This episode is sponsored by Royal Canin.

 recognized November as Gastrointestinal (GI) Awareness Month. In recognition of that month, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, sat down with Megan Shepherd, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition), to talk about acute and chronic GI patients. 

Throughout the episode, Shepherd explains the nutritional management side of acute and chronic GI cases in dogs, with a framework of a nutritional assessment to apply to cases like acute pancreatitis; why she cautions against long-term reliance on chicken-and-rice diets; why detailed diet history is important for chronic enteropathies and protein-losing enteropathy; and more!

Best practices on talking about probiotics

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity 

 When I'm...selecting a hydrolyzed protein diet, sometimes it's a little challenging. It's nice to select the diet, but what are some other key nutrients that I should be considering when I'm choosing the right diet for these cases with those chronic enteropathies?

Megan Shepherd, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition):  

On one hand, it's fortunate we have a lot of options. That's good, but then it does make it a little daunting to navigate all the diet options.... One thing that hydrolyzed diets share is that their protein has been broken down to a size that...evades the immune system. Now, the tricky thing with chronic enteropathy patients is [that] anytime we have a patient that responds to [a] hydrolyzed diet...it doesn't confirm food allergy, it just means they've responded to that diet. We really need to do a...rechallenge to confirm whether that patient has a food allergy. There [are] patients that respond to hydrolyzed protein diets, and we don't fully understand why, but...one thing is that [the] protein has been broken down.... There [are] a couple [of] amino acid–based hydrolyzed protein diets. Most of them are peptide-based, so that's a shared theme. 

Now, the source of the protein will vary. From a GI perspective, that may not matter as much as it does on the dermatologic side, but that is still a consideration.... I've got hydrolyzed chicken, hydrolyzed soy, hydrolyzed chicken feather meal, [and] hydrolyzed salmon—there [are] lots of different sources.... But other ways that they differ [include] the fat content. So, for patients that are fat sensitive—you may be thinking about that chronic neuropathy patient with protein-losing enteropathy, our lymphangiectasia patients—if that patient [with protein-losing enteropathy] has underlying lymphangiectasia, they are going to be fat sensitive. So we do need to think about [the] fat content [when selecting a] hydrolyzed diet. 

But 2 other ways that these hydrolyzed diets differ are ω-3 content and fiber content. Ω-3s [are] very highly bioavailable, and they play a role in modulating inflammation. So inflammation could be playing a role. And a variety of our GI issues that our patients have...the ω-3 acid content can play a role. But fiber, again, is another one, so the fiber content and fiber quantity will differ. So if we have a patient that we want to put on a hydrolyzed protein diet that has a history of some colitis—some large intestinal component—that's a suggestion...that they might benefit from a higher fiber diet, in which case I would want to look for something that is higher in that total dietary fiber...compared [with] others. 

Practically...do we need to restrict fat? If so, we're going to look for the [hydrolyzed protein diet with the] lowest fat. Is there evidence that we need to enhance fiber? If so, I want to look for the [hydrolyzed protein diet with the] highest fiber.  

Generally, hydrolyzed diets are not high in fiber, so sometimes we need to start thinking about opening it to novel protein diets that might be fiber-enhanced.

Podcasts

Explore nutritional strategies for managing acute and chronic GI cases in dogs, featuring insights from Megan Shepherd, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition).

Go beyond bland & hydrolyzed protein for your acute and chronic GI patients

The University of California-Davis (UC Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine is the latest academic institution to adopt the use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital scribe for its facilities and students. UC Davis is now working with the ScribbleVet digital scribe in its teaching hospital.

ScribbleVet is designed to complete veterinary SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan) notes during a patient exam by recording the appointment and streamlining medical record-keeping and documentation. The platform can allow veterinarians to finish their medical notes and record-keeping in minutes rather than hours, according to ScribbleVet. In a teaching hospital, like the program at UC Davis, the use of a digital scribe offers trainees exposure to tools used on the job that can enhance clinical workflows without replacing hands-on medical decision-making.

"AI-driven tools are becoming integral to modern veterinary practice, improving the efficiency, accuracy, and completeness of medical records for clinicians and clients alike," Michael Mison, DVM, DACVS, associate dean for veterinary medical center operations and chief veterinary medical officer for UC Davis, said in a news release.

 "Integrating this technology into our teaching hospital not only supports our clinicians today but also ensures that our trainees develop familiarity with tools that enhance communication, streamline workflows, and ultimately support better patient care. We're excited to partner with ScribbleVet to advance these goals."

UC Davis has also formed a task force with Joie Watson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, associate dean of professional education for the veterinary school and faculty clinicians to assess the use of Scribblevet from its launch at the teaching hospital in November 2025 through early 2026. The assessment will "help determine how to best implement this AI tool for students and how to have students use it on the clinic floor and expand it to the classroom,” MIson told 

A study published in 2024 by Digitail, a practice management software for veterinary hospitals, and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) investigated industry awareness, concerns, expectations, perceptions, and utilization of AI in veterinary medicine and found that that nearly 40% of veterinary professionals were using AI tools or software in their veterinary setting with nearly 70% reporting daily or weekly use for professional tasks. This study had collected perspectives of 2968 veterinary professionals with respondents indicating that benefits of AI integration for veterinary medicine include improved productivity and time savings, reduced administrative workload, and an increase in efficiency in diagnosing and treating patients.

UC Davis is the second veterinary school to announce adoption of ScribbleVet for instructional use. The first was the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), which announced its collaboration with the scribe platform in March 2025 with planned use across the CVM’s veterinary facilities and classroom settings.

"We chose ScribbleVet for its high accuracy and time-saving workflows, which allow clinicians to reclaim hours for patient care while seamlessly incorporating AI into student training,” Andrea Miller, associate director of operations at the CVM, said in a news release.

 "This collaboration...[equips] future professionals with the tools to streamline workflows, advance diagnostics, and elevate standards of care.”

Other digital scribe platform using AI are available on the market and for use in veterinary schools. Digital platform CoVet, for example, began a 12-month collaboration with the Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine (CSU) and Biomedical Sciences for integrating AI in veterinary education.

"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."

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine adopts ScribbleVet for veterinary facilities, students. ScribbleVet. News release. December 11, 2025. Accessed December 11, 2025. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uc-davis-school-of-veterinary-medicine-adopts-scribblevet-for-veterinary-facilities-students-302638486.html?tc=eml_cleartime

39.2% of Veterinary Professionals Use AI Tools in Their Practice - Digitail and AAHA Survey. News release. Digitail. February 14, 2024. Accessed December 11, 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

McCafferty. Veterinary school announces partnership with artificial intelligence assistant. 

. July 16, 2025. Accessed December 11, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/veterinary-school-announces-partnership-with-artificial-intelligence-assistant#:~:text=2,in%20diagnosing%20and%20treating%20patients

Crossley KC. Veterinary college incorporates AI scribe into facilities and classrooms. 

. March 25, 2025. Accessed December 11, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/veterinary-college-incorporates-ai-scribe-into-facilities-and-classrooms

University of Florida adopts ScribbleVet AI scribe tools for veterinary facilities, students. News release. ScribbleVet. March 25, 2025. Accessed March 25, 2025. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-florida-adopts-scribblevet-ai-scribe-tools-for-veterinary-facilities-students-302410867.html?tc=eml_cleartime

Articles

UC Davis veterinary school adopts use of AI scribe platform

Lisa Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition), a professor at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, and her team have opened a new line of inquiry into diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Results from their research have shown that dogs eating pulse-rich diets (peas, lentils, chickpeas, beans) who develop DCM have significantly elevated concentrations of a urinary biomarker linked to phospholipidosis.

The discovery provides a biologically plausible mechanism for further study and offers veterinarians a way to prioritize early detection, referral, and reporting. Freeman’s work is a finalist for the AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Canine Health Discovery of the Year Award, a recognition that highlights the potential clinical impact of this finding.

Your January 2025 study identified a urinary biomarker linked to phospholipidosis in dogs with DCM eating pulse-rich diets. Clinically speaking, what does that biomarker tell us about the disease mechanism? Do you view phospholipidosis as a likely causal pathway, a downstream effect, or a marker of exposure? What additional evidence would be needed to establish causality?

 DCM is a relatively common genetic cardiac disease that affects certain dog breeds like Doberman pinschers. However, for approximately the [past] 10 years, dogs of many different breeds have been developing a specific form of DCM that appears to be associated with diets high in pulses. Our team and others have been working to identify what it is about these ingredients that may cause this disease, and there are now numerous peer-reviewed publications on this issue. Earlier this year, our team identified a potential mechanism for diet-associated DCM—higher levels of a urine biomarker in dogs with diet-associated DCM—suggesting phospholipidosis, an abnormal metabolism of phospholipid that could potentially affect the heart. We’re now investigating this possible mechanism further to explain how and why the disease develops, as well as to find better treatments for dogs that have been affected by diet-associated DCM.

How should practicing veterinarians use this finding today? Is urinary biomarker testing available for clinicians or still research only? If available, what sample type/handling and interpretation should we use? If not, what diagnostic steps do you recommend for suspicious cases in the meantime?

This recent issue with DCM has emphasized to me the importance of doing a nutritional assessment on every patient at every visit: weight, body condition score, muscle condition score, and diet history. There’s so much misinformation about pet nutrition circulating now, so knowing exactly what a pet is eating can help the veterinary health care team determine whether it’s really the best possible diet for that dog or cat or if it could potentially be harmful to a pet’s health. This urine biomarker is not intended to be a test for clinical use in dogs, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle for our research.

From a nutrition/advice standpoint, what specific guidance should we be giving owners who are worried about diet-associated DCM?

 I think it’s important for owners to know that diet-associated DCM can affect many dog breeds, not just the breeds commonly associated with the genetic form of DCM, like Doberman pinschers or Great Danes. Our research suggests that cats might also be susceptible to this problem. Also, [although] this disease was initially associated with grain-free diets, some grain-inclusive diets include pulses, too.

For dogs already diagnosed with diet-associated DCM, what treatment and monitoring protocol do you currently recommend? What clinical or test findings predict recovery vs persistent cardiac dysfunction?

 Pet owners should work with their pets’ veterinarians, veterinary cardiologists, and veterinary nutritionists to determine the best treatment for their individual pet, including cardiac medications, diet and dietary supplements, and monitoring [a searchable directory of veterinary cardiologists, veterinary nutritionists, and other American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine specialists can be found at 

What are the next research priorities and most useful ways veterinarians can help? Are there registries or ongoing studies clinicians should be aware of, and how can they get involved?

 This discovery has helped to focus our research on a potential mechanism that we’re studying further now so we can identify the cause of diet-associated DCM as quickly as possible. I hope that this research also will help to advance our knowledge about dog and cat nutrition in general. Performing a nutritional assessment on all patients, as noted above, is an important step veterinarians can take to ensure individual patients are getting the best diet for their needs.

Freeman LM, Rush JE, Berridge BR, Mitchell RN, Martino-Romero EG. Dogs with diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy have higher urine di-docosahexaenoyl (22:6)-bis(monoacylglycerol)phosphate, a biomarker of phospholipidosis. 

. 2024;86(1):ajvr.24.07.0211. doi:10.2460/ajvr.24.07.0211

Research reveals a connection between pulse-rich diets and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, underscoring the importance of nutritional assessments in veterinary care.

Urinary biomarker links diet-associated DCM to phospholipidosis

During a recent episode of dvm360®’s VetXChange®, host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chief veterinary officer of dvm360, and guest Ashley Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD, discuss the importance of controlling pruritus in canine patients by emphasizing the complexity of managing itchiness. Throughout the episode, Christman and Bourgeois emphasize the benefits of medications for itchy pets, the importance of consistent flea control, and the role of cytology in addressing itchy pets.

“I think the best thing is to go back to the basics. I know it sounds kind of silly to say that, but I see it time and time again that we’re not going back to the basics of…talking to the owners to see what their goals are and what they are able to do. We love to say the best plan is the one that will happen,” Bourgeois said.

She continued, “Much of dermatology comes down to making sure owners are following basic steps—like using effective parasite control—and empathizing with their situation. Each patient is like a unique allergy puzzle to solve.”

When providing relief, veterinary professionals are attempting to prevent secondary infections, if they have not already been diagnosed, Bourgeois said. If something is not done quickly, these itchy canines are at risk of developing infections, which can impact the quality of life for the client and the patient. Bourgeois shared a story about one of her clients, who had a 5-month-old baby and an allergic dog going through a flare-up. The client told Bourgeois that the 5-month-old baby was sleeping fine, but she was not getting enough sleep because of the dog’s itching and licking itself throughout the night.

 when owners are in my clinic, they have an allergic dog, and I put together a plan for them, and let’s say we’re going to start them on something like Apoquel. And they ask me, ‘how long will this take to be effective?’ Apoquel can be as quick as 4 hours. And they’re expecting me to say a couple of weeks, and I get to say, ‘Hey, I hope within 4 hours, the next day or 2, that you’re seeing a lot less itchiness, and you can tell that comfort is being provided,’” Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois also said that providing a fast-acting solution can help veterinary professionals gain more trust from clients, and that is crucial when managing itchy dogs.

The challenge of managing itchy patients lies in recognizing that fl ares are an inevitable part of the disease process, necessitating a rational approach to treatment adjustments. Because of this, practitioners must resist the urge to abandon effective systemic allergy medications, such as JAK inhibitors or monoclonal antibodies, simply because the pet is experiencing a seasonal or minor setback.

“If we start to give up on medications that are effective for them, because it’s spring and they got a little bit of yeast, and we could have just controlled that topically, then we’re going to end up giving up on all our medications because fl ares are bound to happen. So, that’s why cytology is super important,” Bourgeois explained.

Sudden increases in itching are often due to secondary infections, which cytology can help diagnose. By confi rming an infection, veterinarians can provide targeted topical therapy, resolving fl ares without stopping essential anti-itch treatments. This approach prevents unnecessary changes in treatment and helps maintain consistent allergy management, even during temporary flares.

This episode of VetXChange, “Itch stops here: Fast fixes for happy dogs and happier clients,” is also available now for 0.5 continuing education credits. To obtain those credits, you can watch the full episode on dvm360’s Flex. 

Managing itchy pets can be complex, so a personalized treatment plan can have a massive impact on clients and patients. 

Fast fixes for itchy dogs

) have been hatched at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

 The species is listed as “critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The population of wild African penguins has declined dramatically, according to the zoo,

 and the IUCN estimates that the population is continuing to decrease.

 According to the Maryland Zoo, these birds are in danger of becoming extinct in the wild within 10 years.

The IUCN cited “extremely rapid population decline” based on near-complete data count as the reason for the critically endangered status. The effects of competition with commercial fisheries, as well as climate-mediated shifts in populations of prey, are believed to play roles in the decreasing population of African penguins. “The current and future projected population reduction exceeds 80% over 3 generations. This trend currently shows no sign of reversing, and immediate conservation action is required,” the IUCN wrote in 2024.

Jen Kottyan, bird curator for Maryland Zoo and program leader for the African Penguin Species Survival Plan (SSP), which oversees African penguin breeding programs at zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, agreed that the population of African penguins in the wild is dropping. “If we can fix the issues these birds face in the wild, such as overfishing and habitat loss, one day penguins from our highly managed SSP could be sent to their native South Africa and Namibia to repopulate the wild colonies, which means every chick hatched here is important to this species’ global survival,” Kottyan said.

The Maryland Zoo annually selects a naming theme for these chicks. In 2025, the birds are being named after fruits and vegetables, with the first 2 names of these new African penguins selected as Kiwi and Cayenne.

Breeding season at the zoo begins in mid-September and lasts until the end of February, mimicking the spring-to-summer breeding season for these birds in their native South Africa and Namibia. The zoo plans to announce additional names in the coming weeks.

The Maryland Zoo has hatched more than 1000 African penguins over the past 50 years, and the zoo says it is home to the largest population of African penguins in North America. Although many of these birds hatched at the zoo remain in Baltimore, others have helped establish new colonies at zoos and aquariums in 35 states and Canada.

Maryland Zoo announces birth of African penguin chicks. News release. Maryland Zoo. December 8, 2025. Accessed December 10, 2025. 

https://www.marylandzoo.org/news-and-updates/2025/12/maryland-zoo-announces-birth-of-african-penguin-chicks/

African penguin. International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Accessed December 10, 2025. 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697810/256021744

The 8 newborn birds are among a critically endangered species population. 

African penguin chicks are hatched at Maryland Zoo

Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, explains the importance on working on your practice as a business owner, not just as a doctor

Take time to work on your practice, not just in it

At Fetch Long Beach, practice management expert Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, challenges owners to step out of the daily grind and intentionally WONJI—work on their practices, not just in them. He makes the case that blocking regular, uninterrupted time to think about vision, mission, core values, and standards of care is how teams gain direction, reduce firefighting, and ultimately deliver better care for patients. 

 Hi, I'm Dr Peter Weinstein. I'm honored to be on the faculty here at Fetch Long Beach, and I've been on the faculty at several Fetch conferences, speaking on practice management. I've also done talks with my business partner, Kelly Detweiler, on controlled substance [adherence] and diversion aversion. I'm here in Long Beach, [California], to talk about a variety of things to make your [practice's] bottom line more fun.

I do a lot of different things in the profession. I like to think the last third of my career will be focused on education—improving the profession, making it better for the next generation of veterinarians, veterinary team members, and the profession as a whole, which ultimately means we'll do a better job caring for the 4-legged, 2-winged, and slithering patients that we get to see.

WONJI is an acronym for "[Working] On, Not Just In

 Veterinarians, managers, and all staff get so embedded in the day-to-day operations that we don't take time away to think about the bigger picture. We're so tightly wound into the molecular level that we don't look at things from a global level. We have to start finding time to work on the various parts of our businesses that provide direction. We need to make sure we have a vision, a mission, core values, and even standards of care that are inspirational and aspirational and [are] less focused on the tactics we tend to fixate on.

One suggestion I have when I talk about this is: You've got to get away from your practice. Schedule time away to think about where you want to go. If you don't program your GPS, you can't get there. I can't emphasize enough that one thing you can do to practice WONJI is to schedule time to work on your business, not just in it. Schedule that time away from the practice, whether it's sitting at the beach, on a mountain, or in your car in a parking lot. Book yourself that time. Get away from the team, get away from the clients, and start to think about planning where you want to go and how you're going to get there.

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

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Peter Weinstein, DVM, MBA, urges veterinary teams to adopt WONJI (Working On, Not Just In) by scheduling regular time away from day-to-day duties to build vision, values, and strategy.