Veterinary Voices

Endorsed by a veterinarian? Think again

A curious, 2,500-word tale on Facebook first came to Dr. Anne Sinclair's attention when a long-time client emailed her a link.

The epic post is attributed to a Dr. Jessica Brown, DVM. It begins with Brown handing a $12,847 veterinary bill to a woman whose cat, Max, is supposedly at death's door.

This story was published on Jan. 8, 2026.

Rising antimicrobial drug sales stoke resistance concerns

Sales volumes in the United States of antimicrobial drugs for food animals rose markedly in 2024, seemingly eroding efforts to combat pathogen resistance to the drugs. Sales also rose, more modestly, in the European Union, while sales in Canada and the United Kingdom fell to record lows.

This story was published on Jan. 5, 2026.

US veterinary licensing exam challenged as biased

The administrator of the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination will initiate an independent audit in the wake of allegations that the test required for veterinarians to practice in the United States and Canada is biased.

This story was published on December 26, 2025.

Justice Department weighs in on lawsuit against AVMA

The U.S. Department of Justice has stepped into a lawsuit challenging standards and procedures used by the country's only accreditor of veterinary education. In a nonbinding "statement of interest," the agency pushes back on elements of the American Veterinary Medical Association's response to a suit lodged by Lincoln Memorial University.

This story was published on Dec. 18, 2025.

Plan to close Cambridge veterinary program sparks outcry

The University of Cambridge is poised to become the first educational institution in the West in decades to end an established veterinary medicine program, a prospect that's sparked a sharp rebuke from its staff and students, who have pledged to do whatever they can to stop the prestigious British school from closing.

The British Veterinary Association, which represents more than 19,000 practitioners in the United Kingdom, also called for a rethink of the plan, which it described as "deeply worrying."

This story was published on Dec. 15, 2025.

Singapore to add regulator as veterinarian numbers soar

Two decades ago, Singapore had around 100 veterinarians. Today, more than 650 are licensed to practice in the Southeast Asian city-state.

The remarkable growth, driven in large part by a rise in pet ownership, has propelled lawmakers to rectify what many see as a glaring shortcoming: the lack of a dedicated veterinary regulator.

This story was published on Dec. 10, 2025.

Tuskegee veterinary school fights to maintain accreditation

Ever since Tuskegee University's veterinary school failed to meet what appeared to be a make-or-break accreditation standard last year regarding its students' performance on the national licensing exam, the question has loomed whether it would lose the crucial recognition.

An answer came in November.

This story was published on Dec. 4, 2025.

Going the distance to bring veterinary care to a Pacific island

On a crisp, blue-sky autumn day, Lauren Cabrera sits at Pups & Cups Cafe, a go-to study spot in the college town of Pullman, Washington. Two and a half months into her first year of veterinary school, Cabrera is studying on her iPad and slipping treats under the table to her dog, Cleo.

Like every other veterinary student who frequents this cafe, Cabrera, sporting a maroon Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine sweatshirt, has a lot of schoolwork to do. Unlike her peers, she already has started a veterinary clinic, where she will work after she graduates in 2029 — 5,800 miles away.

This story was published on Dec. 1, 2025.

Sunny thinking rose from a dark period

Running late en route to a meeting one night and already grumpy, Dr. Trae Cutchin got stuck in traffic and grew grumpier still. But when he saw that the backup was caused by a terrible accident, Cutchin realized that his bad day was nothing compared with the driver's.

The moment marked a turning point in Cutchin's mindset and inspired an online discussion with fellow veterinarians. "No matter how bad anyone's day is," he wrote, "there is always a little good in it. Find it. Relate it." An instant hit, the "best thing" conversation has been active for more than 12 years.

This story was published on Nov. 24, 2025.

Caring for and learning from the dogs of Chornobyl

When a reactor exploded at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, the thousands of people evacuated from a 19-mile exclusion zone were ordered to leave their pets behind. Soviet authorities said they'd be home in around three days. That never happened, and their dogs, cats and any other animals were abandoned in the wake of what turned out to be, and still is, the worst nuclear accident in history.

Today, nearly 40 years later, the descendants of some of those abandoned animals live on, including hundreds of stray dogs that inhabit the dilapidated remnants of the plant and nearby town of Chornobyl, both located in what is now northern Ukraine.

This story was published Nov. 18, 2025.