Little Things, Big Differences

Author: Dave Nicol
Posted: Friday 23rd September, 2011. 15:48:20

We talk a lot about ‘big picture’ things on The Hamster Wheel, which is great, but there are many little things you can help your team do that have a big impact on your revenue and profit as well.

In-consult biopsies are one such example. Everyone knows we should do them, but unless every vet in your team is actually doing them then you are missing out on revenue and the animals may be missing out on the level of care they deserve.

If you don’t have a clear protocol for how to approach lumps in your clinic then now’s the time to write one.

An Unexpected Clinical Finding

A case this week helped to underline this and makes a great example you can use in your next team meeting to demonstrate why.

An old dog came into the clinic for a health check up with a 1.5cm soft, fleshy lump about half way down its front leg. The owner hadn’t noticed it. I found it by running my hands down the dog’s legs. Something I always do as part of my lump check. Does everyone?

The most likely diagnosis for a lump found in a dog of this age and in this location is a lipoma, a relatively benign and unexciting lump posing a low threat to the dog’s wellbeing.

Bad News in the Purple Blobs

Never the less I took a needle biopsy, a fast and easy procedure that takes about 1 minute to complete and is charged to the owner at about $60 (Ł40). After consults I stained the slide and looked at it. What I saw made me glad I did. The purple blobs you can see in the image to the right are not benign fat cells. They are cancerous cells.

Great Result

The result is that the dog has been scheduled for surgery to further investigate and deal with a potentially life threatening problem. (Even if it had been fat and no further action was required I’d still have generated another $60 and given a client peace of mind.)

Dog wins, client (although worried) wins, vet wins, practice wins. It all sounds pretty easy right? And it is, but unless you have a protocol and thorough vets who will follow it through, then you are likely to be missing these opportunities to shine.

Please feel free to use this example in your team meetings to remind everyone of the importance of needle biopsies to both pets and clinic.

Veterinary practice troubleshooter. Expertise in HR, marketing and all aspects of the vet practice management. Dave can be contacted at info@davenicol.com

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