The Vet Vault: Veterinary Career, Clinical Skills & Wellbeing

If you find surgery even remotely appealing, then chances are a good old intestinal foreign body removal ranks high on your list of favourites. But GI surgery can be a lot less fun when faced with a linear foreign body, and patient outcomes can be potentially be much worse.

This episode with specialist surgeon Dr. Bronwyn Fullagar is packed with invaluable insights to make your linear foreign body surgeries smoother, less scary, and increase your chances of success.

Dr. Bronwyn Fullagar is an Australian specialist surgeon based in the US. Her passion lies in sharing knowledge to elevate our skills as surgeons and promote our overall well-being. She does her teaching through speaking engagements, publications, through her role as Director of Surgical Education for the Veterinary Emergency Group, and with frequent appearances on the Vet Vault Clinical podcasts.

For more surgery with Dr Bron, plus access to 450+ more episodes in Small Animal Medicine, Surgery, and Emergency and Critical Care and our library of show notes, including this episode, go to vvn.supercast.com.

Get help with your tricky cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join us in Japan or in Wanaka with Vets On Tour: email [email protected] for details. (And tell Dave I sent you for your 10% discount!)

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠⁠⁠⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

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You know you want to do it, but you don't know where to start. It's a daunting task for sure - veterinary practice is not known for being soft on the environment, so the thought of acting to reduce the impact of your veterinary workplace can seem paralysingly complex. So where DO we begin? Well, you can begin with this podcast.

Dr Jeremy Watson is a veterinarian and practice owner. His desire to take action on climate change was put into motion in 2011 when a practice rebuild commenced, marking the beginning of his journey towards establishing a vet business with environmental sustainability as one of its core values.

In 2020, Jeremy joined Vets for Climate Action, driven by a passion to highlight the vital role of veterinary teams in inspiring urgent action on climate change. Following on from his sustainability-focussed clinic rebuild over ten years ago, Jeremy's clinic has recently snagged accreditation as Australia's very first certified carbon-neutral veterinary practice, and Jeremy now works tirelessly to get other vets on board with the same eco-friendly approach.

In this conversation, Jeremy talks us through what his experience looked like, what he learned from it, and what the 'levers' are that can be pulled to have the greatest impact in the right direction.

Jeremy also introduces us to Vets for Climate Action's Climate Care Program, a program that aims to overcome that paralysis of knowing it's a problem, but not knowing where to start. He discusses what that process looks like, what the most common stumbling blocks are, and what the short-term wins are, beyond it simply being the right thing to do.

Topic list:

04:02 - Bad Decisions and Good Stories


05:11 - The Human Nature of Climate Inaction


07:09 - Resistance to Change and Climate Paralysis


09:10 - The Climate Care Program for Vet Practices


11:40 - Surprising Environmental Impacts in Vet Practices


13:01 - Business Case for Environmental Sustainability


17:31 - The Process of Becoming Carbon Neutral


19:04 - The Importance of Reducing Anaesthetic Gas Usage


20:10 - Financial Benefits of Sustainable Practices


24:22 - The Climate Care Program's Support and Structure


28:03 - The Unexpected Impact of Bedding on the Environment

29:05 - Alternatives to Traditional Pet Cremation


32:10 - The Benefits of Going Paperless


33:01 - Joining the Climate Care Program


35:07 - UN Definition of Sustainability


36:09 - The Role of Vets for Climate Action


37:37 - The No-Brainer of Solar Panels for Vet Practices


38:41 - Importance of Collaboration in Climate Action


40:08 - Impacts of Some of Our Practices on the Environment


47:15 - The Climate Care Program's Role in Vets for Climate Action

48:03 - Global Collaboration for Veterinary Sustainability

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

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The puppy that ate the box of NSAIDs, the lab who found the bag of sultanas, cats and lilies - you know what to do: whack them on twice maintenance fluids for a few days to flush out the toxin and protect the kidneys, right? But wait. Have you ever stopped to think about HOW IV fluids increase toxin excretion? What if we told you that it DOESN'T?!

In this episode critical care specialists Dr Leonel Londoño and Dr Corrin Boyd explain why the standard approach of fluid therapy for nephrotoxin ingestion in veterinary patients not only doesn't make any sense, but can actually be harmful. We recap renal physiology and discuss a better plan than having a healthy bouncy patient on fluids in your hospital for 2 days.

Dr Corrin Boyd is  a registered veterinary specialist in emergency medicine and critical care who works and teaches  at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, and Dr Leonel Londoño is clinical assistant professor of emergency and critical care and director of the hemodialysis unit at University of Florida. His research interests include renal and non-renal applications of extracorporeal purification techniques, endothelial and glycocalyx pathophysiology in the critically ill, and hospital-acquired acute kidney injury. 

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠⁠⁠⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.

"The what and the why of leadership is not up for debate anymore. We know what leadership is supposed to be, and we know what workplaces are supposed to be so that the human beings in it can actually get the work done. It's the how that we're catching up on."

- Josh Vaisman

"I'm excited. I feel like we're at, or past, a tipping point in the profession. People really, really want to shift towards better places. It's just about finding the ways to get us there."

- Dr Marie Holowaychuck

Two quotes, one message: veterinary leadership teams around the world know what needs to be done.  We just need a little help to get us there. 

In this episode my guests Dr Marie Holowaychuck and Josh Vaisman provide some of that help with this conversation about the four pillars that the better workplace you want to create needs to be built on. 

Dr Marie Holowaychuck is a specialist in small animal emergency and critical care. She’s also a certified coach, yoga and meditation teacher, facilitator, and keynote speaker who dedicates her time and energy to sharing evidence-based information regarding mental health and wellbeing. She has more than 20 years of veterinary practice experience in academic, private, and corporate settings. She’s led workshops and lectures and delivered keynotes to a range of audiences in Canada, the USA, and worldwide.

Josh Vaisman is a Workplace Culture Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Positive Leadership Advocate and the author of "Lead to Thrive: The Science of Crafting a Positive Veterinary Culture".  He holds certificates in areas such as Positive Psychology, Workplace Culture, and Building Effective Teams, and has a Masters level education in Applied Positive Psychology & Coaching Psychology. He co-founded Flourish Veterinary Consulting LLC to bring the knowledge he's obtained to life.

This episode was recorded live at IVECCS 2023. Use discount code VetVault2023 for a 35% discount when you become a VECCS member before May 2024, and join us at IVECCS 2024!

Topic list:

05:06 - The Impact of Culture on Well-being
05:31 - The Four Pillars of Energetic Leadership
06:10 - The Challenges of Veterinary Leadership
07:05 - The Types of Clients Seeking Help
08:04 - The Most Challenging Aspects Post-COVID
10:34 - The Importance of Personal Well-being for Leaders
13:35 - Empowering Teams for Personal Well-being
18:16 - Practical Ways to Empower Team Members
20:22 - The Challenges of Rapid Growth and Team Expansion
24:37 - Addressing Psychological Health and Safety
27:08 - The Resistance to New Workplace Norms
29:12 - The Importance of Psychological Safety
32:19 - Cultural Architecture and Unintended Consequences
35:28 - The Importance of Clarity in Leadership
38:45 - Key Takeaways from the IVECCS Session

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠⁠⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

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Whether you're still calling it HGE, or you're getting used to saying AHDS, it's likely that haemorrhagic diarrhoea is one of the more serious and most common GI conditions that you treat in companion animal veterinary practice. But are you treating it the right way? And how can you even be sure that your severe GI case 'just' has the HGE/AHD syndrome, and not some other serious disease?

If you've ever asked yourself these, or any other questions about this condition, then this conversation with Prof Caroline Mansfield will answer your questions and get you up to speed with everything you need to know in 2024 about haemorrhagic diarrhoea. (Spoiler alert - they DON'T need antibiotics!)

Prof Caroline Mansfield is a board Certified Specialist in Companion Animal Internal Medicine whose research is focussed on enteropathies in dogs, the endocrine and exocrine pancreas, and the interaction between the gut microbiome and metabolic health and disease in dogs and cats. She’s had an illustrious career that includes her previous role as the Head of  Small Animal Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Director of Clinical Research. She’s the current editor of the Australian Veterinary Practitioner Journal, and has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers plus multiple textbook chapters and conference presentations. 

This episode is a condensed version or our full episode on the topic from our clinical podcast series, where we've tried to capture some of the key takeaways that we feel every practitioner should be aware of. For the full episode, the show notes, access to a library of more than 450 other clinical continuing education podcasts, two fresh episodes per week, and access to our members-only community spaces, join our Vet Vault Nerds at vvn.supercast.com.

The last time we had Sam Bowden on the podcast, all everyone in the veterinary profession could think about was: 'too much work, not enough workers!' But 2023 saw some changes. The deluge of work turned into a more reasonable stream, veterinary companies are looking twice at their bloated wage bills, and clinics are finally filling those vacancies. It’s a different landscape to be sure, and Sam Bowden is just the man to help us unpack and strategise, whether you’re freshly graduated and about to enter the job market, or a clinic owner who has to start working on attracting and keeping good clients.

Grab your limited seat at Sam’s members only AMG Marketing Mastery Event.

Book a call with Sam about joining the Accelerate Mastermind Group.

Dr Sam Bowden, with 15 years of veterinary practice experience and a track record of owning and expanding two practices, has spent the last 12 years assisting practice owners in achieving better work-life balance, profitability, and overall well-being. He's the founder of ⁠United Vets Group⁠, The Ultimate Veterinary Practice, Complete Vet Systems, More Vet Clients Websites, Accelerate Practice Academy, Accelerate Mastermind Group, Vet Business Manager Program, The Dental Academy and also the author of The Abundant Practice.  Sam’s teaching focusses heavily on mindset combined with practical strategies to allow practice owners and teams to reach their full potential.

In this episode, we explore the changes in the veterinary profession in 2024 compared to a year ago, including what Sam calls the 'profitless boom.' Sam shares data with us on what our clients value, and some practical ways that we can deliver it in way that is financially and emotionally sustainable. We dig into how the veterinary job market is different now compared to a year ago, and how it might change over the next year or two as we discuss the question: have we become entitled?!

Topic list:

06:30 Changes in the vet profession.

07:54 Sam's advice for vet students.

23:50 Do we still have too many clients and not enough vets?

27:11 Clinic retail sales have gone down - what's the impact?

31:38 Do cheap retailers erode trust of veterinary clinics?

36:13 Are wages going to stay up?

37:43 The shift towards service orientation in veterinary practice.

39:09 Better service and changing the model of service increases price elasticity.

41:18 The role of pet insurance and wellness plans.

44:09 Why you should have a business mindset and a positive mindset in vet practice.

55:16 Sam's thoughts on social media as tool for business and as a vet.

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week. ⁠

This episode is available as a video podcast on Spotify.

Dr Gary Turnbull is a Director of The Lincoln Institute, a coach, speaker and facilitator in the fields of veterinary practice management and leadership, veterinary business models and life balance strategies. He’s also a former practice owner with decades of clinical vetting and leadership experience under his belt. Through his work at The Lincoln Institute, Gary helps practice owners and employees with "people problems”, team culture, staff engagement, productivity and profit. 

And it’s exactly the intersection between these things that I wanted to talk to Gary about: the seemingly opposing needs for  productivity and profit from a practice owner’s perspective with the desire of employed vets to have an engaged workplace with great culture. 

I love Gary’s role as a coach for both practice owners AND employed vets, because gives him some unique insights into topics like how team leaders can motivate productivity without the team feeling that it’s just more ways that the boss wants us to make them more money, how to productively give and receive feedback about productivity, why and how team leaders need to be crystal clear about their practice values, and for employed vets - how to approach that annual review and how to show value when you’re not the vet who bills the big surgeries. Gary also helps me with a guide to make those client money conversions a lot less anxiety-inducing, and I put his coaching skills around conflict situations to the test with the big question: how do you deal with that accusation of ‘all you care about is the money.’

Topic list:

11:25 The importance of leadership nuance and messaging.

19:48 How to set clear, supportive expectations for your team.

22:13 Always come back to standards of care over "purse protecting".

27:29 We need more data than an average transaction fee.

32:04 Keeping track of your bookings and reframing how we view our care recommendations.

40:04 Remembering that people prioritise their pet differently within their family unit.

47:33 The 6 steps that you should make a habit in the consult room.

59:13 Shifting the focus away from money.

63:27 Practice makes perfect (or makes us more comfortable).

70:11 How a client viewing what happens behind the scenes can change their perception of fees.

74:01 Gary's favourite podcasts.

74:28 Gary's one piece of advice for new grad vets.

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our ⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.

Petition to protect Aussie Vets' access to compounded veterinary medicines for emergency use.

This episode is available as a video podcast on Spotify.

In this episode, Dr Zoe Lenard shares with us the importance of continuous learning for a fulfilling veterinary career, both in technical and non-technical aspects. She discusses adult learning, the pitfalls of perfectionism, and the impact these have on personal growth.

Dr Zoe Lenard is a dynamic radiologist with a passion for connection and excellence. Her big-picture goal is to promote a culture of high-performing, sustainable veterinary teams. She works as a clinical radiologist, business owner, and teacher, in referral practice at Animalius in Perth, Western Australia. She is an adjunct professor in Radiology at City University Hong Kong, and has a wealth of experience teaching graduate veterinarians, both through GP education and in resident training.

But Zoe's interests go beyond radiology; she's also the inaugural Chair of the Sustainable Practice Committee of the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council, a role that aims to promote high-performing, sustainable veterinary teams.

In this conversation, Zoe explains her work and how the committee supports professional growth within the veterinary ecosystem in Australia, and how the boards are working to change the perception that they are there just to police us. We discuss the current state of continuing education: how we measure it, it's efficacy, and what could be changing in the field of CPD, including the regulation of veterinary nurses in Australia.

Topic list:

5:17 No one actively makes a bad decision.

10:24 If you stop learning, life becomes boring.

21:59 Where does the Sustainable Practice Committee fit into Aus Vet science?

30:48 Zoe's hopes for future CPD.

46:28 Practical tips for being an engaged practitioner.

53:42 Regulation of the veterinarian nurses and why it's important.

64:05 What Zoe would like to say as the representative of the boards.

66:07 Zoe's favourite books.

69:00 Zoe's one piece of advice to new grad vets.

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our ⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.

For updates about the work of the SPC and its projects (including CPD), check the AVBC website.

Or follow AVBC on LinkedIn.

Regina Carey is a coach, public speaker and special educator who works to help drive change within the veterinary and human healthcare professions. But in this interview we focus on another aspect of her life: she’s married to a veterinarian, and therefore, by default, married to the veterinary profession. 

In this episode we explore what’s that like to be the significant other in the life of a vet, what it takes to support a vet career, and what our partners want us to know. Regina gives us the solution to making space in a relationship for two careers, especially when one of the careers can be particularly time and commitment hungry!

We also pick Regina’s coach brain with topics like invisible disabilities, the not-so obvious things that get in the way of becoming the best version of ourselves, like excessive competitiveness, the consequences of the language we use with ourselves, and how to draw a hard line with aggressive clients. But first, we start with a veterinary love story…

You can find Regina at her website, Queen Of Action and on LinkedIn.

Topic List:

04:22 Regina's experience being married to a vet.

12:53 You don't need to sacrifice everything to be a vet.

16:31 Making space for two careers in a relationship.

24:09 Regina's career before she delved into vet stuff.

28:15 Coaching people with invisible disabilities.

35:24 The link between competitiveness and a lack of self esteem.

40:08 Why are supportive relationships vital in the vet industry?

46:18 Holding space for a relationship or your partner as a vet.

48:15 How do you find the support systems?

51:48 How to disallow disrespect without being rude.

58:46 Regina's advice for the significant others of a vet.

62:25 Things that makes the vet industry uniquely challenging to a coach.

65:18 "How do you solve the gap between vets wanting more money for less work?"

70:27 Regina's favourite podcasts.

71:38 Regina's advice to new grad vets.

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our ⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.

Regina's podcast recommendations.

We can do hard things with Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach

The Hidden Brain an NPR podcast

Burnout by the Nagoski Sisters

What would you say are the biggest stumbling blocks to a joyful career in veterinary science?

The unfortunate reality is that there are many people in the veterinary profession who would not readily use 'joy' and 'work' in the same sentence. But Dr Russel Welsh wants to change that.

Dr Russel Welsh is  a veterinarian with over 23 years of experience and a passion for the vet profession and the role it plays in the lives of people and animals. He’s worked in multiple sectors of the veterinary industry, including clinically, operationally and in senior executive leadership positions. Some of his previous roles include first an employee and later a co-owner of Village Vet, a 33-site primary and referral care veterinary group in the London and Cambridge area. Russel facilitated the sale of this group first to private equity in 2017 and subsequently to the MARS group, where he stayed on first as Managing Director, then as COO and eventually in the role as Business Development Director at Linnaeus Veterinary Group.

This adventure has given him invaluable high-level insights into how our profession works (or sometimes DOESN'T work), so Russel recently resigned his position and took on a new challenge as Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Creature Comforts, a new VC funded veterinary start-up that aims to revolutionise the veterinary experience to make it seamless, joyful, fair and transparent by combining bespoke-built tech and world-class designer clinics.

In this conversation we cover how to step outside of your comfort zone to gain the knowledge and confidence needed to take on BIG challenges, and Russel shares some fascinating insights into the world of Big Veterinary Business. We talk about what’s good about corporate, what’s bad, and how Russel and his team are planning to take the best of it to create a model of veterinary practice that breaks the mould that says you can’t use 'joy' and 'work' in the same sentence. 

Topics covered:

07:12 The Journey from Student to CEO

08:38 The Role of Technology in Modern Veterinary Practice

12:18 The Impact of Corporate Structures on Veterinary Practice

15:53 The Launch of Creature Comforts: A New Approach to Veterinary Practice

18:31 The Vision for Creature Comforts: Reinventing the Veterinary Experience

20:53 The Challenges and Opportunities of Corporate Veterinary Practice

24:13 The Future of Creature Comforts: A Vision for Growth and Innovation

38:14 Changing Access to Veterinary Care

39:34 Focus On Client Relationships

40:33 The Role of Technology in Veterinary Practice

44:18 Is The Staffing Crisis Over?

53:40 Joy Killers in Veterinary Practice

01:10:09 Russel’s One Bit of Advice for New Veterinary Graduates

Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get help with your cases in our Specialist Support Space.

V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.

Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.