Smart Flow Blog

Emergency veterinary medicine is definitely not for the faint of heart. Some of the biggest lessons to be learned come from working in areas with very low income, which we all know can hugely affect a huge difference on treatment. Here are some of those lessons.

Many veterinary clinics sink into a rut with team members that can cause complacency, bitterness, and unnecessary drama. Many teams just need a few refreshing ideas to boost their veterinary team morale. Here are some ideas to implement immediately. 

We all know that as humans, we're programmed to make mistakes and (hopefully) learn from them after they realize we've committed one. But what if someone is continuously repeating the same mistake and doesn’t realize it? How badly affected a veterinary practice will be if this "someone" is the boss? Managing a veterinary practice and keeping everything in order is definitely tough, but there are few things to avoid so you won’t be that "someone".

If you follow this blog, you know that I was a general practice technician for 9 years before joining Smart Flow.  While I love my new work outside of the clinic, I must admit it was a bit of a struggle at first.  I moved to a new city after I transitioned from clinic work, and as I stood at the reception desk of the local vet clinic waiting to pay for my cat food and it hit me: I was officially a client.  And let me tell you, life seemed a whole lot different from the other side of the counter.

In veterinary medicine, patient restraint can be one of the more challenging areas to master. Here are some tips to make your life easier and the patient's visit less stressful!

It's a little ironic that I chose this topic to share with you all, because as anyone who knows me would tell you, I've always been planted firmly on the academic side of the science vs sports scale.

That being said, I do think there are some good lessons to be learned from sports when it comes to vet med, and pointing them out is my main goal (okay, go ahead and groan). Here are 7 things sports can teach us about veterinary medicine.

“Everybody starts somewhere.”  We’ve all heard it, but how often does it actually sink in?  It seems the longer you’re in a career, the the easier it is to forget how it is to be a newbie.  Many people view it as a negative to have a new grad in their practice.  Personally, I think new grads are grossly underrated.

Getting into the veterinary field as a technician isn't an easy feat. Between the competitive entry into the program, challenging courses, and practical exams, the schooling alone is demanding. Despite this fact, thousands of brave souls enter into this career because of one thing: a genuine passion for animals.

The sad part about this? The majority of these people do not stay in the field past the seven-year mark. In the end, that passion for animals and time, money, and effort spent on earning the diploma are not enough. Here are some reasons we believe contribute to technicians leaving the veterinary world behind.

When people picture life in a vet clinic, we all know what comes to mind.  Happy puppies bouncing around in one pristine exam room while playful kittens chase a toy on a string in another. And some (very rare, very precious) days, this is true. But guys, the truth is, veterinary medicine is HARD.