Our October Spotlight Veterinarian is Dr. Patti Dressel.  Dr. Dressel is a 2005 graduate of Colorado State University. She is an extremely popular small animal clinician in New Hampshire.  You might say that she is the quintessential general practitioner.  She will see almost any species, is competent in all aspects of medicine and her clients adore her as she truly possesses the gift of effective client communication.  

Rabies is a scary disease.  With Wyoming just having it's first confirmed rabies death I feel that it is timely to discuss this almost 100% fatal disease.  It's easy in the United States to forget how deadly and devastating this disease can be.  We have prevention programs in place with our pets and very few people die from this virus each year. 

Animal use for scientific advancements is a controversial subject. Many people are against animal testing but still reap the benefits of these medical advancements every day, which makes for a long winded ethical discussion. There will always be debate over those frog dissections in high school and animal testing for cosmetics. As a veterinarian whose main goal is to save animal lives it can be an emotional challenge to hurt one animal even though the justification is that you will be able to help other animals in the future.

There has been a lot of talk in the veterinary community regarding veterinarians reselling bulk purchases of flea and tick preventatives to online pharmacies. This article takes that idea to a whole new and kind of scary level. It's important to keep your hospital and your staff safe from thieves so I share this story not to scare you but to make sure when you get out into the working world that you are prepared for the possible dangers. Usually you fear burglars stealing money or controlled drugs, one of my technicians was held at gun point for some ketamine a few years back. I guess there will always be something new to worry about. 

Communication, Compassion and Compliance

We have all heard that the majority of lawsuits in the medical industry occur due to lack of understanding between the doctor and the patient. Often it occurs due to lack of empathy for the client and the perception that the doctor doesn’t care about the patient or situation which occurred. Open, honest, and thorough communication between a veterinarian and a pet owner is crucial. Through good client communication, the owner will gain trust in your care and ability to treat their pet and will be more compliant.