In the exhibit hall at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) event in Orlando, Florida, attendees view a video announcing the launch of the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission.

A program to help address barriers to pet care experienced by practicing veterinarians has been launched by Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets. Purina’s new Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission kicked off with a $1 million donation to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) REACH (Reaching Every Animal with Charitable Healthcare) program.

 Announced at the 2024 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) event in Orlando, Florida, the Purina initiative is being highlighted this week through the company’s exhibition booth.

“[Purina is] not just pet food. We’re a pet care company,” said Callie Harris, DVM, senior veterinary communications manager, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets, in an interview with 

. “One of the ways that we care is not just the pets that we’re feeding, but for the pet-loving community and veterinarians.”

Harris noted that with its new initiative, Purina aims to make a meaningful difference by supporting organizations that help alleviate difficulties for veterinarians. The REACH program, for example, provides grants to help veterinarians cover immediate pet care expenses when clients are experiencing financial hardship.

“Purina’s donation to the AVMF REACH program will deliver a huge boost for our members, for clients who may be experiencing financial hardships, and for the animals in our care,” said Lori Teller, DVM, chair of the AVMF, in an organizational release.

In an effort to better understanding the veterinarians’ “pain points” that were increasing stress, Harris said, the company turned to the 2022 Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study III. “At the top of the list were the financial barriers that were in place,” she said.

The study’s findings showed that 92% of the nearly 2500 veterinarians and nearly 450 veterinary staff who completed the survey rated stress levels as the top challenge facing the profession, and 88% of respondents expressed that high student debt was a leading concern. Furthermore, the study’s investigators recommended action items that included having veterinary professionals engage with a financial planner to help pay off debt quicker and to avoid carrying credit card balances.

Financial concerns for the veterinary profession extend to pet owners. The rising cost of living is making it more difficult for clients to manage the cost of veterinary care, which creates an inability for veterinarians to provide care for pets the way they want to, Harris noted.

Harris said veterinary practitioners can apply to the AVMF’s REACH program for grant money that can support the care that an animal needs. Having the financial ability to provide the care that pets need will also benefit veterinarians’ overall mental wellness by boosting job satisfaction.

The AVMF REACH program is the inaugural partner of the Pro Plan Veterinary Support Mission. Harris noted that Purina plans to continue growing the initiative with additional partners. “This is just the start,” she said.

Pro Plan Veterinary Diets launches veterinary support mission. News release. January 16, 2024.

Veterinary mental health and wellbeing and how to improve them. Merck Animal Health. 2022 Accessed January 14, 2023. 

https://merck-animal-health-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2022/02/2021-PSV-Veterinary-Wellbeing-Presentation_V2.pdf

Articles

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets launched the new initiative at VMX with the announcement of a monetary donation 

Support program for veterinarians launched to help remove practice barriers

Clients know what to expect medically when it comes to having a dog, for the most part. They know that they need their vaccinations, spayed or neutered, periodic bloodwork, flea and tick prevention, and more, especially depending on the breed that the family adopted. However, no clients wanted their current dog to have a playmate only to find the dogs cannot stand each other and must be separated in the house or a cat who constantly is urinating outside of the litter box.

During her lecture “Communication Breakdown? How To Communicate Effectively With Clients and Patients” at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo conference in Orlando, Florida, Terry Curtis, DVM, MS, DACVB, aimed to help attendees better talk to clients about behavior and treat the issues.

Curtis told attendees that there are common things that she hears when clients come to her for help saying something along the lines of they have never had an experience like this with a pet before. The client coming into owning the pet had an expectation that is not being met or is not what they expected, creating a stressful situation for them, and a pet who is sick. Curtis explained that this is what she tells attendees with this mindset.

“We're dealing with owners expectations of what they thought they were going to have, when they got that cat or dog from a breeder, the humane society, a friend, [or] wherever they got it from there. [They think] we're going to have this, and they got that. What are you going to do?

“[Pet parents will say] I've had dogs all my life, but never one like [this one]. This is where I say do you have a brother or sister? And they go Yeah, like, are they anything like you? No, no, no. Then why would this dog be like all the other dogs,” Curtis said.

Analogies are a powerful tool that teams can use to discuss and manage client expectations and treatments. Not every analogy will work or fit with cases, but connecting to your parents this way can help them better understand what is happening with their pet and then move into finding solutions that work for everyone.

When treating behavioral issues, there will be times when one patient responds to treatment, and it works as it should and then it is used on a different patient with the same issue and it is unsuccessful. This can be frustrating for everyone, including the veterinary team, but it is important to have a plan B, plan C, and plan D. There are not that many veterinary behaviorists out there so learning how to treat behavior in a space where there are none available can be crucial to a veterinary clinic. Treating behavior is thinking on the fly and figuring out what works best for what patient. 

“I can give you a fish or I can teach you how to fish. We're at that place where you gotta get a fish and have to learn how to fish, and you can. I think that is the most important thing to realize is that you can do something. So, the goal here is to make you feel comfortable with having a few simple concepts in your head that you feel comfortable implementing in a variety of situations. One of the most important things that kind of hit me after I don't know how many years I'm doing this is dog behavior happens for a reason. So not random stuff,” she continued.

Triggers for pets can also become predictable over time such as the sound of them grabbing their keys or putting on certain shoes. Treating these behavioral issues also means that pet owners and teams need to identify the trigger for the pet. Curtis used the example of a dog that will bark at other dogs while they are on a walk. For this issue, she suggested maybe walking the pet at an uncommon hour or utilizing the backyard as a way to get enrichment and the outside time they need away from others.

If these options are not available for the patient, or they are not working for their pet, Curtis said that positive reinforcement when the trigger is happening is another way to combat this issue. If the dog goes on a walk and just wants to constantly bark and try to go after others, when on a walk and there is a dog, give the pet a treat.

“If I have a dog that's barking, because it's expressing an emotion, and I give it a treat, I'm not rewarding the behavior. [The] dog isn't asking anything of me, it’s expressing an emotion. By giving it a treat, I'm changing why the dog feels it needs to bark in the first place. So whether it's predictably bad, from their perspective, or unpredictable from their perspective doesn't matter. I'm going to turn it into something predictably good…I don't need a relaxed dog in the presence of a trigger to give it a treat. I need them to learn that there's no reason for the reactive behavior,” explained Curtis.

For Curtis, relating to the patient is key to helping the treatment. She provides clients with examples and analogies that they resonate with and can then move forward with the treatment plans they came up with. Reminding clients that it is okay when things fail because every pet, like siblings, may just need a different strategy, but you are a team and in this together.

“These cases are emotional. You're dealing with owners who have committed. We love the human-animal bond,” Curtis said.

T Curtis. Communication Breakdown? How To Communicate Effectively With Clients and Patients. Presented at: VMX 2024; January 13-17; Orlando, FL.

Every behavior patient is different, so understanding what works best for pets and clients through communication can help treat these issues 

Talking behavior with clients 

NAVC puts on a show with VMX 2024

Gene O'Neill, CEO, North American Veterinary Community (NAVC), discussed how the World's Fair inspired the 2024 theme at the organization's annual Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), in an interview with 

. He also addressed the balance of education and entertainment for the event's 26,000 attendees. 

Gene O'Neill, CEO, North American Veterinary Community (NAVC)

: This year of VMX, we had the theme of the ‘Show of Shows,’ and that's sort of the tip of the cap to the World's Fairs that have happened and are still happening, where countries come together to share inventions, innovations, cultural differences, and celebrate. That's what we're trying to accomplish here this week. Namely, it's a show of shows. Right now, our attendance is a little over 26,000 attendees. And we have [more than] 82 countries represented at VMX.

We offer, this week, over 1200 continuing education hours of content. That's a lot of content to be absorbed, and it really wears down the attendees at times. So, to counterbalance that, we offer a great slate of entertainment. And the things that we do here, I think, rival some Broadway productions. So, we open up with guest speakers, entertainers, and concerts, which really gives the attendees a chance to really have some downtime, relax, [and] refresh their brain before they get back into it the next day.

The expo floor is by far one of the largest that I've seen for the industry. We have over 700 booths that take over 140,000 square footage of space. But some of the activations that these exhibitors come in with are pretty cool. It's not just showing you their products. It's how they show you their products. You're getting involved with them, you're interacting with them. So that makes it sort of like this carnival atmosphere [in which] the Show of Shows theme really comes out.

Videos

Gene O'Neill, CEO, North American Veterinary Community (NAVC), discusses the organization's inspirations and intentions with programming at its annual event in Orlando, Florida

NAVC aims to educate and entertain at VMX 2024

Creating a safe space for veterinary professionals, clients, and patients is a crucial aspect of working or owning a veterinary clinic. There are measures taken to ensure that needles are stored and thrown away safely, security systems may be installed, and drugs are kept in proper storage, but when it comes to the psychological safety of the veterinary team, are your team members safe? 

During his lecture “Safe to Soar: The Secret Sauce of Highly Effective Team” at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo, Josh Vaisman, MAPPCP, CCFP, cofounder of Flourish Veterinary Consulting based in Boulder, Colorado, explained the importance of creating a workplace that encourages people to speak up to create a learning environment for everyone.

When working, whether in a clinic or beyond, many bosses, managers, or owners will tell employees that if there is a problem or a mistake, "come to me." However, something that is easily said and done has proven to be a struggle for some. Vaisman explained that even with good intentions of having employees come to you with help, they might be worried about how they will be viewed or judged for the error they had.

“When we have something in our lives that feels like it could damage the impression that other people have of us, our natural inclination is to run away from that. Our natural inclination is to protect ourselves so that we can continue to fit in,” explained Vaisman.

“Because if I look bad to you, you may not want me to be part of the group and that's really problematic. That's what drives this withholding. It's that the impression management, [that] desire to try and manage the impression that other people have of us. Most of these behaviors, most of these things that we're doing to manage the oppression of others, they're kind of if not unconscious, a little bit subconscious.”

According to Amy Edmondson, who Vaisman credited as being the creator of psychological safety, defines it as a belief within a team that we will not be punished, or risk retribution for speaking up with questions, concerns, ideas, or mistakes.

 Vaisman explained to attendees that to him, this is fearless collaboration. It means that when there is an issue or a call for ideas, the employees feel comfortable speaking up. 

The veterinary clinic is a team and even though there are times where doctors or practice owners must make a call and that is that, opening the floor to the other staff members to hear what they think could lead to better practices being put into place, a better understanding of coworkers, and more that could improve the clinic for everyone.

Vaisman concluded his lecture by saying that there is no perfect way to create psychologically safety. There will almost always be people that still think things or have ideas that they do not share and there will be times that leadership messes up. For Vaisman, it is not about perfect, it’s about excellence.

“We need high standards for high performance, we should expect excellence from ourselves and each other. I'm using that word on purpose by the way. I would love to see every single one of us in both internal and external dialogue, replace the word perfection with excellence, said Vaisman.

“The problem is when we have an environment that expects excellence or pursuit of perfection, and it is not psychologically safe. [This is] what we get. We get people going to work and feeling [anxious] all day every day because they're spending emotional and psychological capital on protecting themselves. We need to reduce that need to elevate the psychological safety to match our standards,” he concluded.

Vaisman J. Safe to Soar: The Secret Sauce of Highly Effective Team. Presented at: VMX 2024; January 13-17; Orlando, FL

Psychological safety. Amy C Edson. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://amycedmondson.com/psychological-safety/

Providing a safe place for team members to collaborate fearlessly can help create better workflow and a high standard of care for patients 

Psychological safety in the veterinary clinic 

Neogen Corporation is launching a new collar for preventing parasitic infestation in canines. Combining the active ingredients deltamethrin and the insect growth regulator methoprene, the Provecta Pro Flea & Tick Collar for Dogs is launching at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) convention in Orlando, Florida, and the product will become available on the market January 14, 2023.

Provecta Pro provides long-lasting, full-body protection against fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes for 6 months, according to a Neogen news release. The new collar also offers convenient and mess-free protection for dogs and puppies age 12 weeks and older. Developed with a pet’s well-being and comfort in mind, this collar has a flexible fit and includes a breakaway buckle as an added layer of protection.

“Our team is excited to launch the Provecta Pro Collar,” said Brittny Arbour, senior product marketing manager at Neogen, in an organizational release. “It fills an important niche in the parasiticide space. Pet owners want an affordable product they can rely on to kill fleas and ticks, and Provecta Pro does that continuously for 6 months.”

According to Renee Hall, head of pet health and wellness for Neogen, the company aims to “promote the quality and longevity of companionship through pet health and wellness” through its products. “The increase in multi-pet households continues to put pressure on the veterinary industry and calls for us to provide more economical solutions for every demographic without sacrificing quality," she added.

A portion of the proceeds of sales for the Provecta Pro Collar will support the Veterinary Hope Foundation. Funds will be used to raise mental health awareness in veterinary medicine, according to Neogen.

Neogen announces Provecta Pro Flea & Tick Collar for Dogs. News release. Neogen Corporation. January 10, 2023

The product offers a combination of active ingredients for protection against fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes

New parasite prevention collar to launch at VMX

Actor-writer-director Dan Levy, right, discusses his career and inspiration with moderator Jaimie Roberts at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida. 

Facing a theater packed with conference attendees, Emmy Award winner Dan Levy spoke about the trajectory of his Hollywood career, development of the hit show 

, and the inspiration for his new Netflix movie 

Answering questions posed by moderator Jaimie Roberts, he drew some laughs while also providing inspirational universal messages and heartfelt moments that resonated with the audience of veterinary professionals at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) conference in Orlando, Florida.

The Q&A talk first addressed characters on 

, which included a recurring veterinarian. Although the character arc for the main characters—a formerly wealthy family that moves to a small-town motel—was one of personal growth, all of the show’s cast of eclectic characters were shown as unapologetically authentic to themselves. Levy said the notion to just 'be yourself' is important. “What makes you happy? At the end of the day, you just want to have [lived] for yourself and not lived your life for someone else,” he said.

Levy addresses an audience of veterinary professionals.

 developed, Levy also stayed true to himself. The show was rejected by every American television network and streaming service but was eventually picked up in his native Canada, he said. In the end, the show was able to retain the artistic integrity that was intended, which Levy expressed appreciation for. “You don’t want to dumb down your stuff because you think people won’t understand it,” Levy said.

Although rejection in Hollywood can be discouraging, Levy indicated that perseverance can pay off. “If you believe in something, you should follow through with it,” he said. “Belief in yourself is the most important part of all of this.”

Levy also discussed how his personal experiences were turned into 

, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. The film explores the experience of loss through the story of a man whose husband dies unexpectedly. The widower then takes a soul-searching trip with his 2 best friends.

 Levy drew emotional inspiration for the project after losing his grandmother, Patricia Devine, and his dog, Redmond.

In his VMX talk, Levy spoke fondly of Redmond, and his experience adopting the Dachshund-Corgi mix dog through a rescue organization.

 “It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” he said.

Levy, who said he lives alone, referred to Redmond as his “shadow” and spoke about the special bond shared by owner and pet. While caring for the dog, Levy would adjust the height of Redmond’s food dish to better accommodate the aging pet and drew baths at just the right temperature for his canine, he told the audience.

When asked about a dream he would like to achieve, Levy was initially stumped. “Get a new dog,” he finally said. The audience responded with thunderous applause.

VMX kickoff with Dan Levy. Presented at: VMX; Orlando, FL. January 13, 2024.

shows a different side of Dan Levy: everything you need to know. Netflix. January 5, 2024. Accessed January 13, 2024. 

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/dan-levy-good-grief-director-details

Sheeler J. How Dan Levy’s very real grief inspired his new movie: ‘I was worried I was not grieving properly’ (exclusive). 

. January 10, 2024. Accessed January 13, 2024. 

https://people.com/how-dan-levy-s-very-real-grief-inspired-his-new-movie-exclusive-8424375#:~:text=Dan%20Levy.&text=Dealing%20with%20his%20own%20grief,you%20don't%20understand%20grief

The Hollywood actor-writer-director was a featured speaker at the VMX conference in Orlando, Florida