Bonnie D. Wright, DVM, DACVAA, CVMA, CVPP, CCRT, CCRP, is a veterinary anesthesiologist and pain specialist, as well as an educator with Evidence-Based Veterinary Acupuncture courses, based in Colorado and Hawaii. Wright created the first acupuncture course for the Canine Rehabilitation Institute and recently led 4 continuing education (CE) sessions at the 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida, hosted by the North American Veterinary Community. In an interview with 

, Wright discussed the prevalence of acupuncture in veterinary medicine, educational opportunities to learn this form of integrative medicine, and different types of patient cases that can benefit from this therapy.

What is the general prevalence of acupuncture use in veterinary medicine?

Bonnie D. Wright, DVM, DACVAA, CVMA, CVPP, CCRT, CCRP: 

Great question. I think that the prevalence varies a lot by area. So areas where there [are] programs teaching acupuncture—like [those in] Florida and Colorado, as 2 examples—end up with a higher prevalence of people practicing. But if you then spread over the US, it drops a bit. There are over 2500 people [who] are certified in acupuncture across the US, so it's actually a fair number that spans small animal, equine, people in academic…positions, and then a much smaller amount doing other species. I think it's more prevalent than we realize, outside of the little acupuncture bubble, because I think sometimes people don't talk about it as much, because there's sort of been this thought that it's unscientific, alternative, or complementary. Maybe that's one of the reasons why it's probably more prevalent than someone outside of that bubble realizes.

Are there many veterinary schools that have programs teaching acupuncture? How can more students learn it?

There are just a handful of schools that teach it within their curriculum, and there [are] a bunch more of the US vet schools that at least offer it for students to see in their clinical year. So in clinical practice, you get up to a higher number by quite a bit. Some of the schools have pairings with for-profit programs to get students into those programs. I think all the programs that teach acupuncture as an add-on, like a CE for veterinarians, do invite students and often give some sort of a discount to students…but I'm hoping it gets a lot more common at the veterinary schools.

The exposure is good. The thing about acupuncture is it's a tactile technical skill that can be pretty easily added to your other skills, like your physical exam skills, and the things we teach at that school. So I think that every student would benefit [from] leaving that school knowing how to do it, regardless of whether or not they wanted to specialize.

Looking at your VMX talks, you addressed the use of acupuncture in…some specific types of patient cases. For starters, how can acupuncture help the aging patient with the challenges that are unique to them?

Photo courtesy of North American Veterinary Community

Bonnie D. Wright, DVM, DACVAA, CVMA, CVPP, CCRT, CCRP

That's such a great question…. With aging, one of the conversations we have these days is looking at health span rather than just lifespan. It’s the idea of…not necessarily making [life] longer but making it more quality. In veterinary medicine, that can really relate to making it longer, because then you're less prone to look at humane euthanasia, right?

So acupuncture is really, across the board, a very good treatment for most forms of chronic pain. And with aging, lots of forms of chronic pain can form, so almost any sort of organic disease on top of the ones we know are painful, like osteoarthritis, dental disease, and spinal cord disease. But most of the other chronic disease conditions actually do have pain and discomfort, including those of the internal organs. So even just the pain management side of acupuncture in [older patients] is huge, but acupuncture also really works through the lymphatic system, the interstitial fluids, and fluid regulation, and that's tied into the immune system. We now realize that a lot of aging is related to this imbalance in the immune system. They'll call it inflammaging or immunosenescence, and it's this immune system that's out of balance. And acupuncture is, in addition to pain, very good at helping to balance the immune system.

Those 2 big overarching things that happen in aging are really important…and then the other one is just the cognitive decline. In human populations—and they've modeled it in rodent models—acupuncture really seems to help reduce some of that cognitive decline and help individuals be more alert…so that ability to maybe reset some of the neural networks in a way that they're more active. My [older] patient clients will be like, “Oh my gosh, we went home and they just ran around and played like they were young again.” So that's a huge piece, too, that cognitive piece.

You also did the CE session on osteoarthritis, which ties into aging. Can you explain how acupuncture can help with maladaptive pain?

Absolutely. Maladaptive pain is actually where acupuncture stands out more than in the adaptive or acute sort of pain. It's actually why I learned acupuncture as an anesthesiologist, because I felt like my drug tools weren't helping with maladaptive [pain] as much as they were with that acute perioperative pain. So acupuncture is very helpful at resetting a lot of those neural cascades that [take] regular pain to maladaptive pain. Then the other part that I think we overlook a lot is that with osteoarthritis pain, we get a lot of soft tissue concurrent pain. A lot of times, as we get older, it's actually a lot of that soft tissue pain that is worse than the joint pain. So when it's new, osteoarthritis hurts more in the joints, but as it goes on and becomes this chronic condition, it's often the sequela across the soft tissue structures that are more painful. So acupuncture is quite good at those. Then for the joints themselves, the osteoarthritis is that immune balance. But for me, it's more of that chronic stage of osteoarthritis, where acupuncture becomes irreplaceable and very different than all the drugs we have available.

What would you like veterinary professionals to know about acupuncture for spinal pain?

Another place that acupuncture really does well in…[is it] really helps with neurorehabilitation and the return to function. In my lecture [on acupuncture for spinal pain], I focus more on the pain piece, because it's too big of a topic for 50 minutes. Last year, I did the neurologic rehabilitation part more, but both the pain control and the ability to help those nerves bounce back better are really important.

I always like to say the love language of nerves is electricity. So with the neurologic deficits in acupuncture, we can add electroacupuncture to that…and that combination really helps restore nerve function, in addition to motion and rehab, which are incredibly important…ways to restore function. Whether there's been a surgical fix or not, acupuncture serves a really important role in those cases, and in some ways, a much more primary role than some of the other pain conditions.

How can acupuncture help improve blood flow and immunity in parts of the body, such as the kidney, bladder, and pelvic areas?

It's a great question, because it's not immediately obvious from outside. So the innervation to the organs of the body still come off the spinal cord, especially along the somatic and sympathetic portion, and then that intermixes with the parasympathetic, which comes down more internally. So those regions where the innervation—say, the kidney—comes from the spinal cord, the back in that region shares that same spinal segment as the kidney. So what we find is that you can get pain associated with problems in an organ, but it's expressed up along that nerve pathway along the back. Additionally…there [are] multiple studies that have measured that when you acupuncture that region with that shared innervation, you can actually measure and increase blood flow in the related organ. So they seem spatially separate, but they're linked with the nervous system, and then they can also be linked along fascial planes, where the interstitial fluid moves. Those 2 things allow things that sound remote to actually be tied together.

What could veterinary professionals or practices be doing that they may not already be doing to spread awareness to pet owners and their clients about acupuncture and the availability of this as a therapy option?

I think at a lot of places around the country, there are practitioners in most communities [who] do acupuncture. So veterinarians could find out who does acupuncture in their area, especially for the things we just discussed…[and] they could refer [the patient] to those people.

There's also a number of courses available where people can learn how to do acupuncture…. In a year, you could be certified to do acupuncture, and it would really expand the tool kit.

Start by referring to someone near you, and then think about taking a course and learning how to do it. It's a huge practice builder, too, because the clients love it. It's a very positive thing that they do with their animals, as opposed to when we add medications, sometimes we're really adding to the caregiver burden. Acupuncture is another financial piece, but it tends to be very rewarding to both the patient and the client and their relationship. It tends to really augment that long-term health, brings a lot of patients back to the practice, and creates a lot of customer loyalty.

What else would you like veterinary professionals to know about acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a scientific, medical treatment. But people miss that, and I just want people to hear that it really is a scientifically based, physiologically based way of interacting with the body.

For more industry news and coverage of VMX, visit 

Articles

Bonnie D. Wright, DVM, DACVAA, CVMA, CVPP, CCRT, CCRP, discusses various ways to learn and use acupuncture across different patient cases.

Q&A on using acupuncture in veterinary medicine

 species have acquired methicillin resistance, a trait that renders them resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, making these cases significantly more difficult to treat. When standard treatments fail or when infections involve deeper tissues, a skin culture becomes an essential diagnostic tool. Dermatologists use these cultures to pinpoint the exact strain of bacteria—an essential step for patients with a history of frequent antibiotic use.

“There's a whole lot about methicillin resistance out there. There's a whole lot of scary things out there, and it's a very important thing," said Darin Dell, DVM, DACVD. "But my feeling is that in day-to-day practice, we often get kind of overwhelmed by...this methicillin resistance. There's antibiotic resistance everywhere. It's almost too big a problem to deal with, right?”

During his lecture, “Fighting the Good Fight: A Complete Approach to Antimicrobial Therapy in Dermatology,” at the 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo, Dell shared insights on antimicrobial therapy and current research into resistance patterns.

In a clinical setting, methicillin resistance refers to specific strains of 

 bacteria. In dogs, the most common culprit is 

Technically, modern labs use oxacillin rather than methicillin to test for this resistance, but the clinical implication remains the same: These bacteria carry a mecA gene. This gene allows them to produce a modified penicillin-binding protein, which renders an entire class of antibiotics, including penicillins and cephalosporins, completely ineffective.

Patients who have previously undergone antibiotic therapy, those hospitalized in multispecialty facilities, or those taking immunosuppressants for conditions like Addison disease are at a higher risk for contracting methicillin-resistant infections. In these cases, clinical resolution is the primary goal. MRSP can linger on a patient’s skin for up to a year after the visible sores have healed. Therefore, it is not always necessary to entirely clear the bacteria from the skin, but rather to resolve the active infection and halt the inflammatory cycle.

Overcoming patient and client barriers in dermatology

“When people ask me, ‘Should I culture this again after I think the skin is clear?’ the answer is no," Dell said. "Clinical resolution is what I want, [and] cytologic resolution is what I want. You can culture all the time. It's not going to change what you're going to do. Because what you're going to do is continue topical antimicrobial therapy. That is how we get out of this drug resistance problem—using more topical antimicrobials, either with or instead of systemic antibiotics, to disrupt the resistance genes and change the preference for what's on the skin.”

Dell’s primary takeaway is to avoid antibiotics when they are not strictly necessary. Increased exposure increases the risk of resistance. He noted that although owners often request antibiotics, they should be withheld unless there is cytologic proof of infection. If cytology shows low bacterial counts, Dell often recommends using a medicated shampoo first and reevaluating in 1 week.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

, researchers published findings aimed at quantifying the frequency and resistance patterns of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in companion animals, including 

 (MRSS). The team utilized historical susceptibility data from a national diagnostic laboratory, analyzing samples from dogs and cats across the US between 2019 and 2022.

The study identified 110,423 MRSP, 5618 MRSA, and 20,934 MRSS isolates. MRSP was predominantly found in dogs, with skin and soft tissue being the most common infection sites. Although MRSA and MRSS were also primarily isolated from dogs, the study noted significant regional, species-specific, and yearly differences in susceptibility. MRSP isolates generally showed higher levels of multidrug resistance compared with MRSA and MRSS.

“This study provides insight into the distribution and antimicrobial resistance patterns of MRSA, MRSP, and MRSS in companion animals in the US," the researchers stated. "Resistance rates for enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, and chloramphenicol may be higher than reported in this analysis due to recent changes in [minimum inhibitory concentration] breakpoints.... The findings underscore significant geographical and temporal variations in resistance, emphasizing the need for tailored antimicrobial stewardship programs.”

Ultimately, managing methicillin-resistant infections in veterinary dermatology requires a shift from aggressive systemic intervention to strategic antimicrobial stewardship.

“The big ones are...don't use a systemic antibiotic unless you're sure that you need it," Dell said. "Do your physical exam, do cytology. If there's no proof that you need it, don't do it. That's the biggest thing we can all do to help prevent antibiotic resistance.”

Dell D. Fighting the good fight: a complete approach to antimicrobial therapy in dermatology. Presented at: 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo; January 17-21, 2026; Orlando, FL.

Sobkowich KE, Hui AY, Poljak Z, Szlosek D, Plum A, Weese JS. Nationwide analysis of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in cats and dogs: resistance patterns and geographic distribution. 

. 2025;86(3):ajvr.24.09.0253. doi:10.2460/ajvr.24.09.0253

McCafferty C. Q&A with Darin Dell, DVM, DACVD. 

. January 26, 2026. Accessed January 26, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/with-darin-dell-dvm-dacvd 

The challenges of methicillin-resistant infections in pets and what the current research says.

Navigating methicillin resistance in veterinary dermatology

Adolescent dogs aren’t just 'difficult,' their brains are under construction. In this video, Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, explains the neuroscience behind the teenage phase.

Inside the adolescent dog brain

Understanding the adolescent brain can help explain some of the challenging behaviors in dogs observed during this developmental stage. To help veterinary professionals better manage client expectations and provide targeted behavioral support, Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, provides a breakdown of the adolescent brain. Specifically, he discusses the brain's role in regulating emotions and behaviors in dogs, explaining the "teeter-totter" occurring between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system during this time.

This video is from an interview on Pachel’s 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo session on teenage dogs.

Training the adolescent dog: Consistency over correction

The following is a partial transcript of the video, lightly edited for clarity and cohesion:

 We know that—and I'm going to oversimplify things here for the sake of demonstration—when we're thinking about the brain and the way that it regulates emotions and behaviors and that relationship between emotion and behavior, we often think about the prefrontal cortex. That is the area of the brain right behind the forehead, both for dogs as well as for people, that brain region cognitively regulates arousal, that is sort of the executive center. It's really heavily involved in decision-making and sort of rational thought.

When we look at the way that that particular region of the brain operates in complement or contrast to the limbic system, that's where those emotional centers are really sort of at the forefront of the influence they have on emotions and behavioral patterns and there's this relationship that exists between them. I often describe this to owners almost as if there's a teeter-totter. If we're really, really emotional, sometimes it's hard to access that cognitive, thoughtful, rational decision-making piece of the brain. And vice versa, of we're very much in a 'this is what I do' versus 'this is what I feel' mode, then sometimes it's hard to access or regulate some of the emotional responses. So, it's a relationship. Neither is better or worse, they're simply different parts of the brain working in complement.

What we know about the brains of teenagers is that that prefrontal cortex is not yet fully matured. That often takes, in dogs, until somewhere between 2-and-a-half and 3-and-a-half years of age, give or take, depending on the breed, the size of the dog, and some other influences. What we do see, though, is on the early side of the teenage months or years—that adolescence phase—we see a dramatic uptick in the activation level in some of those limbic systems, in some of those limbic centers of the brain, in a way that exaggerates the influence of that emotionality and often overrides the thinking part of the brain in a way that's actually 

We're supposed to be risky as teenagers. We're supposed to break outside the mold. We're supposed to do stuff even when we know better, that we're supposed to do it differently. Our brains are kind of hijacking that process, and the same thing happens for dogs...

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Inside the adolescent canine brain

We still remember our first few attempts at sharing financial data with the team. The idea was simple: Transparency builds trust and engagement. We wanted everyone in the clinic to understand how the business was doing, so we pulled together our revenue, profit, expenses, and average check transaction (ACT) and presented them in a town hall.

People listened with interest for about 5 minutes.

Then we noticed the glazed expressions and people shifting in their seats, sneaking glances at their phones, and mentally checking out. We realized it’s not that people didn’t care—it’s that they didn’t understand what to do with the information or how these numbers related to them.

When it doesn’t click, everything costs more

We’ve both worked in hospitals where business operations were totally opaque. Most people had no idea how the practice was performing, what it cost to run, or how they could help.

When you don’t see the big picture, you focus on what you can control: your own schedule, effort, and outcomes. However, without insight into the clinic’s financial health, even well-intentioned choices can quietly work against it. That might look like charging for a 5-minute ultrasound while performing a full abdominal scan, opening 6 syringes when 1 would do, or not pushing for efficiency because there’s no clear reason to.

It can also mean expecting bonuses or raises without understanding what needs to happen financially for them to exist. Without visibility into profitability, people don’t have the context to act differently.

At a previous clinic where I worked, leadership shared revenue numbers but left out the expenses. Without context around salaries, rent, inventory, or overhead, it started to seem like $10,000 a day went straight into management’s pocket. When the reality of operational costs isn’t part of the picture, even well-meaning transparency can breed resentment instead of trust.

For best practices on open-book management, we leaned on 

 by Jack Stack, a book focused on building business literacy, identifying “critical numbers,” and tying team rewards to collective success.

The key idea is that if people don’t understand the rules, they can’t play the game. And if they can’t play the game, they can’t win.

Presenting numbers in Microsoft Excel was…dry. So we asked: What’s a framework that every veterinary team already knows and understands intuitively?

Veterinary teams look at diagnostic panels every day. They are used to reading values in relation to a reference range, spotting trends, and comparing current results to previous baselines. So we applied that same logic to our business metrics.

We started visualizing our core financial and operational numbers, revenue, expenses, caseload, ACT, cost of goods sold (COGS), labor, and more, as if they were values on a wellness panel. Each has a reference range, a current reading, and a color-coded indicator showing whether it’s high, low, or within normal limits.

By framing metrics this way, we didn’t have to explain what was good or bad, high or low—it was instantly recognizable. People could interpret business performance just like they interpret a blood panel. Reading the numbers became second nature. And more importantly, people started asking the right questions: Why is this low? What changed since last month? How do we bring it back into range?

Image courtesy of Ivan Zak, DVM, MBA, and Marco Duguay, DVM

Once people could see the data, we needed a way to act on it, so we borrowed another clinical staple: the SOAP note.

 Anecdotal or historical insights (such as, “It’s summer, and we’re seeing more general practice cases than usual.”)

 Observable facts (such as, “Revenue is down, but caseload is up.”)

 Our interpretation (such as, “ACT is down, possibly due to an influx of low-complexity cases or relief shifts.”)

 What we’ll do (such as “Train DVMs on case efficiency; reduce relief shifts or review their ACT.”)

This gave us a structure to approach operational issues with the same methodical rigor we use in medicine.

To support this, we built a knowledge base—our “Karol Mathews” of practice management. For every metric, there’s a “value creation tool” with ready-to-use ideas, tips, and solutions. If caseload is low, for example, you’ll find a quick diagnostic checklist: marketing outreach suggestions, front-desk scripting, referral source follow-ups, and more.

When the issue goes beyond the clinic’s tool kit, we treat it like any complex case and bring in “board-certified specialists” (external consultants or our marketing agency) to guide the solution.

Every metric has an owner and a review cadence

In our model, each hospital has team members who volunteer as “directors”—roles like director of marketing, inventory, staff, facilities, or finance.

Each director “owns” a number from the blood panel. That doesn’t mean they’re responsible for fixing it alone; their job is to partner with the right operations team “specialist” and help deploy the value creation tool that can move the metric in the right direction. They don’t need to be the expert; they just need to know where to get help.

This bottom-up system gives everyone a stake in the outcome and real influence over business performance.

It’s also important that there’s a regular review cadence so people stay engaged with the numbers. We run a weekly hospital pulse meeting to track trends, spot issues early, and share updates across departments. We don’t wait for end-of-month reports or annual reviews; progress is monitored in real time, and action happens quickly.

Bonuses follow the same fast pace. We pay them out quarterly rather than annually because feedback loops need to be short. During each quarterly planning meeting, teams set their own goals tied to the profit bonus—goals they choose, understand, and can influence. And with payouts happening just a few months later, the connection between effort and reward stays clear and motivating.

When one clinic struggled with revenue generation, a veterinarian took initiative and found a study suggesting that when technicians—not doctors—review estimates with clients, ACT tends to rise. We tried it. Two months later, ACT had increased by 11%, tipping the clinic into profitability.

ACT is one of the metrics reviewed collectively by the DVM team, with each veterinarian responsible for their own numbers. As an urgent care group, we can’t control the cases that walk in, but we can control what we’re comfortable diagnosing, recommending, and charging for.

That’s why we also look at revenue by specific areas to identify potential growth opportunities. A low volume of certain procedures may point to a skill gap or an area where someone feels less confident. If someone’s ACT is low, we discuss where they may need more training or practice and invest in continuing education to support them in building that skill.

It’s not about competition over production numbers (production is shared among all DVMs); it’s about a fun race to shine in a certain area. We even have playful titles for team members who’ve mastered specific skills, such as Photographer of the Month for the most x-rays taken, the Scientist Award for the most blood work done in the network, and so on. In addition to supporting professional growth and improving ACT, this kind of goal-setting also helps prevent burnout.

We brought our COGS down from 20% to 22% to 14.8% network-wide. One clinic even hit 12%. A lot of this came from simple behavior change – once people saw how supply costs impacted practice finances (and ultimately their bonus), their day-to-day decisions shifted. Techs started rinsing and reusing tubes. Assistants saved half-used garbage bags. People started asking, “Do we need this? Can we optimize this?” They truly own these expenses, because those expenses are their expenses.

Our finance director of one of the hospitals noticed that days with relief coverage consistently brought in less revenue. Because relief veterinarians aren’t included in our bonus structure or ownership model, they weren’t connected to the same performance incentives as the rest of the team. To address this, we began offering them production bonuses: If the shift is slow, they earn their standard rate; if it’s busy, they earn more. It was a team-driven solution to a shared challenge—a way to keep relief veterinarians motivated, performance strong, and the system fair for everyone.

If you’re looking to build engagement around business performance, here are a few simple ways to get started, drawn from what’s worked for us:

Whether it’s quarterly bonuses or something else, there needs to be a tangible connection between performance and incentive.

Begin with 3 metrics: revenue, expenses, and profit. Add more only once your team starts asking, “How can I influence this?”

Use familiar frameworks, such as blood work and SOAP notes, to present the information. Frame it in a way that feels familiar and intuitive, something your team already understands.

Even without formal titles, people can “own” a number and be the go-to for solutions.

Share value creation tools so no one solves a problem from scratch.

Some numbers need weekly attention, others monthly, but if you wait until the end of the year, it’s too late.

The first 5 times you show a number, no one will react. By the sixth, they start asking questions. That’s the tipping point.

At its core, this approach is about building business acumen across the entire team. When people understand how the practice operates and how their actions impact its performance, they start acting like owners. That kind of shared accountability changes everything. And it doesn’t have to come from dry spreadsheets or dense financial reports. By translating the business into a language your team already knows—through gamification, familiar clinical frameworks, and clear incentives—you make it approachable, intuitive, and even fun. When people see the full picture, they show up differently. And when they own a piece of it, they move it forward.

Zak I. Veterinary burnout researched and explained. Galaxy Vets. January 19, 2021. Accessed January 9, 2026. 

https://galaxyvets.com/learning-center/veterinary-burnout-researched-and-explained/

When your clinic’s revenue looks like a glucose spike and your expenses read like anemia, suddenly, business isn’t so boring.

Did we win today? Turning business into a game everyone can play

Darin Dell, DVM, DACVD, during his interview at the 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo with dvm360. 

When it comes to treating dermatology patients—or any veterinary patient—the most effective treatment plan is one a pet owner can actually follow. In this interview at the 2026 Veterinary Meeting & Expo in Orlando, Florida, Darin Dell, DVM, DACVD, discusses the clinical advantages of long-acting injectable antibiotics like Solovecin, a cefovecin sodium injectable; the necessity of a multimodal approach to combat antimicrobial resistance; and why the most important tool in a veterinarian’s kit might actually be an honest, judgment-free conversation with the client.

Transcript has been edited lightly for clarity

: What are the primary clinical advantages of using Solovecin in a veterinary dermatology treatment plan?

 That's a good question. The really big advantage is that you make sure that the owner can be [adherent] with antimicrobial therapy, right? So when we give an owner an oral capsule, a pill, or a liquid, we're really counting on them to not only remember but also effectively administer that medication. Sometimes that's hard, right? People always start with that. By using an injection like Solovecin, it gets done. There's no at-home stress with the client, and then we can judge response to the drug rather than judging response to the owner's ability to give it and the dog's ability to take it. 

Why is a multimodal approach recommended when prescribing a systemic antibiotic?

 It's really important for us to use [a] multimodal approach so we can reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. It also shortens our treatment time, and it gets people on a better path for long-term management, because we really want to use that systemic antimicrobial short term to treat an infection, and use the antimicrobial topical therapy during that time to help, again, eliminate the chance of resistance, or reduce the chance of resistance, and then become their long-term prevention partner.

During your lecture, you talk about a patient of yours named Baby Girl. Would you share more on her story?

Yes, that would be great. I love the Baby Girl story because it's really an example of what we see all the time, or what I see all the time, and I know what general practitioners see in practice. [General partitioners have] done a good job; [they’ve] done the work [they’re] supposed to do, and still, [they're] stuck [on] how [to] actually medicate this pet. Now I know it needs to be done, but it has to happen, right? Unfortunately, infection itself is super pruritic and uncomfortable. Don't forget, some of these dogs are really painful from infection.

So with Baby Girl, the primary care veterinarian had prescribed a once-daily antibiotic. They had done some antipruritic medications, but the owner was really struggling because she couldn't do those things at home. She was actually…distressed by this. She really wanted to do better for her dog. So by talking to her and just understanding what her needs were and what she was capable of doing with her dog, we were able to change that situation.

By using an injectable antibiotic, we got rid of that hindrance to getting the infection cleared, which made the dog feel better. Then, by using a pain medication to help the owner actually use topical therapy, we established a new bond and a new routine. The dog won't always need pain medication to get its feet cleaned and to do topical therapy, but in that little bit of time, it was super important. It's no difference than if you were trying to train out some other bad behavior or anxiety. We're just trying to train a good behavior that's going to help the pet and the owner for the rest of the dog's life.

 Doing great. The owner is super thrilled. The dog’s feeling normal. Our plan is to check her in a few weeks and see. [The] weather in Colorado is kind of strange because it's super warm, so [I’m] not really sure what the seasons are going to bring [or whether] we're going to see a difference.

What is something you hope attendees take away from your lecture?

 The big ones are…don't use a systemic antibiotic unless you're sure that you need it. I know some of us were taught at school, “Well, I'm going to cover it with antibiotics,” or “I think it needs an antibiotic.” Do your physical exam. Do cytology. If there's no proof that you need it, don't do it. That's the biggest thing we can all do to help prevent antibiotic resistance. That's No. 1.

No. 2 would be to always combine it unless it's absolutely not possible to combine your systemic antibiotic therapy with a topical antimicrobial, whether that's a shampoo, a spray, a wipe, a mousse—whatever it is. Find what the owner can do, because it's going to be better for you, better for the owner, and better for the pet long term.

: Is there anything else you would like to add about your lecture?

I think the biggest thing is just trying to have that conversation with clients. Sometimes it's awkward to ask them, “Will you do this at home?” because we're really taught to focus on the medicine and explain “This is why it's important, and this is what's happening.” We're not really taught in school to have that conversation and say, “Can you do this? It's OK if you [can’t].”

Like we talked before about caregiver burden, it's distressing for clients when they can't do it. And some of them just don't say it. So in order to have that conversation, just openly say, “Yes, this is a problem for you. How can I help you with that?” Opening that conversation so the owner feels comfortable telling you things is super important, and that's how you get better results. Because then they can do something they're capable of. You can know what the results are at the end, and then the dog feels better.

Discover the benefits of long-acting injectable antibiotics in veterinary dermatology and the importance of client communication for effective treatment in this interview with Darin Dell, DVM, DACVD.

Q&A With Darin Dell, DVM, DACVD 

Veterinarians now have access to a new generic deworming option for food animals, following the FDA approval of Defendazole (fenbendazole) oral suspension for use in beef and dairy cattle, as well as goats. The product is indicated for treatment and control of various species of lungworms, stomach worms, and intestinal worms in beef and dairy cattle, as well as for the treatment and control 2 species of stomach worms in goats.

Defendazole is the first FDA-approved generic equivalent to Safe-Guard, a brand-name anthelmintic first approved for cattle and goats in 1994.

According to the FDA, the generic formulation was determined to be bioequivalent to Safe-Guard.

“The FDA determined that Defendazole oral suspension is bioequivalent to the brand name product,” the agency said in an announcement.

When used according to label directions in cattle, Defendazole requires an 8-day withdrawal period and a 48-hour milk discard time. For goats, the withdrawal period is 6 days.

The oral suspension, sponsored by Norbrook Laboratories, is available over the counter in 1-L and 5-L bottles. For beef and dairy cattle, dosage is 2.3 mg/lb (5mg/kg) body weight and 2.3 mg/lb (5 mg/kg) body weight for goats.

Gastrointestinal parasite infections in ruminants

In goats, the most common internal parasites are lung worms (

Most gastrointestinal parasite infections in ruminants are mixed, with animals usually harboring multiple parasites, according to Merck Veterinary Manual.

However, only a few animals show clinical signs. When symptoms do appear, they are usually nonspecific, often showing as chronic, gradually progressive illness.

Animals who are heavily infected may exhibit gradual weight loss, reduced growth or milk production, poor hair coat, and decreased condition. More severely affected ruminants may also become lethargic, weak, or isolated. Decreased appetite leading to emaciation might also be seen.

Some animals may also exhibit diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort or mild colic can be another sign. Additionally, heavy gastrointestinal parasitism can lead to protein loss, with clinical signs including submandibular edema or ventral edema. “In addition to inadequate protein absorption, heavily parasitized ruminants are likely to show poor absorption of critical vitamins and minerals from their diet,” according to Merck.

FDA Approves First Generic Fenbendazole Oral Suspension Dewormer for Beef and Dairy Cattle, Goats. News release. US Food and Drug Administration. January 22, 2026. Accessed January 23, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-approves-first-generic-fenbendazole-oral-suspension-dewormer-beef-and-dairy-cattle-goats

Internal parasites in sheep and goats. Oregon State University. February 2013. Accessed January 23, 2026. https://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sites/agscid7/files/em9055.pdf

VanHoy G. Overview of Gastrointestinal Parasites of Ruminants. Merck Veterinary Manual. August 2025 Accessed January 23, 2026. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/gastrointestinal-parasites-of-ruminants/overview-of-gastrointestinal-parasites-of-ruminants

Veterinarians gain a new FDA-approved generic dewormer, Defendazole, for the treatment and control of various worms in cattle and goats.