 readers, and a happy belated Mother’s Day to all of the veterinary professionals who are moms! On Mother’s Day, Christine Mundy, BS, CVT, 

 how her career as a veterinary technician prepared her to become a mother.

. Hosted by Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, his first episode interviews Alice M. Jeromin, RPh, DVM, DACVD, to discuss the tips and pitfalls of veterinary dermatology in the age of isoxazolines.

and check out Mundy’s article, here is other content you will be able to find this week on dvm360.com:

The FDA approved using gene-editing technology that can create pigs resistant to the highly contagious, and costly, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. This approval is among the first for gene-editing livestock in the United States after years of extensive research and collaborations

, DJ Haeussler Jr, DVM, MS, DACVO, gives an inside scoop into his upcoming lectures at Fetch Nashville on May 30-31, 2025, including handling canine ophthalmic emergencies and retina and optic nerve diseases in dogs and cats.

, Christopher Pinard, DVM, DSVc, DACVIM (Oncology) joins host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to talk about artificial intelligence for veterinary professionals, and why remaining informed matters.

Antech recently announced that it is expanding its vector-borne disease portfolio with enhanced Accuplex, a reference lab canine vector-borne disease screening test which now detects 7 pathogen as well as an enhanced vector-borne disease PCR profile.

In a Q&A with dvm360, PetSmart Charities shares more on its 

PetSmart Charities-Gallup State of Pet Care Study: Pet Parents’ Assessment of American Veterinary Care

 and how the veterinary professional can address the growing changes in veterinary care becoming more unaffordable and inaccessible for clients.

Articles

Sneak peek: FDA approves gene-editing technology to create PRRS resistance in pigs, and other news

Diagnosing sick animals is difficult. They can’t tell us what is wrong, and they can’t always show us where it hurts. We ask clients questions, get a detailed history, and then run diagnostics to hopefully get an answer. This is the world I lived in for almost 15 years as a veterinary technician. Then my world was turned upside down when I had children. I had little creatures in my house who were entirely dependent on me. They looked to me to take care of them and help them when they were sick or hurt. They couldn’t always tell me what was wrong, and I had to do some detective work to come up with a detailed history and ask myself questions about what was happening. Sound familiar? I know this might be a little silly, but being a veterinary tech prepared me for motherhood. 

I can’t tell you how many times my kids were sick, and I knew what they needed and what to tell the nurses when I called the pediatrician because of my background in veterinary medicine. Fever? Give them an nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Ear infection? Antibiotics. Vomiting and diarrhea? Bland diet and fluids. Parenthood is scary daily, but especially when your child is sick or hurt. I am thankful for my medical background when my kids are sick because it helps me keep a level head in order to get them the help they need. My pediatrician has thanked me for the detailed information I provide during appointments. Not that other parents are not capable of that; I just feel that it comes more naturally to me because of my experience in veterinary medicine.

Another aspect of veterinary medicine that has helped me as a mom is the ability to multitask. In veterinary medicine, I can be answering client communications, running appointments, and submitting lab work at the same time. At home, I’m keeping track of dance and sports practice, planning dinners, and helping with homework—all in the short hours between after school and bedtime. I’ve been very lucky to work part-time since my son was born. He is turning 10 years old this year, and I can’t believe I’ve managed to make it work this long. It has been difficult to have my foot in both worlds at times. When other nurses had 4 to 5 days to get their work done, I only had 2 days. However, my time management and delegation skills have grown immensely because of working part-time, and it’s made me a better nurse. I think it’s also made me a better mom. I must be organized every day, regardless of which role I am in that day.

When I was the lead internal medicine nurse, there was a lot more required of me when I wasn’t in the office. Was I checking emails and calling in prescriptions when the kids were napping? Yes. Did I come in late and leave early for school functions, or when I was on bus duty when my husband traveled? Also, yes. Now that I am not a lead and work in cardiology, I am not required to do any work outside of my working hours on Mondays and Tuesdays. I loved being a lead in a specialty department, but when I was at work, I was thinking about the kids, and when I was with the kids, I was thinking about work. It was hard to juggle being present in both situations. Work-life balance is talked about constantly, but I do think I am much more balanced now. I leave work at work. I am also able to leave home life at home more easily because I know once my 2 days of work are done, I’m in “mom mode” for the rest of the week. In addition to work-life balance, I can’t underestimate the importance of the support system I have. My parents are always there to pitch in on days off from school or when my husband travels and I need the extra hands. My neighbors will cover bus duty if I’m running a little late. I also couldn’t have worked part-time this long without the emotional and financial support of my husband, and I realize what a privilege that has been.

I’ve recently discovered a drawback of working part time: summers with school-aged kids are tricky. My husband and I crunched some numbers this winter, and it turned out that sending our 9-year-old and 5-year-old to full-time summer camp would cause us to lose money because I only work 2 days a week, but they’d be at camp for 5 days a week. I made the difficult decision to leave my current position when the school year ends so I can be a more full-time mom for my growing kids. They need me around more than they did when they were little, even during the school year. Working in a clinic with set shifts where people depend on me to be there isn’t working for my family anymore. I will choose my family every time. I was a vet tech before I was a mom, and that part of me will never go away, so I am optimistic about my decision. However, there are so many other opportunities in our field now that provide more flexibility than working in clinics.

Currently, I am working for MentorVet by facilitating meetings for their veterinary technician mentoring program once a month. I meet technicians from all over the country during these meetings, and it’s been lovely to build camaraderie with them. I mentor younger technicians individually through MentorVet, as well as working currently on a yearlong mentoring certificate program. I am also going to do relief work during the school year. Although being a technician will look a little different moving forward, I am thrilled that I can continue to balance my 2 worlds of being a mom and being a vet tech.

How clinical skills, multitasking, and medical instincts seamlessly prepared me for the challenges and rewards of motherhood.

How being a veterinary technician prepared me for motherhood 

Vet Watch Episode 1

Alice Jeromin, DVM, RPh, DACVD, and host Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, open the premiere episode of 

 with a comprehensive exploration of how isoxazoline parasiticides have revolutionized ectoparasite management in small-animal practice. In the episode, Jeromin and Lee discuss the mechanism of action of these parasiticides, their extralabel uses, and the different isoxazoline products available, detailing their differences, doses, and duration. They also share diagnostic tips and anecdotes about older treatments before the advent of isoxazolines and talk about the challenges of public education on flea treatment, including incorrect use of products and more.

Check out the episode above to hear the full dialogue and deepen your understanding of these transformative compounds. Your next challenging case of unexplained pruritus may have a simple, science-backed solution.

Below is a partial transcript of the video, which has been lightly edited for clarity:

Today, we're talking about isoxazolines, or as they’re called, "isox." So to help everyone get on the same page—I don't know, the first time I heard of isox, I thought they were Bluetooth leggings that I had to have for some reason. So, what are isox? How do they work, and what are they?

 First of all, every veterinary dermatologist you can ask is in love with isoxazolines. We'll get into the reason for that later, but they are both insecticidal and acaricidal, which means they're pretty good at what they do for insects, fleas, ticks—that kind of thing.

Thankfully, we've got several to choose from. Their method of action is that they antagonize GABA [gamma-aminobutyric acid], which is...like a double negative. I always think of GABA as an inhibitory neurotransmitter. So they're antagonizing an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which in turn controls chloride channels. They also—at least in invertebrates—antagonize glutamate-driven chloride channels. So there's kind of a 2-fold mechanism of action in invertebrates, and invertebrates—like mammals, us—they do...the antagonism of GABA, which is a real long mouthful, but it just results in hyperpolarization, and then the being dies. We know that insects are much more sensitive [to] these GABA receptors than mammals are. So that's good because we don't want to have any of the neurological issues that can occur with some of these insecticides and acaricides, particularly the GABA-mediated ones.

 Yeah, it's great having that level of safety. And speaking of safety and just overall efficacy...you and I have both been practicing veterinary medicine for a while, so when we look at it and you have over 35 years of experience...for some of our listeners [who don’t]—let's kind of go back. I think you and I both remember 1993 when Frontline was first law. What was it even before that? Do you have any stories from [the pre-Frontline era]?

Alice Jeromin, DVM, RPh, DACVD—Before earning her DVM degree from The Ohio State University, Jeromin graduated from the University of Toledo with a BS in Pharmacy and practiced as a hospital pharmacist. She completed her veterinary dermatology residency with Patrick Breen and dermatopathology training at Procter & Gamble, Miami Valley Labs, as well as a fellowship in human dermatology at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, with Bryan Davis. Jeromin is currently an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University, lecturer at Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy, and former practice owner of Veterinary Allergy & Dermatology, Inc. She is a former member-at-large on the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Biologics and Therapeutic Agents as chairman of the supplements and compounding committees. Along with publishing in human and veterinary journals, she authored the dermatology chapter in 

Pharmacotherapeutics for Veterinary Dispensing

. Her interests include human-animal comparative dermatology and skin lipid research, with publications in both areas. Because of her pharmacist background of counseling patients, she is a strong believer in client education and maintains her website,

, for clients to be educated with evidence-based information, as well as her podcast, 

. The podcast is geared toward pet owners of allergic pets to provide them with accurate, evidence-based information.

Videos

Introducing Vet Watch! Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, and Alice Jeromin, DVM, RPh, DACVD, discuss the clinical benefits and practical applications of isoxazoline parasiticides for year-round ectoparasite control.

Vet Watch: Tips and pitfalls of dermatology in the new age of isoxazolines

Heather Duncan, DVM, DAVDC, discusses her Fetch On-Demand session

A preview of a dental extraction lecture

In this video, Heather Duncan, DVM, DAVDC, founder and CEO of Crown Veterinary Dental Specialists in Charlotte, North Carolina, discusses her lecture “Lights, Camera, Action: Let's Walk Through Real Life Dental Extractions, which focuses on dental extractions, surgical techniques, and instruments used for flap release and tooth extraction. The session, originally presented at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte, can now be viewed virtually for continuing education credit through dvm360 Flex.

Previews of Duncan’s other on-demand lectures can be accessed below:

A veterinary dentist previews her session on dental instruments for extractions

 So, our lecture for “Lights, Camera, Action: Let's Walk Through [Real Life] Dental Extractions,” I am a very visual learner, so I like to watch things being done. That's how I learned the best. So, we have compiled a lot of videos showing dental extractions, especially the main teeth that we're going to extract. So maxillary canine tooth, maxillary fourth premolar, mandibular canine tooth, mandibular first molar, as well as some premolars with periodontal disease.

So, we have compiled a lot of videos that walk you through those steps, how we're going to design that flap, the micro gingival flap, and have a tension free flap at the end to suture, as well as well as the instruments that we're going to use to release that flap, to elevate the tooth and extract that tooth itself.

 delivers expert-led veterinary continuing education on your schedule. With 

, you can access top-tier sessions anytime, anywhere—whether at home, in the clinic, or on the go. Ready to earn CE credits? Watch this session and more on 

A preview of a lecture on dental extractions

Beef and dairy production significantly contribute to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in varying amounts depending on the country. GHG emissions intensity is calculated using the emissions produced per unit of product such as beef or milk. It directly correlates to a country’s income status. The lower the income, the greater the intensity, which is concerning given that low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) own 76% of global cattle and contribute 75% of the global ruminant GHG emissions. Optimizing production efficacy in LMICs with the highest intensities—India, Brazil, Pakistan, and African nations, to name a few—can reduce global livestock emissions by 60% to 65% by 2050.

Genetic improvement is a potential strategy to accomplish this goal. A recent review in the 

explored the current use of genetic improvement technologies to:

increase milk and beef production efficacy

explore future implications of gene editing, and

summarize the opportunity cost of delay in implementing genetic technologies into livestock production.

Current technologies used in cattle production include genetic selection, artificial insemination (AI), and sexed semen. Genetic selection uses genotyping to identify cows with the best genetic traits, like high milk yield. AI is a reproductive technology that uses genetic selection to breed cattle with sperm from genetically superior bulls, ensuring high-quality calves. The AI process has become increasingly beneficial with the introduction of sexed semen. Using X-chromosome-bearing semen to perform AI increases the number of female calves while reducing unwanted males.

AI increases livestock production efficiency but has been adopted inconsistently and unequally across beef and dairy industries. The beef industry uses genetic selection and AI more frequently to produce higher quality beef; however, 45% of beef comes from dairy production systems globally. Since beef produced in specialized beef herds generates 4 times the emissions as intensity of beef from dairy farms, there is potential to combine these sectors. Crossbreeding cattle using semen from genetically superior beef breeds to AI dairy cows can create “beef on dairy” calves tailored for beef production and have environmental and economic advantages.

The future of genetic technology is genetic engineering (GE) and gene editing (GnEd). These emerging technologies can create intentional genomic alterations (IGA) in the cattle genome to produce favorable phenotypes such as disease resistance, hornless, heat tolerance, and single-sex offspring. GnEd knocks out or introduces specific genes through nuclease-mediated changes to DNA. Incorporating this into current practice requires standard regulations, appropriate infrastructure, and positive public perception.

Genetic technologies have played a crucial role in lowering GHG emissions in the cattle industry. Delaying implementation in LMIC and future advancements of GnEd due to regulatory burdens and public pushback would forgo advantages of beneficial technologies, reduced GHG emissions, and environmental protection.

, is a 2025 PharmD Candidate studying veterinary pharmacy at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy in Storrs.

Van Eenennaam AL. Current and future uses of genetic improvement technologies in livestock breeding programs. 

. 2025;15(1):80-90. doi:10.1093/af/vfae042

The use of technologies to increase food production and understand the implications of gene editing are being explored

Fighting greenhouse gas emissions with cattle genetics

Happy Friday dvm360 readers! We hope that you all had a fantastic week and are ready to kick off the weekend. Did you know that dvm360’s continuing education platform, Flex, is now offering Fetch on Demand? Fetch on Demand offers Fetch attendees, and those who missed the show, a chance to watch sessions and earn continuing education at their own pace and time. With a wide range of topics, there is something for everyone to learn from. You can check out the courses available 

As you get ready to learn from Fetch on Demand, here is what was popular this week on dvm360.com:

With Fetch Nashville right around the corner, we know that putting together your conference schedule can be overwhelming. To help, we 

 our upcoming keynotes, which faculty will be participating in the Consult and Connect, plus the available hands on laboratories.

MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., 

 the news that its gentamicin, posaconazole, and mometasone furoate otic suspension (Mometamax Single; Merck), has received approval from the FDA to treat canine otitis externa.

 of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, Josh Rosen, DVM, joins host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to talk about the importance of having clinical empathy in the veterinary clinic.

 all things North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, including its history and some advice on prepping for the exam, as someone who helps write its questions.

 with dvm360 to preview his Fetch on Demand session, Jb Minter, DVM, MS, DACZM, explains the unique physical characteristics amphibians have that can impact their response to anesthesia and analgesia.