Most Clinics Wait Too Long
The decision to bring in a relief vet is usually made in a panic. After someone quits. After a vacation request gets approved. After the associate calls in sick on a Monday and the waiting room is already full. By then the gap is already open.
The clinics that handle staffing well do not react to gaps. They recognize the warning signs early and have a plan in place before the crisis arrives. Here are five signs your clinic needs relief support right now.
The Five Signs to Watch For
Your team is regularly working through lunch. When DVMs and techs skip breaks to keep up with volume, you are not running lean. You are burning people out. Burnout leads to turnover and turnover costs far more than relief coverage.
You are turning away new clients. If your first available appointment is more than two weeks out, you are losing potential long-term clients to competitors down the road.
Someone has a vacation coming up and you have no plan. Vacations are predictable. Staffing gaps during them should not be.
You have lost a DVM in the past 90 days. Whether through resignation, health, or a move, hiring takes months. Relief coverage keeps you running while you find the right permanent hire.
Your associate is your only doctor. A solo-DVM clinic with no coverage plan is one sick day away from a closed waiting room.
One Sign Is Enough
You do not need all five boxes checked. One is enough to warrant a conversation about coverage. Your Neighbor Vet serves clinics across Washington and Oregon with experienced, vetted DVMs, LVTs, and veterinary assistants matched personally to your clinic rather than dispatched from a list.
Ready to take the next step?
If you saw yourself in any of those signs, do not wait for the crisis to arrive. Call or text Your Neighbor Vet at 425-448-8882 or visit yourneighborvet.com. We will help you build a coverage plan before you need it.
Related reading: Is a Relief Vet Right for Your General Practice? · How One Clinic Stopped Turning Patients Away