The Ten Commandments of Veterinary Practice

Pet owners and veterinarians alike should have one goal in mind: to keep the pet healthy. Veterinarians abide by certain rules pertaining to their practice that are supposed to result in happy clients and healthy pets. These Ten Commandments of Veterinary Practice, or of Referral Bliss, as stated in the "Veterinary Practice News" by Phil Zeltzman, DVM, were compiled by several veterinarians across the country. As Dr. Zeltzman states, this leads to "a healthy patient, a happy client and a pleased referring veterinarian."

  1. Thou Shalt Not Use Aspirin in Vain

    • Before surgery, aspirin should not be taken by the pet for at least seven days. It is an acceptable drug for certain cases but it doesn't work well when it comes to surgery. In case of emergency, it may be risky as well.

    Thou Shalt Help Keep Your Patient NPO

    • Keeping the patient NPO, or "nil per os" which stands for "nothing by mouth" in Latin is important especially when on the way to surgery. Veterinarians, however, should still provide first aid and help the client with management of NPO.

    Thou Shalt Provide First Aid

    • Veterinarians must provide first aid always regardless of the case or conditions. The goal is to make the pet healthy and to avoid future complications. Dress open wounds correctly and manage fracture pains to prevent further trauma. First aid should be provided at all times and veterinarians should figure out how to approach wounds or conditions without scaring the patient.

    Thou Shalt Refer Before the Owner's Pockets Are Empty

    • Veterinarians should know when to refer even though this may be a touchy topic and take into account the fact that the pet owner may have empty pockets upon arrival at a referral clinic.

    Thou Shalt Not Make Impossible Promises

    • To avoid disappointment in the end, veterinarians must not predict the treatment when they are unsure of how things will turn out. Do not say things, when in doubt, to calm the client down when the outcome may turn out to be worse than predicted.

    Thou Shalt Refer Before a Mass is Pumpkin Size

    • When it comes to tumors, tumors should not be managed solely by watching them grow in size until they become invasive, metastasize or become deadly. Deal with tumors by treating them to avoid worse outcomes in the end.

    Thou Shalt Not Quote Too High... Or Too Low

    • When giving estimated costs for surgery, make sure they are neither too high or too low. Otherwise, the client will end up being disappointed and surprised. By giving an appropriate estimate, the client will be happy and relieved and will be more likely to go forth with the surgery.

    Thou Shalt Fax Useful Information

    • Fax only useful information rather than the entire record of the pet such as shots from a young age on. Results should be legible and include current test results. Referral forms should be filled in correctly and the information faxed should be relevant. A little goes a long way. Basic facts alone relating to a surgery or condition will be enough.

    Thou Shalt Not Dump

    • Veterinarians should refer cases to surgeons earlier than on Friday afternoon. This is why such cases are called the "Friday dump." Take care of important matters earlier, if possible, to help the patient as soon as possible and to help avoid future problems.

    Thou Shalt Communicate with Your Favorite Referral Surgeon

    • Don't avoid direct communication between surgeons and referring vets for the best updates and relevant information. Positive information about a patient can be shared in addition to less positive information such as about a death or cancer.