Veterinary Voices

When clients film veterinary visits

A viral video on social media that made the local news, about puppies receiving care in her home county of Bartow, in Georgia, sent Dr. Heather Lindell Tally to TikTok for what she anticipated would be a welcome brain break.

The footage didn't provide much in the way of stress relief, though. Seconds after tracking it down, Tally was hit by a pang of cold recognition. The veterinary practice featured in the video was hers.

This story was published on Feb. 23, 2026.

Covetrus and MWI Animal Health plan to merge

Covetrus has agreed to acquire MWI Animal Health in a move that will reduce to two the number of nationwide distributors of veterinary pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies in the United States.

This story was published on Feb. 19, 2026.

CSU readies to train first veterinary midlevel practitioners

Years in the making, a new master's degree in veterinary clinical care at Colorado State University has opened for applications, with a program start this fall. The first of its kind in the country, the credential aligns with a new midlevel position called a veterinary professional associate, or VPA, that Colorado voters approved in 2024.

Two CSU faculty members, the driving force behind the degree, talk about where the program is now and why it’s needed.

This story was published on Feb. 18, 2026.

Veterinary faculty shortage unlikely to abate soon

A surge in new veterinary schools. Record-high enrollment. A long-standing migration of specialists to the private sector.

Converging trends have created a heightened demand for veterinary educators in the United States that's anticipated to intensify. So far, no one reports effects on education quality, but academics across the country describe worrisome signs in the form of clinical service delays at teaching hospitals and full-time faculty overburdened from picking up the slack when job openings go chronically unfilled.

This story was published on Feb. 12, 2026.

Naming veterinary schools for donors is trending up

The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine generated buzz at the end of January with an announcement that it’s received a $120 million donation and, in recognition of the donors, is renaming itself the Joan and Sanford I. Weill School of Veterinary Medicine.

The gift is the largest received by a veterinary school, not only in the United States but worldwide. UC Davis’ program is not the first to incorporate a benefactor’s name, however. Six other veterinary schools in the U.S. have adopted a person’s name into their own. Four namings happened in the past 3½ years. It appears to be a bit of a trend.

This story was published on February 5, 2026.

Experts draw from experience to gird for screwworm in US

Dr. Bill Folger has made an annual trip to Honduras every year since 1998, traveling to remote villages to provide preventive care to small and large animals. Never in more than a quarter century of visits had the Texas veterinarian ever seen a case of New World screwworm — until last June.

This story was published on Feb. 10, 2026.

USDA postpones horse protection rule changes for third time

The federal agency charged with enforcing horse protection regulations announced on Jan. 28 that it will delay the effective date of a rule intended to fortify prohibitions on soring, the practice of using chemicals or mechanical devices on show horses to induce pain to elicit an exaggerated gait that wins competitions.

This story was published on Feb. 6, 2026.

 

Surge in rabies reports prompts public health concerns

For more than 60 years, Chicago logged zero cases of rabid dogs. Then, in December, a young dog that had been acting anxious and aggressive was euthanized under suspicion of rabies. Four days later, the Illinois Department of Public Health publicly confirmed the diagnosis.

The dog, which was less than a year old, had been vaccinated against rabies in June. It began showing clinical signs of the disease six months later — an especially long incubation period that has veterinarians and public health experts wondering when and how the pet was infected.

This story was published on Jan. 29, 2026.

Dog noses point toward earlier detection of a stealthy cancer

To any dog lover who's encountered hemangiosarcoma — and there are many — the short span from diagnosis to death is painfully familiar. The disease develops quickly and under the radar, yielding no obvious clinical signs until it reaches a catastrophic point.

This story was published on Jan. 21, 2026.

Netherlands targets incentive-based pay for veterinarians

Authorities in the Netherlands are moving to ban incentive-based pay for veterinarians, adding to mounting attempts by governments worldwide to address pet owners' concerns about the rising cost of veterinary care.

The recommendation from the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) would prohibit linking veterinarians' pay directly to the amount of revenue or profit they generate. It is among a package of proposals from the regulator that includes establishing uniform standards for particular treatments and requiring veterinarians to disclose itemized prices to clients upfront.

This story was published on Jan. 15, 2026.