When it comes to the veterinary clinic, veterinary technicians play a crucial role in the day-to-day operations. Whether it is interacting with fellow staff members, educating and talking to clients, or performing their duties as a technician, they are involved completely in the care of patients from start to finish. Because of their involvement, they can take on the role of advocating for what is best for the patient, but to do that they need to know that their voices will be heard.

“So what is it with advocacy? The official definition is any action that speaks in favor or of supports, depends or pleads on behalf of others. Basically it is support and it is speaking. We hear the word advocacy. Sometimes we think of like social justice, and it is for that. But advocacy can really be anything. We are just offering support and help on behalf of others,” Melissa Evans, LVT, CVT, VTS (ECC), said at the beginning of her lecture.

During her lecture "Patient Advocate & Personal Advocate: Speaking Up and Speaking Out as a Technician" at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention in Washington, DC, Evans shared with attendees that in order to advocate for patients, you also need to advocate for yourself. Throughout the lecture, Evans shared how to take initiative, be prepared, and other ways to make sure your voice is heard in your veterinary clinic.

When it comes to 'why' advocate, Evans explained the answer is a lot simpler when it comes to patients: They cannot advocate for themselves, so they need someone to do it for them. Through medical knowledge, training, and relationships with patients and veterinarians, technicians can utilize all of this to make the best choices for patients. However, when it comes to advocating for technicians, Evans expressed this can be a little more difficult.

According to Evans, technicians are programed to give their all, so they are more likely to go that extra mile, rarely say 'no' when asked, and constantly step up to help in times of need. This then causes technicians to burn out quickly, but setting boundaries at work can help. However, to have boundaries set technicians need to advocate for them within their clinics.

Speaking up can help prevent fellow employees from being taken advantage of

Decreases stress in both professional and personal lives.

“The reason to advocate may be persuasive but knowing how to advocate for yourself is more difficult,” Evans said.

Burnout and success are potential outcomes that can happen to a veterinary technician if they do not or do advocate for themselves. Clinics will have all different types of employees, some who care about work-life balance and career development and those who might not at all. When someone you work with shares opinions on these matters that differ from yours or it is not being as much of a priority as it is to you, take the initiative to bring the conversation to the table, in a clear and effective way.

When you start the conversation, and are prepared to have it, it means you can take some control over the conversation. This will not always be the case if talking to management or co-workers, and sometimes conversations that you don’t initiate will not go the way you expect or want them to, if only because you are not fully prepared for the conversation. When prepared, according to Evans, you can make sure you get to say your piece and be heard.

“Sometimes seeing one person speak up helps other people speak up. Sometimes you have to be that change. You have to be the one taking the risk to lower the risks for other people. And yeah, that's super scary, but it helps you to build confidence in all places in your life. And also you don't know what's going to happen until you do it,” Evan explained to attendees.

It is one thing to say you are prepared, but how prepared are you for the conversation? Being prepared means doing your homework according to Evans. Where do you want to end up long term? Where are you currently in your career? These are some of the questions technicians should ask themselves to prepare for starting the conversation at work. Also, what are nonnegotiable or flexible to you? For example, maybe you are working late because you are not a parent so other coworkers that are parents can be home for family dinner, but this is causing you to burnout. If this is something that is not working for you, bring it up in your conversation and make it clear.

"Come prepared for these conversations when you do it, if you aren't sure what value you bring right then go to your doctors, go to your other technicians, assistants, and say, 'Hey, can I get your feedback on my work? Like, what do you like about what I do? What, what don't you like? How can I improve?'" Evans encouraged AVMA attendees.

"Be open minded. You're not perfect. There are ways you can improve. There are ways I can improve I'm sure. Make sure you know what it is you want to work on, so that when you go have this conversation, you have everything you need know your values. This is so hard for technicians. We're here to take. Care of the patients, absolutely, 100% but we have value," she continued.

Advocating for yourself can be tough but doing it for what you need at work can positively impact your entire life. Knowing what you want and don’t, plus knowing how to make your voice heard when you take that initiative to have the conversation, helps you realize your worth and that you deserve to be heard in the exam room, management office, and beyond. Together through advocacy, technicians can become stronger advocates for their patients as well.

Evans M. Patient Advocate & Personal Advocate: Speaking Up and Speaking Out as a Technician. Presented at: American Veterinary Medical Association Convention; Washington, DC: July 18-22, 2025.

Articles

Melissa Evans, LVT, CVT, VTS (ECC), educated veterinary technicians how to speak up and out for themselves and their patients during her lecture at the 2025 AVMA Convention 

Strengthening technician voices in veterinary clinics

During this on site podcast episode recording with host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, Benjamin Bergstrom, DVM, DACVO, shares more insights into veterinary ophthamology, plus his journey to opening The Eye Vets

Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360 episode with Benjamin Bergstrom, DVM, DACVO

This episode is sponsored by The Eye Vets

During this special live recording of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes Benjamin Bergstrom, DVM, MS, DACVO, to the show to chat about his clinic in Nashville, Tennessee, The Eye Vets, advice for new graduates when it comes to ophthalmic signs, and more.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity

 How important is it for you to be partnering with the generalists when we're referring some of these cases with you?

They're the lifeline. We don't Exist without the generalist. So that partnership is so critical. We pride ourselves on communication, and I am no stranger to giving out my cell phone. People look at me thinking, I'm crazy to give out my cell phone to general practitioners. We're all veterinarians. We all understand that we work from a certain period and then afterwards, you know, we all go home. Everybody's very respectful of having my cell phone number, but building relationships and building that rapport with the general practitioner, they don't always have to send things to us. We realize that as specialists, we're not always going to get a referral. Clients don't want to make the trip. They can't make the trip. They don't want to spend the money. Why should a patient suffer and not be able to receive that care? And so, you know, we're here for you, even if you can't send it.

: I love that. It really is you're here for you. And what are you most proud of? I've known you for a while now and follow you on social media, and your team is incredible. Yeah, you have a great team. So I'm sure there's many things, but what are some things that really stand out that makes you most proud of what you're doing?

The team, honestly, is the highlight of what we're doing. Everyone feels the same that I do. They're so passionate not only about providing this outstanding eye care for our patients, but it's we want everyone that comes in to feel like they're heard, that we truly care about their pet. It's not just transactional. And then I'm also, I'm just, I'm proud of, proud of the building that we're occupying now. I'm proud of Nashville. Nashville is an incredible city to be in.

Podcasts

During this special live recording of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Benjamin Bergstrom, DVM, MS, DACVO, chat about the world of veterinary ophthalmology and practice ownership.

Expanding veterinary ophthalmology

Deborah Steele, a long time equestrian, was trailering Daisy Mae, her 18-year-old Paint mare, to a chiropractor appointment, but when she opened the trailer upon arrival, she noticed that Daisy Mae was hung up on the metal bar divider of the stalls in the trailer.

Daisy Mae, who was cut badly, was cared for by the veterinarian on site at the appointment but after the veterinarian began to suture the wound, they realized it was much deeper than originally anticipated. The cut had gone through multiple muscle layers and with a fear of internal damage, the veterinarian referred Daisy Mae to the UC Davis Large Animal Hospital, where Steele brought her immediately.

After a workup was conducted by the equine emergency team on site, they discovered that there was significant damage to Daisy Mae’s abdominal wall, meaning she needed surgery. She was prepped by an anesthesiologist and Sandra Valdez, DVM, DACVs-LA, DABVP (Equine), along with surgical residents Bridget Ratliff, DVM, and Laurel Saldinger, DVM, cleaned and then gently explored the wound to discover the extent of the damage.

Daisy Mae being prepared for surgery at the UC Davis veterinary hospital (Image courtesy of UC Davis) 

During the surgery after extending through multiple abdominal muscular layers, they discovered there was no peritoneal rupture association with the inguinal laceration. The surgical team then extended the incision, and after finding nothing abnormal within the intestines, they repaired the wound and reapposed the many affected layers of muscle. The UC Davis team noted that Daisey Mae stood up well from anesthesia with assisted head- and tail-rope recovery. 

Daisy Mae recovered from the procedure in the hospital's Equine Intensive Care Unit on IV fluid therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics. She was also kept on strict stall rest with 2 handheld walks a day for 10 minutes each. Now, in her second month of recovery, she is allowed to do a small run in addition to her stall and in her third month, she will be allowed to access a large pasture or padlock by herself with extended hand walks.

“The team of doctors that helped Daisy Mae recover was awesome,” concluded Steele. “She is eating well, gaining weight, and getting better every day.”

Warren R. UC Davis Equine Surgeons Save Mare Injured in Trailer Accident. School of Veterinary Medicine. Published June 23, 2025. Accessed July 17, 2025. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-equine-surgeons-save-mare-injured-trailer-accident

The team at UC Davis treated 18-year-old Daisy Mae after she was hung up on the metal bar divider in her trailer.

Surgeons save mare after trailer accident 

On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes Krista Halling DVM, CCRP, DACVS, HAB-Certified, to discuss dogpacking. Through the show, Christman and Halling chat about what exactly dogpacking is, the benefits of clients and patients doing physical activities together, and how keeping a pet on a regular routine but incorporating new experiences can help foster optimism bias in dogs. 

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity.

 I love this, so let's unpack this. See what I did there, and let's talk about what exactly is dog packing, and how does it differ from "just walking your dog?"

Krista Halling DVM, CCRP, DACVS, HAB-Certified:

 Excellent question, and walking your dog can count as dogpacking. It's it's a mindset and a lifestyle. So the way I define the word dogpacking is you picture people know what backpacking is. So dog packing is you take a pack, like just a backpack, you take a pack, you take your dog, and you head out your door, past your front porch for an adventure. The adventure can be around the block, around the city, around the world. That's not the important thing. It's you and your dog are out there doing something together, being active and being in nature, even if it's short, low hanging fruit of the park down the street, it's a mindset change that's very different from I'm just going to take the dog for a walk, because there you show up as you and the dog happen to be going for a walk together, but you're not showing up really present for your dog. There is so much when you go down the rabbit hole of the benefit of shifting your mindset to my dog and I are doing something together. The second you say that to yourself, you've shown up differently, and emotion goes up and down that leash, and so does your dog. The dog knows if you're present and if you're doing it as a team activity, or if you just happen to be doing it as as a chore, need to walk the dog, and I think you'll find you're less likely to be on your phone. You're there, showing up with your dog, paying attention to your dog. 

And we can get into this, but it unleashes, pun intended I'll follow your your initial lead. If you like puns, it unleashes so many benefits. And how I developed that is, I've been a veterinarian for a while, and I've been outdoorsy for a while, and I like bringing my dog along, but I didn't always know how to do that and how much activity you can give a dog. How long can you hike with a dog? How do you take a dog on a bike ride? So I started looking into that. Turns out there really isn't a dedicated site for doing stuff with your dog outdoors. And maybe the geeky part of me thought, well, let me look into some benefits or the science behind all of this. There is so much there Adam.

What is dogpacking, and what kind of impact does it have on the human-animal bond?

Prescribing for nature

Researchers are now exploring whether a combination of 2 immunotherapy drugs are effective against canine patients with cancer. At the University of Wisconsin, the first canine patient was administered the initial dose of a dual immune checkpoint therapy, marking the launch of a pilot clinical study on the efficacy of dual immune checkpoint inhibitors for treating dogs with solid tumors. 

The study, called “Checkmate K9” and launched by pet biotechnology company Vetigenics, will assess the safety and early effectiveness of VGS 001 in conjunction with VGS 002 in dogs with a variety of solid tumors. VGS 001 is an anti-canine CTLA-4 (anti-cCTLA-4) monoclonal antibody and VGS 002 is an anti-canine PD-1 (anti-cPD-1) monoclonal antibody.

According to Vetigenics, the research was inspired by dual immune checkpoint inhibitor studies in human cancer.

 In human medicine, the combination of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies have shown stronger anti-tumor efficacy, with one study demonstrating an increased 5-year survival rate in human patients with advanced melanoma receiving anti-CTLA-4 combined with anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors.

Vetigenics called the launch of its Checkmate K9 a “major advancement” in veterinary oncology.

 “As single agents, these antibodies have shown strong safety and tolerability results, as well as encouraging therapeutic responses,” said Adriann Sax, CEO of Vetigenics, in a company news release.

 “We now have an exciting opportunity to advance our understanding of [immune checkpoint inhibitor] combination therapy in pet dogs. Vetigenics' vision is to ultimately bring these innovative treatments to pet parents as an accessible and affordable option in combating a variety of canine cancers,”

Seven veterinary oncology researchers across multiple academic centers and one animal hospital will be involved in the multisite, open-label evaluation. These individuals are

Jeff Bryan, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), with the University of Missouri

Tim Fan, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), DACVIM (Oncology), with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Cheryl London, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), with Tufts University

Nicola Mason, BVetMD, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), FRCVS, with the University of Pennsylvania

Doug Thamm, VMD, DACVIM (Oncology), with Colorado State University

Chelsea Tripp, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), medical director and owner of Bridge Animal Referral Center in Washington

David Vail, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), with the University of Wisconsin

"Advancing immunotherapy options for our canine patients is a critical step forward," said Vail, principal investigator of the study and a distinguished leader in canine cancer care.

 "By exploring dual checkpoint blockade in dogs, we're doing two important things—giving veterinarians better tools to fight aggressive tumors in pets, and building a stronger bridge between animal and human cancer research. The insights we gain here can truly advance cancer treatment across species."

Vetigenics launches CHECKMATE K9, first dual immune checkpoint inhibitor study in dogs with solid tumors. News release. Vetigenics. June 25, 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vetigenics-launches-checkmate-k9first-dual-immune-checkpoint-inhibitor-study-in-dogs-with-solid-tumors-302491010.html

Larkin J, Chiarion-Sileni V, Gonzalez R, et al. Combined nivolumab and ipilimumab or monotherapy in untreated melanoma. 

. 2019;381(2):153-165. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1910836

A new pilot clinical study will explore the safety and effectiveness of 2 anti-canine monoclonal antibodies on solid tumors in dogs.

First dog receives combination immunotherapy in new cancer trial

CoVet, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered clinical documentation, announced it is now collaborating with Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine (CSU) and Biomedical Sciences to bring its platform to veterinary students, interns, faculty, and house officers. The initiative, which will last 12 months, will give full access to the company’s scribing and co-pilot tools to inform decision-making process, which could mark a significant step in integrating AI in veterinary education.

"Our mission at CoVet is to ease the burden of clinical documentation and empower veterinarians with tools, so they can focus on patient care," said Aaron Massecar, vice president, partnerships at CoVet, in an organizational release.

 "By partnering with one of the world's top veterinary schools, we're investing in the future of the profession and accelerating the responsible and informed use of AI in animal health."

According to the release, the partnership is hoping to provide the next generation of veterinary professionals with the tools they need to better enhance clinical effectiveness as well as prepare them for the changing technological landscape within the profession. In a recent study conducted by Digitail, a practice management software for veterinary hospitals, and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to investigate current awareness, concerns, expectations, perceptions, and utilization of AI in veterinary medicine.

 This study, which collected perspectives of 2968 veterinary professionals, found that almost 40% of them were using AI tools or software in their veterinary setting. The results also stated that benefits of AI integration for veterinary medicine included improved productivity and time savings, reduced administrative workload, and an increase in efficiency in diagnosing and treating patients.

"This collaboration is grounded in the belief that technology should augment—not replace—the human expertise at the heart of veterinary care," explained Andrew Ciccolini, DVM, medical director of companion animal spectrum of care services, CSU veterinary health system.

 "We're focused on training our students to use AI responsibly, ethically, and effectively."

Despite presenting with positives, veterinary professionals are still sharing some concerns when it comes to AI in veterinary medicine. Out of the respondents from the survey, 70% said that they are concerned about the reliability and accuracy of AI systems and data security as well as 53.9% are worried about privacy.

Throughout the year-long partnership, CoVet will give the veterinary school comprehensive onboarding and support to help make sure that there is a seamless integration with the college’s existing electronic medical record system. In return, CSU will designate “clinical champions and technical leads” to evaluate the CoVet platforms performance, facilitate training logistics, and assess the potential for long term adoption.

"By leveraging AI scribe tools to streamline time-consuming and redundant tasks, we empower our teams to focus on what matters most: educating future veterinarians and providing exceptional patient care," concluded Camille Torres, DVM, DABVP, DACVIM (Nutrition), assistant professor.

 "Let humans do human things—and let technology help where it can."

Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Partners with CoVet to Advance AI in Veterinary Education and Clinical Practice. News release. CoVet. July 10, 2025. Accessed July 16, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/colorado-state-university-college-of-veterinary-medicine-and-biomedical-sciences-partners-with-covet-to-advance-ai-in-veterinary-education-and-clinical-practice-302502469.html

39.2% of Veterinary Professionals Use AI Tools in Their Practice - Digitail and AAHA Survey. News release. Digitail. February 14, 2024. Accessed July 16, 2025. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/39-2-of-veterinary-professionals-use-ai-tools-in-their-practice--digitail-and-aaha-survey-302062525.html#:~:text=39.2%25%20of%20respondents%20reported%20using%20AI%20tools%20or%20software%20in%20their%20veterinary%20setting

CoVet and Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences have joined forces to help integrate AI in veterinary education.