The dog days of summer can bring a unique challenge to veterinary hospital managers. In my more than 40 years in general practice, I have always considered the summer months the “bread and butter” of veterinary medicine. Our hours may remain the same, but our patient volume can increase by a third or more. With increased appointments comes increased revenue and an important opportunity for the practice.
The reasons for the summer surge are familiar to most veterinary practices: more pets boarding creates a demand for wellness exams and flea and tick prevention; seasonal allergies flare up; and families play “catch up” on postponed veterinary needs.
That's all good. But, as Shakespeare said, "There lies the rub."
For managers, summer presents a complicated balancing act: How do we take advantage of increased demand while ensuring our teams have the staffing, support, and time off they need to remain engaged and effective?
My answer is two words: thoughtful planning.
Here are some strategies that have worked for me:
Look backward to plan forward
Historical data can tell us when our busiest weeks occur, how much appointment volume increases, where bottlenecks develop, and how much overtime was required in previous years. Managers can use this information to develop a seasonal staffing plan rather than simply react when the schedule becomes overwhelmed.
That may mean adding shifts, extending the hours of existing part-time employees, increasing technician or assistant coverage, or creating more flexible scheduling during peak periods. The key is to anticipate the need rather than waiting until the team is already stretched too thin.
Staffing should be viewed as a business strategy, not simply a scheduling problem.
View your workforce through a new “summer relief” lens
Summer also gives managers an opportunity to think differently about the workforce already available to them. Students who work part-time during the school year may have substantially more availability during summer break. Could they temporarily increase their hours?
Former employees or veterinary students who have worked in the practice may also be interested in returning for a few months. A former team member who already understands the hospital’s culture, protocols, and workflow can be particularly valuable as temporary support.
Managers might also consider developing a list of “summer relief” employees who are willing to pick up additional shifts when vacations and increased patient volume collide. These strategies can provide flexibility without necessarily committing the practice to a permanent increase in payroll.
Don’t let employee morale sizzle over
Staffing for summer isn’t just about having enough people on the schedule. It is also about managing the human side of increased demand.
Our employees want summer vacations, too. They may have weddings, family reunions, graduations, travel plans, or simply need time away from work. If managers respond to increased patient volume by discouraging time off, routinely approving overtime, or expecting the existing team to continually “push through,” the short-term revenue gain can come at a long-term cost.
Fatigue affects morale, teamwork, client service, and patient care—and it can contribute to turnover.
Managers need to communicate early about summer expectations, establish a fair vacation-request process, monitor overtime and workload, and make sure employees actually take the time off they have earned. A busy practice is not an excuse to stop managing the well-being of the people who keep it running.
Don’t let demand take its toll on capacity
Perhaps the biggest summer management challenge is recognizing that capacity and demand are not the same thing. Just because clients want more appointments doesn’t mean we can—or should—continue adding them indefinitely.
Successful veterinary managers have to look at the entire operation: staffing ratios, appointment availability, technician utilization, doctor capacity, overtime, employee engagement, revenue, and client experience.
Sometimes the right answer is adding temporary staff. Sometimes it is adjusting the schedule or appointment templates. Sometimes it means communicating realistic expectations to clients. And sometimes it means saying, “We are at capacity today.”
The goal isn’t to squeeze every possible appointment into the summer calendar. It is to create a sustainable operation that can meet increased demand without exhausting the team.
Give yourself grace; you are only human
It’s the middle of August, and “I’m onboarding a new doctor, so I’ll be late getting home” is not exactly the statement I thought I’d be making to my family this month.
But with the ongoing DVM shortage, I would never postpone hiring a qualified veterinarian when the opportunity presents itself.
The timing, however, is less than ideal. Onboarding a new doctor during the busiest month of our practice year adds another layer to an already demanding season. While adding a part-time veterinarian will be extremely helpful in addressing our capacity challenges and allowing us to see more patients, it also creates another management challenge: finding the staffing “flex” needed to support a new doctor while our existing team is simultaneously trying to take well-deserved summer vacations and time away.
The dog days of summer will always bring both opportunity and pressure to veterinary practices. For hospital managers, the challenge is turning seasonal demand into a strategic advantage rather than a seasonal crisis.
Ultimately, the increased revenue of summer is generated by the people standing beside us every day. If we want our teams to give their best during the busiest months of the year, we have to give them something in return: and the opportunity to recharge.
A successful summer shouldn’t be measured only by revenue. It should be measured by whether our patients, clients, and teams made it through the season successfully—and whether we’ve built a stronger team to carry that momentum into the months ahead.
Enjoy what’s left of your summer!
Leslie Boudreau, RVTg, CVPM, PHR, SPHR, PHRca
VHMA President
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