians who are establishing protections and promoting better standards of veterinary care around the US.

Regardless of where you live, this episode is both inspiring and pragmatic for making change. We need more folks like Stefanie, President-Elect Jennifer Serling, CVT, RVT, VTES, AAS, BVSc (Go App State!), and Vice President Katie Foust, CVT! Bravo!

If you’re interested in learning more about the AZVTA, visit them at azvta.org.

Unions & Preserving What You Love in Vet Med - Update with Liz Hughston, RVT

Do you throw a party when a team member leaves? What about birthdays or work anniversaries? How do you make celebrating employees fair and equitable? Does it sometimes feel like high school all over again in terms of who gets recognized, how, and when? If you’ve ever felt unsure about what, who, and how to recognize your team’s special events (and some maybe not so special happenings), then you’ll definitely want to check out this week’s Veterinary Viewfinder!

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT explore how to gracefully - and strategically - celebrate a team member’s leaving. Dr. Ward explains why many veterinary clinics don’t commemorate when a staff member leaves for a competing practice across town, but are quick to “throw a party” when they move across state.

Beckie details how saluting staff for a wide variety of milestones can boost your culture and encourage job satisfaction. Both hosts offer simple, and affordable, tips on making meaningful staff recognitions and advice on keeping things fair.

Viewfinders, share your thoughts on this episode or suggestions for additional topics on your social media or email us at veterinaryviewfinder@gmail.com.

The Veterinary Viewfinder was founded in 2016 to “tackle the toughest topics in veterinary medicine.” One of the tough topics we’ve covered repeatedly is the growing movement to ban non-therapeutic, non-preventive procedures such as feline digit amputation, often referred to as “declawing.” This week we’re excited to introduce you to the Canadian Animal Health Technician (same as US RVT/CVT/LVT) who succeeded in the enactment of a law banning declawing in the Province of Quebec. If you’re wondering, Quebec is the second-most populous province with a population of over 8 million. Not bad for a vet tech!

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT are thrilled to bring you a master class in how one person can bring about big change. Leading the class is the amazing vet tech (animal health technician in Canadian-speak) Alexandra Yaksich, BSc., AHT. Alex wears many hats. She is currently working as a freelance writer, communications consultant, content creator, and relief animal health technician.

The story we share this week is about how anyone can overcome their doubts and fears to create change. Viewfinders, prepare to be inspired!

Alex is a loyal podcast subscriber and decided to email us at veterinaryviewfinder@gmail.com and tell us she had a story to share! (You can, too!)

If there’s something in your world you want to improve or change, Alex lays out a practical, logical, and systemic approach.

Whether it’s animal welfare, social justice, LGBTQ+, worker rights, or anything you feel is wrong or less than ideal, we believe this episode will not only inspire, but offers a pathway for change. Viewfinders, this is a good one!

Follow Alex on Instagram (@alexandra.yaksich) or connect with her via LinkedIn at https://bit.ly/3znSCoZ.

It's no secret many (most?) veterinary clinics across the nation are feeling overwhelmed. Our clients and patients must wait days to weeks to be seen or endure long waits in lobbies for "walk-in" appointments. Could shifting to a “hybrid urgent care model” help ease the stress many veterinary professionals are experiencing? Let's talk about it.

Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT discuss how any general veterinary clinic could shift to a "hybrid urgent care model" and the potential benefits.

Dr. Ward emphasizes that this type of strategic change could help by changing our team's perspective and expectations on an already busy day. Beckie shares that many vet techs who would like to work ER cases but can't manage the hours may also find this model appealing.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions. We'll continue to promote and advocate for innovations that improve patient care, client service, and staff well-being. Share your thoughts on our social media accounts or email us at veterinaryviewfinder@gmail.com.