{"id":21608,"date":"2022-04-01T15:38:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T15:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=21608"},"modified":"2022-12-19T14:26:32","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T14:26:32","slug":"consistency-creates-credibility-nutrition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/consistency-creates-credibility-nutrition\/","title":{"rendered":"Consistency Creates Credibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

I forged a large part of my veterinary practice philosophy around the principle that when something is logical and dependable, it becomes more believable and trustworthy. For over 20 years, I\u2019ve encouraged colleagues to follow that simple tenet to elevate their clinical practice. I\u2019ve applied it to staff training, education, patient care, client services, personal habits and more.<\/p>\n

When applied to pet nutrition, consistent messages create credibility and promote compliance. They help your team and clients to understand your feeding philosophy clearly. Without uniform pet food principles, staff members and clients are left to hack together impulsive suggestions that might differ from visit to visit. That certainly doesn\u2019t create credibility or trust, and it doesn\u2019t enhance the quality of life for the pets we serve.<\/p>\n

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EDITOR\u2019S NOTE<\/span><\/h3>\n

This article is the first in a three-part Clinic Consult series on developing a successful nutrition program in your clinic, brought to you by Virbac<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Clinical consistency is constructed by developing a pet food philosophy, gaining a consensus, training your team to assess patients and educate clients, and motivating the staff to pursue advanced knowledge and expertise.<\/p>\n

Here are the three steps to pet nutrition success.<\/p>\n

1. Develop Your\u00a0Feeding Philosophy<\/h3>\n

A pet food philosophy can be as simple or complicated as you like, but it\u2019s something you need. Promoting a healthy diet is essential for our profession\u2019s continued success and domain authority. Being proactive in recommending pet food is an opportunity to remain relevant in a variety of pet care sectors. Unfortunately, few veterinary practices give their feeding philosophy much thought and fail to succeed in pet nutrition, leaving them vulnerable to online retailers.<\/p>\n

As clients seek help choosing food, they inevitably find answers online. When veterinarians ignore pet food and impart little guidance, any information a client discovers is more than the clinician provided. Regardless of the veracity of internet information, the searches can lead to hard-to-break habits.<\/p>\n

Online retailers understand that reality, and once they secure the first pet food order from your client, it\u2019s incredibly easy for them to add monthly flea and tick preventives, supplements, supplies, and prescription medications. As I\u2019ve warned over the past 15 years, pet food is the gateway to all pet product sales. If you\u2019re wondering where your pharmacy sales have gone, chew on the amazing websites that sell pet food.<\/p>\n

Veterinarians need to develop a feeding philosophy that transcends brands. For the past 50 years, most veterinarians settled on supporting two or three major brands, and they called it gospel. Today, hundreds of brands produce excellent foods. However, modern pet owners want more than just a brand recommendation (although they need that, too), and they demand the principles behind our suggestions.<\/p>\n

For example, let\u2019s say you believe that higher-protein kibble is best for your patients. Instead of leading with a brand recommendation (\u201cYou should feed Gracie Brand X.\u201d), explain your position and let the brand follow organically.<\/p>\n

Try this messaging: \u201cFor my patients and personal pets, I\u2019ve found a higher-protein, lower-calorie formulation to provide the most health benefits, especially in promoting lean muscle mass. I also prefer a dry kibble because of its convenience and reasonable cost, and my two dogs love it. For Gracie, I believe the best diet for her age, breed and condition would be Brand X. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll come across as less \u201csales-y\u201d and more \u201cdoctor-y\u201d by framing your advice in science and evidence. Whatever feeding philosophy you choose, just choose one and promote it to your team and clients.<\/p>\n

2. Gain a Consensus<\/h3>\n

The most successful and happy practice teams have a few common traits. The first is they share the same vision and mission. As for pet nutrition, they agree that certain foundational principles are preferred. For example, some teams might choose higher protein and fiber formulations of dry kibble, while others promote lower protein canned diets and some support fresh or home-prepared meals. The specifics matter, but the common denominator is the commitment to educate clients about the unified feeding philosophy. Having a consensus is one thing, but the attribute that tips these teams toward greatness is acting on their shared standards. Veterinary teams should commit to educating every pet owner about the best diet for their dog or cat during nearly every visit.<\/p>\n

Another trait of successful teams is civility and a desire to collaborate. A consensus is earned not by defeating an adversary\u2019s idea but by merging competing concepts into a blend of the best. This process needs to be respectful, thoughtful and guided by the practice\u2019s leaders. It is up to clinic owners and leaders to determine the ultimate protocol or policy and shepherd it into acceptance. Poor or undefined leadership is often to blame when teams lack clarity in purpose and a consensus in policies. That forces clients to ask the internet what to feed their pets.<\/p>\n

Not everyone is expected to agree with everything; however, team members should consistently promote clinic policies. If an employee is unwilling to collaborate or support your consensus views, then you must ask whether the person fits well with your mission and vision.<\/p>\n

Willingness to change and iterate is another characteristic of collaborative and unified teams. A consensus is an infinitely dynamic process, always open to exploring progress and improvement. This is especially pertinent to pet nutrition. I appreciate colleagues who offer opposing opinions and are willing to discuss differences courteously. If their ideas improve a policy or procedure, that\u2019s progress. If they fail to shift our position, they must be willing to support team solidarity.<\/p>\n

Passion is the final feature of unified workplaces. Once a consensus is gained, the team enthusiastically shares the concept or policy. In fact, if your team isn\u2019t excited to share something as important to pet health as diet, then they probably aren\u2019t unified. Passion is the key because lukewarm recommendations will fail to inspire staff and clients. Your team wants its leaders to show fervor in their beliefs. Pet owners want your team to \u201creally feel it\u201d if you\u2019re advising them to follow along, especially with pet food. Enthusiasm generally signals authenticity, authenticity emanates from consistency, and the flywheel of trust keeps spinning.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re struggling to gain a consensus, try this exercise:<\/p>\n