Veterinary Viewfinder Podcast

Should pugs be banned? What about French bulldogs, English (or British) Bulldogs, and Shih Tzus? This week host veterinarians Drs. Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor weigh in on the ongoing UK push to ban certain breeds. What are the reasons, who are the folks leading the conversation, and what are the proposed solutions? This is a lively review of the current state of breed restrictions along with some of the trio’s own potential solutions. This episode also marks Cyndie’s last podcast with the team after nearly 2.5 years! Cyndie’s family is growing and she needs to take more time to be with her (almost) new child. THANK YOU Cyndie for your enthusiasm and insight! We’ll miss you! And please take a few seconds to give us a review on iTunes! It means so much to hear from you and fuels our efforts here at the Viewfinder to continue tackling the toughest topics in veterinary medicine! See you every Wednesday morning!

This week we're excited to sit down with the licensed veterinary technician, Jade Velasquez, who started the popular Facebook group, Veterinary Support Staff Unleashed. In addition to her work as an LVT and Facebook group administrator, Jade has recently transitioned into practice management. Host veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor explore the unique way Jade became a licensed veterinary technician, what her greatest challenges and biggest surprises were as she started managing a busy veterinary clinic, and what her goals are with Veterinary Support Staff Unleashed. This is an energetic conversation with loads of practical tips and tricks! Find out Jade, Beckie, and Dr. Ward's favorite time management tools, which personality test they prefer for staff (and themselves), and what the biggest support staff complaints and issues keep popping up on Jade's Facebook group. Don't forget to subscribe and please give us a review on iTunes!

This week we discuss a little known, but rapidly expanding, veterinary medical school program called “2+2.” Host veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor try to make sense of the pro’s and con’s of a program that allows veterinary medical school; students who live in a state without a veterinary school to complete their first two years of veterinary school on their home college campus. Confused? We help untangle the taxpayer contributions, who gets to pay in-state tuition, student obligations, and what impact these sorts of programs may ultimately have on the veterinary profession. There are no easy answers, and our hosts quickly discover that “2+2” may not add up to everything they expected. Thanks Viewfinders for your continued support! If you haven’t yet, please leave us a quick review in iTunes. Talk to you again every Wednesday! Links: "2+2 programs add up - Veterinary colleges partner with other universities to educate more students across state lines" https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/190415a.aspx "SDSU, Minnesota working on collaborative program in rural veterinary medical education" https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2018/12/sdsu-minnesota-working-collaborative-program-rural-veterinary-medical-education "VETERINARY MEDICINE PROGRAM University of Alaska Fairbanks" https://www.uaf.edu/vmed/about-us/faqs/#2plus2

This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT are joined by one of the veterinary industry’s longtime female leaders and entrepreneurs, Brenda Andresen. Brenda shares her personal story, what she sees as some of the most pressing challenges faced by veterinary professionals today, and her latest project, The Bridge Club. Brenda also weighs in on the Veterinary Nurse Initiative (VNI), telemedicine, and how professional women can support, instead of competing against, each other. The Bridge Club website: https://thebridgeclub.com/ Thanks, Viewfinders for your continued support! If you haven’t, please leave us a quick review in iTunes. Talk to you again every Wednesday!

This week we are thrilled to share the mic with an exceptionally talented and experienced registered veterinary technician who is also an accredited expert in feline behavior. Tabitha Kucera RVT, CCBC, KPA-CTP is a pioneer for veterinary technicians in the area of feline behavior. On this week’s podcast, Tabitha shares her story of becoming an RVT, why she chose to specialize in feline behavior, and what she’s doing today to help make the veterinary world more feline-friendly. This is an entertaining and educational conversation that any veterinary professional will benefit from hearing. Be sure to listen to the entire podcast to find out why Tabitha thinks it’s an excellent idea for feline practitioners to consider enrolling in a Karen Pryor dog training course! Tabitha Kucera’s website: https://www.chirrupsandchatter.com/ Cat-Friendly Practice / American Association of Feline Practitioners: https://catvets.com/cfp/cfp Please take a few seconds to leave us a review on iTunes. Your review helps us grow and makes us feel good inside! Thank you for listening!

Recent news stories have featured human surgeons performing procedures on dogs, human dentists treating animal’s teeth, and other human medical professional treating animals. This week we explore how we, as veterinary professionals, feel about this touchy topic. Where are the professional boundaries? Why aren’t these physicians and dentists being questioned by veterinary medical boards? How would you feel if a veterinarian performed surgery on you? This is an extremely interesting conversation on a topic that rarely gets discussed! Find out what made Dr. Ernie Ward say: “Are we onto something big that’s beginning as a drip-drip that turns into a deluge of change?” We would love to hear what you think about this issue! And, please, leave us an iTunes review if you enjoy conversations like this. Thank you!

One of the most controversial topics in the veterinary profession during the past few years has been the Veterinary Nurse Initiative (VNI). What should veterinary technicians be called? What should their credentials be? And what responsibilities should they have? This week we’re pleased to sit down with one the VNI’s most vocal, and articulate, critics, Liz Hughston, RVT, VTS (SAIM, ECC). Liz has been a guest before, and this time she shares her disagreements with Mark Cushing, JD, the lead attorney for the VNI. Liz is an outstanding guest, and listen to find out why Dr. Ward said “every neural connection on this topic was blown” after listening to Liz’s cogent arguments. This is an AMAZING episode. PLEASE forgive us for Dr. Ward’s audio… he was traveling and wound up stuck in a very echo corner of a random office for this recording! Thank you again, LIZ! If you don’t mind, please leave us a review on iTunes. That’s all we ask of you in exchange for producing this podcast each week. Your review means the world to us and helps us reach more veterinary professionals.

Empowering your veterinary team to do their best and finding their personal superpowers isn’t a myth. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor meet with Tracy Dowdy, CVPM to discuss team empowerment. Strategies to better utilize your team members, what a relationship-centered business looks like, and what independent veterinary practices can learn about empowering staff from corporate practices. Don’t forget to subscribe and please leave us a review on iTunes if you like this podcast!!

Veterinary clinics and veterinary professionals are increasingly falling prey to online hacks and internet scams. From spearfishing to catfishing to drug diversion, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are vulnerable to schemes targeting their social media profiles, personal data, and professional licenses. This week we tackle this frightening topic that affects us all. This is an important conversation you should have with your team (and family) today!

We're back with another dermatological dilemma we confront (nearly) every day: the itching dog! Atopy, insect bite, and food allergies fill our schedules, challenge our teams, and frustrate everyone (especially the poor pet suffering from incessant itching)! This week we're joined by veterinary dermatologist Dr. Candace Sousa. She shares her insights and advice on diagnosing and treating itchy dogs, as well as the latest trends and tips in testing and treatment. Host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney have a wide-ranging conversation that will help any veterinary practice more confidently help itching patients. This special podcast episode was brought to you by our friends at Zoetis, makers of Apoquel and Cytopoint. Product information for APOQUEL is available at: www.apoqueldogs.com/apoquel_pi.pdf Zoetis is dedicated to changing the way we approach canine pruritus to protect the bonds that matter most. Visit www.ScienceofStrongerBonds.com for more. Do not use APOQUEL in dogs less than 12 months of age or those with serious infections. APOQUEL may increase the chances of developing serious infections, and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to get worse.

Emotional blackmail in veterinary practice by clients and colleagues is a common experience for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. This week host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor have a raw and candid discussion about how it feels to be taken advantage of, emotionally manipulated, and deliberately hurt by clients and co-workers seeking to harm others. After you listen, share your thoughts on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @VetViewfinder. And do us a HUGE favor by leaving us a review on iTunes! Thanks for your support over the past nearly 2.5 years!

CBD products for pets are everywhere these days! We know pet owners and veterinary professionals have plenty of questions, and we've got answers! This week veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor are joined with Phyto Animal Health CEO Ian Quinn to review the current legal and regulatory status of CBD, where veterinary professionals can find the latest clinical research, and answers to many of our most pressing questions. If clients are asking you about CBD for their pets, this podcast is for you! In addition, Ian shares his favorite CBD companies (in addition to his own), and why a COA is essential when selecting CBD products. Ian also shares how much pot he thinks might be fatal for Willie Nelson! (jk, but he does) BONUS: Ian shares his favorite pot joke at the end! (It's really corny...but funny!) Visit www.PhytoAnimalHealth.com for more information, AFTER YOU LEAVE US A REVIEW ON iTunes! Thank you!

Itchy pets can be one of the most frustrating signalments seen in veterinary practice. This week we chat with Board-certified veterinary dermatologist, Dr. Andrew Hillier from Zoetis, to discuss the latest developments in the diagnosis, treatment and client communication strategies for allergic dermatitis. This is a high energy conversation that walks you through the practical (and shockingly simple) steps your veterinary team needs to take to ensure better treatment - and compliance - with your dermatology recommendations. This special podcast episode was brought to you by our friends at Zoetis, makers of Apoquel and Cytopoint. Product information for APOQUEL is available at: www.apoqueldogs.com/apoquel_pi.pdf Zoetis is dedicated to changing the way we approach canine pruritus to protect the bonds that matter most. Visit www.ScienceofStrongerBonds.com for more. Do not use APOQUEL in dogs less than 12 months of age or those with serious infections. APOQUEL may increase the chances of developing serious infections, and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to get worse.

This week we review breaking news about the Veterinary Nurse Initiative (VNI) with lead attorney Mark Cushing from Animal Policy Group. Veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney along with registered veterinary nurse (RVT) Beckie Mossor review the latest developments and objective from the VNI lead lawyer. Whether you support or object to the VNI, this is a conversation all sides can benefit from listening -- from start to finish! After you listen, please leave us an iTunes review!! Thank you!!

Fake news! Corporate conspiracies! It seems like nearly every week there’s a new viral veterinary news story that, well, isn’t as truthful as veterinary professionals might prefer. This week host veterinarians Ernie Ward and Cyndie Courtney with registered veterinary technician Beckie Mossor take on Fake Veterinary News, fake veterinary professionals (maybe even those that claim to be “animal behaviorists,” have a CBS television show and will be featured at VMX in a keynote!?), and how to scientifically and politely dispel these myths. This episode is a must-listen for your team to stay ahead of breaking news, communicate more effectively with your clients, and learn how to spot fake news stories.