NVA Pet Peeves

One coughing dog. One sick puppy. One patient moved through the hospital before anyone mentions infectious disease. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to create unnecessary risk for patients and the veterinary team.

In this episode, Ken talks with Dr. Erin Godinez, Medical Director, and Sarah Baumgart, LVT, Clinical Training and Development Manager at Southview Animal Hospital in Minnesota, about recognizing infectious disease risks early and responding before they become bigger problems.

They discuss the warning signs every team member should recognize, when to isolate a patient, why communication between doctors and technicians is critical, and how simple practices like visual cues and keeping sick patients contained can make a big difference. They also explore how good training and clear processes help teams stay prepared without creating unnecessary fear. 

Because when it comes to infectious disease, “it’s probably not contagious” isn’t a chance worth taking.

Medical records are far more than a legal requirement. They tell the patient's story, support communication across the healthcare team, and help protect both patients and clinicians. In this episode of Pet Peeves, Ken Flamer explores the practice peeve, "Memory as a Medical Record." Joined by NVA Senior GP Mentor Dr. Jodi Long and GP Mentor Dr. Katrina Schimmel, they discuss what separates great medical records from average ones, the most common documentation mistakes, how to balance thoroughness with efficiency, and why documenting client conversations and clinical reasoning is just as important as documenting treatments. Whether you're a veterinarian, technician, or hospital leader, you'll come away with practical tips to improve your documentation, strengthen continuity of care, and ensure the next person reading the chart never has to rely on your memory.

Emergencies can walk through the door at any moment, and panic is never a protocol. In this episode, Ken Flamer is joined by Dr. Beth Neuman, NVA's Senior Director of GP Mentorship, and Dr. Ashley Collins, Managing Doctor at Abby Pet Hospital, in Fresno, CA, to discuss how general practices can prepare for high-stress emergency situations.

From RECOVER training and emergency simulations to building muscle memory and creating a whole-hospital response, they share practical strategies to help teams stay calm, communicate effectively, and act with confidence. Whether your practice sees emergencies every day or only a few times a year, this episode highlights the preparation, teamwork, and leadership that turn chaos into coordinated care.

In this episode we explore the critical role diagnostic imaging standards play in protecting both veterinary teams and patients. NVA GP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sandra Faeh discusses why consistency in imaging protocols, positioning, PPE use, and radiation safety is foundational to quality medicine and better patient outcomes. Then, Dr. Doug Wojcik, Managing Doctor of Liverpool Village Animal Hospital in New York, joins the conversation to unpack the realities of hands free radiology, the barriers preventing wider adoption, and the culture shifts needed to improve safety in practice. Together, they discuss how small workflow changes, training, and intentional systems can provide teams what Dr. Wojcik calls “the gift of assurance” by reducing unnecessary radiation exposure and building safer hospitals for the future.

In this episode we dig into a familiar challenge in veterinary medicine: when diagnostics give us information, but not always clarity. NVA GP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sandra Faeh shares insight into the critical role diagnostics play in patient care and the importance of setting expectations early, especially when results don’t provide immediate answers.

Then, Dr. Elizabeth Hetler of IDEXX and Dr. Sarah Longfield explore where communication often breaks down, from unclear timelines to overwhelming clients with technical details. Together, they share practical strategies to simplify complex information, tell a clear clinical story, and consistently guide pet parents toward next steps.

From reframing normal results as meaningful progress to turning lab conversations into trust-building moments, this episode focuses on moving beyond reporting data to delivering direction that clients can understand and act on.

In this episode, we take on one of the most urgent responsibilities in veterinary medicine: recognizing and relieving pain that patients cannot voice. NVA GP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sandra Faeh reflects on how pain management has evolved from outdated restraint-based thinking to today’s team-centered, patient-first approach grounded in compassion and science. 

Jerrod Johnson, DVM, DABVP, Managing Doctor of Animal House Veterinary Clinic in Tennessee, shares hard-earned lessons from his surgical and mentorship journey, offering a practical lens on chronic versus acute pain, where general practice commonly undertreats how subtle behavioral changes often reveal what pets cannot say. He also discusses the power of shifting client conversations from “lameness” to “pain” to build understanding and trust.

 Lindsay Heath, DVM, MS, Managing Doctor of Brentwood Family Pet Care in California and Field Medical Partner, brings a proactive perspective on multimodal pain management, outlining how strong hospital culture, consistent pain scoring, staff empowerment, and client education help prevent suffering before it escalates. Together, the conversation highlights the cultural, clinical, and communication shifts required to ensure comfort is never optional.

Because when suffering is silent, leadership, teamwork, and vigilance must speak louder.

In this episode of NVA Pet Peeves, “Stopping at the Gumline,” Ken sits down with NVA GP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sandra Faeh and Managing Veterinarian Dr. Emily Yan to examine what happens when dentistry focuses only on what we can see.

With most periodontal disease hiding below the gumline, skipping radiographs and consistent standards can mean missed pain, retained roots, and even undetected cancer. The conversation explores common client objections, the risks of inconsistency, and why training and technician utilization are key to making dentistry a reliable standard—not an exception.

Because when we stop at the gumline, pets pay the price.

In the Season 3 premiere of NVA Pet Peeves, host Ken Flamer tackles a familiar frustration in veterinary medicine: standards without consistency. Joined by NVA GP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sandra Faeh, the conversation opens with why standards of care matter not only for patients and clients, but for team trust, alignment, and confidence. Two experienced managing doctors, Dr. Jenni Mitchell and Dr. Jamie Sulliban, then share practical insights from the field on what causes standards to break down and how leaders can bring them to life. Together, they explore common rollout mistakes, the importance of staff involvement, and how to embed standards into daily workflow without undermining clinical judgment. This episode reframes standards as living tools that strengthen culture, reduce decision fatigue, and elevate care when they are clearly communicated, consistently revisited, and meaningfully applied.

As the year comes to a close, thank you to everyone who listened, shared episodes, and joined the conversation throughout the season. And a sincere thank-you to the managing doctors, leaders, and team members who generously shared their time, experiences, and voices on the podcast. This community exists because of your openness and willingness to speak honestly about the work.

This special year-in-review episode of Pet Peeves weaves together short snippets from conversations across the year, letting the voices speak for themselves. You’ll hear moments that capture the pressures, pride, uncertainty, and commitment that define veterinary medicine.

This episode closes out the year by bringing those voices together. No conclusions. No summaries. Just the moments that stayed with us.

In this episode, we explore a subtle but powerful challenge in veterinary medicine: what happens when appreciation is felt but not expressed. NVA GP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sandra Faeh shares how gratitude influences culture, psychological safety, and even medical quality, and why understanding individual recognition styles matters. Then, Managing DVM of Overland Veterinary Clinic in Los Angeles, Dr. Sylvia Drekic, joins the conversation to share practical, real-world ways leaders can recognize both individual and team contributions. Together, they unpack how timely, authentic gratitude strengthens teams, improves retention, and supports better patient care, especially during the busiest seasons.