National Mobility Awareness Month is annually recognized in May. In support of animals with mobility issues, 

is sharing several articles that address certain diseases that can limit mobility and how they can be treated. These articles focus on creating a plan for managing canine osteoarthritis, helpful tips for clients to implement at home with their pets, and a study that aims to better understand how intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) affects a patient and their quality of life (QOL) over the long term, as well as at the QOL of IVDD caregivers.

Make a patient-specific plan for canine osteoarthritis

Many therapies exist for managing osteoarthritis, but the best approach is multimodal and patient specific. In this article authored by Kate Boatright, VMD, expert insights from David Dycus, DVM, MS, CCRP, DACVS-SA, founder and orthopedic surgeon at Fusion Veterinary Orthopedics in Lanham, Maryland, are shared. These insights are based on his lecture presented at the 

2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Charlotte

This article is authored by Tyler Carmack, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CHPV, CTPEP, CVPP, director of Caring Pathways, an at-home end-of-life veterinary practice with a national network. Carmack provides practical tips for veterinary teams to share with clients. Educating pet owners on the common challenges older pets face and taking proactive measures to improve their pets' comfort as they age instills confidence and trust in the veterinary team, according to Carmack. The article addresses flooring, feeding areas, ramps and stairs, and other spaces and areas where pets may struggle with mobility.

Understanding canine intervertebral disc disease

A recent study examined the long-term effects of IVDD, as well as the QOL for pets and their caregivers. Author Miranda Morman, BS, PharmD candidate at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, breaks down key points of the study and results. Thirty-one pet owners with dogs treated for IVDD were interviewed for the study to ascertain how patients and their caregivers are living with the disease.

Articles

These articles focus on creating a plan for managing canine osteoarthritis, helpful tips for pet owners to implement at home, and a study that aims to better understand how IVDD affects a patient over the long term.

Three must reads for mobility awareness

Life is full of challenges that will be thrown at you. These challenges throw us out of sync with our daily routine, and some will struggle because they are creatures of habit. We feel great when we establish routines because life appears to be on autopilot. There are a few who actively force themselves to grow by introducing change, but the large majority stay in the same routine throughout their entire life. Those who embrace change will create mental resiliency to handle the unknowns and hard times while looking for a way to be stronger on the other side.

Events that create calamity are hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, and flash storms. If you purchase a home or business with a loan, then you are required to purchase insurance. If you purchase or lease a new vehicle, then insurance is required. When you start a new job, there are options to enroll into health insurance, disability, life, and other insurances, but they are not required. Most will enroll in insurances that are required by asking, “What amounts do I need?” The standard is often established by the lender to help protect themselves in the event of default or an unknown event to recover the outstanding loan. This can make your life easy, but there are many other considerations besides the loan being repaid.

When we think about preparing, the main component we need to consider is risk. In the context of financial planning, we need to consider the impact events would have on your livelihood, which includes income and business value if you’re an owner. Most will approach risk with the mindset of paying the least. They will sign up with companies that offer suboptimal coverage or reduce coverage to limits that hardly protect them to save a few dollars.

Let’s paint a picture to help understand what risks exist in your life.

This might be your first year working, or maybe you’re someone who is getting within 10 to 15 years of retirement. When starting your career, there is so much to lose. Hopefully, during your career, money is saved and wealth is built to help counterbalance the unknowns. Your human life value is all projected future earnings brought down into the present day.

A newly graduated, 30-year-old veterinarian earning a $100,000 annual salary is projected to collect at least $3.5 million by the age of 65 years with zero pay increases. This money is used to provide your lifestyle, save for the future, and pay for taxes and outstanding debts. When your income gradually increases by 4% each year, the total climbs to an eye-watering $7.3 million. These numbers are future based, and a multiple is used for different age bands to bring the income to today’s value.

As a business owner, there might be a wage paid from the business, but the profits need to be considered into the overall story because that money is your money. Whether the money is kept inside the business checking, contributed back into the business, or randomly withdrawn to your personal checking, these funds can help with wealth building in addition to your future business value.

You could be a sole business owner and 1 veterinarian or a multiowner practice with dozens of veterinarians; the value of the business is calculated from profits. This is all the money after expenses, including deductions like depreciation and your wage. The goal is to increase the profits—not revenues—to increase the business value. Revenues will increase with the profits, but increased revenues do not always equal higher profits. As more expenses are introduced into a veterinary practice, this can dramatically decrease the profits. The value today for the business will be less and increase as profits increase. Profits can increase by expanding locations, increasing service fees, offering new services, and reducing costs.

“I’ve been meaning to get that done.” You might be someone who has repeated this statement dozens of times but has not taken the next step. Your estate plan is vital for a smooth transition to your immediate family and the next generations. These documents include a will, living will, power of attorney, and health care surrogate (the terminology is different if you live on the East or West Coast of the US). Another overlooked document is a trust. These documents come in several forms, and the most common is a revocable trust. Other legal documents, such as buy-sell agreements with the proper funding, are important for clarity and direction on how ownership changes hands upon an early passing, disability, disagreement, divorce, early retirement, etc. When a business is owned by more than 1 person, this can create extra complexity that most family members are unprepared to handle. Ownership of belongings such as vehicles, homes, and other assets can create extra liability for the other person. This is common for those who cosign for a car or extend auto insurance to their child, even when they are an adult.

There are many pieces to the puzzle of life. Most get overwhelmed and decide to react to what’s presented without understanding how everything interconnects. The best way to get a good handle on what to do next is by organizing all personal and business finances. The categories to consider are protection, income, expenses, savings for wealth building, debt costs, assets, and liabilities. Without a clear picture of what exists, this can create obstacles and oversight. As everything is compiled, the immediate next step can be handled, such as an unforeseen severe car accident or a closer dive into disability insurance. Afterward, the bigger picture can be brought into the equation to understand how to better prepare for the unknowns.

Put on your investigator hat because now is the time to really understand what decisions you made and the overall impact those decisions will and could have on your life. This includes the disability insurance that you signed up for through work, the life insurance policy that you randomly purchased from an insurance agent, the legal documents that were set up through an online platform, how much money you’re actually saving for wealth-building purposes, and how your handling debt repayment with everything else in your life (just to name a few). We want to take a closer look to know how much the insurance coverage will pay, what events qualify, how your legal documents read and whether they are still sufficient for your current situation, and how much is really being saved for future financial independence and less reliance on the business sale.

A plan should have a plan when nothing goes according to plan. Maybe there is a plan in place, and all these actions were taken previously. The question to ask yourself is: How adaptable and flexible is my plan when calamity does strike? Veterinarians struggle with planning for their finances because of limiting beliefs or overconfidence and trust in people who they believe are doing what’s best for them. There is a fine balance between self-educating for baseline knowledge and trusting the professional to educate and guide you. Make sure you’re working with someone who focuses on the habits and behaviors that will help contribute to your highest level of financial success. Otherwise, now might be the time to consider making a change to someone who can see the picture at a higher level and create simple steps to implement what’s best for you.

You have a choice to take action now or stay in the status quo, like most of society. You might be OK when an event strikes. The best gift to give yourself is to remove the “might” and add certainty to your life so you can live a less stressed and regret-free life.

 is the cofounder of Florida Veterinary Advisors, a national personal and business financial planning firm. He is the cohost of the 

Unleashed: The Financial Clarity Every Veterinarian Needs

: Material discussed is meant for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as a recommendation or advice. Please note that individual situations can vary; therefore, the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation. Tom is a Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. Florida Veterinary Advisors is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. Florida Veterinary Advisors is not registered in any state or with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as a Registered Investment Advisor. The individuals associated with Florida Veterinary Advisors do not maintain specialized licenses or qualifications for the financial services provided to veterinary professionals CA Insurance License # 0K80141, AR Insurance License #15823672. 7833541.1 Exp 4/27

From natural disasters to personal setbacks, veterinary professionals need to assess their financial risks, prepare strategically, and take control of their future with a plan that can weather any storm.

When it’s too late to prepare for the unknown and catastrophic

 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.

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 