Veterinary Voices

Recovery continues months after Hurricane Helene

Three weeks after Hurricane Helene blew through, Dr. Otto Sharp stood outside the animal hospital he owns in western North Carolina, flanked by his staff. Situated near the Swannanoa River, the clinic's fence and landscaping had been swept away and its foundation damaged. Brown water and mud had oozed under the door into the reception area.

But Sharp wasn't there to lament their lot. Instead, he read a statement he'd prepared in advance, not wanting to wing such an important moment. In it, he expressed pride in his team, who, for three weeks after the disaster, volunteered their time to provide free medical care to affected animals, even as many had, themselves, sustained flood or landslide damage to their homes.

This story was published on March 26, 2025.

Veterinarians in Spain strike over restrictions on antibiotics

Veterinarians across Spain walked off the job on March 26 to protest a new national law that limits their use of antibiotics, in a sign that global efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance — while broadly supported by the veterinary community — can face pushback if considered overly restrictive.

The two-hour demonstration comes at an already challenging time for Spain's veterinary profession, which is grappling with a separate animal welfare law that, among other things, appears to prohibit practitioners from euthanizing animals when owners can't afford treatment.

This story was published on March 24, 2025.

Veterinary exam squeaker spotlights statistical calculation

The 79.4% national veterinary licensing exam pass rate achieved by the second-ever class of the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine falls just short of the minimum 80% specified in accreditation standards for veterinary schools in the United States.

But the subpar test performance isn't the setback it might seem.

This story was published on March 17, 2025.

Can a dog's saliva really reveal its age?

Suppose someone said they could tell the age of your dog from its slobber. Would you believe it or dismiss it as hocus-pocus?

Several vendors of at-home genetic test kits make exactly that promise. Curious whether it's true, and if so, how the technique works, the VIN News Service put one of the tests to the test.

This story was published on March 10, 2025.

Tuskegee lays off 10 veterinary school faculty and staff

Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine in Alabama has laid off 10 employees during what its dean described as a "challenging time."

The university confirmed the layoffs on February 27 after being contacted by a local television news station that had heard directly from employees about being let go with little notice.

This story was published on March 4, 2025.

US student debt repayment plans steeped in uncertainty

Significant options for American borrowers managing repayment of federal student loans are in limbo following a court decision that led the U.S. Department of Education to pause activity on all income-driven repayment plans.

In these plans, a borrower's monthly payment is keyed to their income, regardless of the size of their debt. The plans especially are helpful to those whose debt is disproportionate to their incomes — such is the case for many veterinarians.

To better understand the latest developments, the VIN News Service talked with Tony Bartels, a veterinarian and the debt education director for VIN and its charitable counterpart, the VIN Foundation.

The article on which this episode is based was published on March 6, 2025.

Show notes:

• Blog post: All IDR applications for student loans are paused — now what?
• VIN Foundation Student Debt Center

North Carolina veterinarians must report dispensing gabapentin

Starting March 1, 2025, veterinarians in North Carolina are required to report when they dispense the drug gabapentin in quantities greater than a 48-hour supply.

This reporting date for veterinarians was established in a law passed in 2023 as part of an effort to reduce harmful interactions of gabapentin and opioids in people. Pharmacies were required to report on gabapentin starting in 2024.

This story was published on Feb. 26, 2025.

Pet microchip woes crop up in Australia

As veterinarians grapple with the unannounced closure of a pet microchip company in the United States, one in Australia also has mysteriously gone to ground, further testing confidence in tracking systems meant to help owners reunite with lost pets.

This story was published on Feb. 24, 2025.

Veterinarians entangled in effort to shrink federal workforce

A computer glitch felt ominous to a federal veterinarian in mid-February. "I was having trouble logging on to work," she recalled. She clenched up, asking herself, "Is this it?" The "it" was being fired without notice from a job she loves.

This story was published on Feb. 21, 2025.

NAVLE pass rates ticked up in 2024, stemming slide

After three straight years of decline, the percentage of students who passed the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination notched up in 2024 to 88%, albeit still significantly below the 2020 pass rate of 95%.

This story was published on Feb. 19, 2025.