CrossCheck Blog

Pet owners desire two things from veterinary practices when it comes to pet care: Efficient, fully dependable, informed care for their pets by competent techs and veterinarians. The best possible pricing and or payment plans, particularly in times of emergency. CrossCheck knows veterinarians don't spend four years in undergrad, four years achieving a D.V.M or V.M.D., passing the NAVLE and taking the veterinarian's oath to bungle pet owner's #1 desire. Instead, this blog article focuses on how veterinarians can help offset cost by advising pet owners on the top five pet insurance plans, and if all else fails, by offering pet owners a check processing service called Multiple Check that is equally adept at offsetting the high cost of pet care.

Using GPS to locate missing pets, helping cats maintain proper diet and exercise, and even dogs “calling” loved ones are all part of today’s reality. Looking beyond social media, big business or the newest gaming craze, the tech industry now offers pet owners affordable ways of finding, feeding and nurturing companion animals. These advancements provide veterinarians with the tools to help pet owners solve everyday problems related to the safety of their animals as veterinary technology catches up to the 21st Century. More inventions are certainly on the way.

CrossCheck’s main office is situated in the northern California city of Petaluma near two of the most renowned service-animal providers in the country: Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael and Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa. Both are longstanding members of the community and both have placed thousands of dogs throughout North America. A much smaller operation, The Hearing Dog Program trains service animals for use in California and Nevada from its nearby headquarters in San Francisco. Coincidentally — and with an edgy stroke perhaps inspired by Pit Bulls and Parolees, the Animal Planet series about a New Orleans dog shelter — a fourth group appeared on the local scene in 2014. Inmates serving time for non-violent crimes at the North County Detention Facility now train a small pack of dogs to help disabled people. The Sonoma County program works in cooperation with the Assistance Dog Institute at Bergin University of Canine Studies in Rohnert Park.

Natural disasters may strike at any moment and often without warning. In the event that a twister touches down or the ground starts to shake, evacuating human and animal family members to safer locations is often a necessity. Access to resources such as energy, food or water, and transportation may be cutoff, so establishing an emergency plan in advance will eliminate the need to scrounge for essential materials at the last minute. The larger the number of people and animals, the larger the task. Veterinarians encouraging animal owners to implement a disaster preparedness plan may save lives that might otherwise be stranded during a disaster or evacuation.

The Annual Parasite Forecasts made by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) warns that 2016 could be a dangerous time for pets, especially those living east of the Mississippi River. A reliable source of parasitic data in the United States, CAPC released its findings April 18, 2016. “The predictions for 2016 show the threat of vector-borne disease agents transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes will continue to spread, creating a year-round menace to both pets and their owners,” stated CAPC. CAPC says its forecast model uses “multiple data points to calculate the probability of a dog testing positive for the agents of four key parasite-transmitted diseases: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and heartworm.” CAPC offer a comprehensive array of maps that can be sorted via vector and state.

“Shelter staff and veterinarians routinely make subjective dog breed identification based on appearance, but their accuracy regarding pit bull-type breeds is unknown,” states a study published by The Veterinary Journal in July 2015. Dr. Julie Levy from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida is a dog lover and the lead author of the project, “Inconsistent Identification of Pit Bull-type Dogs by Shelter Staff.” "[The] identification of dogs as pit bulls can trigger an array of negative consequences, from the loss of housing to being seized by animal control to the taking of the dog's life," said Dr. Levy in Science Daily. Thus, veterinarians can provide a greater service to pets and pet owners as well as local governments burdened with policing mislabeled dogs by making minor adjustments to their labeling practices.

We see you over there, veterinarians! We know you to be hard working, compassionate, dedicated, driven and more. All told, you've got mettle, the right stuff. You've endured volunteering at shelters, AP science classes in high school, four years of pre-vet undergrad studies, the GRE, vet school applications, four years of veterinary school with King Kong sized debt averaging $135k, and the licensing exam. Whew ... now get a job, doc, but don't forget the oath first! Whether you hung a shingle or joined an existing practice, it's time to show off your business acumen. Yes, we said business acumen, and if you don't have one, you better focus on developing one. It's not all birthin' puppies and spaying cats. The horror ... you may even have to develop a business plan. Everyone contributes to running a profitable practice, from reception to surgery, from individual contributors to doctors and owners, everyone. If business is done right, everyone profits too. We know that's music to your bank account because King Kong is on your back. To help you domesticate Kong, we've compiled a list of profit inducing resources:

Veterinarians who are owner-operators often lead a double life as they juggle the responsibilities of business management with their passion for helping pets. Some doctors embrace this dichotomy while others find the business side to be a chore, and there is a tendency to focus on medicine while putting out business fires if and when they get out of control. Even the best-made business plans can be placed on the back burner while focusing on caregiving. Adding office staff, outsourcing functions such as accounting services, or purchasing management software may free up some time, but nevertheless, some critical business activities remain untouched or unfinished for weeks, months or years on end.

Pet owners across America vary in lifestyles and personal philosophies, but most would agree that their dogs and cats, and for some — horses, goats, sheep and potbelly pigs — are in fact, family members. The love and protective instincts shared by pet owners provide one degree of separation between them and those who believe “they’re just animals.” Love of pets is simultaneously a blessing and a curse to clients and veterinarians alike. Pets can bring enormous joy to humans, but their relatively short lifecycles place caring people in the position of having to make tough decisions.

Dogs and their humans may be spending even more time outdoors this summer since the winter was so brutal and fall is fast approaching. The dog that was happy to sit by the fireplace all winter may be ready to get out and run, whether in the back yard, around the neighborhood, or on vacation with the family. With kids out of school, pets may enjoy more playing time, and walks don't have to be canceled due to weather as often as they do during winter months.