More pet owners are asking an AI agent before they call the clinic.

They’re walking into the exam room with AI-generated ideas, possible causes, treatment questions, and sometimes a pretty strong opinion about what should happen next.

So how should veterinary teams respond?

In this 501st weekly episode of The Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk about what happens when AI becomes part of the client conversation. Not as a replacement for veterinary care, but as a new starting point for questions, concerns, and expectations.

The goal isn’t to shut clients down. It’s to keep them engaged, acknowledge their curiosity, and bring the conversation back to the pet in front of you, the physical exam, and trusted clinical judgment. Our hosts walk through the various responses many vet teams give and explain what may be the best communication approach to this potentially prickly situation in today’s clinics.

While AI can provide clients with information, it’s up to veterinary teams to put that information in context.

As Dr. Ward advises, “Be what an AI never can: be present, conduct a hands-on examination, and remain accountable to this patient in this room at this time. Let the client keep her curiosity. Just make sure she leaves knowing the difference between a search result and a diagnosis.”

#VeterinaryMedicine #VetMed #VeterinaryPodcast #ClientCommunication #AIinVetMed

For 500 consecutive weeks, The Veterinary Viewfinder has shown up for the conversations veterinary medicine needs, from team dynamics and credentialed technician advocacy to urgent care, leadership, burnout, workplace culture, and the profession’s toughest debates.

In this milestone episode, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, reflect on nearly a decade of weekly podcasting without missing a single week. They look back at how the show began, why the veterinarian-and-technician perspective has shaped its voice, and what 500 straight weeks have taught them about consistency, respectful disagreement, psychological safety, and professional progress.

This episode is both a celebration and a reminder. Veterinary medicine moves forward when people are willing to listen, challenge assumptions, and keep difficult conversations going.

Whether you’re a veterinarian, credentialed technician, practice manager, assistant, CSR, or industry leader, this milestone episode offers a thoughtful look at where the profession has been, what still feels stuck, and why showing up still matters.

#VeterinaryViewfinder

#VeterinaryPodcast

#VetMed

#VeterinaryTeams

#VetTechLife

When was the last time you felt truly appreciated at work?

This week on the Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, are joined by Josh “Mexico Joe” Vaisman, MAPPCP (PgD), CCFP, Lead Positive Change Agent, author of Lead to Thrive: The Science of Crafting a Positive Veterinary Culture, and founder of the Flourish Academy.

Together, they ask whether veterinary medicine took the “love languages” idea too far in workplace culture. Not because appreciation doesn’t matter, but because a survey, checklist, or favorite “language” can’t replace real human connection.

Josh explains what recent research suggests about love languages, why appreciation has to be personal and situational, and how small, consistent actions often matter more than big gestures. From noticing when a teammate is overwhelmed, to saying thank you with impact, to repairing after conflict, this episode offers a more practical way to help veterinary teams feel seen, valued, and needed.

Because appreciation isn’t a box to check. It’s a relationship to build.

Pride Month gives veterinary teams a chance to celebrate LGBTQ+ colleagues and clients, but real allyship has to continue long after June. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk with Stephanie Goss, CEO of PrideVMC, about how veterinary practices can move beyond rainbow stickers and build support into everyday clinic culture.

Stephanie shares her path to and through veterinary medicine, the work of PrideVMC, and why visibility, community, mentorship, and leadership opportunities matter for LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals.

The conversation focuses on practical steps every clinic can take: normalizing pronouns without forcing anyone to disclose, reviewing forms for assumptions about gender and family structure, practicing respectful introductions, and creating a workplace where people feel safe speaking up when something goes wrong.

This episode is for veterinarians, technicians, CSRs, managers, and practice owners who want to show up better. Allyship doesn’t have to be perfect. It does have to be consistent, respectful, and year-round.

Links:

Allyship Resources: https://pridevmc.org/allyship-resources/

Gender Diversity Guide: https://pridevmc.org/gender-diversity-guide/

Gender Identity Bill of Rights: https://gibor.pridevmc.org/

Virtual First Aid Kit: https://pridevmc.org/firstaid/

#VeterinaryMedicine

#VetMed

#PrideVMC

#LGBTQVetMed

#VeterinaryLeadership

America’s 250th birthday is not shaping up to be a typical one-night July 4th celebration. With fireworks and community events expected to stretch across July 3, 4, and 5 (and expect some noise even earlier), Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, are urging veterinary teams to prepare now for an extra-long, extra-loud holiday weekend.

This episode focuses on what clinics can do before the booms begin: check medication inventory, reach out to clients early about noise-aversion plans, remind pet owners not to wait until the last minute, and prepare for closed clinics, overwhelmed ERs, and staffing challenges.

Ernie and Beckie also discuss holiday risks beyond fireworks, including lost pets, outdated microchip information, travel stress, barbecue hazards, cannabis exposure, and pets in unfamiliar vacation environments.

It’s a timely reminder that this year’s July 4th isn’t just July 4, and vet teams can help clients, patients, and colleagues avoid preventable chaos.

#VeterinaryMedicine

#VetMed

#VetTechLife

#FireworksSafety

#July4thPetSafety

What does it mean to be a veterinarian, a credentialed veterinary technician, an assistant, or a new role entering the clinical space?

In this episode, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, dig into veterinary medicine’s identity problem: how comparisons to human medicine, unclear titles, internal hierarchies, and emerging roles like Colorado’s veterinary professional associate (VPA) can shape how teams see themselves and each other.

They talk candidly about why “more than” or “less than” language can create competition rather than confidence, how that trickles down through the clinic, and why role clarity matters for morale, collaboration, and long-term career satisfaction.

This conversation is especially relevant for veterinarians, vet techs, assistants, practice managers, and anyone navigating scope-of-practice debates or changing team structures.

Ernie and Beckie make the case for being proud of your role without needing to compare it to someone else’s, and for building clinic cultures where every team member understands their value.

#VeterinaryMedicine#VetMed#VetTechLife#VeterinaryTeams#VetMedLeadership

After-hours and urgent care have changed dramatically in veterinary medicine, but the system still has serious gaps. In this episode, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, look at what happens when pet owners need help after hours, and there’s nowhere realistic to send them.

The conversation starts with the old model of pagers, late-night calls, and general practices carrying emergency responsibility. Then it moves into today’s urgent care boom, the difference between true urgent care and walk-in sick visits, and the strain this puts on veterinary teams.

But this episode also widens the lens beyond dogs and cats. Horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, birds, and other companion animals are often left with even fewer options, especially when emergencies happen outside normal clinic hours.

Ernie and Beckie talk honestly about sustainability, affordability, team burnout, and why expanding care may be both a challenge and an opportunity for the profession.

#VeterinaryMedicine

#VetMed

#VeterinaryUrgentCare

#AfterHoursVetCare

#VeterinaryViewfinder

This week on the Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk with Michelle Crew, a credentialed LVT and the entrepreneur behind The Mobile Vet Tech, about building a career outside the traditional clinic setting.

After losing what she thought was her “unicorn job” during COVID, Michelle began offering in-home services such as nail trims and anal gland expression, and found a new way to support pets, clients, and other veterinary professionals.

Michelle shares what she has learned about starting slowly, setting client boundaries, staying safe on house calls, protecting mental health, and redefining what it means to work “at the top of your license.”

The conversation also highlights her work helping other veterinary technicians through TikTok, The Unattached Facebook group, and Endless Journeys: The Vet Tech Odyssey Podcast.

For vet techs, assistants, practice managers, and veterinarians, this episode offers a practical, encouraging look at entrepreneurship, alternative career paths, and the many ways credentialed professionals can make an impact.

#VeterinaryMedicine

#VetTechLife

#CredentialedVetTech

#MobileVetTech

#VeterinaryViewfinder

In this episode of The Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, use the current Hantavirus conversation as a jumping-off point for a bigger issue affecting every veterinary team: public trust in science.

This is not a panic episode, and it is not about predicting another COVID. Instead, it is a practical conversation about science skepticism, vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and what all of that may mean for veterinary medicine going forward.

Ernie and Beckie talk through how fear spreads, why social media noise often drowns out calm expert guidance, and why veterinary professionals may increasingly find themselves answering client questions tied to public health, animals, and trust. They also explore the role of vet teams as credible, steady voices in a confusing information landscape.

If you work in a vet clinic, this episode will help you think about client communication, One Health awareness, and how to respond when public uncertainty spills into everyday veterinary practice.

#VeterinaryMedicine #VetMed #VeterinaryViewfinder #ScienceCommunication #VaccineHesitancy

Missed charges happen in every veterinary practice, but what happens next says a lot about clinic culture.

In this episode, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, take on the uncomfortable reality of billing mistakes: forgotten charges, wrong invoice items, inventory mix-ups, and the dreaded follow-up call to a client.

They discuss why missed charges often turn into blame, especially for technicians, CSRs, and support staff, and how clinics can handle these mistakes without creating fear or finger-pointing.

Beckie emphasizes the role of psychological safety, while Ernie shares how written policies, clear thresholds, and manager-led client communication helped his teams manage billing errors more fairly.

The episode offers practical takeaways for owners, managers, veterinarians, techs, and front-desk teams: make charges easier to enter correctly, define when the clinic absorbs small errors, decide who contacts the client, and stop treating normal human mistakes like personal failures.

#VeterinaryMedicine

#VetTechLife

#VeterinaryPracticeManagement

#VetMedLeadership

#VeterinaryViewfinder