Dr. Courtney welcomes Dr. Kathryn Primm, veterinarian and host of Nine Lives with Dr. Kat on Pet Life Radio to talk about cat prevention strategies. It’s kitten season, so if you’re bringing home a new feline friend, it’s important to start integrating your veterinary healthcare team right from the start. Tune in to find out how!

A collaboration for the ages! Surgery and Toxicology combine to make this episode truly special. Certain specialists (surgery and toxicology) rarely work together but occasionally their relationship is imperative for the best patient outcome. I was so happy to be joined by Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC, DABT (VetGirl) to discuss Batteries, Gorilla Glue, Yeast, and other toxins that could be helped with surgical intervention.

Over the summer, Dutch authorities announced that mink may have transmitted the novel coronavirus to a worker at a mink farm in the Netherlands. This was believed to be the first concrete evidence of a different species passing the novel coronavirus to a human. Since then, six countries have identified the novel coronavirus at mink farms and scientists believe hundreds of people have been infected by mink.

Culling of the mink has been recommended for public health considerations resulting in the tragic loss of many mink. This episode aims to understand the issues regarding infectious disease, how these precious creatures are cared for. and protected by veterinarians, and the urgent One Health zoonotic implications of the novel coronavirus transmission from mink to people. Dr. John Easly helps me sort out facts from fiction regarding the latest news on mink medicine

When it comes to the fight against the novel coronavirus, we need all hands on deck and it turns out there may be some toes on deck as well. An unlikely species is being investigated to see if it could be a vital ally with humans in the fight against COVD-19. Llamas, and other camelids, produce a specialized type of antibodies which are known as nanobodies. Scientists are investigating if those same nanobodies could help prevent the novel coronavirus from entering a host cell. Does this research have real teeth? Does it have potential to work?

Dr. Robert Callan - a professor at Colorado State University Livestock Medicine and Surgery Service - not only discusses whether this research has promise, but we also discuss the potential challenges the researchers may face, basics of camelid medicine, why llamas spit, and so many other fun facts about camelids. You're not going to want to miss this conversation. Although it may not usurp a dog's position as man's best friend. It may come pretty close.

What has to be done to help veterinary schools survive the coronavirus crisis and what impact will the pandemic have on veterinary medical education. Will students get the education they desperately need and want? New veterinary graduates are the next generation tasked with protecting and preserving animal and human health. Because their educational experience has been upended, many veterinary schools will have to enact permanent changes.

Whether it’s distance learning, resolving basic technical issues, access to learning materials, Internet access, how students can receive and turn in assignments; and how students can be assessed and graded by their professors, there are so many questions to answer about how to educate young veterinary students in the midst of a pandemic. In this conversation, we discuss why it is so vital to nourish the young talent in veterinary schools and how to protect their educational experience.

Happiness in the workplace. We’re all striving to achieve it and for some of us every day can be a challenge. As caregivers, we naturally prioritize care for others and frequently neglect taking care of ourselves. Our mental health eventually suffers which is one reason why so many veterinarians experience emotional distress in the workplace. That’s why veterinary medicine as a profession is working so hard to better understand how to improve workplace well being. The urgency of the moment is particularly acute with studies indicating that veterinarians are much more likely than non-veterinarians to think about suicide and 2.7 times more likely to attempt it. Learning to spot signs of distress and manage the emotional demands of the job are tremendously important.

My conversation with positive psychology strategist, Josh Vaisman is extremely illuminating. He discusses burnout, if work-life balance is real, and how to help cultivate environments in which veterinary professionals can thrive. Whether you’re a veterinary health professional or just want to be happy at your job, this is a conversation you need to hear.

Veterinarians have been asked to donate vital supplies to coronavirus fight. The NAVC (North American Veterinary Community) stepped up and joined the fight by making a large donation to the Florida Department of Health. Thousands of sets of medical shoe covers, hundreds of masks, isolation and surgical gowns, medical head covers, gloves, other personal protective equipment and medical-grade disinfection solutions were repurposed to help protect those on the front lines. But we don't stop there, in this conversation,

I am joined by NAVC's CEO, Gene O'Neil as we talk about VMX, one of the largest veterinary conferences in the world, NAVC's expanding outreach to the veterinary community, and their expanding media portfolio. Enjoy an eye-opening conversation about the philanthropic power of large organizations as they help those in need.

Novel Coronavirus. COVID -19. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2) It’s currently dominating the deadlines and there is widespread concern around the world. Unfortunately, there is some degree of panic in some areas and sadly, the number of cases is climbing with over 145,000 cases confirmed including over 5,400 deaths. This situation is developing rapidly and updates are being provided at breakneck speed so those numbers are expected to change.

The outpouring of love and concern for all family members - including those of a different species -- has been heartening to see. There have been a flood of questions related to whether pet parents should be concerned about their loved ones at home regarding COVID-19. Those who have working animals, service animals, and farm animals, among other animal lovers are also anxious.

Tune in to my conversation with Dr. Jenifer Chatfield, DVM, DACZM, DACVPM. Dr. Chatfield specializes in infectious disease and together we aim to elucidate what pet parents need to know about this virus and discuss what science is still working hard to uncover.

‘When is the doctor coming in?’ Some clients have preconceived notions of what a veterinarians looks like and they can be a bit stupefied when they see the unexpected. This can make a veterinarian feel like an outsider in the profession that they love. The Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association aims to change that. This is an eye-opening conversation with Dr. Marie Quicksall, founding member of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association. This discussion traverses a vast array of topics regarding multiculturalism in the field including how bias in veterinary medicine can influence patient care, the veterinary-client relationship, and well being in the workplace.

The goals of the organization are to improve communication between different cultures in the field and reinforce the power of representation. According to the 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics report "Labor Force Characteristics by Race and Ethnicity," about 92 percent of the veterinarians in the U.S. are white. MCVMA hopes its efforts will bring awareness to underrepresented groups that veterinary medicine is a career option. This is a truly enlightening and feel-good conversation that highlights the outstanding volunteers helping to improve an already great profession.

We are truly connected. There are dozens of examples of the power of the human-animal bond. The outstanding authors Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathyrn Bowers have a new book that will change the way we understand the human- animal connection. In their book, the intersectionality of human and animal behavior is analyzed through the prism of adolescence. The premise of the book is both novel and genius: from young hyenas to awkward teenagers, adolescents of all species share many of the same characteristics.