Laura Collier Your revenue went up last year. Your practice might still be shrinking. More than half of companion animal practices in our 2026 survey reported revenue growth in 2025. That sounds like good news. But it might not be as promising as it appears... May 20, 2026
Laura Collier Is the four-day work week in vet med a retention tool or scheduling headache? Nearly half the practices in our 2026 survey reported that compressed schedules have worked for them as a retention strategy. One Detroit-area practice owner reported zero clinical staff turnover... May 13, 2026
Laura Collier The 30-year gap and why losing one vet tech costs more than you think Most practice owners estimate it costs $5,000 to $8,000 to replace a vet tech. That number misses the real damage. The vet tech shortage is structural... Apr 20, 2026
Laura Collier Half of vet practices still default to gravity drip. Here's why. Every veterinarian knows pump-controlled fluid delivery is more precise than gravity drip. That's not a debate. The debate is whether you can afford enough pumps... Apr 6, 2026
Laura Collier What's actually keeping vet staff from quitting? We asked 114 practices. You already know retention is a problem because you don't live under a rock. You've watched techs leave, had candidates accept an offer and decline it again a week later... Mar 25, 2026
Laura Collier When your equipment cries wolf: the cost of pump alarm fatigue Your pump screams. Your tech glances at it, sighs, walks over, silences the alarm, checks the line, sees nothing wrong, and goes back to what they were doing... Mar 9, 2026
Laura Collier Cost reduction strategies for VCA clinic managers - what's actually within your control Your Regional Operations Director controls the budget, approves equipment purchases, and sets staffing levels. You're evaluated on numbers you can't fully control... Feb 16, 2026
Laura Collier How independent vets can stay cost-competitive with local corporate competition Corporate veterinary chains control about 50% of industry revenues while owning only 25% of practices. They're squeezing more money out of each location than the average independent... Feb 2, 2026
Laura Collier What happens when you don't calibrate your pumps on schedule Most veterinary practices treat pump calibration like a dental cleaning. You know you should do it. You keep meaning to do it. And then a year goes by... Jan 29, 2026
Laura Collier Teaching technicians when to trust (and question) pump alarms Watch a seasoned NICU nurse glance at a screaming monitor and calmly return to what they were doing. They've learned which beeps demand immediate attention and which ones are just noise... Jan 15, 2026
Laura Collier Looking back at 2025 - the blogs corporate-owned vet clinics found most valuable Running a veterinary clinic within a corporate structure presents its own distinct challenges. You've got corporate equipment standards to follow, regional management expectations to meet... Dec 22, 2025
Laura Collier You’re not the biggest fish in the pond and that’s ok The American Animal Hospital Association says corporate chains control 50% of veterinary revenues despite owning just 25% of practices. Mars Veterinary Health operates over 3,000 hospitals... Dec 10, 2025