Veterinary Vitals

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In the final episode of 2021, Drs. Lori Teller and Lauren Boyer discuss the impact TVMA committees have on the association and the profession as a whole. Support the show

In this episode of Veterinary Vitals, we speak with key TVMA staffers on the continuing education they have lined up over the next 4 months. Learn about new course credits, topics and speakers that might be coming to a city near you! Support the show

Meet TVMA's newest hire, Trent Hightower, JD, and learn about what motivates, inspires and challenges him in the legal profession.  Support the show

In this episode, immerse yourself in the sounds of Southwest Veterinary Symposium and find out what you missed.  The event was a huge success, beginning with the meeting of the TVMA Board of Directors and ending with the VPAC Denim and Diamonds event. Support the show

Executive Director Chris Copeland will retire from TVMA in June 2022 after 24 years at the association. Listen in as he shares TVMA's accomplishments, his hopes for the future and why he's retiring before 60.  Support the show

Dr. Kirk Esmond, founder of Josey Ranch Pet Hospital in Carrollton, TX, is the recipient of the TVMA Companion Animal Practitioner of the year award. He received his Bachelors of Science in Animal Science from TAMU in 1983, his B.S. in Veterinary Science in 1985, and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1987. He has been involved with the breeding and showing of AKC registered dogs for the...

In this episode of Vital News, we hear about Southwest Veterinary Symposium (September 23-26, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas). From how it all began to what you can expect this year, Ellen Forsythe, CMP, answers all of your questions.  Support the show

“I started treating monkeys 30 years ago and it all started with one out of the Helping Hands program.” In this episode, we hear from Dr. Jed Ford of Family Pet Clinic about the only patient he ever had tell him what was wrong. Dr. Ford practices on small animals and exotics in the Greater Fort Worth area.  Support the show

In this episode of Vital News, we hear from Elizabeth Choate, JD, the Director of Government Relations and General Counsel for TVMA, on the legislation passed in the Texas House.  Support the show

“Even though my friends and family were supportive, having someone that knew exactly what I was going through was just invaluable throughout this.” In this episode, we hear from recent graduate Dr. Connor Rethman on her journey through vet school with a mentor. We also get to see what it's like for her mentor, Dr. Ann Macfarland. She shares why mentorship is important to her and what she got...

“What has been produced here is the best agricultural facilities outside of College Station that exist in this state.” Dr. Bruce Akey, the Director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Lab and Dr. Susan Eades, the Associate Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, give us an inside look on the grand opening of the new facilities. Support the show

“That technology is just beginning to become affordable for more specialty centers to be able to provide that to their clients. So that's a huge breakthrough in the way we treat cancer. But it hasn't happened overnight. It's been a gradual process over the last decade or so.” In the first episode of season two, Dr. Zachary Wright of VCA Animal Diagnostic Clinic in Dallas, Texas shar...

This episode marks the final one with Dena Goldstein as your host. If you’d like to keep in touch, email Dena at DenaGoldsteinSTL@gmail.com . “Veterinary medicine, as we talked about before, is very underrepresented, and this is where I can potentially channel this energy into making that change within this profession.” Having conversations about race in veterinary medicine can be uncomfortable an...

“And that’s the nice thing about being solo…is it’s my decision.” Dr. Tamra Walthall, who is TVMA’s President Elect, has been a solo practitioner for more than 35 years. She opened La Vega Veterinary Clinic in Waco when she was just 28 years old. She didn’t plan on being a solo veterinarian, but it just worked out that way. In this episode, she discusses the challenges she’s faced over the course...

"I always laughed in the past like, 'You could never do vet school online. You have to do labs multiple times a week, we need to learn to suture, we need to learn to do surgery…' And I just remember having this moment of fear when they were like, 'online vet school.' And I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like."  Being a veterinary student is hard enough with k...

“Every month was kind of a beatdown. I swear I would never pee on a stick ever, ever again.” Drs. Lori Teller and Nancy Turner knew they wanted to have children, respectively, but the journey to get there wasn’t easy. Both experienced infertility and ended up going down different paths. Dr. Turner eventually got pregnant and gave birth to her son, Sterling, whereas Dr. Teller pursued adoption and...

“I like doing the forensics work and I like working at the grocery store and I really think that blend could work.” The pandemic has significantly impacted the way people live, work, and interact with loved ones. Our guest today, Melinda Merck, DVM, who is a veterinary forensics expert, had to find a second job. While she is still the owner of Veterinary Forensics Consulting, she also works at her...

“It’s more than just providing this little stuffed animal for a survivor. It’s about keeping their family intact and letting them know that they got out and everybody is safe.”  Dr. Katie Luke is the Chief Operations Officer at the Austin Humane Society (AHS), the “largest no-kill, non-profit pet and adoption center in Austin, Texas.” Their mission is to “offer comprehensive, humane, life-saving a...

Veterinary medicine has evolved significantly over the past 50 to 60 years. Dr. Doyle “Bud” Cooper, who graduated from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1964, speaks to this evolution, from the emergence of specialists in the profession to pet owners considering their dogs and cats a part of the family. As he outlines these changes, he also shares his story of becoming a v...

"All of those curveballs that life throws us are trying to derail us, and you’ve got to have a real good sense of yourself and what’s important to you to continue to navigate that path." For Dr. Jennifer Lavender, those curveballs are compassion fatigue—something many veterinarians cope with—the devastating loss of her sister, a battle with substance abuse, and her attempt to balance her...

“With the emergence of corporate, the whole game has changed. I mean, with corporates coming in and buying practices, veterinarians are becoming multimillionaires.” Dr. Randy Carsch, the President of Veterinary Sales and Consulting, helps those veterinarians  determine the true value of their clinics, get them ready to sell and make a meaningful, well-earned profit. He is a veterinarian, practice...

We're taking a little break during the holiday season, and our next episode will drop January 7.  But before 2020 comes to a close, we wanted to thank you—our listeners. We couldn’t have done it without you.  We're always open to ideas, so if you’d like to hear about a certain topic or from one of your favorite veterinarians or LVTs, email Dena at DenaGoldsteinSTL@gmail.com .  We wish yo...

“To be a student in that first class is, quite honestly, bragging rights for that student. They were apart of the first class at Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine.” -Dean Guy Loneragan, DVM Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine (TTU-SVM) in Amarillo, Texas, welcomes its first class of students in the fall of 2021. This will make TTU-SVM the second veterinary school...

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted so many aspects of our daily lives. In the veterinary medicine profession, many veterinarians and their staff are doing curbside service. But this isn’t the first time the veterinary community has faced a pandemic. In the late 1970s to 1980s, parvovirus— a highly contagious virus that affects the gastrointestinal tract in dogs—emerged. It eventually was consider...