VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Amanda M. Shelby, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) and Dr. Amy Kaplan-Zattler, cVMA, DACVECC, MRCVS discuss all things IV catheter placement and care. Tune in to hear about Dr. Kaplan and Amanda's talk about their findings and preference on catheter flush frequency, heparin or non-hepatized saline for flush, aseptic scrub techniques and more!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we discuss the potential development of an autoimmune response against platelets following live virus infection from canine influenza, and separately following vaccination with distemper (DA2PP) vaccine. Have you ever wondered before in your immune-mediated thrombocytopenic patients whether or not recent vaccination could have been the inciting factor for this autoimmune condition? Well, Williams et al. sought to get us the veterinary evidence that can tell us if viral infection or vaccination can cause this autoimmune dysregulation in our canine patients as described in their article entitled “Effects of Canine Influenza Infection and DA2PP Vaccination on the Development of Platelet-Associated Immunoglobulins and Platelet Counts in Dogs.”

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, Dr. Erica Reineke, DACVECC discusses the prevalence of acute kidney injury and outcome in cats who ingested lilies when they are treated as inpatients compared to outpatients. If we treat our feline nephrotoxicant patients outpatient, will it decrease survival? Tune in to learn what you need to know regarding lily exposure in cats when deciding to treat them in or out of the hospital!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Michelle Evason, BSc, DVM, DACVIM, MRCVS, Global Director of Veterinary Clinical Education at Antech, and Dr. Jimmy Barr, DACVECC, Chief Medical Officer at Antech, part of Mars Science & Diagnostics, discuss vector borne disease including spectrum of care. Screening dogs for vector-borne disease pathogens, like Lyme and Heartworm, occurs annually in veterinary clinics across the US and Canada. Listen in for updates on innovations and practical pearls on pet-owner communication & shared-decision-making across the diagnostic spectrum of care.Sponsored By: Antech, MARS

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Brian Cavanaugh, co-founder and partner at VetValue talks about the importance of planning practice ownership exit transitions. A successful transition away from practice ownership involves more than just deciding to 'sell my practice.' Tune in to learn about resources available to you as you explore and navigate your next transition!Sponsored By: VetValue

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we review the American Heartworm Society (AHS) heartworm treatment protocol used in dogs in a recent study by Romito et al. entitled “Efficacy and tolerability of the American Heartworm Society therapeutic protocol in dogs affected by heartworm disease without caval syndrome.” Heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, is one of the most common and important parasites in dogs, but also affects cats, as well as a myriad of other animals, including ferrets. This disease is totally preventable with the regular administration of macrocyclic lactone drugs; however, not every animal gets these preventives.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we chat with Rochellie Cortés-Martínez, LVTg, CVT, MBA about the value of bilingualism for members of the veterinary care team. Listen to learn about the importance of connecting with clients in their preferred, native language to improve the client-patient-veterinary professional relationship! Some of this podcast is recorded in Spanish.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Missy Carpentier, DACVIM (Neurology) of Minnesota Veterinary Neurology on myasthenia gravis in dogs and cats. What exactly is myasthenia gravis, and what's the classic presentation in dogs and cats? Tune in to learn how we diagnose it, what the typical signalment is, and most importantly, how to treat myasthenia gravis!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we interview Aliya Magee, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), on next steps to consider when you diagnosis a patient with feline heartworm disease. Tune in to find out what the latest American Heartworm Society (AHS) guidelines on feline heartworm management say about managing patients with this disease!Sponsored By: American Heartworm Society

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Amy Kaplan, cVMA, DACVECC, MRCVS reviews the findings of a retrospective study on the comparative outcomes of medical versus surgical management of intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) in cats. Is there a difference in outcomes for cats with IVDH who are conservatively medically managed compared surgical management? Tune in to find out!

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Marisa Brunetti, Chief Veterinary Officer at IndeVets, who dives into the pressing need for stronger leadership in veterinary medicine. From mentorship programs to formal leadership training, she explores how we can create clear pathways for veterinarians to step into leadership roles. Dr. Brunetti shares insights on overcoming barriers that limit career growth, the role of structured mentorship in bridging the leadership gap, and why leadership training should be a priority in vet med. Plus, she highlights the critical roles of resilience and emotional intelligence in leadership and offers three actionable steps to build a more inclusive, supportive, and future-focused profession. Tune in to learn all this and more as we talk about how we can empower the next generation of veterinary leaders.Sponsored By: IndeVets

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we interview Dr. Chris Adolph, MS, ACVM on the latest American Heartworm Society (AHS) guidelines on feline heartworm management. Tune in to hear about the latest methods for diagnosis and preventing feline heartworm disease!Sponsored By: American Heartworm Society

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Emily Riemer, a life coach, on how we can improve our work-life balance in veterinary medicine. Why is achieving work-life balance so crucial for veterinary professionals, especially in an emotionally and physically taxing field like ours? Tune in for some strategies and "life hacks" to help improve our work-life balance, like setting boundaries between our work and personal lives, implementing self-care into our daily routines (despite our busy schedules), and how to disconnect from work!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Holly Brown, ACVP discusses the importance of performing in-house diagnostics (IHD) - commonly known as point-of-care (POC) diagnostics - as part of routine patient care and patient differential diagnosis. In-house diagnostics include urinalysis, CBC, serum chemistries, parasitology and cytology evaluations...all key diagnostics that can be performed at the clinic with the resources you have! Tune in to learn more about the advancements and benefits of performing in-house diagnostics.Sponsored By: Antech, MARS

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Khris Keller on his experience with diagnosis and treating acute onset pancreatitis. Often thought of as an around the holidays disease, it can be challenging to diagnose acute onset pancreatitis, as clinical signs can overlap with other diseases. The most common clinical signs include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or that 'Ain't doing right' (ADR). Tune in to fine-tune diagnosing, supportive care, and treatment options for this disease!Sponsored By: Ceva Animal Health

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview past president of the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia & Analgesia (AVTAA), Jody Nugent-Deal, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia)(Clinical Practice-Exotics), and AVTAA executive secretary, Darci Palmer, LVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) about the long road to becoming a veterinary technician specialist (VTS) in anesthesia and analgesia. Take a listen if you plan to mentor someone through the process or if you are a veterinary technician interested in becoming a VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia).  To find out more information about becoming a VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) be sure to check out their website HERE.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Heather Kvitko-White, DACVIM discusses the role of antioxidants in pet food. Are you curious about the antioxidants vitamin C, D, B12 and Omega fatty acids? Tune in to learn how you can best guide the pet owners towards a diet inclusive of antioxidants that can improve the health of their pet.Sponsored By: Blue Buffalo

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Missy Carpentier, DACVIM (Neurology) of Minnesota Veterinary Neurology on intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) in dogs. When it comes to IVDD in dogs, what types affect dogs, and when can we medically versus surgically manage it? Tune in to find out what the classic signalment is for dogs with IVDD, and if ALL dogs need surgery for IVDD! Learn all things neuro here!

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Kristi Lehman, MSW, LISW, CCFP about the occurrence of compassionate detachment for veterinary team members in part 1 of this two part series. Compassionate detachment or compassion fatigue can happen especially if you provide end of life care services. Listen to find out about how to find balance to preserve your wellbeing and longevity in the veterinary industry while remaining compassionate to pets and their people!Sponsored By: Blue River PetCare

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Michael Dryden, DVM, PhD on all things parasitology. Tune in as we talk about what you need to know to stay up to date on about changing insights to heartworm disease prevention and resistance to this life-threatening disease!Sponsored By: Boehringer Ingelheim

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, in recognition of National Poison Prevention Week, we interview Dr. Tina Wismer, MS, DABVT, DABT, Senior Medical Director at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, based out of Urbana, Illinois about the biggest toxicology updates veterinary professionals need to be aware of! Tune in to learn the evidence-based, clinically applicable toxicology updates that save lives... from the difference between activated charcoal and cholestyramine to using fluid therapy in the poisoned patient, you'll want to tune in!Sponsored By:

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview the president of the Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Clinical Practice (AVTCP), Rebeccah (Becky) Vaughan, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) (Clinical Practice-Can/Fel) and Lorelei D'Avolio, CVT, LVT, VTS (Clinical Practice-Exotics), CVPM, who currently serves as the AVTCP Director. In this episode, we discuss the long road to becoming a veterinary technician specialist (VTS) in clinical practice. Take a listen if you plan to mentor someone through the process or if you are a veterinary technician interested in becoming a VTS (Clinical Practice).  To find out more information about becoming a VTS (Clinical Practice) be sure to check out their website HERE.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Amy Kaplan, cVMA, DACVECC, MRCVS discusses a potential way to help smooth out surgical recovery in those tricky brachycephalic patients. Listen along to hear the benefits one study found in having owners present to help recover their canine companion following airway surgery, as supported in the veterinary journal article, "Owner-assisted Recovery and Early Discharge After Surgical Treatment in Dogs with Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome."

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Amy Kaplan, cVMA, DACVECC, MRCVS discusses the publication Delay of Definitive Care in Cats and Dogs with GI Foreign Body Obstruction Following Antiemetic Administration: 537 cases (2012–2020) Are complications more common or is there a delay in definitive care where antiemetics are administered in dog and cat GI foreign body obstructive cases? Tune in to find out!

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Adam Rudinsky, DVM, MS, DACVIM, Associate Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, on all you need to know about canine obesity. Just like their human counterparts, overweight and obese dogs are prone to several medical conditions we'd like to discuss.Sponsored By: Blue Buffalo

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Jimmy Barr, DACVECC, Chief Medical Officer at Mars Science & Diagnostics and Antech, discusses the role diagnostic imaging can play in everyday practice and how innovation in this space can help veterinarians, and their teams, provide the best possible care to their patients. Regardless if you are in specialty or primary care practice, everyone takes radiographs. Tune in to learn about the realistic applications for AI in diagnostic imaging!Sponsored By: Antech, MARS

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we chat with Kelly Foltz, LVT, RVT, CVT, VTS (ECC) and co-author of  Veterinary Technicians Report in a Survey How Futile Veterinary Treatments Contribute to Their Moral Distress and Impact Their Professional and Personal Lives, about the findings that futile treatments increase a veterinary technician's moral distress resulting in an negative impact on both their professional and personal wellbeing. Tune in to hear about the results and check out the full publication below!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we're going to talk about the rare complications associated with nasogastric (or nasoesophageal) feeding tube (mis)-placement in cats and dogs; we'll call these tubes NG or NE from now on! As the use of enteral feeding has become more widely accepted and common in small animal patients, veterinarians and veterinary technicians must be aware of the rare potential complications that can occur... some of which can be life-threatening!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we chat with Dr. Jamie Burkitt, DACVECC on what's new in veterinary medicine when it comes to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The original RECOVER guidelines from 2012 have been updated in RECOVER 2.0. Tune in to find out what you need to know when it comes to saving your patients' lives!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Michelle Evason, BSc, DVM, DACVIM, MRCVS, Global Director of Veterinary Clinical Education at Antech, part of Mars Science & Diagnostics, and Dr. Jimmy Barr, DACVECC, Chief Medical Officer at Mars Science & Diagnostics at Antech, discuss what's new in diagnostics in veterinary medicine! It's an exciting time to be in the world of veterinary diagnostics. Rapid innovations and AI are now making what seemed impossible - possible! With these recent advances, and broadening array of reference laboratory and in-house diagnostic test options, for our veterinary patients comes the need for education surrounding how these diagnostics help veterinarians, and their teams, help pets (and pet-owners) in their clinical day-to-day. Questions on what information the test provides and availability, reliability, and cost of test, together with turnaround time are top of mind. Additionally, diagnostic stewardship (i.e. what's the right test at the right time - and for the right pet?) and the ability to provide AND communicate these options across the spectrum are other needs for the profession, to feel comfortable practicing shared decision-making with pet-parents.Sponsored By: Antech

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, Dr. Erica Reineke, DACVECC discusses her publication entitled Clinical course and radiographic resolution of pneumonia in dogs treated with a shorter versus longer course of antimicrobials: a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study. Tune to learn how long we should be treating dogs with uncomplicated pneumonia with antimicrobials, as it's no longer "4-6 weeks, or 2 weeks past resolution of radiographic abnormalities!"

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, Dr. Donna M. Raditic, CVA, DACVIM (Nutrition) discusses the impact of obesity in the feline population and related co-morbidities that accompany this disease...think osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus and incidence of feline lower urinary tract disease! Listen to learn about the predisposing factors and how to help pet owners manage their cat's weight.Sponsored By: Blue Buffalo

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Amy Kaplan, CVMA, DACVECC, MRCVS discusses the important question, does rapamycin halt progression of left ventricular hypertrophy in feline HCM? Listen to find out!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview two certified veterinary practice managers (CVPM) about the long road to acquiring this designation: Susan Diment, CVPM, DBA, PHR, administrative assistant/CVPM candidate liaison for the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, Inc. also known as the VHMA and Sarah Wooters, CVPM, practice manager of Chestertown Animal Hospital in Maryland. Tune in to understand the length of the process, benefits to acquiring your CVPM and the resources VHMA has available to candidates!

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Leah Cohn, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Internal Medicine) on all the things that have changed in veterinary medicine - specifically in dogs and cats/small animal - over the past few years (or decades, since we're old!)! In fact, there's SO much to hear on what's changed in our veterinary field, so make sure to check out Part 1 from last month HERE!

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we're going to talk about traumatic brain injury (aka head trauma) in small animals. We will discuss the clinical presentation of these patients, important monitoring tools, treatments, and prognostics.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Lindsay Starkey, DVM, PhD, DACVM - Parasitology on all things parasitology! Tune in to learn some communication tips when it comes educating your pet owners about year-round parasite protection. Find out why it's so important why you ask your pet owners about their pet's lifestyle, specifically where their pet lives, who they "socialize" with, and what day-to-day pet activities they encounter... so you can help them protect against vector-borne illnesses and parasitic diseases!Sponsored By: Ceva Animal Health

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we talk to Dr. Ashley Bourgeois, DACVD on what's new in veterinary dermatology? Tune in to learn the biggest challenges veterinarians face when managing allergies in dogs, and when you should reach for Cytopoint, a JAK inhibitor, steroids, cyclosporine, or other prescription medications! Learn if you should be carrying more than one JAK inhibitor now that there is a second one available, and how to communicate with your pet owners about the use of JAK inhibitors!Sponsored By: Elanco

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Emily Riemer, a life coach, on simple stress management strategies that we can implement in veterinary medicine to reduce burnout. Tune in to learn the definition of burnout, how it's different from "stress" and "anxiety," how we can practice mindfulness, and how we can implement practical stress management strategies to fit the reality that you live and work in. Because you know what? You've got this.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we discuss hypocoagulability in dogs with pulmonary hypertension. For quick review, pulmonary hypertension, which we will refer to as “PH”, is an abnormal increase in pulmonary pressure and can be caused from cardiac, respiratory, or systemic conditions. In human medicine, both hyper- and hypocoagulability have been associated with PH, but no veterinary studies have been performed on this topic... until now! So today we will be reviewing the AJVR retrospective study by Min et al entitled “Pulmonary Hypertension is Associated with Hypocoagulability in Dogs: A Retrospective Analysis of 66 Cases (2013-2021).”

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Tabitha Kucera, CCBC, RVT, KPA-CTP, VTS (Behavior) and owner of Chirrups and Chatter Behavior Consulting about the key takeaways for the 2024 AAFP Intercat Tension Guidelines: Recognition, Prevention, and Management Guidelines.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we're going to talk about one of my favorite breeds, the super sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (what we'll Cavaliers from now on, since it's a mouthful!). Unfortunately, we all know that this breed has horrible myxomatous mitral valve disease. So, if you see Cavaliers in your clinic, when should you decide to put these dogs on heart medications? After all, we know that the initiation of pimobendan can significantly delay the onset of congestive heart failure in dogs with stage B2 myxomatous mitral valve disease (or “mitral valve disease”), and that detection of the transition from stage B1 to B2 in this population of dogs is important so that therapy can be initiated expediently.Sponsored By: Antech

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Leah Cohn, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Internal Medicine), a longtime dear friend and colleague of VETgirl! Join us as we talk about all the things that have changed in veterinary medicine - specifically in dogs and cats/small animal - over the past few years! In fact, there's SO much to hear, you'll have to tune back in for Part 2 releasing next month!Sponsored By: Blue River PetCare

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Rebekah Mack-Gertig, DACVIM and Dr. Christine Kirnos on all you need to know about what's new with veterinary diagnostic innovations! How does innovation help make our veterinary practices more efficient, and what do you need to know to implement it more seamlessly in your clinic? Tune in to learn about Cystatin B, the newest IDEXX diagnostic test, and how to use it when detecting and treating kidney issues with your small animal patients. Tune in to learn it all here!Sponsored By: IDEXX

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we're going to discuss subaortic stenosis and the effects of medical management with two different beta-blockers: sotalol versus atenolol. This is based off a study by Tjostheim et al out of University of Wisconsin-Madison entitled “Association of sotalol versus atenolol therapy with survival in dogs with severe subaortic stenosis.”

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Natalie Marks, CVJ on what we can do to improve our efficiency in veterinary practice... and therefore improve our veterinary work-life balance! She'll discuss her life hacks and tips - which including working smarter, not harder - with tools like artificial intelligence to empowering your team to building your team culture. Tune in to learn how we can improve efficiency in veterinary medicine, from texting our clients to not talking to your client as much, to making sure you are utilizing your veterinary technicians while empowering them!Sponsored By: CoVet

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we chat with Dr. Jane Shaw, PhD and Dr. Jason Coe, PhD on the importance of putting communication skills into veterinary practice. Why should you invest in developing communication skills in your veterinary practice? In this Part 2 (of 2) VETgirl communication podcast, we talk about the importance of investing in the beginning and ending of an appointment, how to involve the pet owner in diagnostic and treatment plan, and how these communication skills translate to your teams interactions! If you haven't listened to Part 1, check that out first HERE.Sponsored By: Antech

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we talk to Dr. Darren J Berger, DACVD on all things Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD). In veterinary medicine, we see atopy a ton, but we still see a lot of “failure” in treatment! Tune in to learn what we can do to better treat CAD, how to prevent our pet owners from getting so frustrated by it, and when to refer these cases to a dermatologist! Learn what your ultimate goal is in treating pruritic dogs, and what's the latest innovation in treating dogs with CAD!Sponsored By: Elanco

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Dr. Michelle Evason, BSc, DVM, DACVIM, MRCVS, Global Director of Veterinary Clinical Education at Antech, part of Mars Science & Diagnostics, discusses how to diagnose and treat multi-drug resistant hookworm, deal with Giardia decision-making, and emerging Echinococcus. Tune in to learn what to do about anthelmintic resistance and how to better manage Giardia cases! Learn treatment options for overcoming pesky, resistant GI parasitic infections in pets & get an update on what zoonotic parasite may be emerging near you!Sponsored By: Antech

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Dr. Erik Zager, DACVECC on all things feline urethral obstruction related! Tune in to learn what factors predispose a cat to urethral obstruction (UO), what the analgesia plan should be, how important fluid therapy's role is, and what we should do nutrition-wise when it comes to blocked cats.Sponsored By: Blue Buffalo

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we discuss transient myocardial thickening (TMT) in cats. If you just had a cat diagnosed with a heart murmur and had a cardiologist echo it, how do you know if it's TMT versus Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)? Tune in to find out what you need to know about this transient feline heart "thing!"