Vet & Pet Life Coaching

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Vet & Pet Life Coaching

Vet & Pet Life Coaching is open to various animal health professionals and pet owners. Dr. Sabine W

08/02/2022

As animal health providers we seem to be stuck in a viscous loop at the moment. And the trend seems to be

➡️ clients are the enemy

The reality is that “difficult” clients are actually the minority. Majority of clients are good.

🤷🏼‍♀️ I know this is what not most of us want to hear or believe. But if every client is being perceived as “difficult” the problem most likely lies with you, not them.

🤬 Sure. Some people are hell bent on being difficult, but they are a small (thought dominating) few.

What is at the route of the definition of a “difficult” and “good” client?
✅ communication

What turns a naive client into an understanding one?
✅ communication

What resolves conflict and misunderstandings?
✅ communication

COMMUNICATION
Is one super amazing skill we all need to focus on. It takes practice and conscious effort like everything else.

➡️➡️ so back to the original point. If everyone seems to be being “difficult” towards you. It’s probably because your communication skills aren’t up to scratch.

🔑

01/02/2022

I have to admit, the enormity and relevance of this job really didn’t set in until I had a daughter 💜

For my whole career I understood that people said their pets were their “fur babies” - and I certainly met people who had a very clear parent-child relationship with their pet 🐾
I understood it. I was privy to it.

I always loved my animals but I’ll admit, I don’t think my emotions ran THAT deep. I know now it’s an emotional protection mechanism.
Then I had a daughter…

And holy hell. If the protective instincts and emotions that I feel towards this little person is what those clients with their “fur-babies” feel ….
Man our job is super important 💜

I know humans and animals are not the same. But you can’t judge how someone feels towards their pet.
And now when they tell me
🐾 “This dog is like my child” 🐾
I get it.
It doesn’t make it easier.
But I get it.

30/01/2022

We need to learn to give ourselves some credit and forgiveness in this animal health job 💜

I mean - human medicine has access to far more tests, diagnostics, research and specialists - without financial constraints and with verbal patients…

… and they still sometimes can’t figure out what’s going on! 🤔

So why when we treat animals are we so hard on ourselves. When sometimes we just have to say “I don’t know”

It’s S U P E R hard to say those 3 words. And you need to have a very good relationship with your client. But at the end of the day it’s the T R U T H.

But let’s not start saying BS to cover up the fact we don’t know. Experience is one thing.
BS is another.

27/01/2022

I’ve struggled a bit lately to find the motivation and the right words.
I’ve doubted myself, my experience, my knowledge and my ability to connect with like minded people.

Why?
Because it’s a normal human response. And a normal response to change.

I mean really, I’m a no one.
Am I famous? No.
Am I an influencer? No.
Am I specialist. Definitely not.

I’ve just been in this job a long time.
This photo was me nearly all day everyday. Large animals.

Now, because of physical issues and family I’ve been bounced back into some small animal practice. And I’m not going to lie, it rattled me.

I feel completely inferior to my younger counter parts because medicine has changed well beyond what I was taught.

So I’m trying to rebuild my confidence and trying to rebuild my knowledge.

And damn that be hard!

So if you also feel inferior or challenged or lost, it’s ok! So do I!
I’m no clinical expert here to give you medical advice.
But I’m here to tell you you’re not alone and what you feel is normal.
It doesn’t mean you should give up.

You’re made through the challenges. Not the stuff that comes easy.

19/01/2022

Today was one of those days when you realised that some of the reasons the job is so stressful, has nothing to do with Vet Med!
➡️ and everything to do with what comes with the job.

For example ….

🤯 ran out of the medication I wanted to dispense, because of a computer glitch and courier issue- but meant I had to make a different treatment plan.
➡️ stress! But nothing to do with VetMed.

🤯 Couldn’t do a stitch up on a patient because the owner didn’t want to spend the 💵
➡️ stress. Nothing to do with VetMed.

🤯 Getting all my estimates checked to make sure I don’t tell the client the wrong cost
➡️ guess what. Still not VetMed.

🤯 Knackered from trying to stay on time in consults, with late clients, diagnostics and trying to do my own procedures. All time management
➡️ and you guessed it. Nothing to do with VetMed.

There is sooo much more to Vet Med than what we are taught, what is emphasised and what is addressed.

I find my daily stresses are very little to do with clients and medicine.
What about you?

16/01/2022

🌟 We are back for 2022!! 🌟
🎙 NEW EP 🎙

COVID, and general is wreaking havoc and heartbreak on the Veterinary profession.
This means it's getting harder and harder to get your pet into the Vet, as appointments are booked out so far ahead of time.

We share some "tips" for clients on how to approach these situations - with a very important ➡️➡️ “pay it forward to other clients" message.

Because it's getting harder, more and more people are turning to Vet family members, Vet friends or "that mate of a mate I met at a party" for advice on social media and in person.
In this episode we discuss the who's, the when's and the how's of doing this.
Should you call? Message on Facebook? When? Should I do it via SnapChat?

Anyone who's ever sent or thought of sending that message to a Vet friend - this is for you!
There are a few things we would like you to know.

Happy listening! 🎧

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1764144/episodes

04/01/2022

It’s 2022 🌟
(That’s madness 🤨)

I’ve decided to make a few resolutions for myself this year.

💜 this year I want to give back to the industry - some way, some how.
I never imagined Vet being in the position it’s in - it’s the polar opposite of what it was like when I graduated (yep, like 10 years ago)

💜 this year it’s time for some industry collaboration. The animal health industry is so disjointed and so competitive. What if it could be better?

💜 I need to be nicer to myself.
I slog my guts out each week. I work 4-5 days - mother a 1 year old - look after a farm and countless creatures - manage a house - try to ride and compete - and try to be social.
I often get down, thinking I’m not doing enough, or doing anything well.
And this is something I need to improve on. Because in reality I have everything I ever dreamed of - it just comes with a LARGE workload 💜

What’s your resolutions for 2022?

20/12/2021

🔥 GAME FACE 🔥

There are soo many differences between working in a Small Animal setting 🐾 VS a Large Animal setting.

But here’s one big difference
➡️➡️ most procedures in large animal world are done IN FRONT of the client 🤪

✅ geldings ➡️ in front of client
✅ tooth removals ➡️ in front of client
✅ stitch ups, tubing, recitals, x-rays, ultrasounds ➡️ in front of the client

This is why you need some serious game face in large animal world - because only rarely can you start swearing, or crying, or trying to find another set of eyes 👀 😅

It takes a lot of skill and confidence to perform these tasks in hospital, let alone in front of people - so if this is you already
✅ You are SMASHING it ✅

And if you’re a client reading this ➡️ be kind to your new grad large animal vet. Because DAMN this is stressful!

19/12/2021

It’s that time of year 🌟

We’ve been taking a podcast break for December 🎤 but will be back in January! 🌟

This is a great time to check out our previous episodes on Spotify and Google Podcasts ✅

Have a family-filled Christmas 🎄 and a wonderful New Year 🌟
From Sabine & Bek

26/11/2021

How have you defined success in your life or your career?

Sounds corny right, but I reckon I only ever thought about this in its honest sense like 2-3 years ago 🤔

👉 when you graduate vet school it’s like there is this unspoken impression that “success” is given to the people who manage to go on and get extra qualifications, become specialists in their field and be the “go to” guru for their field.

And seriously. Congrats to those dedicated people!! 👏 seriously!

But with that comes a lot of sacrifice. I also discovered that.

So now I look at MY success as
✅ I have a healthy daughter and a hard working dedicated partner
✅ I get to spend ample amount of time with both of them 🥰
✅ I run my own business and we run our property / farm (which we own!)
✅ I have loyal clients - they’re considerate of me and my time and my knowledge
✅ my client numbers have cut down dramatically since having my daughter, but these have made my current clients even more important to me
✅ I get to ride my horses, control my schedule, do things for “me” and get to be home for our 3 person dinner every night
✅ I feel rested and present for so much of what I do now - not rushed and flustered

It’s far from the striving for all those extra letters behind my name. I have some, and that’s enough. It’s far from being “that specialist you go to”

💟 But to me this is my success 💟

So don’t let other people, or industry pressure dictate what your success is.
✅ happy doing GP practice? - did you know this is a standalone fellowship in human med. So good on you!
✅ only seeing a small number of clients? But doing high standard of work when you do. Keep doing that!
✅ Wake up happy and keen to go to work - we need more of you!

So…
How have you defined your success?

22/11/2021

⭐️ Our Top Tips ⭐️
From our recent podcast.

Management in clinic settings can be the people at the forefront of industry change - you just want to do it!

Managers 👉 see our simple tips
✅ they might seem simple, but they will often be forgotten in the “heat” of the clinic or situation.
✅ Make your staff feel listened to, considered and safe.
✅ But remember you are their manager - this can definitely bring about some hard emotions when friendships are involved.

Employees 👉 we have some advice for you
✅ managers are not mind readers so make sure they know what’s important to you. Ie: do you want an early finish every Tuesday for dance class? 💃 Let them know!
✅ make your requests reasonable and attainable - otherwise you will constantly feel dissatisfied which helps no one. So think about them carefully.
✅ schedule a meeting - don’t spring a meeting on your manager. You both need clear head space. And come to the meeting with some ideas of solutions, not just complaints.

The industry is going to change one employee at a time, one manager at a time and one clinic at a time 👉 so let’s get started!

19/11/2021

🔥NEW PODCAST EP 🔥

A common reason why people will leave their job is not because of the job, or the pay.....it'll be because of the people.

👉 HR and Management play an integral role in any practice.
But maybe they hold more of the cards of industry change than what we think.

👉 Learn what it's like being in management, including some hard to swallow truths.
👉 Learn why it's a job not suited to "just anyone" in your practice - choose them wisely!

✅ If you're an employee, Bek shares with us the best ways to approach your management team - both in situations where you're comfortable and where you're not.
✅ And what are the important "do's" when you call a meeting with your manager.

💟 The feeling of belonging in a team, no matter how big or small, is what keeps many people happy. So let's start chatting people.

17/11/2021

Having people to talk to, bounce stories off and reach out to is super important!
➡️ we all agree on this I’m sure!

Equine Practitioners are often perceived as “living the dream” 🙌
When I’m sure if you asked majority of them they would all agree on one thing.

👉 It gets lonely out there.

Many equine professionals - be it Vets, Farriers, Massage Therapists, Chiropractors, Saddle Fitters and Dentists - often work for hours on their own.

Granted, they see clients all day.
👉 but that’s not the same as having someone in the same line of work to bounce stories and disasters off.

✅ A support network is incredibly important, especially if you’re just starting out or moving up that next level.

Because there is nothing better than someone to who understands what you mean when you mention that
😆 disaster case
😆 high maintenance client
😆 difficult horse
And laughing the days stress away with a 🍷 a good 🥘 or some 🎶

Working together and supporting each other is our only way forward
✅ and our key to a more resilient profession! 💪

14/11/2021

Several podcasts I was listening to recently kept mentioning that you’re not meant to be “happy” 100% of the time, and that “avoiding stress” is unrealistic.
And that setting goals like that actually sets you up for failure 👉 and disappointment! 😢

And I thought about that in terms of our work. I’m guilty of sometimes believing that everyday I should feel 🥰 to do this job.
When in all honesty most days I feel 😴

But the more I learn and listen to people much wiser than me, the more I can appreciate what they’re saying.

Has anyone read the book ?
To quote the book 📖
➡️” conventional life advice - all the positive and happy self-help stuff we hear all the time - is actually fixating on what you lack. Everyone wants you to believe the key to a good life is a nicer job ➡️ everyone is always saying the path to a better life is more, more, more”

So maybe 🤔 we don’t need to necessarily change what we’re doing. We may just need to look at it in a new light? Or appreciate it for what it truely is.

Don’t get me wrong. That’s no easy task. But those words of wisdom have definitely helped me on some harder days.
What about you?

31/10/2021

This has to be my favourite episode to date! We have an open chat about all things “clients” 💪

➡️ If you're a pet owner and you've been to the vet, then you're then considered a client.
✅ And this podcast is for you.

➡️ If you're an Animal Health Professional, you no doubt have clients.
✅ And then this podcast is for you.

Tune in 🎙

Learn the perspective from Bek ( )- she was a client before she worked in the industry!

The Animal Health Industry is nothing without it's clients - but why is it considered the 'bug bear" of the job?

⭐️ Find us on SPOTIFY // GOOGLE PODCASTS // BUZZSPROUT ⭐️

28/10/2021

Do you ever get that little voice in your head? 🤔 💭
You’re about to do your first cut or first injection or first “bold move” on a patient and you hear this voice…

🔴 “Do you REALLY know what you’re doing?” 🔴

And then all of a sudden all this doubt flows in, or you’re convinced you’ve fu$&ed it before you even started 😵‍💫😵‍💫

👋 oh hey there imposter syndrome! 👋

✅ it happens to ALL of us!

➡️ Every time I start step 1 of my tooth removal plan
➡️ every time I start a gelding
➡️ every time I inject that dogs anaesthetic
➡️ every time I analyse an X-ray
…. And so on!

It’s normal for it to happen.
I think it grounds us.
It forces you to go back to your basics and remind yourself that you DO know your steps and DO know what you’re doing!! ✅
I find it also keeps me respecting the profession and the job ➡️ it takes skill to do what we do.
It takes training.
🟢 And those nerves remind you “this is why we did all the training! And this is why the basic were drummed into us!” 🟢

So the next time you hear that voice just answer back
👌 “yep! Sure do!” 💪

25/10/2021

So someone took this photo at work today 📸 as it was a novelty!
Why?
Well me doing orthopaedic surgery on dogs isn’t a thing 😅 but it’s actually me assisting my Dad in his practice.

My parents have owned the same practice for as long as I’ve been alive - that’s 34 years! 😵‍💫
So I grew up (quite literally) in a vet clinic , and as Dad pointed out today, scrubbed in on surgery from 4-5 years old.

So if you’ve wondered what on earth I bring to this profession in terms of industry experience ➡️ here it is!
34 years of Industry Experience 💪

Have my parents had it easy because they own the clinic? No! ❌
Did they give up hours and years of personal time to keep this place afloat? Yep ✅
Do business owners feel the personal blow of staff being unhappy in their practice? ✅ for certain!!
Do they want it this way? No! ❌

Imagine staying in the profession for that long and still being determined to keep it alive 🙌
➡️ that friends is what we need more of!

So yes. I’ve been in this profession a LONG time and now want to help people STAY in it 💪

22/10/2021

Feeling like you have no say over your own time management and schedule (amongst other things) can leave you feeling incredibly 🔥 FRUSTRATED 🔥

For a period of time I was working for a practice making me feel terrible for dealing with some “personal issues” (pretty serious ones to).

I was made to feel like a burden. I had to work extra shifts to “make it up to the team” and was subject to ridicule at work, whilst trying to process the magnitude of my own personal problems that needed some pretty intense decision making.

I didn’t seek outside counsel. I didn’t reach out to the people I should of. Because to me that was a sign of “weakness” ➡️ silly silly thinking!

I bottled everything up trying to prove to myself that “it’s OK. I’m tough”.

But eventually it catches up with you.
And one night I felt so out of control and frustrated with my current situation that I needed an aggressive outlet - which I took out on a plate 🍽
I threw the door at home open, stormed in, grabbed a plate, went outside to the concrete and smashed it as hard as I could into the ground.
Granted. I felt a bit better after. 🤷🏼‍♀️
But it was short lived.

I’m sure there were better ways to handle my frustration 😅

Clients, bosses, colleagues and social media can push us to this point on the daily 😣😵‍💫
My advice is ➡️ let’s learn how to process the frustration before the kitchenware has to suffer.

20/10/2021

I think our industry is depressed.

If you are trying to recognise depression in a person, some red flags might be
🚩No longer enjoying work or their life
🚩Irritability
🚩Only seeing the negative
🚩Emphasising why they believe their life is harder than anothers
🚩Social isolation
🚩Only resonating with negative emotions

It struck me today whilst reading a post from a colleague 🤔💭
It’s not us as Individuals that are struggling, the whole industry is depressed 🙇‍♀️

So many Facebook groups dedicated to vets and nurses are posts relating to
🚩No longer enoying work or life
🚩Irritability with clients and other colleagues
🚩Only remembering the negative reviews, not the positive ones
🚩Emphasising why we believe vet is harder than any other job
🚩We feel isolated and alone

If our industry was a person we would be worried for them.
We would be stepping in, supporting them, and giving them the building blocks to help them 💟

But instead we continue to share the negative articles and slam the clients we were never going to pleas ❌

✅ Our thoughts become our feelings.
Those negative articles we write about our own industry become our feelings.

⭐️I want to help change this.
⭐️I have been there.
⭐️ I want to show you how we can turn this industry around.
One Vet at a time.
One Animal Health Care Professional at a time

➡️ please get in touch to if you think I can help you! 💟
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17/10/2021

It’s an exciting time here @ Vet & Pet Life Coaching 🙌
In this episode we welcome onboard Bek Perkins - currently the HR Manager at a Vet Clinic in Victoria 😎

Fresh into the Vet Industry but with a strong background in Psychology and HR, Bek helps open the discussions that need to happen within our industry.
-
Tune in and say ⭐️ WELCOME ⭐️ and learn a little about Bek and what brought her into our part of the world 🐾
🐾
🐾

10/10/2021

⭐️ MONDAY MORNING INFLUENCE ⭐️

Are you a New Grad Vet?
Or new to Vet Nursing?
Or new to Farriery, etc?

And are you worried about how your resilience is going to hold up? We hear a lot of negativity about these professions.

Here is my tip
💟 Chose your Influencers and Mentors WISELY 💟

Remember this
➡️ your brain is absorbing so much! It WILL absorb negative thought patterns as easily as dose rates
➡️ misery loves company
➡️ thoughts = feelings

We will go into these things in more detail later. But for now, remember this when choosing who to listen to and look up to.

We are here to build YOUR resilience

People to stay away from
❌ often say negative things and complain
❌ talk badly about others
❌ client bash and blame clients
❌ blame management frequently
❌ blame other vets frequently
❌ blame other professionals or judge
❌ dislike the job
❌ THESE ARE NOT YOUR PEOPLE ❌

Find these people
✅ build others up and help others
✅ can work through client situations using empathy
✅ give you coping strategies
✅ highlight the GOOD things in a day
✅ remain calm
✅ show you where to find answers
✅ they find the funny
✅ understand that this job is HARD but that it also has a lot of GOOD

💟 these are your people 💟

10/10/2021

When the bleeder gets you in the face 😅🩸🩸🩸

A little more about me - I always wanted to be a Cattle Vet 🐄. Dairy or Beef. I didn’t care.
But as life does it makes other plans for you ➡️ it was mixed practice for me (which of course included cows 🐄) but also everything else you could think of!
➡️ but then for whatever reason I went from mixed to purely Equine for years.

But I always missed the Cattle work 🐮

These days my cattle work is on our own cows, and friends cows. And it’s fun. Because as we all know, our struggles with Vet work is not about the work itself - it’s lots of things around it.
➡️ invoicing
➡️ long days
➡️ clients
➡️ paying back student loans

So now these moments are where we can truely enjoy Vet work James Herriot style. All the fun.
No worries.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could train ourselves to think about work this way everyday?

And for those interested - it was a third-eyelid lesion we were debulking (I’ll put the photos in my story! 🙌)

07/10/2021

I did a euthanasia today on a dog 🐾

I always find these hard. But not for the reason you may think. I don’t look at death the same anymore - and I don’t judge an owners decision. It’s theirs and theirs alone in my view. 🐾

I find them hard because I want the experience to go well. I don’t want it to be clumsy or stressful.

It starts by I never know the right words to say when I walk into the room. I still haven’t found the perfect entrance.
Then placing the IV catheter - “oh please get this first time!” 😰
Today - we lifted the dogs leg to find them all swollen. The veins barely palpable.
“Oh please, please”
I was so thankful to get the IV straight in. To secure it. And to flush it.
There was no stress. No fuss.
It was the best experience it could be for them. 💟

This was a pinnacle day for them. One that will stay with them forever and I was part of that memory.
For me - I might have to do this all again in an hour or maybe even the next consult.

Photo 📸 “Clancie” - my own mate that we had to say goodbye to earlier this year. Cancers a bi #€h 💟

🌈

06/10/2021

Have you stopped and thought 💭 about how you feel at the end of the day? I mean beyond the word “tired” 🧐

It can say a lot about your daily activities and interactions.

For example - some days I get home and not only do I feel tired, I feel HEAVY 😓 like the weight of the world is on me or my brain is a foggy mess
➡️ this is often a sign you’re letting too many negative emotions sink in during the course of the day. This can be from negative interactions or conversations that you allow to “stay with you”

If you’ve had a physical day, you feel tired but there is a different feel.
➡️ Your tank is empty but you’re not often “weighed down”. Your exhausted but elated.

Sometimes I get home, and whilst I want nothing more than a tea and a sit on the couch, I am full of energy and positivity
➡️ this is where you have taken onboard the positivities of the day or been around uplifting people. This can even be done by gratitude journals.

And you might even then notice that certain types of tired give you better nights sleep 😴

So. How are you feeling tonight? 🧐
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04/10/2021

🎤 NEW PODCAST EPISODE 🎤

My original podcast had been doing great (The Veterinary Counsellor), but I felt like I needed to do more.

My aim is to better the Veterinary Profession and help Pet Owners. A perfectly attainable goal, right? 🤯

But as I started I realised there was more that could be done.
Pet owners need support and education but there is PLENTY out there.
What we all need is someone to come in, with the brutal honest truth and some stories to show what life is really like as a Vet or animal health care worker.

What are we up against?
How can we do better by Pet Owners?
And how can we do better by each other?

Tune in to learn some over-sharing bits of information about me you might not know. Maybe it’ll give some insight into why I think I can do this and offer support to others out there.

04/10/2021

I have F #%KED up in my career. 😭
I have made mistakes.

My nemesis is a Dog Spay 🐶
But that’s a simple, routine procedure right?
Sure. They’re done everyday. Are they simple? No! Does “routine” mean there won’t be mistakes or complications? No.

I F #%CKED up. I had angry clients coming after me and an angry boss. I felt completely alone. I was beyond broken. Daily, I was pushed closer and closer to the edge of quitting my profession and quitting my own life. That’s how I felt.

At the time I needed support, I had none. I felt judged by my co-workers. I felt ashamed to turn to my Vet school friends. I turned to our Association. No one could offer me a hand up, support, advice, anything.

I was left to swallow this pain alone, and am still scarred badly to this day. I will NEVER do a spay again.

➡️ if a Vet told me this story now I would be so upset. Where was the support? Why didn’t we do more as a profession to help?

It took me YEARS to come to terms with
➡️ this is not UNCOMMON problem
➡️ this was not an UNCOMMON complication
➡️ I was not alone
But by this stage it was to late. The damage was done.

If you have felt this way over something. You’re not alone. We are not perfect robots. We make mistakes. We can always improve. We are always learning.

But to improve and survive
💟 we need support 💟

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

https://dr-sabineware.mykajabi.com/

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⭐ Pay It Forward Positivity Challenge ⭐ Are you feeling overwhelmed by the current crisis in the animal health care industry? Do you feel like you want to help but not sure how? YOU have so many opportunities on the daily to change the industry for the better. YOU can start being the change we want to see. Let's start supporting our industry as a 🤲 WHOLE 🤲 SO..... I challenge you to put a ⭐ POSITIVE ⭐ emphasis on the Vet or Practitioner or Farrier before you. Because if we don't stand up for each other, who will? Watch this video to see an example of what I mean. So when someone wants to slam what happened before you ✅ listen ✅ understand ✅ educate ⭐ Don't do nothing. ⭐ Your chance to help the person before you is now. ⭐ Because you never know when you will be the person before and you never know when you might be able to stop a damaging review or email.