Argus Institute - Colorado State University

New Book Helps Veterinary Teams Meet Emotional Needs of Pet-Owning Families
In CVMA Voice, Spring 2002
By Laurel Lagoni, MS and Debby Morehead

Few work environments generate the vast range of emotions experienced within a
veterinary practice. These emotions often stem from the status of your clients' relationships
with their pets. As you encounter everyday in your interactions with clients, the emotions and
feelings surrounding the human-animal bond are both positive (love, happiness, comfort, relaxation) and negative (worry, guilt, anger, grief). Like most professionals, you may want to reach out and offer help when your clients or staff are in need of emotional support. However you may not always feel confident in your ability to do so.

The Guidelines for Bond-Centered Practice represent a systematic approach that veterinary teams can use to offer clients and staff appropriate emotional support. The phrase Bond-Centered Practice is used throughout the veterinary community to describe a
variety of practice philosophies. The Guidelines for Bond-Centered Practice define a
Bond-Centered Practice as one that makes providing emotional support for pet owners
as much a priority as providing high quality medical care for pets. The Guidelines
clearly establish the protocols, procedures, and services that enable veterinary teams
to work from this priority.

The book is a collection of research-based and clinically-tested communication and
client support techniques designed to teach veterinarians and their staff how to deal with a
number of emotional situations. The Guidelines were developed and are used daily by the
staff of the Argus Institute at Colorado State University. Argus Institute staff members routinely team cases with clinicians from all specialty areas at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Created as an applied resource, the Guidelines not only explain what to do, but provide information on how to implement the various protocols, procedures, services and networks that create a Bond-Centered Practice. Over 70 appendices are included that support the Guidelines with practical information, resource lists, client information, and staff support materials.

The Guidelines for Bond-Centered Practice serve to:
•focus your practice on the family-pet-veterinary team bond and its related
emotional needs.
•create an atmosphere or irculturelr of care within your practice.
•design a physical environment conducive to helping others deal effectively with
emotional situat ions.
•define the principles and elements of providing effective emotional support.
•guide you and your team in defining and limiting your roles and responsibilities
when providing emotional support to others.
•make the care you provide during emotional times more consistently comforting
and predictable for all involved.

The publication is made up of three major content sections. They are:

Trusted Communication. This section supports the concept that clear, respectful
communication is as vital to the success of a veterinary practice as high-quality medical care. Relationships that are built on trust allow for a continuum of care across the lifespan of the pet. This section describes ways veterinary teams can communicate to build trust and how trust can be repaired if it is broken.

Key appendices in this section describe how to:
•SOAP cases from an emotional support perspective
•Use verbal and non-verbal Clinical Communication Skills
•Create Emotional Support Protocols
•Set-up an emotional support referral network

Animal Behavior Support Services. This section offers a systematic method for organizing and offering Animal Behavior Support Services within a Bond-Centered Practice. From new pet visits to senior patient behavior issues, animal behavior is a foundational part of the pet-veterinary-client relationship. The Guidelines introduces the concepts and skills necessary to provide pro-active assessment, management and referral of animal behavior problems.
Key appendices in this section describe how to:
•Consistently assess animal behavior problems
•integrate discussions of behaviorial changes into every case management plan
•make effective referrals to animal behaviorists
•provide emotional support for pet owners who are dealing with a pet's problem behavior

Pet Loss Support Services. This section asserts that, when companion animal death
and euthanasia are handled with sensitivity and skill, they are often a significant factor in
building client loyalty for a practice. Key appendices in this section describe how to:
•deliver a terminal diagnosis
•skillfully and sensitively facilitate family-present euthanasia
•support pet owners' decision-making process
•handle body care options

Some practices have already implemented many of the Guidelines, while others may want to seek further training to build more advanced skills and confidence. Reviews by a dedicated group of veterinarians, mental health professionals, certified animal behaviorists, and pet owners all agree that clients and staff can benefit from the standard of care the Guidelines provide.

The Guidelines for Bond-Centered Practice are available through the Argus Institute for $45 plus shipping. For more information or to place an order, please contact: Del Rae Heiser at 970-297-4143; FAX: 970-297-4201; EM: argus@colostate.edu

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Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital