Business & Economics
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Does hot job market mean there's a veterinarian shortage?
12/5/2019
Profession grapples with responding to swings in demand
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Zoetis buys veterinary diagnostics company ZNLabs
11/22/2019
Independent laboratory sees deal as a way to compete with Antech, Idexx
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British veterinary practice chain CVS shuffles management
11/12/2019
Innes reign ends as consolidator slows pace of acquisitions
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Buyouts alter veterinary laboratory landscape
10/31/2019
Phoenix sells to Zoetis; Marshfield sells to Idexx
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Petco veterinary clinic expansion speeds up
10/8/2019
Retailer partners with three more clinic operators, bringing alliances to five
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Pet insurance for all: Sweden's experience
10/2/2019
Penetration rates 'still growing' in market where 90% of dogs have coverage
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Veterinarians resist pressure to advocate for pet insurance
9/30/2019
AVMA policy asks practitioners to discuss third-party payers with clients
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Mars expands its international veterinary practice ownership
9/27/2019
Pet-care giant makes forays in Japan, Brazil; adds to holdings in UK
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Phoenix veterinary lab for sale following Idexx takeover bid
9/6/2019
Shareholders vote to solicit offers; sale could top $29 million
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Telemedicine proves a headache for Britain's Royal College
9/3/2019
Veterinarians challenge regulator over easing of online prescribing rules
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Trupanion fined $100,000 in Washington over sales tactics
6/26/2019
Pet insurer rewarded veterinary clinics for referrals
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Walk-in veterinary care proliferates inside Walmart Superstores
6/7/2019
Essentials PetCare, Vet IQ team with retail giant to open 100 clinics
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Idexx contract spurs lawsuit after veterinary clinic sale
5/21/2019
When VCA bought it, practice switched laboratory service providers
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Idexx drops suit against Vets First Choice
4/25/2019
Allegations of stolen trade secrets resolved in settlement talks
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Consolidation comes to veterinary group purchasing
4/22/2019
GPOs reflect new reality: bigger, broader, more diversified
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Veterinarians sue over noncompete clause
3/19/2019
Case draws attention to common provision in practice sales and acquisitions
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Petco closing Drs. Foster and Smith within days
2/7/2019
Veterinarian-founded mail-order, internet pharmacy to shutter after 36 years
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Schein Animal Health, Vets First Choice to complete merger
2/4/2019
New company claims a large footprint
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Veterinary student business group seeks former members
12/26/2018
Veterinary Business Management Association establishes alumni branch
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Ex-Banfield execs spin off from 'impersonal behemoth'
12/13/2018
Leaders say new veterinary company is 'completely different'; reviews mixed
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Pace of UK veterinary consolidation stutters
11/29/2018
Pets at Home hospital closures anticipated
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A controversial model of pet insurance lives on in Britain
11/14/2018
Three years in, insurer's 'preferred' network of specialists has grown
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Trupanion relationships with veterinarians under scrutiny
11/1/2018
Washington insurance regulators examine rewards program
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Veterinary technicians get boost from major employer
10/26/2018
Banfield, world's largest clinic chain, commits to elevating licensed support staff
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The dwindling supply of academic radiologists
9/6/2018
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Idexx sues Vets First Choice, alleging trade-secret theft
8/8/2018
Ex-employees accused of taking data just before leaving
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Startups seek to remodel veterinary house calls
7/25/2018
Latest Uber-style service recalibrates to attract veterinarians
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New veterinary school in Japan stirs debate
6/25/2018
Question of workforce demand echoes long-standing issue in U.S.
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Support staff unionize at two veterinary hospitals
6/21/2018
Pro-union votes are a first for Mars-owned VCA and BluePearl
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Mars buys another European veterinary-practice group
6/12/2018
Conglomerate to acquire AniCura as well as Linnaeus Group
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Mars Inc. buys British veterinary-hospital chain
6/8/2018
Linnaeus Group adds 87 sites to Mars' spreading ownership
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British veterinary practices undergo rapid consolidation
5/1/2018
Trend similar to that in US
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Henry Schein, Vets First Choice to form new company
4/23/2018
Ongoing consolidations remake veterinary landscape
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Product rebates to veterinarians spur tax questions
4/9/2018
For honesty's sake, report the money, accountant advises
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How revised tax code treats veterinary practices
3/13/2018
VIN's general counsel demystifies new rules on pass-through deductions
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PetSmart looks beyond Banfield for veterinary-clinic operators
3/8/2018
Retailer lists 188 vacant clinic spaces available
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UK veterinarians cautious on plan for new school
2/16/2018
Low wages, long hours in profession a concern
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Attempt fails to change Washington law on nonprofit veterinary clinics
2/12/2018
Bill would have let humane societies, animal-control agencies broaden services
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Veterinarians form group dedicated to independent practice
2/1/2018
New association aims to help small businesses thrive
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Second veterinary business allies with Petco to run in-store clinics
1/18/2018
The Pet Vet plans operations in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
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Petco stores now house veterinary clinics
1/10/2018
Texas, California and Colorado are first
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In Britain, a shortage of veterinarians brews
12/12/2017
Brexit fallout already evident
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Banfield joins employer trend with offer to defray student debt
12/1/2017
Well-intentioned programs might be ill-advised for some borrowers, experts caution
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Mars antitrust remedy 'not even a drop in the bucket'?
9/26/2017
Deal puts 2,000 practices under one owner
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Publisher Time Inc. enters veterinary-discount realm
9/11/2017
Club gives pet owners 25 percent off medical services
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FTC to Mars: Divest 12 clinics in order to buy VCA
8/30/2017
Mars agrees to proposed antitrust settlement
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Burglar to veterinarians: Don’t display lavish stock of flea-tick products
7/13/2017
Prisoner shares his views in letter
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The dark side of modern X-ray equipment
6/8/2017
Veterinarians find digital radiography expensive, maddening
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‘Smart’ collars for animals proliferate
5/5/2017
Claims of health benefits as yet unproven
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Suspect admits to burglarizing veterinary clinics
4/18/2017
Lured by value of flea-and-tick products
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USDE seeks input on Public Service Loan Forgiveness
2/10/2017
Veterinarians asked to submit ideas to improve program
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Banfield CEO Vincent Bradley resigns
1/31/2017
Departure follows news of Mars-VCA deal; Brian Garish named successor
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Mars to buy VCA
1/9/2017
Largest veterinary hospital-chain merger in history under way
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Big gets bigger in 2016
12/29/2016
Year-end snapshot of noteworthy business deals in animal-health market
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Veterinary-drugs seller Sean Gerson arrested
12/16/2016
FDA agent tracked supplier for five years
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Ex-Banfield leaders buy practices as ‘LegacyVet’
10/18/2016
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Veterinary clinic opens at a Florida Wal-Mart
10/17/2016
Practice owners are first to lease space from retail giant
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Hemopet ‘1,000 percent going to stay in business’
9/21/2016
Failure of tax-exemption quest doesn’t doom canine blood bank
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Canine blood bank seeks sales-tax relief
8/12/2016
Proposed California law would exempt only nonprofits
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GL Advisor founder sentenced to nine years in prison
6/17/2016
Daniel Thibeault tearfully admits fault
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Make price paramount when choosing veterinary school, many advise
5/10/2016
Other considerations include campus culture, location, program emphases
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Veterinary prescription practices reviewed by House panel
4/29/2016
Lawmakers profess affection for pets, appreciation of veterinarians
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House subcommittee to consider pet-prescription rules
4/28/2016
Proposed ‘Fairness to Pet Owners Act’ a subtext of hearing Friday
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Zeuterin marketer falters two years after U.S. debut
4/22/2016
Sales of injectable sterilant for dogs come up short
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Pet insurer renounces controversial rate factor
3/24/2016
Trupanion cites poor execution after veterinarians object
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Jobs forecast for veterinarians better than average
12/22/2015
Labor economists predict 9 percent growth
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Report rekindles debate on rural veterinary workforce
12/21/2015
Methodology questioned in provocative study on Appalachia
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Educational debt debated in veterinary economic summit
11/5/2015
Growth in schools drives applicant-to-seat ratio to 1.6-to-1
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Mars Petcare wooed fast-growing BluePearl
10/29/2015
Veterinary company co-founder answers questions about sale
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Coming soon: credit-card security changes
9/18/2015
Merchants using outdated equipment may be on hook in fraud cases
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Veterinary generics squeezed by blocking agreements
9/8/2015
Zoetis, Merial bar big distributors from selling competing generic drugs
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New entrants to pet microchip market draw critics
7/29/2015
Are chips with ‘900’ codes unreliable or unfairly targeted?
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Entrepreneur finds pet microchip problem unsolvable
7/16/2015
Owner apathy, tangled industry leads Check the Chip to give up
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Idaho veterinarians make tentative peace
5/28/2015
Humane Society agrees to limit some services
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FTC: Pet-medications market could be more competitive
5/27/2015
Consumers would benefit from broader prescription portability, report says
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Washington law on veterinary nonprofits: model or muddle?
5/26/2015
Requiring income qualification not same as means testing
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Nonprofit veterinary care: for whom and how?
5/21/2015
Profession spars over income eligibility, means testing
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Facial-recognition apps scout lost pets
4/15/2015
Tool supplements tags, chips
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MWI sale reflects trend in pet-related industries
1/27/2015
Veterinarians wonder how service, prices will fare
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Sale of pet-supply company sign of changing times
12/17/2014
Petco purchase of Drs. Foster and Smith one of several industry shifts
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Web address extension .vet among hundreds rolling out
12/9/2014
Domain names first come, first served
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Ownership of Sentinel antiparasitic line poised to change
10/31/2014
Virbac seeks Novartis veterinary drugs in transaction with Eli Lilly
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New veterinary degrees may not pay off, economists find
10/29/2014
AVMA conference highlights debt, salary issues
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Veterinarians, schools emphasize yearly pet checkups
8/15/2014
Survey finds more pet owners concerned about cost of care
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Most veterinarians reduce prices so animals can get care, survey finds
7/16/2014
Few practices track discounts systematically
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VCA Inc.: Gentle giant or takeover threat?
7/11/2014
Views of chain veterinary hospital owner span the spectrum
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Fate of Novartis portfolio in question after sale to Eli Lilly
6/27/2014
Deal creates world's second-largest animal health business
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Pet treats: Does 'Made in USA' mean safe?
6/10/2014
Illness linked to Chinese-made jerky spurs label changes
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Pet store chains to drop China-made treats — eventually
5/21/2014
Petco, PetSmart bow to customer concerns
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Veterinary private-practice sector makes modest rebound
5/13/2014
Revenues rise, mostly through price increases
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Blue Buffalo advertising draws long history of complaints
5/9/2014
In latest, Nestlé Purina sues for false advertising
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VCA Antech prevails in breach-of-contract suits
5/1/2014
Laboratory services provider continues suing veterinarians
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Surveys yield conflicting trends in U.S. pet ownership
3/31/2014
Counts of dogs and cats differ by millions
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Equine hospital by New York racetrack revived
2/27/2014
Cornell University signs lease-buy agreement
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Veterinarians receiving loan repayment awards say program makes a difference
2/13/2014
But states have difficulty evaluating its effect on shortage areas
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Navigating student debt, income-based loan repayment
2/4/2014
Veterinarian shares experience, advice about dealing with government programs
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Demise of Partners in Wellness leaves some veterinarians in bind
10/14/2013
Program failed to catch on, Nestle PurinaCare says
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Veterinary clinics scrutinize CareCredit in wake of investigation
7/12/2013
Merchant expense, new rules, reputation questioned
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When dental schools closed: lessons for veterinary profession?
6/10/2013
Student applications, not practice economics, drove decisions
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Rise of veterinary chain ownership begets Canadian group purchasing
4/10/2013
Uniform pricing tradition gives way
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Banfield expansion brings new stand-alone clinics
3/28/2013
Eight in Portland, Ore.; other cities possible
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Group purchasing activity on upswing in veterinary medicine
2/28/2013
Organizations proffer bulk discounts to independent practices
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Is the doctor in?
12/5/2012
Veterinarians grapple with demand for extended hours
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Ultrasound machine salesman pleads guilty to theft
11/8/2012
Plea follows indictment of Patrick Jackson
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Satellite practices: academic evolution or unfair competition?
10/26/2012
OSU to open emergency, specialty practice in Columbus suburb
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Insiders lift veil off veterinary drug distribution practices
9/25/2012
Upcoming FTC meeting prompts disclosures
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Veterinarians recount ordeals with major lender
9/6/2012
Wells Fargo strives to 'serve as a trusted advisor to veterinarians'
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FTC eyes distribution of pet medications
7/11/2012
Workshop discussion could encompass diversion
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Hospital chain headhunts for talent among veterinary practice staff
7/3/2012
Veterinarians debate ethics of Banfield's recruiting methods
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No simple answers on supply and demand in veterinary profession
5/29/2012
Workforce data outdated, conflicting
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Veterinarian opens up about going undercover
5/22/2012
Flea-product diversion adventure twisted, turned
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Veterinarian investigates illicit diversion of flea products
5/8/2012
Gray-market sales veiled by deception, intrigue
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‘Why are vets so expensive?’
4/13/2012
Practitioner tackles sensitive question
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Veterinary diagnostics giant sues multiple practitioners
3/9/2012
VCA Antech alleges breach of extended lab service contracts
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VCA Antech buys largest Canadian veterinary chain
1/26/2012
Associate Veterinary Clinics operates 44 clinics in three provinces
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Veterinarians confront Internet pharmacy PetMed Express
1/16/2012
Company acknowledges: ‘Some mistakes were made’
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Veterinary practices inch back to growth
1/1/2012
Surveys of third-quarter results show some improvement
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PetMed Express stumbles
12/8/2011
Competitive pressure up in veterinary-drug sales
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Credit card processors pass costs of IRS rule to merchants
12/2/2011
Negotiate to have fees waived, expert advises
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Loan broker accused of bilking veterinarians now sells wellness plans
11/10/2011
Ron Paterson draws more complaints
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Bid to bring veterinary education to Alaska stirs debate
11/9/2011
Fears of oversaturation weigh on need for more veterinarians
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Merial knows, diverting veterinarians assert
11/4/2011
Maker of Frontline denies the company condones, encourages diversion
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More veterinarians sue flea products broker WTF Wholesale
11/4/2011
Claims collectively top a half-million dollars
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Equipment dealer deludes some, aids others
11/2/2011
Ron Sassetti earns mixed reviews from veterinarians
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‘Free’ Hill’s cat food samples not exactly free
10/24/2011
Veterinary clinics report accepting samples triggers orders for more
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Subterfuge, confusion surround new credit, debit card rules
9/30/2011
Merchant savings on fees not automatic
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VCA's buy of Vetstreet raises worries about control of clinic data
9/1/2011
New owner says it will not inspect clinic information
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Complaints mount against gray-market broker WTF Wholesale
8/29/2011
Problems open view into world of flea product diversion
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Entest to use veterinary practices as revenue driver, research venue
8/23/2011
Concerns about setup point to potential conflicts of interest
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Amerisource Medical under investigation by police in two states
8/3/2011
Ultrasound-equipment vendor accused of cheating customers
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Out of the frying pan, veterinarians mix economic uptick with uncertainty
7/28/2011
Increased competition likely to blunt recovery for veterinary clinics
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New poll finds many clinics in flagging health
7/18/2011
Study: Advertising, communication, consistency key to boosting veterinary visits
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Pfizer seeks to unload animal health division
7/8/2011
Sale or spin-off expected
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Tight job market squeezes large-animal veterinarians
6/27/2011
Some say shortage of food-supply practitioners is over
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Gilded Lilly? Bayer challenges Elanco claims
6/24/2011
Bayer challenges Elanco claims about diversion, loyalty to veterinarians
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Veterinary technicians: Opportunities, but at what cost?
6/9/2011
Support staff cite low wages, spotty professional respect
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Tough job market compels dogged hunt by new veterinarians
5/19/2011
Fewer grads enjoy luxury of multiple offers
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Proposal for new Banfield hospital prevails over objections
5/6/2011
Veterinarians in California city seek to resist ‘Wal-Martization’
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ISU wins first round in litigation against veterinarians
5/3/2011
Specialists barred from competing with ISU hospitals fight back
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PLIT rolls back workers' comp advice for relief veterinarians
3/29/2011
Broker Hub International issues clarification
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Thrift commerce meets veterinary medicine in GroupDVM
2/10/2011
Company uses 'power in numbers' to leverage deals for veterinarians
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Study: Veterinarians can reverse decline in visits
1/27/2011
Report identifies contributing factors and ways to counter the trend
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Price soars on popular antibiotic metronidazole
1/13/2011
Limited competition among manufacturers behind increase
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Target tests market for pet medications
12/22/2010
Trend in retail sales of veterinary drugs accelerating
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Veterinarian struggles to protect her online reputation
12/8/2010
Practitioner suspects Internet extortion is at play
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Canine Health Institute closing its doors
11/18/2010
Veterinary center for pain, rehab, imaging, neurosurgery was unique
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Clinic owner struggles with ultrasound-equipment vendor
11/17/2010
Amerisource Medical blames veterinarian’s location for shipment delay
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Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program gets off ground
11/9/2010
First USDA awards go to 62 recipients
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Frontline, ProMeris not going OTC, manufacturers say
11/8/2010
Veterinary market research survey gives confusing message
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NAS veterinary workforce study nears release
10/28/2010
Stakeholders expect report to shed light on supply and demand in America
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Navigating credit card security requirements
10/21/2010
Compliance isn't cheap or easy
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PetMed Express reports slip in sales
10/19/2010
Ad costs rise as consumer spending falls with the online pharmacy
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Lawsuit raises questions about sale of drugs to non-veterinarian
10/13/2010
Case brought by Bayer against shelter rescheduled for Dec. 2 hearing
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Health credit programs: safety net or predatory lending?
10/4/2010
NY state investigation puts veterinarians on the defensive
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CEVA buys Summit VetPharm
9/2/2010
Plans to market Vectra parasiticides globally
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Just say 'no' to telephone solicitors
8/23/2010
Clinic owners describe latest scheme involving Discover, Legal Club of America
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PVP, subsidiaries seek bankruptcy protection
8/23/2010
Veterinarians dismayed by state of company
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PVP faces bankruptcy; veterinarian investors stand to lose
8/12/2010
SEC filings reveal distributor entered into forbearance with lender
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Economic recovery still bumpy for veterinarians
6/8/2010
After first-quarter gains, California veterinary practice revenues slip in April
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Bayer wins some, loses some
4/28/2010
New sales policy continues to reverberate
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Veterinary publishers mixed on future of print journals
4/23/2010
Amid advertising decline, MediMedia bets on online services; others say print runs far from over
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Veterinarians bear brunt of software shortfalls, vendor growing pains
4/12/2010
VIA asks for patience as company updates practice management software
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Businesses join veterinarian in Yelp class action lawsuit
4/1/2010
DVMs need guidance for dealing with online reviews
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PetSmart first retailer to carry Advantage under new Bayer policy
3/17/2010
Banfield and other clinics turn away
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Merial details company stance on product diversion
2/26/2010
Executives speak out after veterinarians question company loyalty
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Bayer opens flea product sales to retail outlets
2/10/2010
Citing diversion, company ends policy of selling only through veterinarians
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PM software maker ImproMed buys VETECH
1/16/2010
Second acquisition for ImproMed within six months
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2009 brought huge consolidations in animal health industry
12/21/2009
Butler and Schein merger latest in a series
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Assets of a slow economy
12/7/2009
Putting life back into the work-life balance equation
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Merial reports Immiticide, Heartgard shortages
12/5/2009
Rationing of Immiticide leaves some veterinarians in a lurch
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Regulatory fee increases raise veterinarians' hackles
10/29/2009
California board readies to impose stiff price increases
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Sidewiki hijacks sites, puts reputations at risk, critics say
10/2/2009
Dangers of Google review tool spark concerns from veterinarians
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Online directory earns mixed reviews from veterinarians
9/16/2009
VINners air grievances about LocalVets.com, now known as YextVets
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Survey suggests recession spares many veterinary practices
9/3/2009
Reports show specialty, emergency practices bear brunt of downturn
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Activists go after stores selling dogs from puppy mills
7/27/2009
Movement to stamp out large commercial breeders gains traction
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California tax officials target breeders via Internet
6/29/2009
Officials search for those who skirt tax obligations
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Funding woes kill Fresno lab, haunt DVM program
6/26/2009
Calif. budget crisis wreaks havoc on veterinary medical education
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Advanta Bank to close all credit accounts this week
5/27/2009
Card issuer catered to small businesses
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Veterinarians must comply with Red Flags Rule by May 1
4/22/2009
Most practice owners already meet requirements, AVMA official says
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Veterinary charity highlighted by economic woes
3/30/2009
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VNN unveils online advice site for pet owners
3/17/2009
Project to generate financial support for media network
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Economic downturn hits veterinary practices
3/11/2009
New VIN survey results anticipated
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COBRA subsidy puts more onus on employers
3/3/2009
New rules likely burdensome, experts say
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Calif. veterinary service tax proposal dies
2/25/2009
Issue could re-emerge in future budgets
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Off the table?
2/12/2009
Calif. sales tax on veterinary services loses steam
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Tax experts stress the economy this year
2/3/2009
Pay attention to practice management, they say
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New center aspires to help dogs that might otherwise be euthanized
2/2/2009
Rehab, pain management and imaging under one roof in Houston
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Reports show veterinary practices hurting
12/24/2008
Veterinarians feeling nation's longest recession in a quarter century
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Fed adopts consumer credit-card protections
12/19/2008
VIN members wary of other finance deals
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Fuel prices drop, yet surcharges remain for diagnostic services
12/18/2008
DVMs push back; Antech drafts letter to explain fees
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Survey Finds Economy Eroding Revenues
12/5/2008
The present depression in the economy is starting to be felt now, according to a survey of Veterinary Information Network members.
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Dr. Tice's interest rates reversed and refunded
11/26/2008
In a classic case of oil going to the squeaky wheel, a veterinarian whose soaring credit card interest fees roused indignation has gotten a refund on excessive interest charges.
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Henry Schein Executive Says Privacy Rules Impede Inquiry Into Credit Card Rate Hikes
11/20/2008
Company says most cardholders are unaffected
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Soaring credit card rates raise eyebrows, hackles
11/14/2008
Dr. Tice warns colleagues to watch their credit card interest rate; Henry Schein offers to advocate on behalf of customers using their affinity card.
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Sales Tax on Veterinary Services
11/11/2008
California may impose a sales tax of as much as 10.25 percent on veterinary services if a proposed economic plan from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is passed.
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Brokers say Economy Not Hindering Capital
10/28/2008
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Pet food prices squeeze owners, veterinarians
10/27/2008
Prescription diets costs skyrocket, setting off consumers
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Brakke to release economic downturn report
10/10/2008
Study to publish in mid-December
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AVMA to release economic data
9/9/2008
Biennial economic survey, starting salaries report set for publication
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Handshakes are history; read the fine print, consultant says
8/26/2008
Product purchase gone wrong burns veterinarian
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CPA accused of stealing $2.7 million from VPI
7/23/2008
Stephen Anthony Friekin faces 103 felony counts of money laundering
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Feeling the economic pinch? Stop giving away services, consultant says
7/22/2008
Dr. Thomas Catanzaro suggests ways to earn more income
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Landscape for business refinancing wide open, bankers say
Go local for low rates, veterinarian suggests
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On the record
The VIN News Service recently conducted a Q&A session with the American Veterinary Medical Association and its indemnity arm, the Group Health and Life Insurance Trust (AVMA-GHLIT). The discussion explores the controversial partnership that’s emerged between GHLIT and Pets Best Insurance, a private entity.
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Veterinarians grapple with demand for extended hours
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December 5, 2012
By Phyllis DeGioia
 Photo by Phyllis DeGioia
Veterinarians who work solo often put in long hours to accommodate clients’ need and desire for appointments outside of traditional business hours. The clinic of Dr. Kristine Collins in Madison, Wis., for example, is open 57.5 hours a week. Dr. Thomas McCain works as a veterinarian in Southaven, Miss., for nearly 50 hours, six days a week, often without a lunch break. He worries that’s not enough, and suspects not being open evenings is hurting his practice.
“Unfortunately, I see this as one of the reasons my business has declined,” McCain lamented recently on a message board of the Veterinary Information Network, an online community for the profession.
But how to add hours without losing his sanity is a quandary for the solo practitioner.
“I don't see how I can do late appointments without making myself even more burned out and seriously impacting family time but I'm beginning to see no choice,” McCain wrote. “The real hard part is that the days that would be most lucrative for extended hours are also the days that tend to be full during normal hours. I just don't see how I can work any more without a breakdown.”
Generations ago, veterinarians regularly were accessible 24/7. James Herriot, the best-known veterinarian of the 20th century thanks to his books about life as a country doctor in England, lived in the same place as his surgery. He was available to clients there whenever he was not out on a farm call. Herriot (a pseudonym for Dr. Alf Wight) began practicing in 1939.
By the end of the century, the situation was markedly different for the profession. Veterinary medicine was — and is — practiced predominantly in urban clinics with companion-animal patients. The proliferation of round-the-clock emergency veterinary hospitals enabled general practitioners to keep conventional business hours, for the most part. “Work-life balance” became a popular concept.
But with the housing and banking crash of 2008 precipitating fundamental shifts in the economy, the pendulum seems to be swinging toward longer hours.
This may be particularly true with larger practices and corporate-owned practices. Dr. Brian Holub, chief medical officer of VetCor, a company based in Hingham, Mass., said 10 of the chain’s 80 hospitals have opted to be open on Sundays.
“Extra hours are very popular,” Holub said. “Why would the veterinary industry be different from any other industry?”
Holub said VetCor clinics are not unique. “We are following the trend of our industry for Sunday hours,” he maintained. ... “I think vets are looking for opportunities now even though they maybe dismissed it a decade ago. They are not as complacent as they were 10 years ago. If customers want (extended hours), we should give it to them.”
Countryside Veterinary Hospital in Chelmsford, Mass., which Holub owned before selling to Vetcor this year and where he continues to practice, is open 73 hours a week. The shortest day is Sunday, at six hours. The longest is Monday, at 13 hours. The hospital is staffed by nine doctors.
A champion of accommodating clients’ desires, Holub noted that even relatively small clinics can manage to stay open seven days a week. For example, he said, in a practice with four doctors, each could work every other Saturday and one Sunday per month — a schedule that would still allow each practitioner some full weekends off.
That particular set-up wouldn’t be feasible, however, for the majority of American veterinary practices, which have fewer than three doctors, according to figures from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Doctors working solo like McCain have an especially challenging puzzle.
McCain said in an interview that he takes a lot of time off to be with his family. He wants to be able to eat dinner with them regularly. It’s bad enough, he said, that his wife, a teacher, can take vacations only during the summer, which is his busiest season.
He once tried taking off one Saturday a month, but kept getting called in. "These days, people expect you to be available on their schedule," he said.
On the same VIN message board where McCain posted, other veterinarians noted a shift toward fewer morning appointments and more late-afternoon and evening appointments. Some surmised that clients are worried about keeping their jobs and therefore are less willing to take time out for a veterinary visit in the midst of their work day.
Dr. Thom Haig, a practice management consultant and practice owner in Powell, Tenn., said pressure on clinics to expand their hours isn’t new.
"I've been open seven days a week for years,” he told the VIN News Service. “In 1981 or 1982, my clinic was the first in Las Vegas to be open seven days a week. (At that time), it was the mobile vaccine clinics from California that we were worried about. I've always been a proponent of longer hours. More people are talking about it now because of the economy."
Haig believes that keeping classic business hours just doesn’t cut it in today’s busy society. "Being open 8 to 5 is asking for a disaster by not catering to a large segment of clientele. I understand the whole quality-of-life thing," he added, "but there's a large chunk of our population for which Saturday may be the only day they can go to the vet."
Extended hours may be difficult for one-doctor practices, but not impossible. Dr. Jodie Heekin, a solo practitioner in Taylor Mill, Ky., has figured out a system that works for her.
Most weekdays she is open until 6 p.m. but on Tuesdays, the clinic is open until 8 p.m. To compensate, Heekin doesn’t begin her work day until 2 p.m., although a staff member answers the clinic telephone in the morning. Heekin uses the time to take a yoga class.
On Saturdays, Heekin works from 8 a.m. to noon. Four or five times a month, she hires a relief veterinarian.
The extended hours are meant as a courtesy for clients whose pets need routine care and can’t come during conventional hours. Heekin said she is not trying to attract business that otherwise would go to an urgent-care clinic.
Heekin has found the weekend and evening hours to be popular, so much so that she’s contemplated bringing on a second doctor and adding more evening hours. But she’s not sure, since the popularity of after-hours visits seems seasonal.
“In the winter, on that Tuesday evening when it's dark early, I don't think people (will) break down the doors to come out for an evening appointment," Heekin said.
Another solo practitioner, Dr. Kristine Collins, employs staggered hours as a way of being available to clients a little earlier in the morning and a little later in the evening on alternating days.
Specifically, her clinic in Madison, Wis., opens at 7:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, closing at 6 p.m.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she’s open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturdays are a half day, 8 a.m. to noon.
Collins established those hours when she opened the practice in March 2010. To extend her availability further, the doctor provides her cell phone number to clients. That way they can get her opinion on whether an after-hours problem can wait or they should take their pet to an emergency hospital.
Haig, the practice management consultant in Tennessee, owns a clinic staffed by three doctors: himself and two other veterinarians, each of whom works less than half-time. (As women with children, the associates prefer part-time schedules, Haig said.)
Among the three of them, the veterinarians are able to offer early and late weekday hours and Saturday hours. While Haig has been open on Sundays elsewhere, he said the demand in his community now doesn’t warrant it.
One advantage of keeping unconventional hours is that one’s days off can fall on unconventional days, Haig said: “(It) addresses quality of life in a different way. Having an entire weekday off can be amazing!”
Haig believes that, as with the rest of the country, the veterinary profession is going through what he calls a reality check. “It's not like there's this expanding pool of clients,” he said. “If anything it's shrinking, particularly if you are open 8 to 5 and won't take late calls. Expanded hours and/or novel services are two ways to address the problem.”
VIN News Service commentaries are opinion pieces presenting insights, personal experiences and/or perspectives on topical issues by members of the veterinary community. To submit a commentary for consideration, email news@vin.com.
Information and opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are independent of the VIN News Service. Letters may be edited for style. We do not verify their content for accuracy.
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