Tails from the Lab: A Veterinary Podcast

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 how veterinarians can connect diagnostics to real-life moments — the ones that matter most to clients and their pets. From explaining spectrum of care to reframing “early detection” into something clients can feel, this episode dives into the emotional side of veterinary medicine that builds trust, compliance, and better patient outcomes.

Listen now to hear Dr. Lopez’s advice on:

- Turning preventive care into purpose-driven conversations

- Framing diagnostics around each client’s “why”

- Finding balance between clinical precision and compassionate communication

- Building stronger partnerships through spectrum of care

Featured guest: Dr. Jennifer Lopez on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lopez-2823075/) Read her Wellness Blog Series on preventive care in the Antech Knowledge Lab.

Our guest today is Jennifer Lopez who are employed by Antech. We’re sharing this so you have full transparency about the relationships involved.

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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 and antimicrobial therapy decisions, helping clinicians select the right antibiotic at the right dose to effectively treat infections while minimizing unnecessary antimicrobial exposure.

Tune in to learn more about the latest advancements in veterinary microbiology and infectious disease diagnostics.

Visit our microbiology page for more resources and a video walkthrough of the updates and HealthTracks™ report: https://www.antechdiagnostics.com/reference-lab/microbiology/

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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 only. It is not meant to provide medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need mental health support, please reach out to a licensed professional or crisis line. 

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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 miss subtle but important changes 
• Why scanning for “red” results isn’t enough to catch disease early 
• The critical role of baseline data in identifying trends before clinical signs appear 
• What key studies reveal about the value of wellness testing — including that 1 in 7 seemingly healthy adult pets show actionable abnormalities 
• How establishing “normal” for each individual patient leads to more accurate, timely diagnoses 

Through real-world examples and expert insights, Drs. Holly and Brad reframe how veterinarians should approach preventive diagnostics through investment in long-term baseline data—and how this investment improves your ability to make confident, informed decisions when it matters most. 

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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 that may be sensitive to listeners. We encourage you to take care of your wellbeing. If you need mental health support, please reach out to a licensed professional or crisis line.

Our mental health podcast series is meant for education and informational purposes only. It is not meant to provide medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need mental health support, please reach out to a licensed professional or crisis line.

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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) equips veterinary teams with communication tools, value matrices, and case examples to guide real-world decision-making.

Listeners will learn:

• How spectrum of care goes beyond “gold standard” thinking
• Why shared decision-making improves outcomes and reduces stress
• Practical tools to bring evidence-based options into everyday practice

Whether you’re in general practice, specialty care, or veterinary education, this conversation will leave you with new perspectives on how to support patients, clients, and your team through contextualized, compassionate care.

Our guest today is Dr. Michelle Evason who is employed by Antech. We’re sharing this so you have full transparency about the relationships involved.

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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 screening is critical for both dogs and cats 
• How changing climates and travel are expanding disease risks 
• The role of diagnostics in prevention, early detection, and antimicrobial stewardship 
• Practical strategies to help veterinarians communicate risk and value to pet owners

Whether you’re navigating tick-borne disease in your practice or looking to strengthen client conversations about preventive care, this episode delivers actionable takeaways to keep pets healthier, longer. 

Our guest today is Dr. Michelle Evason who is employed by Antech. We’re sharing this so you have full transparency about the relationships involved.

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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 misunderstood in practice 
• How healthy boundaries improve psychological safety, trust, and retention 
• Practical strategies for defining and communicating boundaries with colleagues and clients 
• The ripple effect boundaries have on team culture and mental health 

“When we do then have that in place, we see so many benefits, including improved retention, increased psychological safety, improved trust, improved communication, improved decision-making — because now we really are all operating on the same page.”  

– Dr. Jen Brandt 

Whether you’re a veterinary professional seeking tools for personal resilience or a leader striving to support your team, this episode offers insights to help you create healthier, more sustainable practices. 

*Our mental health podcast series is meant for educational and informational purposes only. It is not meant to provide medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need mental health support, please reach out to a licensed professional or crisis line. 

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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, and the critical role of preventive diagnostics in supporting longer, healthier lives.

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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.

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 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 are ultimately at the discretion of the attending veterinarian within the established veterinarian-patient-client relationship.