Vet Times

Tag: wages

  • Don’t talk to clients about free T4 evaluations

    Don’t talk to clients about free T4 evaluations

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    We recently had an elderly cat that presented with typical signs of hyperthyroidism. However, as is sometimes the case, total T4 proved stubbornly normal on two estimations a couple of weeks apart. So we suggested it would be a good idea to send a blood to the lab for free T4 estimation – and you…

  • Oh, how we laughed

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    I’ve noted a growing trend for veterinary staff to laugh at client mistakes. While this can sometimes take the stress out of a hectic day, it can grow to become an attitude that shows when dealing with clients – and let’s face it, people are usually laughing at the simple errors clients make because they…

  • Invoicing the patient

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    Following the publication of my recent post about crowdfunding to pay vet bills, I got to thinking about the massive hurdle we, as veterinary professionals, face when explaining medical care costs to clients. We’re currently facing an NHS crisis, and the fight to keep the National Health Service free at point of use is hard.…

  • Crowdfunding: the new way to pay vet bills?

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    I’m seeing a rise in crowdfunding for veterinary treatment via social media. Some of it is from legitimate charities for certain cases, but also a lot from private individuals who can’t afford treatment. I’ve seen some appeals via the GoFundMe and Indiegogo websites, and others tell me they’ve seen such pages on JustGiving, which launched its own crowdfunding tool in…

  • The value of a vet degree

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    With the general election fast approaching, there’s been a big push to encourage 18 to 25-year-olds to vote, since a huge proportion of us didn’t last time. I’m not well versed in the intricacies of politics, but general consensus among young people after the last election was disappointment with regards to the tripling of university tuition fees.…

  • Salary transparency needed… for employees and clients

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    I work for a flat salary rate at the moment – and I like it that way. I know what is coming in at the end of the month, and I can budget. When I’ve been “paid on production”, it has never really seemed fair – someone in an office somewhere works out what to pay me. In…

  • The unfortunate adventures of Lucky the horse

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    Although the UK’s fire and rescue services are not obligated to rescue a cat stuck up a tree or a horse stuck in an overturned trailer, the skills and resources of their firefighting teams lead to the assumption that they are the best people for the job – but while they are excellent at what…

  • 2014: a year in review

    2014: a year in review

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    So 2014 has come to an end – and before we begin our journey through 2015 in earnest, it’s traditional to reflect on the past year and think about what has happened and what we’ve learned. Number one for me was: “Don’t take on too much at once” This is one of my biggest failures.…

  • Hitting the third-year wall

    Hitting the third-year wall

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    Everyone had heard rumours third year at veterinary school was the worst. On coming back to university after a long summer of extra-mural studies and relaxation, we were nervous. Two weeks in, things didn’t seem too bad and we were sceptical. We were indifferently meandering through the bewildering world of Latin names and impossible-to-spell drugs, resigned…

  • Show us the money!

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    As a new graduate I found it raised eyebrows and cast doubt on your character to ask about the salary too early in the somewhat shy courtship between vet and recruiting practice. I covered hundreds, if not thousands of miles attending interviews for jobs where the most basic of expectations (the remuneration) was kept secret until they offered…