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© 2026 Veterinary Vertex
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Veterinary Vertex is a weekly podcast that takes you behind the scenes of the clinical and research discoveries published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) and the American Journal of Veterinary Research (AJVR). Tune in to learn about cutting-edge veterinary research and gain in-depth insights you won’t find anywhere else. Come away with knowledge you can put to use in your own practice – along with a healthy dose of inspiration to remind you what you love about veterinary medicine.
187 Episodes
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Send a text What if the case notes from your clinic could forecast tomorrow’s outbreak? We sit down with epidemiologist Dr. Lauren Grant to unpack a One Health vision that connects veterinary, human, and environmental data so we can spot risks sooner, act faster, and guide smarter decisions in practice. We start by clarifying what “integrated companion animal health surveillance” really means and why Canada needs it. Today’s networks rely on selective reporting and expert panels, which are i...
Send a text A hoof can look fine while its tissue quietly runs out of blood. We sat down with Drs. Georgia Skelton and Andrew van Eps to unpack new 18F-FDG PET research showing how static weight bearing creates sharp, regional perfusion deficits in the equine foot—the very conditions that can spark support limb laminitis in otherwise healthy horses. The findings challenge old assumptions and make a powerful case for movement, dynamic load cycling, and smarter monitoring before the cascade beg...
Send a text Half of the dogs in a massive nationwide study are getting supplements—yet few products face drug-level scrutiny before they hit pet store shelves. We sit down with researchers Drs. Janice O'Brien and Audrey Ruple from the Dog Aging Project to unpack what owners actually give, why they reach for these products, and how the evidence stacks up against bold marketing claims. We dig into the big three—omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine and chondroitin, and probiotics—and map how usage ...
Send a text A shaggy coat and a creaky stride don’t have to signal the end of the road. We unpack new primary-care evidence on pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) showing that diagnosed horses can live as long as matched controls, even as they experience more medical events along the way. That insight changes how we talk with owners: from doom to diligence, and from a single prescription to a complete, daily management plan. We sit down with researchers Drs. Emma Stapley and Françoi...
Send a text What happens when the people closest to the patient lead the science that shapes their care? We sit down with guest editors Erik Fausak and Dr. Adesola Odunayo to unpack the first-ever JAVMA supplemental issue authored by credentialed veterinary technicians—and why it matters for outcomes, team culture, and the future of evidence-based practice. Across anesthesia, radiology, ECC, and surgery, credentialed veterinary technicians make thousands of critical decisions every day. That...
Send a text Your heart sinks when a dog’s CT shows a primary liver tumor plus extra lesions. Ours used to as well—until we dug into data showing how often those additional masses are actually benign. In this conversation with surgical oncologists Drs. Samuel Burkhardt and Hunter Piegols, we rethink what “multiple hepatic lesions” really means, and how that shift can change everything from pre-op counseling to what you sample in the OR. We walk through their study design—primary liver tumors ...
Send a text What if one of the most common vaccine rituals in small animal practice doesn’t help patients at all? We sit down with researchers Jane Sagaser and Dr. Rachael Kreisler to unpack a randomized clinical trial that tested whether replacing the needle after drawing up a canine subcutaneous vaccine improves comfort or outcomes. The result is a clear, practice-changing insight: no clinical benefit for dogs, and no reliable advantage detected by blinded injectors. Together we explore ho...
Send a text A working dog powers through a hot training session, then stops. The clock is ticking, because core temperature can keep climbing even after the effort ends. We sit down with JAVMA student award winner Sarah Parnes to unpack a simple, field-ready strategy that changes outcomes: cool first, transport second. Using the gear most of us carry—a water bottle, a towel, a small cooler—Sara's team tested multiple methods outdoors to mirror real-world conditions. One approach stood out: a ...
Send a text A single ion is changing how we read the story of canine heart failure. We sit down with cardiologist Dr. Darcy Adin and internist–nephrology researcher Dr. Autumn Harris to unpack why hypochloremia—once dismissed as collateral damage from diuretics—now stands out as a powerful predictor of survival in dogs with stable congestive heart failure. The conversation moves from physiology to practice, showing how chloride levels map to renin–angiotensin activation, diuretic resistance, ...
Send a text A spike in feline H5N1 cases has many of us asking the same question: how did bird flu end up in our living rooms? We sit down with author and clinician Dr. Jane Sykes to map the path from migratory birds to household pets, spotlighting the two biggest drivers of risk for cats—predation on infected wildlife and contaminated raw diets. The conversation is candid, practical, and rooted in current data, with clear guidance for veterinarians and pet owners who want to reduce danger wi...
Send a text A small structural “bump” on a molecule might be the big breakthrough EPM care has been waiting for. We sit down with researcher and clinician Izabela de Assis Rocha to unpack how bumped kinase inhibitors exploit a tiny difference between parasite and mammalian kinases to hit Sarcocystis neurona where it hurts—motility, invasion, and replication—while sparing the horse. It’s a molecular strategy with practical promise, and the conversation bridges the stall, the lab, and the futur...
Send a text A calmer patient isn’t just a kinder visit—it’s a safer workplace. We sit down with researchers Drs. Gene Pavlovsky and Ellen Everett to unpack new data showing that veterinary teams see decreases in bites and scratches when every staff member completes low-stress handling certification. Partial participation helped culture in pockets, but it didn’t move the needle on injuries. The lesson is clear: safety is a system, not a solo skill. We trace where stress truly starts, from the...
Send a text What if the “gold standard” isn’t the only standard that delivers real results? We sit down with guest editor Dr. Emma Read to explore Spectrum of Care, the evidence-based approach that empowers veterinarians to present a range of medically sound options tailored to each client’s budget, lifestyle, and ability to follow through. Instead of treating alternatives as compromises, we show how tiered choices reduce moral distress, expand access to care, and still protect outcomes for p...
Send a text Think draft horses “do worse” with colic? We put that belief on trial and let the data speak. With equine practitioner and researcher Dr. Jennifer Burns as our guest, we unpack why survival isn’t about breed status—it’s about when the horse arrives and how quickly we act. Drafts are famously stoic, which can mask early pain and delay referral. By the time they reach the hospital, heart rate, lactate, and abdominal protein often paint a sicker picture. The takeaway is both practica...
Send a text We sit down with award-winning equine researcher Dr. Charlie Barton to unpack a controlled randomized trial from Colorado State University that challenges the tradition of fasting horses before general anesthesia—and the results are hard to ignore. Horses allowed hay before anesthesia passed manure much sooner post-op, often within three hours, while fasted horses took up to eight. Even better, careful intraoperative monitoring showed no difference in oxygenation or other key anes...
Send a text Horses and anesthesia make for a high stakes mix, and the numbers prove it. We open the barn door on a new study of oral trazodone in healthy adult horses that boosted sedation but, at a low dose, unexpectedly increased xylazine requirements at induction. Our award-winning guest, Dr. Emmett Swanton, walks us through the why behind the work, what the data actually say, and how to turn mixed results into smarter, safer protocols. We dig into the global context first: equine periope...
Send a text Ever have a client drop a “by the way” just as their hand hits the doorknob? We tackle the fix: agenda setting that captures every concern upfront, keeps appointments on track, and strengthens trust without adding time. With guests Drs. Jane Shaw, Kat Sutherland, and Natasha Janke, we map the science and the steps behind a small change that delivers big wins for veterinary teams and clients alike. We walk through the practical anatomy of a better visit: start with a solid introdu...
Send a text Ever wondered what’s actually inside a “homemade” dog diet—and whether it truly keeps dogs healthy? We sat down with researchers Drs. Janice O'Brien and Audrey Ruple from the Dog Aging Project to pull back the curtain on what owners are really feeding, what the data reveals, and how to make home-prepared meals complete and balanced without guesswork. The conversation starts with a major survey upgrade: moving from simple checkboxes to detailed free-text responses that capture real...
Send a text We sit down with Drs. Paul Freeman and Nick Jeffery to discuss a treatment for down dogs that’s changing outcomes and conversations: percutaneous intradiscal chondroitinase injections that act like chemical fenestration, reduce extruded disc material, and help non-ambulatory dogs recover without opening the spine. We walk through the origin of the idea, the ethical hurdles, and the growing dataset behind safety and effectiveness. You’ll hear why deep pain–positive dogs with acute...
Send a text Ever notice how the smallest habits in surgery are the hardest to justify with data? We dig into one of those everyday choices—taper vs. reverse cutting needles for intradermal closure after TPLO—and unpack what the evidence actually says about early incisional healing, complication rates, and the subtle differences that might matter at the 18–24 hour mark. With surgeon-researcher Josh Becker, we trace the path from hunches and mentor preferences to a pragmatic study design that c...
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