The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast

By Dr. Andy Roark

The Cone of Shame Podcast is the podcast all about life in Veterinary Medicine. Dr Andy Roark covers medical related topics with help from experts in the veterinary industry.... more

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FAQs about The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast:

How many episodes does The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 422 episodes available.

Best of The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: 417 - Making Veterinary Medicine Work for the People Who Do It
Dr. Andy Roark welcomes Dr. Isaac Bott, an Utah practice owner and theriogenologist who works with reindeer, to discuss his run for AVMA president (election July 2027) and the profession’s sustainability challenges. They explore how rising cost of care intersects with the need to pay living wages and retain veterinarians, technicians, and support staff, arguing vet medicine is not overpriced even if care can be unattainable for some clients. Bott emphasizes retention through sustainable workplaces, burnout reduction, and clear development pathways that let team members fully use their training, including technician specialization and continued growth for veterinarians. They discuss burnout drivers such as student debt, emotional strain, call burden, and workplace dynamics, and advocate for unity through organized veterinary medicine so veterinarians keep a strong voice amid regulatory and industry changes. Dr. N. Isaac Bott was raised in the small town of Castle Dale, Utah. He is a 2009 graduate of Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He owns and operates Mountain West Animal Hospital, a mixed animal veterinary facility in Springville Utah. He currently serves on several national and state veterinary boards. He is a past president of the Society for Theriogenology, an international group of veterinarians with expertise in animal reproduction. In 2023, he was Awarded the Dr. John Steiner Award for Practitioner Excellence. In 2024 he was given the Utah Veterinarian of the Year award. He has also served as a council member and chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Veterinary Service. He also has served as the co-chair of the Utah Veterinary Medical Association’s Legislative Committee. He currently serves as the American Veterinary Mecidcal Association (AVMA) delegate for the Society for Theriogenology. He also serves on the board for the AVMA Political Action Committee, the dean’s advisory board at Utah State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and as a member of Theriogenology Foundation board. He has extensive experience with strategic planning, legislative process and organizational leadership. He has also authored over a dozen peer-reviewed scientific articles, a dozen textbook chapters, and has traveled the globe providing theriogenology services for camelids and cervids. He is the proud father of three children: Kaycee, Kayden and Kendyn.
September 10, 202624min
Number 2: 416 - Is It Bad Medicine or Just a Bad Outcome?
Dr. Chad R. Brown, DVM (Purdue), executive director of the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a gut-punch truth in veterinary medicine: good decisions do not always equal good outcomes, and outcome-based judgment can be brutal on clinicians. They unpack how hindsight bias and outcome bias trick us into “judging our past self with our future self’s information,” rewarding lucky medicine and fueling shame after tough cases. Chad argues for de-emphasizing outcomes and emphasizing decision-making processes we can control, like communication, diagnostics, anesthesia monitoring, and checklists, especially when training students, interns, and residents. They also discuss how outcome fixation can break good clinicians through overcorrection or apathy, and how focusing on process can reduce burnout and support spectrum-of-care thinking.
September 03, 202622min
Number 3: 415 - Vet Medicine as Dark Comedy
Dr. Steve Deels, a New Zealand emergency veterinarian and career coach, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a familiar gut punch: "you can save a life at 2:00 a.m. and still get a one-star review because the wait was too long." They dig into dark humor as a healthy coping tool, the unrealistic expectations placed on vets as jack-of-all-trades clinicians, and how Steve’s early mixed-animal work and later corporate clinic burnout pushed him toward life coaching and practical strategies like daily journaling (three successes and one gratitude). You will walk away feeling validated, more resilient, and better equipped to spot the 90 percent that is good, not just the 10 percent that drains you, plus a preview of Steve’s upcoming book 'Bite Marks and Burnout'. Gang, let’s get into this episode.
August 27, 202619min
Number 4: 418 - Falling Trust in Research & the Data We Really Need
I’ve got Dr. Jules Benson on the podcast today and we’ve got a doozy of a topic for ya: The sad, sad state of research in vet medicine (my words, not his!) I am bothered by what seems to be a tidal wave of crappy, biased, cherry-picked research lately, and I ask Dr. Benson to get into it with me. How do we get our information in vet med? What do we believe and what do we not believe? How do we actually incorporate data and research into a future that’s feeling more cynical and less trusting? Let’s get into it! Dr. Jules Benson is the Principal at Tapetum Lucidum Consulting and the 2025 Chair at the Veterinary Innovation Council (VIC). With over two decades as a practitioner, industry executive, strategist, and data and technology leader, his focus lies in identifying and applying innovation that can improve the lives of pets, pet families, and veterinary healthcare teams.
September 17, 202627min
Number 5: 408 - Beyond Trazodone: When the "Chill Protocol" Isn’t Chilling
Beyond Gabapentin and Trazodone, Smarter Pre-Visit Anxiety Meds with Dr. Chris Pachel Dr. Chris Pachel, DVM, DACVB, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a problem every clinic knows too well, stressed pets, stressed owners, and appointments that start going sideways before the car even leaves the driveway. They dig into pre-visit pharmaceuticals beyond the usual gabapentin and trazodone, including when to increase doses, when sedation is masking anxiety (not fixing it), and how options like clonidine, benzodiazepines, and even dexmedetomidine can fit the patient in front of you. Chris also shares how his new Animal Behavior Clinic space in Portland is reducing stress fast, plus practical tips for at-home trial runs, safety planning, and cautions around acepromazine and “chill protocol” variations. Gang, let’s get into this episode. Dr. Chris Pachel is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and is the owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Pachel lectures extensively worldwide, teaches courses at multiple veterinary schools in the United States, and has authored numerous articles and book chapters for veterinarians and pet owners. He is a sought-after expert witness for legal cases and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for dvm360. He is also a Vice-president of Veterinary Behavior for Instinct Dog Behavior and Training, as well as co-owner of Instinct Portland, which opened in the fall of 2020.
July 16, 202632min