During the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida, Covetrus, a technology-enabled veterinary practice improvement company, announced the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered workflow and treatment board capabilities to its Covetrus Pulse platform. The new developments will help streamline veterinary operations, lower administrative burden, improve business insights, and promote client loyalty, according to the company.

"As a veterinarian with several practices, I understand first-hand the competitive pressures that veterinary practices continue to face," said Link Welborn, DVM, chief veterinary officer at Covetrus, said in a news release.

"Today, AI-driven automation is an essential tool to help alleviate administrative burdens, drive better insights, and improve operational efficiency. Through the thoughtful use of AI, we will gain greater insights into our patient's journey with the ability to personalize care and communications to increase overall satisfaction."

Covetrus Pulse is a cloud-based veterinary operating system (vOS) that consolidates apps into a single platform with customization options through app integrations. Users can connect to Pulse from any device at any time. As the industry’s first cloud-based vOS, the platform simplifies workflows across internal communications, scheduling, inventory, and prescriptions. It also helps professionals communicate with clients faster and more efficiently, as well as helps users create care plans for their patients.

In a recent announcement, Covetrus shared that the platform’s new AI capabilities include

Ambient listening and auto-generated subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) notes

: AI-powered transcription listens to live conversations during appointments and automatically creates SOAP notes

: AI generates patient summaries using data from the practice management system (PIMS)

: AI improves collaboration among the care team by providing real-time updates on patient treatments

"Veterinarians are increasingly seeking ways to optimize their practice workflows while maintaining the highest level of care for their patients," Scot Gillespie, chief product and technology officer at Covetrus, said in the release.

"By integrating AI-driven automation into the Covetrus Platform, we are empowering veterinary teams to enhance efficiency, generate greater insights to support patient care, and increase personalized communication to support pet parents."

The use of AI-powered tools in the Covetrus Pulse platform can help veterinary professionals save up to 5 minutes during each appointment, resulting in up to an extra hour of time each day for every practitioner.

 The platform’s new AI features, like its visit summaries, SOAP note generation, and AI-suggested next-best actions can also help decrease administrative workload, which helps relieve staff burnout, according to Covetrus.

“Covetrus remains committed to advancing AI technologies to further support veterinary practices. By unifying data across the Covetrus Platform, veterinarians will ultimately have an end-to-end view of the client journey; be able to gain greater business insights through machine learning models; and deliver more personalized communications by surfacing customized recommendations for each patient,” wrote Covetrus.

Covetrus announces AI-powered workflow automation and treatment board capabilities enhancing the Covetrus platform. News release. Covetrus. January 26, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/covetrus-announces-ai-powered-workflow-automation-and-treatment-board-capabilities-enhancing-the-covetrus-platform-302360244.html

Covetrus Pulse. Covetrus. Accessed January 28, 2025. 

https://covetrus.com/covetrus-platform/workflow-and-productivity-tools/covetrus-pulse/

Articles

The new integration of artificial intelligence to the Covetrus Pulse platform was announced at VMX

Veterinary operating system now includes AI features

When it comes to ophthalmic examinations, can be a scary experience for veterinarians. However, although the interpretations of findings can be challenging, the examination that leads to the interpretations follows a logical, anatomical order that does not necessarily require expensive equipment. Ron Ofri, DVM, PhD, DECVO, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, explained that the most important factors of the exam are not ophthalmic, such as darkening the exam room, a magnifying loupe, and a strong source of focal light.

, at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) Conference in Orlando, Florida, Ofri, broke down how veterinary teams can make to make these exams easier for general practitioners. Throughout the lecture, he provided multiple steps veterinary professionals can follow to ensure these examinations are not as scary as they may appear to be.

Before veterinarians begin their exam, they need to pay attention to the patient’s signalment. Multiple ocular conditions seen in pets, particularly in dogs, can be breed or age-related, meaning a general history should be taken and a comprehensive physical examination conducted. Ofri explained that many ophthalmic disorders can be manifestations of systemic disease, which is why a history and physical examination are important places to begin. During the examination and history, if neuro-ophthalmological abnormalities are present, such as anisocoria, blindness, or strabismus, the patient’s neurological systems should be evaluated because this can indicate a neurological disease.

As you get ready to begin your exam, Ofri listed these items that veterinarians will need to complete the examination:

Schirmer Tear Test strips to measure tear production

Fluorescein stain to diagnose corneal ulcers

Fine forceps and swabs may be required to evert the lids.

Ofri explained that realistically, the only expensive item that is required for these examinations is an applanation or rebound tonometer. These are needed to diagnose and monitor patients with glaucoma. A cheap alternative is the Schiotz indentation tonometer, which can provide veterinarians with a reliable reading with the proper calibration and practice. However, Ofri warned that, in any case, veterinarians should not attempt to measure pressure with their fingers. If the clinic does not have a tonometer, veterinarians can refer patients with suspected glaucoma for measurement of intraocular pressure.

As the patient walks into the room, the veterinarian should be observing the pet because being in an unfamiliar place can highlight visual deficits which can be examined more in-depth later in the examination.

Ofri explained that careful hands-off observation of the patient from a distance is needed, and professionals should ask themselves these questions:

Are the eyes of normal size and position?

Is there evidence of exophthalmos or buphthalmos?

Is there evidence of entropion or ectropion, usually of the lower lid?

Is their ocular discharge, and what is its nature if so?

After these questions are answered, Ofri explained the next step is checking the patient's orbital area to see if it is palpated to see if there are any abnormal swellings, fractures, etc. Veterinarians can use this opportunity to press on the globe through the upper lid of the patient, which can serve as a retropulsion test, and to proptose the 3rd eyelid, which allows inspection of its outer surface.

Next for the gross inspection is to inspect the eyelids. Veterinarians should carefully examine the skin looking for signs of dermatological disorders, just as alopecia, dermatitis, crusting, ulcerations, etc., as well as discharge. Veterinarians can evert the eyelids slightly to help visualize the conjunctiva lining of the patient's lids and 2 punctas. This moment can also be used to test the blink reflex by touching the skin around the eye.

Testing a patient’s vision is most commonly done by evaluating the menace response, which is making sudden threatening gestures that are supposed to cause a blink response in the patient. Ofri explained that it is important to understand this response involves the cerebral cortex integration and interpretation, meaning it is not a reflex.

To complete the menace response, one of the patient’s eyes should be covered while they evaluate the other. It is important to also not touch the eyelashes or hair of the patient to cause any type of wind movement.

Touching the patient’s eyelashes or hair or causing wind movement can trigger a false positive response. Ofri recommends veterinarians consider making the menace gesture behind a glass partition of some kind. A false negative can also occur in the menace response, with some reasoning being facial nerve paralysis, which can be ruled out by testing the patient's blinking reflex, young age, and the patient’s mental state. However, there are additional ways to test vision besides the menace gesture.

“Another way to check vision is doing the maze test, checking the animal's ability to navigate an obstacle course. Now mind you, when people build an obstacle course, they sometimes have a tendency to build an obstacle course that's fit for a military commando unit. No need to make it so difficult, just a couple of obstacles… that can be navigated by a normal animal. And one advantage of doing a maze test or an obstacle course is that it can be conducted both in light and dark,” Ofri explained to attendees.

Before closing his lecture, Ofri told those in attendance at his session to think of their ophthalmoscope as their stethoscope, just like he tells his students. He went on to explain that for everyone’s first day in the clinic after veterinary school, you are not entirely sure what you are doing but you know you need to use the stethoscope on the patient, even though you may be unsure about what you are hearing. However, as you continue to do exams and practice, you begin to learn and can start diagnosing cardiac and pulmonary problems. To Ofri, this is the same with the ophthalmoscope.

“Okay, first 100 patients, I promise you, you'll not see a thing. Next 100 maybe you'll catch a fleeting glimpse of the fundus for 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 4 seconds. The more you do it, the better you'll be committed, and you can recognize normal variations. Then when a blind patient comes into your clinic complaining of blindness, you can perform a proper ophthalmoscopic examination. But if the first time you're going to try it is on a blind patient, forget it. You have no hope. So please do an ophthalmoscopic exam on every patient that comes into your clinic,” he concluded.

Part 2 of this article will be released later this week so be sure to check in at dvm360.com to make sure you do not miss it.

Ofri R. Ophthalmic Exam Made Easy! Presented at: Veterinary Meeting & Expo; Orlando, FL. January 25-29, 2025.

Ron Ofri, DVM, PhD, DECVO, shares how veterinary professionals can make eye exams easier for all during his recent lecture at VMX 

Tips for simplifying ophthalmic exam in general practice

A service that connects care providers with pets of individuals in crisis was named the 2025 NAVC Gives Marquee Award winner. The recognition provides BestyBnB, based in Kansas City, Missouri, with $25,000 to help the organization continue to support animal and human wellbeing.

The award was announced at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Florida, presented by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC). “We recognize [BestyBnb] because they've started to grow on a national basis. This platform has done tremendous work. I don't know how many 1000s of families they've reconnected with their pet after they've gone through their crisis period,” Gene O’Neill, CEO of NAVC, said in a 

BestyBnB is digital platform that partners with animal welfare, domestic violence, mental health, veteran affairs and houseless service agencies to aid pet owners by securing temporary housing for their animals. The service helps ensure pets are safe, while their owners work through the crisis situation they’re experiencing. According to the organization, fewer than 5% of domestic violence shelters offer on-site housing for pets, while 70% of pets left behind in a crisis are abused or killed in retaliation.

“Just like NAVC Gives, we have a shared mission to educate, support and improve the well-being of both animals and people through compassionate care, innovation, and community engagement,” BestyBnB cofounder Matthew Krenz said in a public statement.

Krenz said the organization was honored to receive the award from NAVC Gives as well as humbled. “This award helps create more awareness for our life-saving mission within the veterinary community, directly with the professionals who inspire us every day,” Krenz added.

 “With the support and assistance of veterinary professionals, we can bring our crisis-care platform and services to every community across the country.”

Launched in 2023, NAVC Gives is intended to “shine a light” on nominees that do not typically receive attention, according to O’Neill, in a 

 “These are things that we want to elevate and to inspire people who think that their jobs are going unnoticed or unrecognized. This is a way that we can give back to them a little bit and help fund their mission to continue on doing the work that they're doing,” O’Neill said.

The NAVC has committed $1 million to fund monetary awards throughout the year through its philanthropic NAVC Gives program. Pet Peace of Mind was announced as the 

, during the 2024 VMX event. The national nonprofit organization—based in Salem, Oregon—aids pet owners entering hospice care which allows them to keep their animals throughout their end-of-life experience.

NAVC Gives has given nearly %100,000 in funding since its’ inception, according to O’Neill. Awarding funds rely on nominations. “We're getting more applications for these [awards] online, and more of our community coming to us, saying ‘we want to recognize someone else’ for this or that. So it's really a great thing,” he added in the 2025 interview.

NAVC names BestyBnB as the 2025 NAVC Gives Marquee Award recipient. News release. January 27, 2025.

BestyBnB’s mission to eliminate these barriers. BestyBnB. Accessed January 28, 2025. 

Coppock K. NAVC Gives honors community members who benefit animals. 

. January 16, 2024. Accessed January 27, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/navc-gives-honors-community-members-who-benefit-animals

McCafferty C. Pet Peace of Mind wins inaugural NAVC Gives Marquee Award. 

. January 16, 2024. Accessed January 28, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/pet-peace-of-mind-wins-inaugural-nacv-gives-marquee-award

Besty BnB is a platform that helps secure temporary housing for animals, while owners are working through a crisis situation

Service aiding pets and humans in crisis earns 2025 NAVC Gives Marquee Award

Lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel chewable tablets (Credelio Quattro; Elanco Animal Health) have officially been launched and are now available to order, according to a recent announcement by Elanco Animal Health (Elanco).

 The product, which provides canine protection against 6 parasites, made its debut at the 

The drug, which received FDA approval in October 2024, is the only monthly chewable tablet that offers protection against 6 different parasites, including 3 intestinal worms that can be transmitted to humans.

The combination chewable tablet is indicated for monthly administration and is suitable for dogs aged 8 weeks or older weighing 3.3 lb or more. It is also designed to offer prevention of heartworm disease.

“Today is a historic day as we bring veterinarians and pet owners peace of mind with the broadest parasite protection of its kind for dogs," Bobby Modi, executive vice president, US Pet Health and Global Digital Transformation, said in a company release.

 “By providing the broadest range of parasite protection of its kind, covering 6 parasites in a single, chewable, Credelio Quattro delivers on pet owner expectations, while strengthening Elanco's market presence and positioning us for continued growth in the parasiticide segment,” he continued. 

According to a survey by Elanco, 94% of dog owners consider proactive treatment for intestinal worms to be a top priority. When choosing protection for their dogs, owners value effectiveness, parasite coverage, and length of protection the most, according to the company.

The survey also revealed that only 1 in 3 participants recognized that fleas and ticks pose a year-round risk. Additionally, half of the dog owners surveyed protect their dog from heartworm disease throughout the year.

"Parasites like tapeworms, fleas, and ticks can carry dangerous diseases and some of these can spread from dogs to humans," Casey Locklear, DVM, parasiticide lead for Elanco Animal Health said in the release.

 "The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends year round prevention of parasites, even during the winter months and specifically mentions the need for monthly deworming of dogs with praziquantel in areas where a certain type of tapeworm—

“Credelio Quattro has incredibly broad spectrum against fleas and ticks because of the lotilaner component; tapeworms with the praziquantel; hookworms and roundworms with the pyrantel; and then heartworm prevention with moxidectin,” said Susan E. Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM, Krull-Ewing professor of parasitology at the Center for Veterinary Health Sciences at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, in an interview with 

. “So it [offers] a broad spectrum protection against a wide variety of parasites that dogs are going to encounter on a regular basis, and so we really need to make sure they’re protected.”

Credelio Quattro should be used with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurological disorders.

 Additionally, dogs should be tested for heartworm infections prior to Credelio Quattro administration, as it does not work against adult heartworm 

The products safety in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. Vomiting and diarrhea were the most commonly reported adverse reactions during clinical trials.

 Complete safety information can be found on the Credelio Quattro product label.

Now available: Credelio Quattro™ (lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel chewable tablets) provides broadest[i] parasite protection of its kind. News release. Elanco Animal Health. January 23, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/now-available-credelio-quattro-lotilaner-moxidectin-praziquantel-and-pyrantel-chewable-tablets-provides-broadesti-parasite-protection-of-its-kind-302357947.html

Bautista-Alejandre A. FDA approves oral drug for broad canine protection against parasites. 

. October 7, 2024. Accessed January 28, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/fda-approves-oral-drug-for-broad-canine-protection-against-parasites

Lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel chewable tablets offer protection against 6 types of parasites

Credelio Quattro launches at VMX 

Fear Free, a leader in providing science and behavioral-based education to help alleviate and prevent fear, anxiety, and stress in animals, announced the launch of its newest program, the Emergency & Urgent Care Practice Certification program.

"Since our inception, Fear Free has been dedicated to empowering veterinary professionals with tools and education to transform how care is delivered," said Jennifer Merlo, DVM, vice president, operations, in an organizational release.

"This new Emergency & Urgent Care Veterinary Practice Certification program changes the standard of care for pets everywhere, ensuring that even in the most critical moments, FAS is minimized. We're excited about this program and the additional initiatives we have on the horizon to further elevate veterinary care."

According to the release, the program is aiming to bridge gaps between routine care and urgent or emergency scenarios by providing veterinary teams the necessary training and resources to implement Fear Free’s techniques into high-pressure environments.

 The certification touches base on specialized protocols for triage, treatment, talking to clients, and staff workflows as a way to ensure the physical and emotional wellbeing of patients and clients during emergency situations.

"The launch of this program is another pivotal step in our journey to make Fear Free the global standard in veterinary care. By expanding into emergency and urgent care, we're not just growing – we're transforming the industry to ensure pets everywhere receive compassionate low-stress care when they need it most,” explained Marty Becker, DVM, founder of Fear Free in regard to the latest program addition.

Fear Free was founded in 2016 and provides veterinary professionals, pet professionals, animal welfare communities, and clients resources developed by veterinary and pet experts around the world. Fear Free’s goal is to maintain veterinary healthcare teams as well as pet professionals as trusted health experts through educational materials on the emotional wellbeing, enrichment, and reduction of fear, stress and anxiety in pets.

 Veterinary professionals can either become Fear Free Certified individually or their clinic can become a Fear Free Certified clinic. Currently, Fear Free offers Fear Free Certified Veterinary General Practice, with Fear Free Certified Veterinary HouseCall practice apparently on the horizon.

"Since 2018, we've been able to reduce [Fear, anxiety, and stress] in Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practices by training every team member on our standards," said TD Steward, Director, Growth Strategies, in the release.

 "With the launch of this program, we're giving ER and Urgent Care practices an opportunity to adopt these standards in critical situations. This program allows teams to deliver the same exceptional level of care that pet owners have come to expect, even in the most challenging circumstances."

Veterinary professionals in attendance at the 

conference (VMX) can learn more about the new program at the Fear Free booth in the expo hall. Anyone not in attendance at VMX can learn more on the Fear Free website.

Fear Free® Expands Reach with the Launch of Emergency & Urgent Care Veterinary Practice Certification. News release. Fear Free. January 27, 2025. Accessed January 27, 2025. 

https://www.prweb.com/releases/fear-free-expands-reach-with-the-launch-of-emergency--urgent-care-veterinary-practice-certification-302360457.html

Fear Free. What is Fear Free & Why Is It Important? Fear Free. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://fearfreepets.com/about/what-is-fear-free/

The Emergency & Urgent Care Program will help veterinary practices ensure low-stress care in critical situations 

Fear Free announces new certification 

Alex Sigmund, DVM, DACVO provides tips on to spot corneal ulcers in veterinary patients, and how to manage them

Interview with Alex Sigmund, DVM, DACVO, on corneal ulcer management in general practice

During an interview with dvm360 ahead of his lectures at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) conference in Orlando, Florida, Alex Sigmund, DVM, DACVO, shared tips and tricks general practitioners can use with their patients to diagnose and manage corneal ulcers. Sigmund breaks down early signs of corneal ulcers veterinary professionals can be on the lookout for, the need for reevaluation, and the best Elizabethan collars to use for these patients.

The biggest things you can look out for, thankfully, the kind of the most obvious ones that would indicate you looking for an ulcer. So that'd be something like squinting, tearing, and redness to the eye. You can also start to see some redness to the cornea itself, but any of those things are going to tell you that you need you at least a fluorescein stain to look for that corneal ulcer. 

I'm a big proponent of just kind of lumping all the ophthalmology diagnostics together as an [ophthalmology] exam, so that you can just do a Schirmer stain and IOP [Intraocular pressure] on any of these red-eyed dogs, just because there's a lot of things that can contribute to each other that you can rule in or out pretty easily with that baseline level [ophthalmology] exam.

Videos

Alex Sigmund, DVM, DACVO, shares practical tips general practitioners can use for diagnosing and managing patients with corneal ulcers 