Editor’s Note:
Successful veterinary practice takes a whole team, and this issue of Firstline demonstrates that fact particularly well. With articles on everything from managing health issues like gastrointestinal disease and recurrent otitis externa to ensuring team communication helps the practice rather than hinders it, the clear message is that each and every employee is a vital member of the client and patient care team. You’re vital members of that team, as well, so don’t miss being a part of this unifying issue.

Patient Care
3 ways to avoid anesthesia complications by Jennifer Keefe, CVT, VTS (ECC, anesthesia)
Anesthesia protocols are essential, but sometimes veterinary technicians can get too comfortable with a routine and potentially miss complications late or altogether. This article outlines three mistakes—including mismanagement of endotracheal tubes, failure to customize monitoring, and failure to use correct equations for fluid administration, reservoir bag size, and oxygen flow rates—that can increase the potential for negative outcomes in anesthesia patients.

Skill Builder
No-mess handling: Callers whose pets have diarrhea by Bash Halow, LVT, CVPM
Diarrhea is a common sign of gastrointestinal disease, especially in cats. It’s for this reason, along with many others, that team members must be prepared to effectively handle phone calls from clients whose pets have diarrhea. This article will briefly explain what goes wrong when a patient has diarrhea, the purpose and importance of an examination, and how to encourage callers to book appointments for this illness. 

Efficiency Strategies
5 ways to save time
Firstline’s 2010 Team Trends Study revealed that one of veterinary employee’s biggest stressors is having too much to do and not enough time to do it. Enter this article with strategies for streamlining, including discussing payment options like third-party payment plans and pet insurance before clients say they cannot pay, offering handouts on parasite prevention to decrease the need for reminder calls, and automating tasks in practice management software.

Team Communication
Don’t believe in team meetings? Time to convert by Brian Conrad, CVPM
Team meetings often turn out to be go-nowhere gripe sessions that waste the practice’s time and money. So why hold meetings? Because good ones give you a chance to improve your team’s communication, client and patient care, and bottom line. Here’s why you need to hold a team meeting—and all it can do for you.

Ask the Experts
Dermatology: How can we improve client compliance with treating and managing otitis externa?