My Veterinary Life

The focus is on production medicine claims this week in our common claims miniseries in collaboration with AVMA Trust. Trust veterinarian Dr. Nina Mouledous shares the top three production medicine claims and different ways to navigate these situations. These include chute/alley injuries, herd losses, and product loss. It is a great conversation with a lot of helpful tips and insights. Thank you t...

The focus is on equine claims this week in our common claims miniseries in collaboration with AVMA Trust. Trust veterinarian and former equine practitioner Dr. Nina Mouledous shares the top three equine claims and different ways to navigate these situations. These include pre-purchase exams, injection complications, and rectal exams. It is a great conversation with a lot of helpful tips and insigh...

Welcome to our miniseries on common claims within veterinary medicine. This week we are joined again by Dr. Kara Escutia but this time we are discussing common feline claims. Dr. Escutia is an AVMA Trust veterinarian and helps review veterinary claims every day. She shares the top three feline claims they see and different ways to navigate these situations. These include anesthetic complications,...

Welcome to our miniseries on navigating common claims within veterinary medicine. This week we are joined by Dr. Kara Escutia to talk about common canine claims. Dr. Escutia is an AVMA Trust veterinarian and helps review veterinary claims every day. She shares the top three canine claims they see and different ways to navigate these situations. These include thermal burns, complications with c-sec...

Multi-practice owner, consultant, and past president of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Dr. Pam Nichols is this week's guest on My Veterinary Life. She shares actionable tips on effective leadership, cultivating a positive workplace environment, and adapting to change based on her experience owning multiple businesses. Dr. Nichols also delves into her roles as a veterinary practice...

Our guest on this week’s episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast is Dr. Ashley Wolfe. Dr. Wolfe is the Veterinary Digital Education Senior Specialist at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Throughout the conversation, she shares her experiences as a new graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic, her challenges with burnout, and the importance of mentorship and support systems. The discussion highlights the value of s...

On this episode of the My Veterinary Life podcast, we are thrilled to welcome 2025 AVMA Convention keynote speaker, Megan Leavey. Megan is a former Marine Corps corporal and military police canine handler. She shares her journey from childhood animal lover to military service, where she bonded deeply with her canine partner, Rex. She recounts the challenges of adopting Rex post-service, highlighti...

Our guest on this week’s episode of My Veterinary Podcast is Patrick Douglas, the first AVMA Trust Veterinary Technician. Patrick discusses his new role, which involves managing claims data for AVMA members, providing educational support, and bridging the gap between veterinarians and support staff. He shares insights from his background in zoo medicine, emphasizing the importance of understanding...

Our guest on this episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast is Dr. Jennifer Welser, a board-certified ophthalmologist and president of Arista Advanced Pet Care. We explore Dr. Welser's experiences in veterinary school, her specialization in ophthalmology, and her transition into business ownership. Dr. Welser emphasizes the importance of mentorship, networking, and embracing risks. She also discusses...

Alejandra Medina, a fourth-year veterinary student at the University of Pennsylvania, shares her journey on this week's episode of My Veterinary Life podcast. We talk about her perspective as a first-generation student, the challenges of balancing "it all" in veterinary school, and the importance of mentorship. She highlights her involvement in the AVMA Early Career Development Committee and her c...

Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald reflects on the changes in veterinary medicine throughout his four decades in the profession-- including 10 seasons on the TV show Emergency Vets-- on this week's episode of My Veterinary Life podcast. These changes have revolutionized animal care, but they also come with challenges. We delve into how keeping updated with new developments while staying true to the heart of vet...

Dr. Alexandra McLaughry, owner of BarburVet in Portland, Oregon and Chief Medical Officer for Vet Badger, shares her journey into veterinary medicine in this week's episode. She discusses her career path from veterinary school in Ireland to practice ownership, emphasizes the significance of client communication and adaptability, and highlights the importance of collaboration and continuous learnin...

Our guest on this week’s episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast is Paige Durham, a third-year veterinary student at the University of Missouri. During this interview, Paige shares what her experience has been like as a student extern at the AVM A in the Membership and Field Services Division. She discusses balancing being a student, commitments as a local SAVMA president and exploring all that vete...

Dr. Christina Guttuso, founder of Gentle Journey, an in-home pet euthanasia practice in Arizona, shares her journey into veterinary medicine, her transition to in-home euthanasia, and the emotional complexities of her work. The discussion highlights the importance of quality-of-life discussions, effective communication, and addressing compassion fatigue. This episode emphasizes reconnecting with o...

Welcome to a two-part mini-series focused on mentorship. Our guest on this episode is Dr. Gary Marshall. Dr. Marshall is the current Vice President of the AVMA and has a true passion for giving back and mentorship within veterinary medicine.  Dr. Marshall shares his journey into the profession, highlighting pivotal moments with influential mentors. He emphasizes the reciprocal benefits of mentorsh...

Welcome to a two-part mini-series focused on mentorship. Our guest on this episode is Dr. Jesse Navatta. Dr. Navatta is an associate veterinarian as well as a PrideVMC Board Member.  Our focus is discussing how mentorship has impacted their career so far and the benefits of mentorship to mentees. Dr. Navatta highlights the value of both formal and informal mentorship, the significance of affinity...

Our guest on this week’s episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast is Dr. Beth Hagenlocker. Dr. Hagenlocker is the president of Grace Veterinary Inc and co-founder of Detroit Creativity Project. She shares her unconventional journey into veterinary medicine, highlighting her background in community development and her passion for feline health. The discussion focuses on the transformative role of impr...

Our guest on this episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast is Dr. Peter Weinstein. Dr. Weinstein holds many different roles within the veterinary profession, including but not limited to being president of Simple Solutions for Vets, president of PAW Consulting, and president Veterinary Ownership Advocates, as well as an instructor of business and finance at Western University of Health Sciences Colle...

We are thrilled to be sharing our veterinary podcast crossover series with you. Throughout these episodes, we are having conversations with other veterinary podcast hosts who are sharing why they started their podcast and their goals, as well as how we can all work together towards supporting our colleagues in this profession. Today our guest is Dr. Mike Pownall, one of the cohosts of AAEPS’s Prac...

We are thrilled to be sharing our veterinary podcast crossover series with you. Throughout these episodes, we are having conversations with other veterinary podcast hosts who are sharing why they started their podcast and their goals, as well as how we can all work together towards supporting our colleagues in this profession. Today our guests are Drs. Lisa Fortier and Sarah Wright. Dr. Fortier is...

We are thrilled to be sharing our veterinary podcast crossover series with you. Throughout these episodes, we are having conversations with other veterinary podcast hosts who are sharing why they started their podcast and their goals, as well as how we can all work together towards supporting our colleagues in this profession. Today our guest is Dr. Lisa Greenhill. Dr. Greenhill is the Chief Insti...

We are thrilled to be sharing our veterinary podcast crossover series with you. Throughout these episodes, we are having conversations with other veterinary podcast hosts who are sharing why they started their podcast and their goals, as well as how we can all work together towards supporting our colleagues in this profession. Today our guest is Dr. Fred Gingrich. Dr. Gingrich is the executive dir...

Our guest on this episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast, Dr. Madonna Livingstone. Dr. Livingstone is wears a few hats including being a clinical veterinarian that focuses primarily on exotics animals, an author, a lecturer and a laboratory consultant. She shares her journey into veterinary medicine and the challenges she faced due to the lack of focus on exotic animals in the curriculum. She empha...

Our guest on this week’s episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast is Dr. Barb Linnehan. Dr. Linnehan is the director of animal health and welfare at the National Marine Mammal Foundation. She shares what her career path has looked like starting with an internship and continuing through to becoming a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine. There is a lot of ground...or should we say...

Our guest on this week’s episode of My Veterinary Life Podcast is Dr. Hanley Defoe, an expert in human resiliency and wellbeing. Dr. Defoe shares insights on resilience, emphasizing the importance of belonging, perspective, acceptance, hope, and humor. The conversation highlights practical strategies for managing stress, setting realistic goals, and prioritizing self-care. The conversation undersc...