This episode is sponsored by Blue Buffalo

On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes Alex Miller, VMD, MS, and Phil Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFP, to the show to talk about some recent progress for awareness and integration of wellbeing in veterinary practices. Throughout the episode, the trio emphasizes the importance of addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, and mental health through positive psychology, veterinary social workers,  and evidence based tools. 

This episode will also share more on the Florida Veterinary Medical Association's Inspire program, which focuses on access to mental health professionals, workplace well-being champions, and more. 

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity

 Well, I love that we're having this conversation friends, because this is what it really should be about. And I want to start talking a little bit about, where are we at with the current state? Phil, you know, how would you describe the current state of well being in veterinary medicine today?

:That's a great question. Adam, and I think it's important for us to remember where we came from, you know, as thinking about 15-20, years ago. Dare I say? When those of us in this room were in vet school, and before is, were we really having these conversations? Were we talking about well being on a systemic level? I mean, we were just starting to talk about, you know, like burnout and maybe a little bit of compassion fatigue and some of these things. But the level in which well being is being is being integrated into veterinary medicine is very heartening. Certainly, it's like watching the news. I mean, there can always be things that, you know, if we get on social media, you know the downsides, but we don't hear about the, you know, the 10 year old kid walking, you know, walking the grandmother across the street. 

You know, in the hard work that many, many people in veterinary medicine are doing day to day to elevate well being in the profession. So I'm very, very bullish on on where we are, where we've come from, and the direction we're going in, because it's not just it's it's not just the passion of the lived experience of veterinarians, but bringing in evidence based tools, bringing in veterinary social workers, mental health professionals, veterinarians who are trained in, you know, in positive psychology and that type of thing, veterinary professionals. So really, really excited about the direction we're going

I would agree with Phil, in the sense that we've come a really long way. It's really easy to look forward and say, here are the gaps of where we want to be versus where we are. But when you think about how the the content that's shared in veterinary magazines and at conferences and and just what the talk on the street is in veterinary medicine, well being is now a household name. Now it doesn't necessarily mean that every solution that's out there is that we've that we've that we've gotten where we want to be. But I think getting over that hurdle of awareness and kind of, I wouldn't say the stigma, is completely overcome, but we're able to talk about these things openly and candidly now. And my favorite sort of indication that we've moved beyond that is I hear less and less of well being referred to as a soft skill. It's probably my least favorite term in veterinary medicine. I'm definitely a stickler for language. So there's all these things in veterinary medicine that I think are named wrong. 

But soft skill, it suggests that it's an afterthought, it's squishy, it's fuzzy, it's cozy. These are things that sometimes get in the way of a busy day when we start to think of these as genuine people skills. And I know Phil and I have chatted a lot about this, it becomes integral to the success of everyone in veterinary medicine, and that's where I think we are. But we can't take our foot off the gas, because we've made a lot of progress, and we can see things, you know, slow down or halt. 

Podcasts

Explore the vital conversation on veterinary well-being, addressing burnout and mental health with Adam Christman, DVM, MBA; Alex Miller, VMD, MS, and Phil Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFP.

Me, we, us: Comprehensible wellbeing

Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology) shares best practices for measuring heart size in veterinary radiology in this interview with dvm360 

Video interview with veterinary cardiologist Lance Visser

 at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), associate professor of cardiology at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Fort Collins, discusses 2 primary ways to measure a patients heart size: vertebral heart size (VHS) and vertebral left atrial size (VLAS). VHS is a traditional length and width measurement of the cardiac silhouette, while VLAS is a newer, left-heart-specific measurement focusing on the width of the left atrium.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity 

Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology):

 Assessing heart size, I think, should definitely involve measurements. I think that's going to be best practice in combination with your subjective or qualitative assessment if the heart looks big, but I think measuring it, particularly if you're not viewing thoracic radiographs regularly, and even if you are, like myself as a cardiologist, we would still recommend measuring heart size on radiographs. So there's 2, I guess you could say main or primary measurements. There are more that are being studied. So...a lot of new measurements coming out. It's kind of a hot topic in veterinary cardiology, if you will. But the main ones with the most literature behind them are the kind of good, old vertebral heart size. That's kind of that length and width measurement of the cardiac silhouette from the right lateral radiograph graphic projection.

The newer one is called vertebral left atrial size. Or we often abbreviate VLAS, V, L, A, S, that's, that is a newer measurement, as I said, and it's more specific to left heart size, which is really what we're most concerned about in these patients. And it's not that vertebral heart size is worse, at least in this context. It's just not necessarily a left heart specific measurement. And they're both pretty simple. They're VHS, or vertebral heart size is kind of that length and width measurement. And vertebral left atrial size is really just measuring the width of the left atrium radiographically. So it uses the carina as kind of a baseline or starting point, and then you're going to measure the caudal aspect of the left atrium at the point where the left atrium intersects with the dorsal border of the caval vena cava.

Videos

Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), discusses essential heart size measurements as well as highlights best practices for accurate assessments.

Using radiographic measurements to assess patient heart size

April Blong, DVM, DACVECC, discusses clinical signs and what veterinary professionals should look for in these emergency cases.

Recognizing blunt force trauma injuries

When a patient has experience blunt force trauma, what types of injuries should the emergency care team recognize? April Blong, DVM, DACVECC, an associate clinical professor at the Iowa State University Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center in Ames and the medical director at Iowa Veterinary Specialties in Des Moines, discusses some of the obvious injuries as well as less obvious injuries, in a 

Blong presented continuing education (CE) sessions on emergency and critical care at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, where her interview was recorded. These CE sessions presented insights on abdominal and thoracic injuries in blunt force trauma cases as well as identifying and stabilizing possible traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. In this video, she addresses one of the key takeaways from her presentation on blunt force trauma.

Common causes of blunt force trauma in pets

The following is a transcript of the video:

 Lot of times we're looking at things that I would say…[are] maybe the less obvious external injuries. [These] are things like bleeding into cavities. Even if you fracture a bone, you actually have a lot of blood loss. Bones are very vascular, and so we see dogs that come in with multiple fractures and they need blood transfusions, even though they haven't lost a drop of blood externally. We also have to worry about injuries to the chest cavity, so contusions or bruising of the lung, [or] air accumulation outside of the lungs in the chest. And then less commonly we see diaphragmatic hernias, where the abdominal contents are in the chest cavity. Those are some of our more common injuries. And then I think the more obvious ones are things [like] broken bones, lacerations, wounds, that kind of stuff.

Identifying signs and managing triage for a patient in shock

Melissa Evans, CVT, LVT, VTS (ECC), owner and founder of Melissa Evans, VTS (ECC) Veterinary Nurse Consulting, discusses the signs of hypercoagulable states in patients. 

Clues to thromboembolism in patients

Melissa Evans, CVT, LVT, VTS (ECC), owner and founder of Melissa Evans, VTS (ECC) Veterinary Nurse Consulting, discusses the signs of hypercoagulable states in patients. A hypercoagulable state, or thrombophilia, is a condition in which the blood is more likely to form clots. In this video, Evans explains that although clinical signs can appear suddenly—such as difficulty breathing or neurologic signs, which may indicate a clot in the lungs or brain, respectively—there are often few obvious indicators and warning signs of a thromboembolism (a clot forming and traveling to block a vessel) beforehand.

Evans notes that clinical signs usually appear after a thromboembolism has occurred, and emphasizes the importance of closely monitoring patients who are at higher risk of thromboembolism, including those with inflammatory conditions or limited mobility, to catch potential thromboembolic events early.

Below is a transcript of the video, which has been lightly edited for improved clarity.

 Some things we will often see are patients that start to have trouble breathing that were completely fine before acutely, and that can imply that they have thrown a clot to their lungs. They'll also start having neurologic signs if they have a clot that has moved into their brain.

Unfortunately, there's nothing very obvious that happens beforehand. It's usually when a patient has a thromboembolism that lodges somewhere that we see these things. So, there's not a whole lot of warning. It's just important to know what things may cause it. So, if a patient has a disease state that we know is prone to thromboembolism, or if they aren't moving a lot and they have an inflammatory state—two things that often cause hypercoagulation—then that I'm going to keep a very close eye on them.

Melissa Evans, CVT, LVT, VTS (ECC), explain that patients may suddenly experience breathing difficulties or neurological signs, which may indicate a hypercoagulable state.

The end of summer brings a menagerie of fall scholarships. Among them, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) offers aid for a wide range of students, including veterans, first-generation students, those with specific interests in veterinary medicine, and more.

According to the AVMF, their scholarships and grants have different criteria and may be given to students based on academic excellence, leadership, and financial need. “We make an impact on veterinary students by empowering them to achieve their goals in veterinary medicine and by recognizing and rewarding individuals who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their education. Our goal is to build a relationship with veterinary students that lasts a lifetime,” states the AVMF Scholarships and Awards website.

This year, the following scholarship opportunities are available:

Two $5000 scholarships will be awarded to military veterans pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine. US military veterans who were honorably discharged or are in active duty training in the US Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy and Space Force currently in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd year of veterinary school are eligible.

Applicants must be a US citizen, in good standing at an AVMA-accredited school, and be a member of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA) if their university has a SAVMA chapter.

Auxiliary to the AVMA Legacy Endowed Scholarship Program

One-thousand-dollar scholarships will be awarded to 2nd or 3rd-year students in good academic standing at an AVMA-accredited school in the US with an active SAVMA chapter. Students at the following international veterinary colleges will also qualify

St. George’s University and Ross University in the Caribbean;

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies,

Applicants must be US citizens, have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and be engaged in a leadership role with university-affiliated or non-university-affiliated organizations.

Dechra Veterinary Products Veterinary Scholarship

 (veterinary technician students also eligible)

Dechra Veterinary Products with the AVMF are offering $2500 scholarships to 20 students studying dermatology; equine sports medicine; internal medicine; or anesthesia, surgery, and critical care. Moreover, 5 veterinary technician students will receive $2000.

To be eligible, students must be US citizens in their clinical year of study at an AVMA-accredited school and plan to practice in the US. Students must also be enrolled and in good standing with the college of veterinary medicine and meet the minimum GPA requirement.

Durvet Animal Health Future Food Animal Veterinarian Scholarship

One-thousand-dollar scholarships are available to 2nd or 3rd-year veterinary students at an AVMA-accredited school in the US planning to work in a food animal practice, mixed animal practice, or in a rural community, after graduation.

Applicants must be in good academic standing.

Five 3rd or 4th-year veterinary students at an AVMA-accredited school in the US planning to work in shelter medicine after graduating will receive a $5,000 scholarship.

Merck Animal Health Student Innovation Award

This scholarship is for graduating seniors at an AVMA-accredited school in the US and Canada who have received recognition from their veterinary medical program faculty for “innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative forward-thinking in the development of a project or product that inspires others within the veterinary profession.”

 First place will receive $10,000. Second place will receive $5000, and 3rd place will be awarded $3000. Students should consult their program advisor if interested in being nominated for the award.

1st, 2nd or 3rd year veterinary students in good standing with a connection to the state of New Jersey (birth, residency, education, etc.) are eligible to receive a $5000 scholarship. Students must be members of the SAVMA, be involved in university-affiliated organizations, demonstrate leadership and participate in non-university activities, and have a financial need.

Rex Anderson VLC Travel Award Endowment Fund

This award will bestow a $2000 travel award to a veterinary student or recent graduate residing in the US to attend the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference.

 To be eligible, applicants must be an SAVMA member in good standing or have graduated within the past 5 years from an AVMA-accredited school. Preference will be given to applicants with a connection to the state of Montana, such as residency there, attending school in the state, or plans to return to practice in Montana.

The Hoveida Family Foundation Scholarship in Research

One veterinary student interested in a career in research upon graduation will receive a $4400 award. Eligibility includes being currently enrolled in a veterinary school and in good academic standing. Applicants must also be located in the US.

Merck Animal Health will be offering veterinary students in their second or third year a $10,000 scholarship. To be eligible, students must be attending accredited veterinary schools in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. Applicants must demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and be involved in university-affiliated organizations including leadership responsibilities, as well as be involved in non-university activities.

Dr Hidayah Martinez-Jaka NAVLE Testing Scholarship

This scholarship will offer $400 in reimbursement of the test taking fee to first-generation students taking the NAVLE exam for a second time. Student must have registered and paid for their NAVLE exam before submitting the application. Recipients will be required to submit their exam registration receipts.

September 15 – October 15, 2025; February 1 – February 28, 2026; July 1 – July 31, 2026

Dr Steven Melman Foundation Dermatology Travel Grant

This winter travel grant will be offered to veterinary dermatology residents, interns, and practicing veterinarians who want to attend the 2025 North American Veterinary Dermatology Forum held in Orlando, Florida, from April 27-30, 2025.

The Zoetis Foundation/AVMF Veterinary Technician Student Scholarship

This scholarship is intended to ease student debt and foster diversity in the veterinary profession. The AVMF and school leadership will select 176 veterinary technician students who can “can help address our changing world and the health, food, and welfare needs of the US veterinary community,” according to the AVMF.

Scholarships will be distributed to students entering their 2nd year of a 2-year program (or equivalent for term-based programs) or in the 3rd year of a 4-year AVMA-accredited veterinary technology, veterinary nursing, or animal health technology program in the United States or Puerto Rico program. Applicants must show need of financial assistance and be in good academic standing. Scholarships will be awarded to students with career interests in all areas.

Scholarships and awards. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/

AVMA/AVMF Scholarship for Veterans. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/avma-avmf-scholarship-for-veterans/

Auxiliary to the AVMA Legacy Endowed Scholarship Program. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/auxiliary-to-the-avma-scholarship-program/

Scholarship program expands to include anesthesia, surgery, and critical care.

. September 4, 2024. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/scholarship-program-expands-to-include-anesthesia-surgery-and-critical-care

Durvet Animal Health Future Food Animal Veterinarian Scholarship. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/durvet/

Embrace Pet Insurance Scholarship. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/embrace/

Merck Animal Health Student Innovation Award. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/merck-animal-health-student-innovation-award/

Mildred Sylvester Scholarship. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/mildred-sylvester-scholarship/

Rex Anderson VLC Travel Award Endowment Fund. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/rex-anderson/

The Hoveida Family Foundation Scholarship in Research. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/hoveida-research/

Merck Animal Health Scholarship. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/merck-animal-health-scholarship/

Dr Hidayah Martinez-Jaka NAVLE Testing Scholarship. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/hidaya-navle-testing-scholarship/

Dr Steven Melman Foundation Dermatology Travel Grant. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/melman/

The Zoetis Foundation/AVMF Veterinary Technician Student Scholarship. American Veterinary Medical Foundation. Accessed September 15, 2025. 

https://www.avmf.org/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/the-zoetis-foundation-avmf-veterinary-technician-student-scholarship/

Articles

A list of fall scholarships for veterinary and veterinary technician students, including grants for research, specialized fields in veterinary medicine, first generation students, and more.

Fall scholarships for veterinary and veterinary technician students

Meghan Herron, DVM, DACVB, FFCV, discusses behavior that may be perceived as projecting dominance, and how human reaction to this perception can affect the bond between a pet and its’ owner.

Understanding the dominance theory in animal behavior

What is the ‘dominance theory’ for cats and dogs? Meghan Herron, DVM, DACVB, FFCV, a senior director of behavior, research, and education at Gigi’s, a shelter organization in Ohio, discusses the need to understand pet behavior that may be perceived as projecting dominance, in a 

interview recorded at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. She also addressed how human reaction to this perceived dominance can affect the bond between a pet and its pet owner.

Herron delivered a series of continuing education (CE) sessions at the 3-day Fetch Kansas City event. In a pair of CE sessions—“Top 10 Canine Behavior Myths” and “Top 10 Feline Behavior Myths”—she addressed the “dominance theory” for both species. In her lectures, Herron explained this behavioral theory, how it applies to cats and dogs, and how it does not. In this video, she delves into the concept.

: So dominance—what we as behaviorists like to call ‘the dirty D word.’ We say that because it's a normal term in ethological form. It's just really by definition: dominance is a status achieved between same species, individuals living in a group, after multiple interactions together, over preferential access to resources. So, he or she who gets to the cake first, right? They are going to have a higher social ranking than the one who doesn't. And these are animals of the same species.

Once [dominance is] established, there's no fighting. You don't see vicious aggression, and that's why it's there, so that animals in the wild, living in groups, don't have to fight. Fighting is expensive, right? But unfortunately, that sort of theory has been put upon, mainly, dogs. I don't see it as much as cats. We kind of give cats like, ‘Oh, you're just a cat. Cats are weird. We forgive you.’ But for dogs, we're very offended as humans by any type of aggression, specifically, and it must be a dominance problem. ‘You're trying to take over the world. You don't respect me as your alpha.’ Actually, it has very little to do with that.

Most dog aggression, as we see, is related to conflict, fear, perception of threat and potentially some guarding of resources that keep them safe. But not really an attempt to take over the world. We are assuming that dogs are behaving a certain way because they're trying to dominate us. It puts into the pet parents mind...‘I need to somehow be an alpha.’ And with that term, it comes with being punishing, being strong, being intimidating. And if we pair that with ‘most dog aggression towards people is based in fear and perception of threat that we make ourselves big and threatening,’ we are adding fuel to the fire. So that tends to backfire and while in the moment sometimes it can scare a dog to shut down in the moment, likely we are creating a bigger fear, a bigger monster that's going to come out later. And I've seen so many families just shattered by their dog's behavior problem that started with maybe a mild growl that is now a full-fledged attack, because people have tried to implement some sort of dominance theory-based training with their dogs, and it's really unfortunate.

You can also learn more and register for the 2026 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City 