{"id":22177,"date":"2022-08-01T00:00:05","date_gmt":"2022-08-01T00:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=22177"},"modified":"2023-03-08T19:04:22","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T19:04:22","slug":"flea-tick-talk-the-talk-0822","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/flea-tick-talk-the-talk-0822\/","title":{"rendered":"Poor Communication Can Bite You"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I discovered a tiny tick on myself, I checked to see if my long-haired dachshund was up to date on her monthly dose of flea and tick protection. Fortunately, Gidget was only a few days overdue. Today\u2019s preventive products are extremely effective, but as a second-generation veterinarian, I remember the days of using dips, shampoos, powders, sprays and household bombs to treat infestations. Back then, client education was top of mind because stopping fleas and ticks required considerable effort. Unfortunately, the parasites remain prevalent today, and compliance with year-round preventives is low.<\/p>\n

What Clients Don\u2019t Know<\/strong><\/h3>\n

No one wants fleas and ticks on their pet, but that doesn\u2019t mean clients are eager to pay for deterrents. Creating a conversation about the need for protection \u2014 before talking about preventives \u2014 is critical so that clients don\u2019t focus only on the cost.<\/p>\n

Clients might not understand the prevalence and life cycle of parasites or their pets\u2019 risk factors. For example, they tend to think flea protection isn\u2019t necessary during the fall and winter months. Other misconceptions are that indoor pets don\u2019t need protection and that dogs must walk in wooded areas to encounter ticks. We should tell clients that cooler, damper conditions are optimal for fleas.<\/p>\n

After establishing with your clients that most pets are at some degree of risk, advise them about the diseases caused by fleas and ticks, including Lyme. They might have heard about flea allergy dermatitis and anemia but be unaware of tapeworms, flea-borne typhus, Bartonella<\/em> (cat scratch fever) and plague. Avoid scare tactics and instead focus on the severity of the conditions. Point out that even if the infection risk is low, year-round prevention is available and effective.<\/p>\n

Education works better when you create a dialogue. Avoid lecturing pet owners with lengthy explanations. Instead, use \u201cchunk and check\u201d communication, in which you provide nuggets of information and ask questions to draw clients into the conversation. For example, you might offer a few details about preventives and ask, \u201cHow familiar are you with the need for flea protection in the fall and winter months?\u201d Similarly, after reviewing the diseases transmitted by fleas and ticks, you can say, \u201cWhat questions do you have about Jake\u2019s risk factors or the symptoms of these diseases?\u201d<\/p>\n

To make education more interactive, consider fun games. For example, you could have clients match pictures of parasites with the correct name or give them an easy five-question quiz. Then, enter the clients into a weekly drawing for prizes such as a gift card or $5 off a future service. Team members can use the game as a starting point to talk about parasites<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ask Better Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Posters and charts about external parasites are educational, but how often do clients pay attention? Face-to-face conversations are the best way to increase compliance if you engage pet owners with the right questions. Asking, \u201cDid you want to get flea\/tick prevention today?\u201d comes across as tentative. \u201cHow many doses of flea\/tick protection do you have left?\u201d closes the door to further conversation when a client responds, \u201cI\u2019m good.\u201d<\/p>\n

A better approach involves open-ended questions to illuminate how much clients know about parasites, the risk factors and what they value about preventives. For example:<\/p>\n