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How to promote preventative healthcare
Always recommend your PHP if the client is in the practice for anything that is included in the plan.
Brian Faulkner highlights five good moments 

We should always make time to promote healthcare in the busy veterinary day - Brian Faulkner suggests how we can do it.

Brian talked his audience through five ways of promoting good preventative healthcare, without comprising either the practice or the client.

1. Vaccine price checker
Talk to clients about the different options they have.

Brian suggests having three:
  • The basic vaccine option - basic price
  • The basic vaccine plus a flea/tick/wormer pack - a value option
  • The healthcare plan - spreading the cost of preventative healthcare

He pointed out that the cost of a vaccine should not lose the practice a potential client, so you also need to give three good reasons why they should chose you.

2. Preventative healthcare plan (PHP)
Always recommend your PHP if the client is in the practice for anything that is included in the plan. The magic phrase is: “Has anyone talked you through our healthcare plan?” It is also worthwhile to have a PHP poster in both the reception area and consulting rooms.

3. Re-check consultation
Look at the patient's record before they arrive to see if they need any vaccination or parasite control etc. It is much better to do this at a re-check, rather than a first consult, and consider offering restart vaccination courses for the price of the booster.

4. Waiting for the booster consult in reception
While the client is waiting the receptionist can ask them to fill in a form about their pet's health. This is useful data collection, helping to keep client records up to date and helps to cleanse records of old data. It is also worth having a space on the form for clients to fill in any symptoms of concern they have for their pet/s as this can help in the consultation

5. Annual booster
Have a policy on practice healthcare and create forms which can be used at the annual booster consultation. This enables the vet to talk the policy through with the client and plan the best healthcare for the pet.

Brian's final message was to make sure that you note any client refusals of offers such as kennel cough vaccination or the four-week free insurance offers, in order to prevent any comeback from the client at a later date.

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.