Smart Flow Blog

During the Christmas season we are all advising pet owners to be careful about what they feed their animals and even the best advise cannot prevent some patients from finding delicious morsels that just aren’t meant to be eaten! While we are aware of the common offenders like, chocolate toxicity, fatty meats and crackling (pancreatitis), onions and garlic (anaemia), grapes and raisins (renal failure), we also see some interesting foreign bodies that cause a problem in a gastrointestinal system. For example:

What's 'the back' and why are you taking my baby back there!

I don’t know about you and your clinic, but in my clinic, we have exam rooms ‘in the front’ of the hospital, and then a treatment area ‘in the back’. The back is ‘off limits’ to clients and the door to the place where the magic happens, so to speak, is clearly marked with ‘Employees Only’. Does that always keep the clients out? No, but it does deter most.

As the months turn into years in my veterinary career, I have discovered that bucket lists were not only for personal goals but for career goals as well.

The photograph of an obviously paralysed Indonesian street dog compelled me to join the Bali Street Dog Foundation and this experience ignited something within my soul which took me further than I had ever imagined.

There are many times in veterinary medicine where we need to be careful with what we say or how we approach situations. Many times there are alternatives that we might not be aware of. Here is take one of try this, not that. 

Let's face it, not every veterinary professional has the same attitude towards their career or outlook on life. We can be the most hypocritical and judgemental people to our clients and family. Here are the top ten sins of our profession.

2015 was a great year for foreign body stories. We've got underwear, foam beds and hungry dogs, cats and chickens! Check out this year's best stories. 

If you were on the nice list this year, you might have ended up with a few gift cards or some cash after Christmas. This is a great opportunity to invest in some needed/wanted veterinary swag. Here are some options for spending that holiday loot.

The Smart Flow team has had an amazing year in 2015. This year we started our blog, added the advisory board and created so many new features. Our team members' blog posts have even been featured on Dr. Andy Roark's website! Before we move on to 2016, let's see the top 10 Smart Flow blogs of 2015!

In all honesty, the idea of a New Year's resolution makes me want to vomit. While I do think it could potentially be a great idea, the problem is that on January 1st everybody gets on their Facebook soap box and bellows to the world that this year is going to be different. This year they are going to get in shape or completely change as a person. The reality is that within just a few weeks most people forget their proclamation, stop going to the gym altogether and slip right back into old habits.

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.