Editor’s Note:
Veterinary technicians’ roles are constantly expanding. Anesthesia is one area in particular where knowledgeable technicians can become involved and significantly improve patient care. So our clinical article this month highlights the important part technicians—and all team members—play in keeping pets safe before, during, and after anesthesia. We’re also covering tips on how practice teams can improve their inventory system, as well as their parasite and dental programs. Join us in empowering team members to enhance their practices’ services and pets’ health.

Clinical
Technicians: Avoid these anesthesia mistakes by Jennifer Keefe, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia, ECC)
There’s little room for error when patients are being anesthetized. To keep pets safe, veterinary technician specialist Jennifer Keefe outlines some of the most important issues, such as avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to anesthetic protocols, carefully calculating drug dose, selecting the right breathing bag, and proper recovery.

Sidebar: From receptionists to kennel attendants, everyone on the team plays a part in successful anesthesia

Skill Builder
Q&A: Inventory answers
From keeping shelves from becoming overstocked to keeping an accurate count, inventory baffles many veterinary teams. We’ll ask the experts how employees can reign in inventory with smart use of management software, a team-wide effort, and diligence.

Professional Growth
Help for handling loss
Whether from sickness, injury, or the progression of time, patients pass away. This means veterinary team members deal with loss on an almost daily basis. To help, this article will explore ways for team members to cope with patient euthanasia, as well as the unexpected death of pets.

Team Building
Take a retreat to solidify your team by Nancy Potter
Every year, team members at Olathe Animal Hospital in Olathe, Kan., close the practice for a day to play—and get serious about the practice. Manager Nancy Potter gives examples of retreats that are both fun and educational, plus she shares insight on showing the veterinarians that these team-bonding sessions truly are valuable.

Pearls of Practice
Autumn isn’t the time for clients to fall off on parasite prevention.

Ask the Experts
Bonding clients to the practice through preventive home dental care.

Note: Bonus distribution at CVC in San Diego, Nov. 4-8, 2010.