Face it:   your clients are online.  15 years ago, when a pet owner had a medical question they’d go to their veterinarian first then go home and research what they heard.   What do they do now?

 

Right.   When people have a sick pet, most go online first THEN call the veterinarian if they think their problem is worth an office visit.   With the explosion of smart phones, I’ve had clients literally researching what I’m telling them WHILE I’m talking to them!   I didn’t find it threatening….as a licensed veterinarian, I should know what I’m talking about….but it was an indicator of a new reality.   After all, people do the same thing for their children!   I was recently on a family trip and one of our kids came down with a rash that defied description.   What did I do first?   I didn’t call a dermatologist….I searched the internet for information about what this might be.   I didn’t mean for that to REPLACE a dermatologist, but information is everywhere and I wanted instant gratification.   Can you honestly say you’re any different?