Veterinary Voices

Female veterinarians in leadership: how much progress?

Fifteen years since the majority of veterinarians in the United States became women, they've made notable progress in achieving positions of leadership in the profession and beyond, but there's still a ways to go.

This story was published Nov. 19, 2024.

When the government regulates the cost of veterinary care

Few people outside Germany would be surprised to learn that, as Europe's biggest economy, the country is home to a thriving veterinary community that typically offers high standards of care.

Many outsiders might be surprised to discover, though, that even in modern-day, capitalist Germany, the cost of veterinary care is regulated by the government.

This story was published on Nov. 14, 2024.

New Jersey's first veterinary school poised for 2025 open

New Jersey is on track to open its first veterinary school after accreditors green-lit the program ahead of a planned opening next year. Georgia, meanwhile, will continue to have a single veterinary school for the foreseeable future after plans to build a second one there fell apart.

This story was published Nov. 12, 2024.

California city bans breeding of pets with 'extreme' traits

A small city in Southern California has become the first place in the United States to ban the breeding of pets with physical characteristics deemed inherently harmful, such as squashed muzzles and excessive skin folds.

This story was published on Nov. 5, 2024.

Strategic assets: The evolving role of military veterinarians

Veterinarians serving in the military once worked overtime caring for horses maimed in battle. Nowadays, they'll more likely be treating service dogs, whether injured while sniffing out explosives or just in need of a routine nail clipping while guarding a secure compound.

Modern-day military veterinarians also may find themselves focused on things alien to colleagues in the civilian world. 

This story was published on Nov. 1, 2024.

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.