Tails from the Lab: A Veterinary Podcast

"Sometimes the most important finding is the absence of an expected response." What happens when a patient's lab work looks deceptively normal, even as they are getting sicker? Join us for the case of Libby, a Great Dane whose pneumonia was apparently improving on x-rays, yet she was mysteriously deteriorating, with recurrent vomiting and lethargy. The pivotal clue wasn't an abnormality on her CBC...

In this episode of Tails From the Lab , hosts Drs. Holly Brown and Brad Ryan talk through a case study of Clementine, a nine-year-old indoor cat who came in for a routine wellness visit appearing perfectly healthy. Her owner was hesitant about the need for extensive diagnostics, but the decision to proceed uncovered a silent but significant health issue: hypercalcemia. From exploring differential...

Tails From the Lab podcast hosts Drs. Holly Brown and Brad Ryan talk with board-certified veterinary dentist and Antech RapidRead™ Dental developer Dr. Marika Constantaras (DAVDC) about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) can play in diagnosing dental disease for veterinarians across experience levels. In this episode, Dr. Constantaras shares the more about the challenges of traditional denta...

In the second episode of this two-part series, Tails from the Lab cohosts Dr. Brad Ryan and Dr. Holly Brown welcome back Jason Coe (DVM, PhD), a leading expert in veterinary clinical communication and professor at the Ontario Veterinary College back to the podcast. Preventive care diagnostics — including infectious disease screening, fecal testing, and comprehensive wellness panels like CBC, chemi...

In episode one of this two-part series, Tails from the Lab cohosts Dr. Brad Ryan and Dr. Holly Brown welcome Jason Coe (DVM, PhD), a leading expert in veterinary clinical communication and professor at the Ontario Veterinary College. Dr. Coe shares practical, research-based strategies on one of the most critical yet challenging aspects of veterinary practice—effective communication. Dr. Coe dives...

In this episode of the Tails From the Lab podcast, co-host Dr. Brad Ryan sits down with Dr. Michelle Evason (BSc, DVM, DACVIM, MRCVS), Director of Veterinary Education & Outreach at Antech and MARS Science and Diagnostics. Dive into the fascinating world of gastrointestinal parasites with Dr. Evason, a leading expert and educator in small animal internal medicine, infectious disease, and One H...

What’s the secret to stress-free biopsy submission? Dr. Jodie Gerdin, Director of Anatomic Pathology at Antech, shares best practices for handling, packaging, labeling, and shipping biopsy samples to ensure diagnostic accuracy and timely results. Join us as Dr. Gerdin talks about her journey from emergency vet to pathology expert and reveals common mistakes that can jeopardize biopsy submissions —...

How do veterinary diagnostics and education combine to advance veterinary medicine? Tails From the Lab podcast host Dr. Holly Brown sits down to discuss clinical education, diagnostics, and more with Dr. Jimmy Barr (DVM, DACVECC), Chief Medical Officer at Antech™ and Mars Science & Diagnostics, and Dr. Michelle Evason ( BSc, DVM, DACVIM, MRCVS) , Director of Veterinary Education & Outreach...

Get a first look at Antech’s VMX 2026 education program — built around the realities of clinical practice and the growing need to apply contextualized diagnostics . Join Dr. Michelle Evason (BSc, DVM, DACVIM, MRCVS), Director of Education & Outreach a t Antech, and Tammi Lesser, LVT, Regional President, Mars Science & Diagnostics, North America for a behind-the-scenes preview of this year’...

Preventive care isn’t just a protocol — it’s a belief system. In this episode of Tails from the Lab, Dr. Jennifer Lopez, Senior Professional Services Veterinarian at Antech™, shares how empathy, flexibility, and communication transform preventive care from a checklist into meaningful client conversations. Drawing from her years in practice and her recent Wellness Blog Series, Dr. Lopez explores ho...

Board-certified veterinary microbiologist and immunologist Meera Surendran Nair (DVM, MS, MSCTR, PhD, DACVM), Director of Infectious Disease at Antech™ and board-certified veterinary microbiologist and immunologist, joins Tails From the Lab to discuss the recent updates to antimicrobial susceptibility reporting and clinical breakpoints. She explains how these changes impact veterinary diagnostics...

In our latest Tails from the Lab podcast episode, Dr. Brad Ryan sits down with Dr. Jen Brandt, AVMA Director of Member Wellbeing Initiatives, to talk about what is—and isn’t—conducive to building a culture of wellbeing, the benefits, and what we can do as both individuals and hospitals. Watch the conversation now. Our mental health podcast series is meant for education and informational purposes o...

In this episode of Tails from the Lab , Drs. Holly and Brad explore one of the most overlooked tools in preventive veterinary care: wellness lab data . Together, they unpack why routine bloodwork is so meaningful and how it can guide early intervention and better outcomes throughout a pet’s life.  This episode covers:   How population-based reference intervals are created and what causes them to m...

In our latest Tails from the Lab podcast episode, Dr. Brad Ryan sits down with Dr. Jen Brandt, AVMA Director of Member Wellbeing Initiatives, to talk about cultivating compassion in your relationship with yourself and why it’s so important for veterinary professionals to be kind to themselves. Watch the conversation now. Content warning: This episode contains discussions on mental health topics th...

What does “spectrum of care” really mean? How does it help veterinarians, clients, and patients alike? In this episode of Tails from the Lab, hosts Holly and team welcome Dr. Michelle Evason for a deep dive into contextualized, evidence-based care. Dr. Evason shares the origins of spectrum of care, its practical applications, and how the new Spectrum of Care Toolkit (recently published in JAVMA) e...

Vector-borne diseases are on the move — changing local disease prevalence and increasing health risks for pets and people alike. In this episode of the Tails from the Lab podcast, Dr. Brad Ryan sits down with internal medicine specialist and infectious disease expert Dr. Michelle Evason to explore the latest insights on tick- and mosquito-borne disease.  Together, they discuss:   Why annual screen...

Boundaries aren’t just about saying no — they’re about protecting our wellbeing, our teams, and the human-animal bond.  In this special Tails from the Lab episode for World Mental Health Day, Dr. Brad Ryan sits down with Dr. Jen Brandt, AVMA Director of Member Wellbeing Initiatives, to explore the role of boundary setting in veterinary medicine.*  Dr. Brandt shares:   Why boundaries are often misu...

Even the healthiest appearing pets can be hiding underlying conditions. In this episode of Tails from the Lab, Drs. Holly Brown and Brad Ryan dive into the value of wellness testing, using Doug — a seemingly healthy rescue Mastiff — as a case study. From uncovering Lyme exposure to detecting heartworm infection, they explore why routine lab work matters, how to communicate its value to pet owners,...

In episode 1 of Tails from the Lab, Dr. Brad Ryan and Dr. Holly Brown discuss anaplasmosis using a real case example and dig deep into diagnostic insights that help shed light on its rise and prevalence.  Tune in and learn what this means for veterinary teams across the country, and how smarter testing can support clearer diagnoses, stronger client communication, and better outcomes. Tails from th...

We’re thrilled to bring back the Tails from the Lab podcast with our host Dr. Holly Brown and new co-host Dr. Brad Ryan! Get ready to discuss real cases with expert guests who dig deep into the diagnostic insights that help solve interesting and complex cases. We’ll also dive into topics that help veterinary teams tackle the industry’s many challenges while becoming better leaders and colleagues a...

The only constant in life is change. And in this episode, Jessica and Holly reconnect, share some of their exciting updates, and introduce a new iteration of the Tails From the Lab podcast soon to be released.

Zack, the beagle, presents for his annual wellness exam, and labwork is performed, including a CBC, chemistry, and (oh-so-fortunately) urinalysis, as part of his minimum database. Listen in as Jessica and Holly discuss Zack's unexpected results and the options to provide a definitive diagnosis.  Tails from the Lab is a production of Antech Diagnostics. The intent of this podcast is to provide educ...

Inappropriate urination and lethargy lead to a concerning finding of hypercalcemia on Louie's labwork. Listen in as Jessica and Holly tackle the ensuing diagnostics to solve this hypercalcemia headache. Tails from the Lab is a production of Antech Diagnostics. The intent of this podcast is to provide education and guidance with the understanding that any diagnostic testing and treatment decisions...

Bella has an appointment for a prescription refill, but the astute doctor is concerned about some subtle physical changes and reported clinical signs, and so he recommends laboratory diagnostics to explore further. Holly and Jessica discuss this interesting case, taking listeners on Bella's unintended journey through labwork abnormalities and the ensuing diagnostic outcomes. Tails from the Lab is...

Snickers arrives sick at the hospital, and initial bloodwork reveals elevation of liver enzymes. Subsequent abdominal ultrasound identifies ascites, and the fluid analysis that ensues provides key diagnostic information that helps define Snickers' disease process. Tails from the Lab is a production of Antech Diagnostics. The intent of this podcast is to provide education and guidance with the unde...