Steven Ringold, DVM, DACVR, discusses his appreciation for veterinary medicine and his specialty field, in a dvm360 video interview. 

Veterinarian shares a passion for radiology

Steven Ringold, DVM, DACVR, a veterinary radiologist with VetRad, recently discussed his appreciation for veterinary medicine and the profession, in a 

 video interview. He also talks about what fuels his passion for the radiology field.

A presenter at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ringold’s continuing education lectures include a pair of March 16, 2025, sessions on thoracic radiology that focus individually on mediastinum and pulmonary patterns. His other sessions included a lecture on using radiography to assess the liver and spleen; and a talk aimed at general practitioners to help them more confidently evaluate abdominal radiographic studies.

The following is a transcript of the video:

: For veterinary medicine, I feel so grateful to have found this profession and to have made my career here. I love the variety of possibilities that we can pursue, and how we can help our patients. 

I am really passionate about diagnostic imaging. To me, it's just so cool, the physics behind it, and that each study is like a puzzle, and I get to try to figure out the solution to that puzzle. And then to help people, [and] help their pets.

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In a dvm360 interview, Kelly Cairns, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), vice president of medical education and excellence at Thrive Pet Healthcare, reflects on the challenges of the COVID pandemic and embraces the present. 

Celebrating the joy found in veterinary medicine

 interview, Kelly Cairns, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), vice president of medical education and excellence at Thrive Pet Healthcare, reflects on the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and embraces the present. In this video, recorded at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cairns discusses the joy that can be found in veterinary medicine. She encourages veterinary professionals to find their own joy in the profession.

: So for me, 2025 is what I'm calling the ‘year of joy,’ and thinking about what is within my sphere of control or influence to do as many things [as possible] in this amazing profession that we're all called to, through passion-driven purpose. And as I reflect on being here at Fetch this weekend, I can't help but bring up that it's the 5-year anniversary of the initial lockdown from COVID, and I look at us together as a connected community, and the resiliency, as everything we've navigated in humanity and as a profession. And I want to empower everyone to feel the joy of the love that you have for this profession and do as many things as possible that bring you joy, because our profession is really cool.

Articles

In a dvm360 interview, Kelly Cairns, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), reflects on the challenges of the COVID pandemic and embraces the present.

Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, discusses available treatment options for pet with pruritus, plus factors to consider when choosing the treatment option

Treatment options for pruritic diseases

 interview, discusses one of her sessions delivered at the 2025 Fetch Charlotte conference taking place March 14-16 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, talks about treatment options for pruritic diseases in cats and dogs. In this video, Griffin also discusses how veterinarians can determine which treatment option is best for each patient.

Below is the interview transcript, which has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity:

 For treating atopic dermatitis, it's a diagnosis of exclusion. So I always make sure that I've ruled out food hypersensitivity and have them on a good, consistent flea control program because that will help to prevent flea reactivity. Even if they are not flea-allergic, that will help to prevent that kind of as a flare factor for those allergic dogs.

And then for treating the itch, when we're going through these diagnostic trials, we have lots of options available with Janus kinase inhibitors like Apoquel and Zenrelia. You can also use Cytopoint, which is a monoclonal antibody; and then steroids; those do have their place in our diagnostic trials because you can use them for a short period of time. For Cyclosporine or Atopica, I typically use for more chronic cases, so when I'm trying to approach the pruritic pet, I usually don't start with those because they Atopica takes a little bit longer to start to work, so it's best used for more chronic cases once you have a true diagnosis.

The treatment option is really based off of the severity of the pet, the duration of their itching, and really their response to other therapies. So I really look at each patient, kind of holistically, and figure out what's going to be the best for them. Some patients have other comorbidities or other medications that they may be on that would prevent them or maybe make a certain treatment less doable. And then I always talk to the pet parent about what their thoughts and feelings are surrounding different chronic medications, and we find what's going to be the best fit for them.

Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, discusses available treatment options for patients with pruritus, plus factors to consider when choosing the treatment option

To initiate this year’s dvm360 Fetch Charlotte conference in North Carolina, Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), former global director of clinical studies at Mars Veterinary Health, delivered a keynote address on some of the top clinically relevant advances in veterinary oncology. Among the advancements discussed were a new, highly effective drug for nausea and vomiting; a vaccine for melanoma; and a pharmacogenetic test related to ‘white feet don’t treat.’

A more effective treatment for managing nausea and vomiting

As Bergman explained, vomiting is a significant problem in both human and animal oncology patients, even outside of those undergoing chemotherapy. Many patients receiving surgery, radiation, or tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) will experience nausea and subsequently vomiting.

In animal patients, more than 90% will experience vomiting with cisplatin if untreated and approximately 10% to 20% may have overt delayed vomiting. Although the approximate percentage of patients who experience vomiting is known, the percent of those who experience nausea remains unknown, according to Bergman.

“...it’s easy for clients to know what overt vomiting is, but if you ask them, ‘Did Fluffy have any nausea over the last 3 weeks?’ invariably, they'll say ‘no.’ But if you actually arm them with what nausea looks like in the dog, then all of a sudden they say, ‘Yes, oh yeah, I do remember Fluffy walked up to the food bowl, kind of licked their lips, walked away—kind of like the waterfalls we have when we're nauseous,” said Bergman during his session. “So I think we actually underestimate the amount of nausea that our patients go through, and we know that there's huge quality of life implications to that.”

Much like the human medication Emend, an NK1 receptor antagonist for treating nausea and vomiting, particularly related to chemotherapy, Cerenia—a novel, veterinary-only medication for treating vomiting and nausea in cats and dogs—is also an NK1 receptor antagonist that is highly effective. As Bergman explained, the FDA-approved drug has been found to successfully block Ipecac—a direct-acting emetogen— 

Apomorphine, an indirect-acting emetogen, giving the drug “superior broad spectrum efficacy.”

According to Bergman, recent studies have suggested that Cerenia may also help reduce diarrhea.

The vaccine for canine malignant melanoma

Canine malignant melanoma is the most common oral tumor of dogs, accounting for approximately 4% of all canine tumors.

 As Bergman explained, chemotherapy has poor efficacy against this cancer, and prior to the melanoma vaccine, treatment options were limited, with many of them being only being effective at obtaining local control.

The melanoma vaccine, however, uses a needle-free delivery system—the Bioject system—which spreads the vaccine throughout the skin. As a result, this therapy is better at inducing an immune response compared to a traditional needle-based delivery method.

 As Bergman explained, the vaccine, which received full USDA approval in 2009, shows best outcomes with stage 1 melanoma because veterinarians have the “longest runway” for inducing an immune response.

“All right, how many folks have heard of this thing called ‘white feet, don't treat?” Bergman asked his audience during his session. The phrase ‘white feet, don’t treat’ refers to the MDR1 mutation in certain dog breeds, particularly those with white feet, that can lead to dogs developing neutropenia and thrombocytopenia if they are administered ivermectin.

However, the pharmacogenetic test determines whether a dog has one or 2 alleles, helping to identify at-risk breeds, which include Australian Shepherds, Collies, Silken Windhounds, McNabs, and long-haired Whippets. According to Bergman, the mutation affects 65% of long-haired Whippets.

At the end of his section on ‘white feet, don’t treat,’ Bergman posed a question to the audience: “When should we really be testing these dogs? Should it be when they get cancer?” he asked. Bergman emphasized that these canines should be getting tested when they are puppies. Understanding whether these puppies carry the mutation can help identify which drugs may pose risks to them, ensuring safer treatment options throughout their lives.

“Thankfully, the cost for that test has come way down,” he said.

Bergman P. Top 10 advances in veterinary oncology. Presented at: Fetch Charlotte; Charlotte, North Carolina. March 14-16, 2025. 

Huston L. Ivermectin for dogs. The Spruce Pets. October 6, 2023. Accessed March 14, 2025. 

https://www.thesprucepets.com/is-ivermectin-safe-dogs-and-cats-3384698#:~:text=Ivermectin%20Sensitivity%20in%20Collies%20and%20Similar%20Breeds&text=Symptoms%20of%20neurotoxicity%20include%20lack,generally%20safe%20for%20these%20dogs

Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), kicked off the 2025 Fetch Charlotte conference with his keynote address on key innovations in veterinary oncology

Advances in veterinary oncology: From a melanoma vaccine to genetic testing

A dog’s quality of life can be significantly affected by noise phobia and anxiety. However, intervention with a comprehensive approach can be beneficial to the canine patient as well as the client.

In an educational session at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC (IAABC), owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, provided an overview of noise phobia and anxiety in dogs. The lecture included intervention strategies that can be used to help mitigate physical and emotional distress.

Pachel began his talk describing fear, phobia and anxiety, emphasizing that these emotional responses are not the same and the severity of responses vary. “There's a whole range here, from normal, appropriate fear and anxiety all the way up to significantly pathological, significantly dangerous, both to the individual as well as to others in their immediate vicinity,” Pachel said.

The perception of fear for the patient has an identifiable trigger that causes distress and often results in a survival mode response. This response may reflect the patient’s past experiences.

A phobia is nonadaptive and may prompt persistent or excessive fear. Severity of the response may be out of context to the intensity of the stimulus, according to Pachel. Triggers can be discernible objects or situations such as thunderstorms, fireworks or other sudden and loud noises. In a video example shown during the lecture, a dog reacted to an owner’s sneeze with apprehension, and backed away until realizing there was no threat.

Anxiety is the anticipation of a threat, according to Pachel. The outcome is more unpredictable, and the trigger may be difficult to identify. “We can tell that they're stressed, but there's not really something that we can pin our finger on as to what exactly is eliciting that emotional state. This often happens in scenarios where ‘something bad’ has happened before, or in scenarios where the outcome is somewhat unpredictable, or in scenarios where the animal doesn't have any degree of control or agency over those outcomes or consequences,” he added.

One video example of anxiety Pachel shared with Fetch attendees involved a shaking, visibly apprehensive dog that waited by a window for teen boys in the family to come home from school. He explained that boys were known to “rough house,” frequently causing distress for the dog.

Fear, phobias and anxiety often lead to coping strategies that can be classified as active or passive. “So, the active responders, these are often the animals who are likely to move. They’re pacing. They’re exit-seeking. They're panicking, but that's manifesting as movement and more active strategies,” Pachel said. “We also have some of our animals that engage in more passive strategies, where they essentially freeze, hunker down, and respond more with immobility.”

Escaping the situation, a form of fight or flight for survival, is one form of an active response. Physically, a pet may experience hypertension, tachycardia or other autonomic changes. “These physical responses are actually normal,” Pachel said.

Passive physical responses include autonomic inhibition such as hypotension and bradycardia; and increased neuroendocrine activity such as cortisol secretion. Passive response also includes freezing when a threat is inescapable.

“Individual differences in learning history and experiences, socialization, and stimulus exposure context can significantly influence the development of these and other coping strategy variations,” Pachel said. In helping an animal manage their fear, phobia or anxiety, he noted that “there isn't a one-size-fits-all [solution] here.”

Medical conditions may be contributing to a patient’s behavior perceived as fear, phobia or anxiety. Once a medical condition has been ruled out or identified, an appropriate treatment plan can be created. 

To manage a patient’s emotions and behavioral responses, there are a variety of intervention strategies that can help. Desensitization and counterconditioning can help modify a patient’s response to canine noise phobia, for example. “This involves controlled exposure to noise below the stress response threshold and gradually increasing intensity, paired with positive reinforcement,” Pachel said.

Comfort tactics can include pheromones and nonpharmaceutical products. Use of a pheromone diffuser or products such as Thundershirts or iCalm can help destress an animal. Playing calming music and allowing a pet a safe space with favorite items such as blankets or toys, can also be beneficial.

To comfort a patient experiencing fear, pharmaceuticals can also help. Pachel noted that maintenance medications are most useful for frequent and unpredictable triggers, while quick-acting situational drugs help manage predictable, infrequent triggers.

Overall, Pachel said, a comprehensive approach is needed to manage fear, phobia and anxiety, and timing for an intervention is important for its’ success. Effective treatment for these emotions and their responses can improve the quality of life for the patient as well as the owner.

Pachel C. Canine noise phobia and the anxiety patient. Presented at: Fetch dvm360 Conference; March 14-16, 2025. Charlotte, NC.

At the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, presenter Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC (IAABC), provided an overview of noise phobia and anxiety in dogs.

Understanding phobia and anxiety in patients

Amanda Shelby talks about what an ECG can and can't tell you

Amanda Shelby interview ECG

 interview, Amanda Shelby, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia; Analgesia), explains that while an ECG is an essential tool for visualizing the heart’s electrical activity, it cannot confirm mechanical function or guarantee that the heart is effectively beating. She reminds practitioners of the importance of evaluating the entire clinical picture rather than relying solely on monitor readings.

Amanda Shelby, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia; Analgesia): 

I'm super excited to be speaking at Fetch. My name is Amanda Shelby. Apologies for my appearance—I just got back from a massage. You know, self care is important. I am a registered veterinary technician in the state of Indiana and a VTS in anesthesia and analgesia, a title I’ve held since 2010. My background in academia, especially in anesthesia and analgesia, has given me years of experience that led to this achievement and beyond.

Today, I’m focusing on topics closely related to anesthesia, sharing clinical pearls that you can incorporate into your everyday practice. I currently serve as a Senior Content Creator and CE Coordinator for VETgirl. In previous roles, I built “Think Anesthesia,” an educational platform, and I’m excited to continue that journey both virtually and in person.

For those joining me live at Fetch, you’ll experience my lecture titled “ABCs for ECGs,” which will also be available on demand. The three primary takeaways include understanding the importance—and the limitations—of ECG monitoring. The key concept is that an ECG is only the electrical reflection of the heart; it does not guarantee mechanical or actual heart beating function. I hope you become more comfortable recognizing both normal and abnormal ECGs in sedated or anesthetized patients, as well as in ER scenarios.

Let me share a personal experience: when I was just six months into being a credentialed technician and still learning my craft in anesthesia at a university, I encountered a patient arrest under anesthesia despite a normal ECG reading. I noticed a drop in carbon dioxide levels—an insight that reinforced the idea that while monitors are invaluable, they only capture part of the patient’s picture. Thankfully, with the guidance of a supervising resident, I was able to manage the situation and learn a valuable lesson that has inspired me to improve my ECG interpretation skills.

Remember, while ECGs are wonderful tools, they have limitations. I hope you never have to learn this lesson the hard way, as I did.

Amanda Shelby, RVT, VTS (Anesthesia; Analgesia), outlines how an ECG’s electrical data must be interpreted alongside clinical signs, as it does not necessarily reflect the heart’s mechanical performance