VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we chat with Kate McLaughlin, CVT, VTS (IM-Cardiology), about the journey to becoming a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Internal Medicine. Learn key application requirements, case log tips, credential maintenance, and exciting career opportunities for vet techs.

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we review a 2025 study evaluating transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) for canine myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Given the high incidence of MMVD in dogs, and the high degree of morbidity and mortality it can cause, efforts continue to focus on treatment strategies that can both delay the onset of symptomatic disease and prolong the overall survival of dogs who do develop clinical congestive heart failure (CHF).  Tune in to learn more!

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we’re exploring a scenario that comes up during staging of canine liver tumors: you identify one large hepatic mass, but then you also find a few smaller ones elsewhere in the liver. What should we make of those additional lesions? To help us better understand that gray area, we’re reviewing the findings of Burkhardt et al. in a 2025 article entitled, “In dogs with primary liver tumors, additional liver masses identified on preoperative imaging or surgical exploration are most often benign.” And spoiler alert, the title gives away some pretty reassuring news, but it’s worth diving deeper.

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we chat with Kelly Cronin, credentialed veterinary technician, VTS (ECC), MBA, about leveraging virtual assistants and AI to boost efficiency in veterinary practice. We explore how tools like AI transcription and remote team members can streamline workflows, address fears of job replacement, and create new remote opportunities for veterinary technicians.

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, Drs. Andy Moorhead and Tom Nelson from the American Heartworm Society address questions practitioners frequently pose about treating heartworm cases when following every step of the AHS-recommended diagnostic and treatment protocol isn’t possible. Whether the issue is money, a hard-to-wrangle dog or a previous caretaker who opted for an alternative approach, there are multiple reasons why compromises must sometimes be made in the treatment and care plan for a heartworm-positive dog.

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast,  Dr. Mark Cousins debunks the “indoor cat safety” myth. Indoor felines face silent parasite risks: hitchhiking fleas, shoe-borne roundworm eggs, and mosquitoes carrying fatal heartworms. Because cats lack approved heartworm treatments, year-round preventive care is vital. Vets must educate hesitant owners, reframing protection as a baseline of indoor feline wellness.

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we’re talking about the new veterinary sepsis definitions. Having clear definitions is crucial in making sure we’re talking about the same type and severity of disease. Until now, our veterinary sepsis definitions have been largely adapted from human medicine. But let’s be honest, our patients who have a talent for hiding illness don’t always follow the same rules as humans. Having veterinary-specific definitions gives researchers a more consistent way to compare patients and studies, while giving clinicians a stronger foundation for recognizing sepsis, assessing illness severity, and shaping both today and tomorrow’s treatment recommendations.

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we focus on an often forgotten, but still vital, electrolyte in the management of congestive heart failure (CHF): chloride.  Sodium and potassium tend to steal the electrolyte spotlight, while chloride is over there quietly waiting for someone to notice. But perhaps that is about to change…To help us better appreciate the importance of chloride’s role in our felines with congestive heart failure, we will be reviewing a 2025 article by Lavigne et al. entitled, “Hypochloremia is negatively associated with outcomes in cats with stable congestive heart failure.”

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we focus on an often forgotten, but still vital, electrolyte in the management of congestive heart failure (CHF): chloride.  Sodium and potassium tend to steal the electrolyte spotlight, while chloride is over there quietly waiting for someone to notice. But perhaps that is about to change…To help us better appreciate the importance of chloride’s role in our canines with congestive heart failure, we will be reviewing a 2025 article by DeProspero et al. entitled, “Moderate to severe hypochloremia is associated with shortened survival in dogs with stable congestive heart failure.”

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we speak with two veterinary technicians about pet insurance: Tina T. Kapeyama, RVT, Veterinary Sales Representative with ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance Program, PTZ Insurance Agency Ltd., part of the Independence Pet Group ® Family and Jaclyn Carrington, CVT, Senior Product Underwriting Specialist with Independence American Insurance Company. Discover how veterinary teams can discuss coverage options with clients, overcome financial barriers, and leverage pet insurance to deliver optimal veterinary care. Tune in to hear more about this unique veterinary technician career path and learn how it can help more pets!