Lee argues for year-round isoxazoline use, noting that interrupting the flea life cycle protects both pets and people.

Why year-round isoxazolines are important

Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVM (Parasitology), explains why flea prevention is a year-round conversation. Cat fleas spend almost all of their adult life on pets; most of the flea burden lives as juvenile stages in the home, and waiting until an infestation appears can create weeks to months of risk, not only to the pet but also to those in the household.

Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVM (Parasitology):

 With things like fleas, most of the time, clients know that they have them. It's always amazing to me when a dog comes in scratching, and you can see all the fleas, and the owner says, "Really? I had no idea." Where does your dog sleep...in your bed? How do you not know? But most of the time, you do see that, because the cat flea lives 99% of its adult life on the pet.

Hard-bodied ticks [will] live 2 to 3 years and only spend 2 to 3 days on your pet. If they're smaller, like in the nymph or larval stage, they're going to be so small that you won't see them. One vet I knew took off his wedding ring after changing the oil in his car, found a little nymph underneath the ring, sent it off, and it tested positive. So they're hard to find.

I think we really need to be talking to everybody about putting pets on an isoxazoline year-round if you're in the US. I live in Southern California, and we often think there are flea seasons even though we have fairly consistent weather, but certainly, there are times when we see more fleas than others. A lot of clients will say, "I just need the medication because I have fleas now.... Normally, we never see them, so it's not a big deal." When we come back to the life cycle and understand that the vast majority of fleas are actually juvenile forms in your house, once you have an infestation established, it can take several weeks to a couple of months to get it under control.

What I tell clients is: "It's not just for your pet that I'm giving this medication and asking you to use it year-round; it's also for your protection. In Southern California, we've had outbreaks of things like typhus. One of my good friends...when she and her now-husband were engaged, he got typhus from a single flea bite during a routine vaccination clinic. He was in a coma for a couple of days, required months to recover, and they had to postpone the wedding. From a single flea bite, there's a real danger to people.

If you're on year-round protection and your dog is exposed to fleas, many of the current products kill fleas within 24 hours, so the risk to humans is minimal. But if we wait until it's a problem and the fleas have already started laying eggs in the house, now you have months of risk for the people in that home.

To read more news and view expert insights from Fetch Long Beach, visit 

’s dedicated site for conference coverage at 

https://www.dvm360.com/conference/fetch-long-beach

Videos

Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, DACVM (Parasitology), argues for year-round isoxazoline use, noting that interrupting the flea life cycle protects both pets and people.

Why year-round isoxazolines are important for flea and tick protection

Nutrition plays a major role in the health of animals. The diet a pet receives leading up to a medical procedure, such as surgery, can significantly affect healing and recovery. During a session at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Long Beach, California, Vicky Ograin, MBA, RVT, VTS (Nutrition), talked about the effect of nutrition on patients, walking attendees through how she navigates these conversations with her clients.

“When we think about a patient that's going to have surgery, I hope that we all realize that nutrition is extremely important,” Ograin said. “If you have a pet that's [malnourished] and you're taking them into surgery, the opportunity for them to heal well is not going to be as good.”

She emphasized that nutritional status matters for all surgical patients, from those undergoing routine procedures such as spay/neuter surgeries to pets facing more complex procedures. “All of these patients need to be in a good surgical lane,” she said.

Asking “What else?” during the nutrition conversation

According to Ograin, veterinary professionals should assess nutritional status every time a patient presents to the hospital, particularly when surgery is involved. An accurate diet history is a key component of this assessment.

One challenge veterinary professionals often face, however, is uncovering the full scope of what a pet is eating, including treats and table foods. Because some clients may feel embarrassed admitting they feed their pet items like buttered toast or ice cream, Ograin stressed the importance of maintaining a nonjudgmental approach.

“The biggest thing [for obtaining an accurate diet history] is you cannot do [it] with judgment,” Ograin said. “This is the biggest thing. We're an extremely empathetic group of people, but there are some times when your face gives you away, and you're [thinking], 'You feed what now?'”

She explained that she begins the nutrition conversation by asking clients what they are currently feeding their pet, keeping the question open-ended to allow the owner room to talk. Most importantly, she follows up by asking, “What else?” 

“I'll give you a good example,” Ograin said. “I had an owner with 2 overweight Jack Russell [terriers]. The room technician had [obtained] a history of regular dog food—dry and canned—[but] I went [into the room] and acted like I didn’t know that. I asked [the client] what [they were] feeding, and then I [asked], ‘What else?’”

Ograin explained that by asking this question, she then learned that the dogs were also receiving toast. “Keeping the conversation going, I said, ‘Oh, well, do you put butter on the toast?’” Ograin continued, with the client sharing that the dogs were, in fact, getting butter on the toast. Rather than expressing disapproval or judgment, Ograin leaned into curiosity and empathy. “Keeping the conversation going, I said, ‘You know what? Yeah, dry toast is kind of boring. Put a little butter on there. It makes it more tasty,’” she said, while documenting the information.

She continued following this format, asking the client what else they were feeding the dogs and sparking up small conversations to help the client feel more comfortable sharing. With this, Ograin was able to get a clearer picture of the dogs’ true caloric intake.

In addition to asking “what else,” Ograin emphasized the importance of asking 

 an owner is feeding certain foods. Understanding the motivation behind feeding choices helps veterinary professionals align recommendations with the client’s values and emotional needs.

“What I always do is ask [clients], ‘Why? Why are you feeding [this] interesting combination of foods? Why are you feeding this [specific] food?’ This really helps to establish their nutritional philosophy,” Ograin said.

Understanding the reasoning behind an owner’s feeding choices can help veterinary professionals come up with a feeding plan that meets the clients halfway, creating a compromise that does not require eliminating treats entirely but still supports better nutrition. This approach allows for practical compromises that can lead to improved owner adherence. In the case Ograin described, the dogs ultimately lost weight once a collaborative plan was put in place.

Ograin also noted that the World Small Animal Veterinary Association has a nutritional handout that clinics can download and print for clients to complete ahead of appointments. However, she recommends still asking clients what else the patient is eating, as the owner will often not note additional treats and table foods on handouts.

Talking with clients about their pet’s nutrition requires listening, remaining free of judgment, and prompting owners to share what else their pet is eating. A conversational approach that explores the client’s “why” can help veterinary professionals develop a more tailored plan that acknowledges the emotional role of treat-giving while still adhering to a healthier diet plan, ultimately keeping the surgical patient nutritionally on track to recovery.

Ograin V. Beyond the procedure: the role of nutrition in surgical recovery. Presented at: Fetch dvm360 Conference; December 5-6, 2025; Long Beach, CA. 

Articles

Nutrition can affect postsurgical recovery. Two simple questions can help guide productive conversations about a pet’s diet.

How to have proactive, judgment-free nutrition conversations with clients 

Annie Valuska, PhD, principal scientist for the pet behavior team at Purina, discusses common ways for dogs to convey a calming signal.

Interpreting canine behaviors, part 2

How should canine behaviors be interpreted? In a 

 interview, Annie Valuska, PhD, principal scientist or the pet behavior team at Purina, discussed common behaviors that dog owners may typically see and what they can mean. The interview also discussed feline behaviors as well as which companion animal behaviors sometimes lead to pets being surrendered by their owners or euthanized.

 of this video discussed tail wagging, one of the most common canine behaviors, and how to interpret it.

 In this video, Valuska discusses other common canine behaviors that may be interpreted as calming signals and can indicate a dog’s need for space. Valuska shares subtle behaviors that can be interpreted as these calming signals.

The following is a transcript of the video:

Other behaviors that are commonly missed, that can have an impact on human welfare and can be associated with dog bites, is a type of a behavior known as a calming signal. And these can be really subtle behaviors that dogs give that are essentially asking for space. They are indicating that they're not feeling very comfortable with what's happening. And again, they're giving these kind of subtle signals that they would like some more distance. And so once you know what to look for watching videos of particularly children and pets on the internet becomes a lot more difficult because you realize that the dogs actually look pretty stressed.

So these are behaviors like panting when they haven't been exerting themselves. You'll see a lot of really hard blinks. You'll see them avoiding eye contact. You might see a raised paw in the air. They may be turning their head or their body away from the person that's trying to give them attention. You might see lip licking. You might see them licking the person. That is sometimes called a ‘kiss’ to dismiss. That can be a way for them to ask for a distance.

You might also see air snapping or growling as it starts to escalate. But some again, some of those more subtle signs you'll often see many of them happening at the same time, and it is a calming signal with the dog saying they're not wild about how that person is interacting with them, and they would like a little bit more space.

Valuska A, Crossley KC. Interpreting canine behaviors (part 1). 

. December 12, 2025. Accessed December 12, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/interpreting-canine-behaviors-part-1-

Interpreting canine behaviors (Part 2)

Pamela Jones, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), explains why lymphoma isn’t one disease and how phenotyping, client goals, and teamwork guide individualized treatment.

Tailor lymphoma treatment to each patient

Pamela D. Jones, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), describes why lymphoma care must be individualized. Although many cases behave aggressively, a meaningful minority are indolent and require a different approach. She emphasizes practical education for veterinarians, close collaboration between primary care and referral teams, and tailoring treatment plans to each pet family’s goals and constraints.

 I started working in industry—meaning the pharmaceutical industry and veterinary medicine—and part of the reason I did that was because I love educating veterinarians. I love educating veterinarians on the practical side of things. The partnership between a general practitioner or primary care veterinarian and a referral specialist is so important. We need to form this ecosystem...for our pet parents and our patients, and I love doing that. I love bringing vets together and taking them 1 step further.

And if I were to take that entire lecture and put it in 1 sentence, it would be: One size doesn't fit all. The reason one size doesn't fit all is [that] even though we think of lymphoma as one big aggressive disease, there's really a portion of lymphoma that is more indolent [and] behaves differently, and we need to treat it differently. Pet parents don't all have the same goals. They can't all have the same goals; they have different lives, busy lives, different careers, and different financial pictures. We need to be able to [ask] them: “What's your goal if we're going to embark on this? What's acceptable as far as quality of life and [adverse] effects, and what's not acceptable?” That leads to some great relationships.

Many of my friends often say, "How can you do oncology?" Friends usually come to me and ask, "My dog has lymphoma. What does that mean?" First of all, most of the time, lymphoma is aggressive. However, there [are] 15% to 20% that aren't aggressive and may have a completely different prognosis. There are different types, and that's where phenotyping comes in. So, the biggest thing that I tell people is, “We're going to label this lymphoma as a diagnosis, but now we have to figure out what type to give it more information." That's how I approach it.

We definitely need to do that. The long-story-short answer is breaking it down into simple things. Oncology in and of itself is very gray. There's not a lot of black and white. With some diseases, it's yes, the dog has it, or no, it doesn't. With oncology, many times it's, “OK, we've got a cancer diagnosis, but is it always bad, or can we get more pieces of information to help us answer that?”

Are you going to use an off-the-shelf approach? Which protocol are you going to choose? Then it comes down to being a chef and saying, "When do we add more salt? When do we not add more salt? When do we take something away?" It's about finding that perfect recipe for that pet.

Pamela D. Jones, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), explains why lymphoma isn’t just one disease and how phenotyping, client goals, and teamwork guide individualized treatment.

Photo courtesy of Schwarzman Animal Medical Center

Nancy Patsos, LVT, VTS (ECC), is chief veterinary technician at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York, New York, overseeing licensed veterinary technician leaders, who are directors of clinic departments, and veterinary assistants. In an interview with 

, Patsos discussed the work of veterinary technicians, her path to becoming certified as an emergency care specialist, and challenges she sees in the profession.

Editor’s note: The following questions and answers have been consolidated and lightly paraphrased to fit this interview into a Q&A format.

: What drew you to emergency and critical care, and what continues to keep you motivated in that specialty?

After I began working at AMC, I gravitated toward the critically ill patients, and I developed this passion for emergency and critical care. So after a few years of working in emergency and critical care, I decided I would study to [become a] VTS. It's a long process.

You have to work at least 3 years in that specialty, then you apply to sit for the exam. It's an extended application process, where you have to submit case studies, case logs, and so forth, and then it's the exam. Once you are accepted, you can sit for the exam the following year. The [entire] process takes about 5 years.

: What makes you happy about being a veterinary technician?

It's a lot of things. Right now, I'm more administrative, but as a technician throughout the years, [the motivation is] just here at AMC. It's the standard of care that we offer. We're also the only level I trauma center in the tristate area—that's a big deal. And...my background in emergency and critical care is important, and I learn something new every day, so it's pretty amazing.

What makes you feel appreciated, and what can practices do to recognize the contributions of technicians?

What makes techs feel appreciated daily is that genuine verbal acknowledgement. Just saying, "Thank you, you did a great job." "How amazing you were with that, calming that patient, and placing that catheter so smoothly." Verbal acknowledgement is one thing, [but also] being included in decision-making.

As the chief tech, I really support shared governance; getting the technicians to be a part of those decisions that we're making, or [getting] their input...respect for time and boundaries, [and] just understanding when they're getting overstressed. [When] there's too much being thrown at them, [and] they need help.

Opportunities for growth—one of the major things I've done [at AMC] is create career pathways for technicians. We have an education department that can help them...through their VTS process. So, [appreciation] could be an educator. You can get your VTS. We have what we call "the advanced clinical technician," which comes after being a senior tech here. In a specialty practice, you have multiple skills from all different areas that you can qualify for as an advanced clinical technician, and [go] into leadership.

: What else would you like veterinary professionals to know about the veterinary technician experience?

Veterinary technicians are the backbone of daily clinical operations. And [although] many veterinary professionals appreciate our work, it's important to truly understand the depth of the responsibilities and the physical and emotional labor—the passion we bring to the job. We are skilled professionals [who are] trained in anesthesia, patient care, surgical and diagnostic equipment, client communications, and more. So mostly, we're here because we love animals and care deeply about them and their well-being—supporting and uplifting. Techs ultimately improve patient care and [the] overall clinical environment.

Bonus question: What are some challenges facing veterinary technicians? View 

 for the response from Nancy Patsos, LVT, VTS (ECC).

Nancy Patsos, LVT, VTS (ECC), talks to dvm360 about her passion for the field and how support for team members can help boost careers and morale.

Q&A: Chief veterinary technician and motivations

From lab values to suction canisters and soaked sponges, Gianluca Bini, DVM, MRCVS, DACVAA, breaks down what actually helps, and what doesn’t, when estimating blood loss during surgery, in this post-conference interview with dvm360.

Why PCV isn’t the first indicator of blood loss — and better signs to watch for

Speaking after his lecture at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Long Beach, California, Gianluca Bini, DVM, MRCVS, DACVAA, describes a common error veterinarians make in assessing surgical bleeding, including a frequent misconception about lab values. He outlines, instead, more telling signals that can help veterinarians gauge low blood volume in patients.

Below is the transcript, lightly edited for clarity and cohesion

 I'm Dr Gianluca Bini. I'm the cofounder and CEO of Safe Pet Anesthesia. I'm also an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University. I originally got my DVM in Italy. I did a rotating internship and an anesthesia internship in England, and then I did my residency in anesthesia at [North Carolina State University]. Then, I worked as a professor at [The] Ohio State [University] for 3 years. I am now at Oklahoma State [University]; I moved here in 2024.

Unfortunately, the most common thing that people do [when a patient starts bleeding] is run a [packed cell volume (PCV)] and total solids. PCV looks at the percentage of red blood cells in the blood, and [total solids] looks at...the concentration of proteins in the blood. Unfortunately, those tests may lie to you at the beginning; it takes a few hours for [PCV and total solids values] to actually be affected.

A common misconception is that people [should] try to look at PCV first. In reality, total solids [are] usually affected first; it actually takes a longer time for PCV to be affected.

If there is significant bleeding, you can also see it on your monitor. You’ll see the heart rate spike and the blood pressure come down afterward. Usually, those are more telltale signs of [a] lack of volume. And of course, if there is active bleeding, you're going to have less blood volume, so those are the signs we look at the most.

Visualization of the bleeding is, of course, the easiest thing, but sometimes it's hard to quantify. A lot of people [who do] surgery use suction. You can technically look at your suction canister, but if you've been flushing with saline, it's diluted, so it’s hard to tell how much of that is actual pure blood [vs] how much has been diluted. There are some tests you can run to figure that out.... You can run a PCV/[total protein] on your suction canister [to estimate] how much of it is actual blood.

You can look at your sponges that have been soaking up blood, and there are some numbers you can use to estimate how much blood is in them. Ideally, you should weigh your sponges first and then do surgery. In reality, nobody does that; it's very time-consuming, and you don’t want to do it for every single surgery. You would spend half a day doing that.

Sometimes it can be hard to quantify [blood loss].... Sometimes it’s very apparent, and sometimes it can be tricky.

From lab values to suction canisters and soaked sponges, Gianluca Bini, DVM, MRCVS, DACVAA, breaks down what actually helps—and what doesn’t—when estimating blood loss during surgery, in this postconference interview with dvm360.