Veterinary Voices

Colorado voters send veterinary profession in new direction

Creation of a midlevel practitioner role in veterinary medicine for the first time in the United States is all but certain following a historic "yes" vote in Colorado that could fundamentally reshape the profession in the state and inspire others to follow. 

This story was published on Nov. 7, 2024.

Clinical wildlife practice veterinary specialty proposed

In a world where humans are encroaching more deeply into other species' domains, wildlife's needs have become complicated. To meet those needs, the rehabilitation sphere requires more involvement from people trained in veterinary medicine, and more veterinarians need training in wildlife rehabilitation, according to proponents of establishing a veterinary specialty in clinical wildlife practice.

This story was published on Oct. 30, 2024.

Turkish veterinarians decry 'unconscionable' stray dog law

Veterinarians in Turkey are expressing unease about a harsh new law for managing the country's vast stray dog population, predicting it could see hordes of the animals either killed or left to rot in ill-equipped, overcrowded shelters.

This story was published on Oct. 14, 2024.

Colorado voters share views on midlevel veterinary role

In a big test of an idea that's causing consternation among many veterinarians, voters in Colorado are being asked to decide whether to create, for the first time in the United States, a role called a veterinary professional associate, or VPA.

This story was published on Oct. 24, 2024.

Walmart to open own-branded veterinary practices

Retailing giant Walmart has decided to start building own-branded veterinary practices inside its stores following the apparent success of a pilot clinic that opened last year on the outskirts of Atlanta.

This story was published on Oct. 10, 2024.

New hospitals in New Mexico bring 24/7 care to ER desert

Late last year, when relief emergency veterinarian Dr. Julia Donnelly sat down to plan her 2024 schedule, she felt what she describes as "a wave of not-quite guilt, but sadness." The Santa Fe, New Mexico, resident had plenty of contracts and she loved relief work. What bothered her was having to travel out of state to practice emergency medicine because closer to home there was only one 24/7 hospital.

This story was published on Oct. 22, 2024.

RACEtrack continuing education hub unreliable, state finds

California regulators won't use a controversial digital platform to verify that licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians are meeting their continuing education obligations, describing the service as unreliable.

This story was published on Oct. 9, 2024.

Pet insurance advisers catch on with some animal hospitals

During a brainstorming session on how to help pet owners cope with the swiftly rising cost of veterinary care, this idea came to Dr. Ann Marie Greenleaf: How about dedicating a staff member to counsel clients through choosing and dealing with pet insurance?

This story was published on Oct. 17, 2024.

Recognizing the placebo effect in veterinary medicine

When a dog participating in a clinical trial of a supplement for cognitive health in geriatric pet dogs became more social and slept better, the researchers were almost certain the dog was responding to the experimental treatment.

This story was published on Oct. 4, 2024.

Lab-grown meat is coming to pet food

It's been just over 11 years since the first burger made from meat grown in a laboratory was served to a human, offering the world the promise of a kinder, more sustainable form of meat production.

This story was published in print on Oct. 2, 2024.