Vet Sessions

One of Canada's Most Powerful Women, Dr. Heather Murphy, speaks with Dr. Tiffany Durzi about her career and research in water pathogens. With a PhD in environmental engineering and years of experience with UNICEF and Temple University under her belt, Dr. Murphy joined OVC in the department of Pathobiology with a passion for One health. Listen in as she shares her insight on waterborne diseases and what makes a good mentor!

Tune in as Dr. Shannon Gowland and Dr. Melissa Horne discuss the importance of inclusivity and communication. Dr. Horne is the Advisor of Organizational Culture at OVC. Dr. Horne is an expert in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and holds a PhD in Modern U.S. and African American History from Rutgers University. In this episode, Dr. Horne shares her insight on how inclusive communication can be integrated into a veterinary practice to allow all clients and team members to feel welcome, heard and valued. Effective communication with clients, colleagues, and students is essential to ensuring positive patient outcomes and fostering strong, collaborative relationships.

In episode 2 of season 6 Dr. Omar Khan welcomes Dr. Emily Brouwer for her first Vet Sessions appearance and returning guest Dr. Shane Bateman. Dr. Brouwer and Bateman describe their new veterinary forensics rotation, now offered at OVC for fourth year DVM students. As well as explaining how their paths lead them to veterinary forensics work, what this entails day-to-day, and how they can offer support to veterinarians navigating difficult animal welfare cases.

Welcome to Season 6 of Vet Sessions! To start off the new season we are welcoming our new dean, Dr. Julia Montgomery! Listen in to the conversation as Dr. Tiffany Durzi welcomes Dean Montgomery to Vet Sessions and OVC! Dr. Montgomery started her 5 year term as OVC's 12th dean as of June 15, 2026. In this episode she shares her journey to OVC and her plans in the years to come.

Dr. Matt Kornya and Dr. Shannon Gowland continue their conversation on chronic kidney disease management. Answering the questions: what to do, when to do it, and why it matters within the IRIS stages! Be sure to listen to the previous episode before tuning in for part 2!

Dr. Matt Kornya joins Dr. Shannon Gowland to discuss everything chronic kidney disease! We are happy to have Dr. Kornya return to Vet Sessions for this two part conversation exploring CKD diagnostic markers, IRIS Guidelines, and management strategies. After listening to Dr. Kornya share his expertise, you will feel more confident navigating your next CKD case! Stay tuned for part 2!

Dr. Sarah Baert joins us this episode to talk about lab animal medicine and what animal welfare means in the veterinary world. Dr. Baert is board certified by the American College of Animal Welfare, one of the newest veterinary specialties recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. She graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College and completed her Master of Science in Epidemiology before beginning her current role as a Clinical Research Veterinarian at University of Guelph Animal Care Services. Tune in as we discuss what animal welfare truly means, how it’s applied in research settings, and why it matters for both animals and the veterinary profession.

Happy Earth Month! This week we welcome back Katie Clow for a special Earth Month episode on a topic that affects every corner of veterinary medicine: climate change and animal health. Dr. Clow explores the profound impacts of climate change on our patients and communities, while sharing practical, meaningful actions veterinary professionals can take to make a difference. We also discuss the work of the Veterinary Sustainability Alliance, including the evidence-based Green Paw Program certification and the Pathways Program webinar series. All very achievable steps to help move our profession toward a more sustainable future!

Hello listeners! This week we’re excited to welcome OVC neurologist Dr. Alex Chan. Dr. Chan is an Associate Professor at the Ontario Veterinary College and earned his veterinary degree from the University of Sydney, Australia. His clinical interests include neurocritical care, neuroimaging, and neuromuscular diseases, and he is passionate about veterinary education, particularly working to reduce “neurophobia” within the profession. In this episode, Dr. Chan joins Dr. Durzi to discuss practical approaches to managing and treating status epilepticus and cluster seizures, sharing insights from both clinical practice and teaching. Thanks for tuning in - this episode will definitely help your neurology knowledge "synapse" into place.

Welcome back to Vet Sessions! In this episode, we’re joined by two members of the OVC Clinical Pet Nutrition team to explore the latest updates in feline and canine obesity. Dr. Hannah Godfrey, a post-doctoral fellow, and Shawna Morrow, who has been part of the OVC Pet Nutrition Team for five years and is currently completing her PhD on weight loss in dogs, share insights from emerging research and clinical practice. Tune in as we discuss new findings, practical strategies, and what these advances mean for improving the health and longevity of our companion animals. To learn more about ongoing clinical studies and updates from the OVC Pet Nutrition team, follow them on Instagram @ovcpetnutrition. We hope you enjoy listening!