As a receptionist or customer service representative (CSR), picking up the phone to discover a client is making their pet’s euthanasia appointment can be difficult. For one, you may be caught off guard, and secondly, it’s simply a tough conversation. You may have clients standing next to you in the front office able to hear…

“Endings Matter,” explains Dr. Kathleen Cooney. Veterinary patients, clients, and team members deserve to experience and deliver a peaceful euthanasia service each and every time. The veterinary team that takes advantage of a Euthanasia Training Manual (ETM) will reap the benefits in delivering a consistent, gentle euthanasia. ETMs hold the hospital’s standard operating procedures (SOP)…

As veterinary professionals, we are caregivers who shower love and compassion on others. With all you give to your clients, who is caring for you? It is within your control to acknowledge what you contribute in a day, personally and professionally, in making the world a better place. With Valentine’s Day approaching, give yourself some…

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a learned skill. Sure, some folks are born with a higher sense of self-awareness and the ability to perceive their surroundings, and social skills can be learned and enhanced. EI is made up of 5 components: empathy, self-awareness, motivation/passion, social skills, and self-regulation. Now, for us in the veterinary community, linking…

 “Euthanasia is considered one of the most common procedures in veterinary medicine,” states Dr. Kathy Cooney, founder of the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). You may be surprised to learn that euthanasia falls within the top 5 services a veterinary professional delivers in their practice. Oddly enough, formally trained veterinary professionals receive little education…

Do you feel there is an increase in pet euthanasia services over the holidays?  If you do, you are not alone. I asked this question of Erin Bedell, one of Lap of Loves’ Operations Directors, and her query was quite interesting. She discovered the trend for veterinarians performing in-home euthanasias over the past three years…

By Rebecca Rose, RVT As we kick off Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week today, we want to reflect on the ways that technicians and everyone on the team can support euthanasia appointments. Getting it right the first and only time is important. Your veterinary team consists of formally trained individuals (veterinarian, credentialed veterinary technician, assistant, social…

Written by Rebecca Rose, RVT for CAETA When I asked a friend and colleague how they define “self-compassion,” they replied “being selfish.” I imagine several of you reading this feel the same selfishness because of a conditioning occurring in your past. Perhaps someone once told you to always care for others before yourself. Let’s test…