This week on Vet Voices On Air, Robyn talks with Professor Dan O’Neill (Royal Veterinary College, VetCompass) about a powerful new way of thinking: innate health.

Rather than asking “Does my dog have a disease?”, innate health asks:👉 “Can my dog actually live the full life a dog should — breathe easily, run, blink, sleep, wag, communicate and enjoy life without pain or struggle?”

Dan explains how extreme conformations — like very flat faces, bulging eyes, deep skin folds, twisted legs or missing tails — can limit those basic abilities, even before disease appears.

He also shares data from VetCompass, showing how some breeds with extreme features have shorter average lifespans. And together, we explore why public education alone hasn’t shifted buying habits, how “cute” can cloud our judgement, and how we can move toward healthier, more functional dogs without losing breed identity.

What we discuss:

✅What “innate health” means and why it changes the conversation

✅Evidence on lifespan and welfare from thousands of dogs

✅The difference between healthy variety and harmful extremes

✅How owners, vets and breeders can all play a role in change

✅Why compassion and reflection work better than blame

Our goal? To make “healthy the new cute.”

Bonus episode: The revamped Rabbit Friendly Practice Scheme — and how to get featured where owners look first

On Vet Voices on Air, Robyn chats with John Chitty (Advisor, Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund) about the biggest overhaul of the Rabbit Friendly Practice Scheme since it began — plus how practices can appear in the Trusted Rabbit Friendly Vet Directory that rabbit owners actively use to find care.

Join us for a hard-hitting episode with Dr John Tulloch, Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health and RCVS Specialist, as we unpack a critical but often overlooked topic: workplace injury in the veterinary profession.

We’ll cover:

• How the profession defines a workplace injury and the legal/occupational framework behind it

• Patterns and risks of injury in equine and farm veterinarians, based on recent field research

• Common hazards and incidents in veterinary teaching hospitals and clinics, from sharps injuries to animal handling accidents

• Practical steps clinics and individual veterinarians can take to reduce risk and foster safer working environments
  

If you’ve ever wondered what “occupational health” really means for veterinary workers, or if you're concerned about safety in your workplace, this episode is for you.

Nutrition Case Files with Charley Gray
GP vet Charley Gray joins Robyn to share powerful real-life cases where asking “What does your pet eat?” unlocked the diagnosis. From skin disease to seizures, we explore how curiosity, open dialogue, and non-judgmental nutrition discussions can transform outcomes in practice

In veterinary medicine, it's easy to place immense pressure on ourselves to succeed. We often feel we must juggle everything—clinical work, home life, exams, further education, side projects, and more. But this constant balancing act can lead to stress, dissatisfaction, and feelings of inadequacy. Imposter syndrome becomes a quiet companion. But does it have to be this way?

In this conversation, Jamie McClement BVSc MSc CertSAS FRSB FRCVS shares his journey from general practice to referral vetting. Initially, Jamie was determined to keep a hand in every area of veterinary work. But over time, he came to realise that trying to do it all wasn’t sustainable—or beneficial. Instead, he discovered that narrowing his focus wasn’t a failure, but a way to deliver better care and make the most of his skills.

Reflecting on this transition, Jamie explains:

“Because if you try to do everything, especially things that you're not massively good at, it just gets really, quite, quite stressful, and you don't really enjoy it so much.”

In typical Jamie fashion, even moments of serious insight come with a touch of humour. He recalls a conversation that unexpectedly shaped his thinking:

“One of my uncles actually was speaking about this with me. He just said something so dull—he said that what he does is, he has like a five-year plan. Every five years he sits down with his wife and works out what they want to do, what their goals are. And I thought, that is just the most boring thing I've ever heard.

And then I realised—I was drifting. He’d had a really successful career. And actually, it turned out to be one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received. It gives you focus. It makes you stop and ask, ‘What do I actually want to do?’”

We also explore how critical interpretation of clinical literature is a skill that many in the profession don’t develop until much later in their careers—something that could be introduced and nurtured much earlier.

Another key topic we discuss is the evolution of the veterinary nursing profession. Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) are attaining advanced qualifications and training, yet many report that their workplaces aren't adapting fast enough to fully utilise their skills. This lack of opportunity can lead to deep frustration and career stagnation.

They reflect on the missed potential; There’s a real sense of disillusionment among RVNs who’ve undertaken higher education, only to return to roles where nothing has changed. It’s demoralising to invest so much in your development, only to find your scope hasn’t expanded.

This conversation is a timely reminder: Progression doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes, it means doing less—but doing it better. And importantly, it means creating space for others in the profession to grow, thrive, and feel valued.

Join us this week for a very topical and important subject: discussion of discrimination within the veterinary community and what we can do to minimize this, with Robyn Lowe and co-founder of the British Ethnicity and Diversity Society, Navaratnam Partheeban (Theeb).

In this insightful podcast we discuss how change starts with us, how each of us have the power to help build a more just, welcoming and diverse profession and wider community.

We talk about how this doesn’t mean knowing all the answers or most appropriate terminology all the time, instead it is about open mindedness, having conversations to understand and empower individuals who experience discriminative behaviour. It’s about supporting an individual in the way they would like it to be supported. Everyone is different and will identify differently, so if you aren’t sure how best to support them, then respectfully, ask them!

Theeb shares his daily awareness of potential prejudice or discrimination that may threaten him or his family and how he can’t shake the habit of needing to be a “good immigrant.”

 We touch on how to handle clients who show prejudice. Firstly, if you see it, how do we call it out and recognise it or what it is. We talk about how different leadership styles can have a hugeimpact on how a staff member feels following being exposed to prejudice remarks or discriminative behaviour.

So, give it a listen, we promise it’s a good one!

Some useful links for further support and information:

·     Join the National Farmers’ Union, the BritishVeterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society and Culture Roots Collective as wecontinue our mission to create an ethnically diverse, thriving agriculturesector that represents the national population, fosters belonging and harnessesthe power of diverse thought and experience: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/agrifuture-forum-tickets-1468957705039?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobile&fbclid=IwdGRjcAMmcLNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrAhKgEQx5hDkC7EMJnCZQlvsnTIKOUnz9vBewUm-e59DvPXi1LlnpKbcEnH_aem_NjbWSKBWktWxDuT_nCbSng

·     The Good Immigrant is a book of 21 essays byBAME writers, described by Sandeep Parmar in The Guardian as "anunflinching dialogue about race and racism in the UK.”

·     British Veterinary Ethinicity and Diversity Society- British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society | BVEDS https://share.google/SV36sRCgjgwk8jk7E

·     Home | BVLGBT+ https://share.google/5gAcV9liNIxQ1DNnF

·     British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support https://share.google/ijtIn1HmpJ09Q9j6M

Wildlife species in the UK are vast, and they often have to live in synergy with the expanding urbanisation and in harmony with humans. But sometimes, they get into trouble (and it's often the humans fault!).

What do we do when we find a sick or injured wild animal?! Join us as we speak to wildlife vet, Emily Llewellyn, as we investigate wildlife vetting in the UK. 

What are the barriers, legislation, obligations and considerations we take into account when presented with poorly wildlife? What constitutes as first aid, and as veterinary professionals, rehabbers and members of the public, what are the do's and do nots of supportive care and first aid when we find something in need of help?

We learn about what is, and is not treatable. What are the most common casualties? How do we handle the prickly, the bitey and the ferocious? And are they any hidden dangers - like zoonotic disease, bacteria and viruses? How do we protect ourselves whilst still helping out these little (or big) animals? 

Wildlife can be a contentious subject (and we won't allow any disparaging comments, only helpful comments), and one with lots of opinions and passionate individuals who have the best interests of wildlife at heart.

We learn how general practice teams can up-skill and learn to be confident in first aid provision and encourage practices to make links with wildlife hospitals for individual support; we learn how the public can be more understanding that not everything is treatable and just how much veterinary teams and rehabbers need to consider (such as long term prognosis) before we decide to treat and rehabilitate, and we learn how wildlife rehabbers can improve their protocols to increase antimicrobial stewardship. 

Who are we going to call? Not ghost busters! Here are some useful websites to help direct you. 

https://www.bwrc.org.uk

/https://directory.helpwildlife.co.uk

/https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/injured

There are also some resources on wildvet_in_the_forest

https://www.instagram.com/wildvet_in_the_forest?igsh=MXB1NWhmdXB5a2t3eA==

Are you a vet or RVN who wants to increase your confidence? Each year Stapeley Grange and the team arrange a number of wildlife courses which provides training and CPD opportunities for wildlife rehabilitators, vets and vet nurses. Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre - Education - rspca.org.uk - RSPCA 

https://share.google/4ClwLaHfdCg10BnIA

Have you ever felt yourself falter? A stumble in your career where you felt like there was no 'next step' forward and you felt lost? Many veterinary professionals have worked towards a clear goal, to work in veterinary medicine. So, it can be disconcerting when you find yourself unhappy in your role and unsure of what to do next. 

In this conversation we discuss how you can work through these tough decisions by talking to someone, who may be able to give you support in those next steps. 

Tune in to the positivity vet nurse for her take on this.

For more information, please see:

https://thepositivevetnurse.com/

Time for some invertebrate insight from creep crawly vet, Agata Witkowska BVM BVS BVMedSci CertAVP(ZooMed) GPCert(Endo) MRCVS in conversation with our very own Robyn Lowe.

We discuss how over the past decade, knowledge about invertebrate husbandry and medical care as grown and its dissemination helped hugely by the internet. Yet the internet may be a double-edged sword with misinformation also circulating, making it very easy for owners to receive conflicting and incorrect information and for invertebrates to be bought at the click of a button without proper knowledge and understanding o heir husbandry needs and the cost and commitment of owning them responsibly.

Do we as veterinary professionals have a duty of care to direct our clients to good sources of knowledge, to educate ourselves on invertebrate first aid and euthanasia techniques?

Agata shares her passion for creepy crawlies and how special the animal human bond can be with them, despite sadly many people dismissing them as being non-sentient beings or disposable. She highlights the fear of judgement some keepers, or owners of invertebrates may feel in expressing this bond.

We talk about how many of us have fears surrounding handling these creatures, and how best to overcome these feelings, recognizing than some species may cause irritation when handling them and how exposure and knowledge about the species may be helpful to some.

Listen in to hear what common issues Agata encounters in her role and her recommendations for improving invertebrate veterinary care including Carpenters formulary and Invertebrate Medicine by Lewbart.

Is civility just as simple as ‘being nice’ to people?

Join us in the episode with Dan Tipney, from VetLed, to investigate about incivility, perceptions, non violent communication and how we can improve team mental health and patient outcome