To increase owner compliance, I generally follow these guidelines. First, I ask the client directly if they think they can perform the task or tasks that I recommend. Do you think its realistic that a mother of three at home can bathe a Golden Retriever every three days? Allowing the owner to feel more comfortable with what he or she realistically can do is very important and puts the owner's mind at ease. Alternative treatments or changes in frequency of treatments can be recommended, thus enhancing compliance. Why prescribe an antibiotic that is administered two times or three times daily when you can prescribe a once-daily alternative for a client who works long hours? Why prescribe a capsule to a stubborn, aggressive Lhasa Apso when you can prescribe a pill that can be crushed or a suspension mixed into food? Why recommend a home-cooked diet for a working mother or father? Novel commercially-available pet food should be adequate for an elimination diet. Successful outcome still can be expected in many cases, even when certain frequently performed treatments, such as shampoo therapy, ear cleaning, etc., are performed less frequently. Second, I frequently request a recheck examination in one week to two weeks after initial presentation in animals that are severely effected by disease or were placed on a food trial. Many things can go wrong during the initial stages of a treatment, so this is the best time to catch these problems early and change them. Weight loss and lack of interest in the diet during dietary changes are major concerns, and these can be addressed during this recheck examination. Demonstration of certain difficult tasks, such as instilling otic medications, ophthalmic medications or ear cleaning, clearly will enhance owner compliance and treatment success. I try to educate the client as much as possible by explaining the disease in detail and follow up with client-education handouts.

Finally, I have found a dry-erase board placed in the examination room to be an invaluable tool to illustrate confusing diseases or treatment plans.

We all know about the economics of our field of medicine, and this can directly interfere with our ability to practice properly. Here are some tips to help you and your clients deal with the rising healthcare costs for their pets. First, I tell all my clients to purchase pet insurance; it's that simple. I believe it actually is worthwhile, especially with severe, catastrophic illness or injury.

Editor's note: This story is the second in a two-part series. Check out DVM Newsmagazine's October issue for the first six cases in Derm's Dirty Dozen.