Page 4 - Winter 2011

BAHVS President’s letter (December 2011) by Mark Elliott
In the last couple of months there have been times when I don't think I have ever been so tired. For those of you who don’t know: I started a new first opinion practice, incorporating homeopathy as the main philosophy along with the values we learn from it, in June this year. We do not promote annual re-vaccination – preferring the WSAVA guidelines, we discuss the problems of spaying and neutering with the attendant health risks such that it is banned in 3 EU countries, and we have never sold any processed, pelleted or prescription foods – promoting good natural feeding instead. We have therefore, some might say, thrown away 50% of practice income.
Yet after a few short months we are now looking for another full-time vet and a nurse! (Yes – I am looking for applicants who want to build a future). I feel I have little time for anything else; cannot feasibly read, let alone respond to the volume of emails that come in, and am heavily reliant on the BAHVS team for presidential support!
Why am I saying all this? To blow my own trumpet? Not at all! The rea- son I say this is to show, that one does not have to compromise one’s principles or blindly follow the sheep to make a clinic a success. The pub- lic demand and respect good clinical practice with an integrated approach to healthcare and prescribing. They do not respect product or campaign of the month. Nor do they respect a domineering approach and the word “must”. They want to be involved in decision-making and make informed choices for their pets.
But more than this, the fact that set me off on this missive was noting, that some of our most vocal detractors in the profession have posted lit- erally thousands of posts on forums all over the web. In some cases post- ing many daily, often without seeming thought or direction other than to seek to destroy those, who might question the current dominant forces in practice and pharma. In some cases there is also obvious careful and serious deliberation in their postings and such must have taken time to construct.
I would ask: how on earth do they get the time to do this and also remain in practice? Do they not have enough clients? Do they not have enough interest in their clients? Are they taking the time to engage fully and professionally with their clients? All things we cannot know or sup- pose, but how does a busy practitioner compete? If you have the answer do let me know.
What we do know is that it is easier and quicker to follow pre-deter- mined cookbook approaches to clinical assessment and therapy, in effect to be merely a technician and mule for big pharma. It is easier and quick- er to hide behind one’s peers and never to think or step outside one’s
30 years of BAHVS
After a few seeds of homeopathy had been sown during college and early years in practice, it was when my middle daughter, Catherine, had eczema as a baby, I turned to homeopathy and Sulphur 6c; after a dramatic aggravation the eczema cleared and has not returned in the last 25 years. The seeds had started to germinate and I came across an advert for the 1987 conference of the BAHVS. I had no idea what to expect as I booked in for it, my mum in tow to look after Catherine, who was still less than a year old, while I attended the lec- tures. I suppose long, flower adorned hair, beads and open-toed san- dals crossed my mind as we drove up there! What I did find was a small group of maybe 30, “normal” vets and doctors, dedicated to and enthusiastic about this alternative form of practice. From then home- opathy flourished in my life. It was the warmth with which we were welcomed and taken into the family of veterinary homeopaths which was remarkable. Knowledge was shared and friendships were made that have remained over the years and the annual congress was something always to look forward to. Our own families became part
comfort zone. But by doing so will more cases be failed, and will more clients be dissatisfied and less “bonded” to one’s practice – and more still seek us out for our services, even if often in desperation as a last resort?
We know times are tough for veterinary practices, with falling turnover common, and marketing analysts telling us to re-think the model or wither away. Yet the profession and its computer systems are wedded to the annual re- visit for jabs and a neutered majority on processed foods. How can it change? Ever increasing charging will work for a short while, until pets are no longer replaced and insur-
ance realises it cannot viably continue (some have pulled out of the vet market recently – the tip of the iceberg?).
Many years back I was shown a chart of the rise of small animal prac- tice, with peaks of sharp growth in the number of vets working with small animals linked to processed pet food development and vaccination. Pet ownership rose until the mid-80s and then began to decline. Dog own- ership registrations fell 26% in the decade to 2006.
I predict that large corporate practice will collapse and we will see mass unemployment in the profession. Likely also that salary expectations will be such that we will soon become a second income profession. But out of the ashes will rise small, personal practices providing what the public demand – and part of that demand will be an integrated approach to medical care, with homeopathy as a significant part of that service.
This is my opinion and my vision, but only time will tell. What do you think? Interesting times, it will again be an interesting year ahead.
of the extended family too and we watched our offspring grow as we visited Carlisle, Cirencester, Durham, and many other venues over the years. I missed a few, ironically even those in Shropshire closest to home, I only managed to attend small parts of and regretted not book- ing for the whole conference. This was the start of the years of expan- sion or flowering with the Animal Energy Conferences. Membership grew and there was a new energised feeling. As with many cycles in nature there are times of expansion, contraction and then renewed growth, which I am sure is about to happen; our roots are strong. We have had some amazing speakers over the years and I return home to practice re-inspired, although for me it is the support network of like minded friends and colleagues that is the most important; even though I’ve rarely had to call upon it, just to know you are all there when doubts creep in, gives a solid ground from which to continue to grow. I am part of other groups for different aspects of practice but the BAHVS and homeopathy always feel like home.
With love and thanks to you all who keep BAHVS going.
Barbara Jones
I predict that large corporate practice will collapse and we will see mass unemployment in the profession.
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