What alternative paths exist for veterinary technicians? Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, KPA-CTP, FFCP, explains in this interview.

Career opportunities for veterinary technicians outside the clinic

Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, KPA-CTP, FFCP, owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio, discusses various available career paths for veterinary technicians outside of the traditional clinical setting. “There are unlimited opportunities for veterinary technicians. We definitely downplay our amazing skill set,” she says.

Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, KPA-CTP, FFCP:

 There are unlimited opportunities for veterinary technicians. We definitely downplay our amazing skill set. So just for me personally, I own my own cat and dog behavior consulting business, but I also do organizational consulting for shelters and vet clinics where they want to implement behavior modification or behavior at all, whether it’s kitten puppy socialization or collaborative care handling and/or fear-free handling. And I consult and educate with that organization.

You can also definitely create content via various social media platforms [and] podcasts, I also have one of those. But you can also write. So, I write for various organizations, and this could be a caregiver like a Martha Stewart or The Spruce or something along [those lines]. Those are things I’ve written for in the past. Or a veterinary publication, like VETgirl or 

. There are so many writing opportunities. And I’ll be honest: I love my bloggers out there, but I much rather have animal veterinary technicians writing content about animal care than maybe someone that just loves cats.

So if you’re into writing, please reach out. Those are things you could definitely do part-time or full-time. But also, you could do pet sitting. Hospice care is something that is my second favorite thing. Teaching, being a relief vet tech—I mean, I can go on and on and on. There are so many options.

And then even in your practice, if you’re working in general practice, you can create programs. I had a technician who was really into nutrition because, again, lean into your happy. And nutrition wasn’t all of our favorite thing, so he started keeping stock and letting us know when we were out of things, but also helping to calculate calories for caregivers, talk about weight loss plans and also answer questions about nutrition.

So not only was that technician empowered, so they’re happier in their job, but also, they were doing their favorite thing and we were allowing them, since that’s their favorite thing and they’re doing it the most, they’re probably staying the most up to date and educated about that. So again, it’s a win-win for the entire team and definitely the caregivers and pets we support.

This transcript was lightly edited for improved clarity

Videos

Janice O’Brien, DVM, MPH, DACVMP, discusses her research in dog nutrition, in this interview with dvm360. 

The Role of Food Frequency Questionnaires in Veterinary Research and beyond

At the 2025 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum in Louisville, Kentucky, 

, a United States Army veteran and current PhD student at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia. In the 

, O’Brien discusses the study “Validation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) for Use in Dog Nutrition Research” that she and her research team conducted.

In this video, O’Brien, talks about the value of validating tools like FFQs for veterinary research and clinical practice. Additionally, she shares details about another ongoing study focused on assessing owners’ accuracy in reporting grain-free diets, which could also have important implications for understanding health outcomes in dogs.

Below is the transcript of the interview:

I think it's very important, just in general, to validate whatever tools you're using to do research—that's just good science. But it's good to know because the Dog Aging Project wants to do these very long-term studies of different, not just diet exposures, I mean, they're doing it for lots of different things, but on the diet side, we want to know well, ‘How good is our survey at capturing this data? So, what sort of research questions can we ask?’

So, for example, it probably is perfectly fine to do longitudinal studies using the primary diet component, whatever questions those might entail. You know, maybe total calories consumed that [are] coming from a primary diet—all of those are probably going to be pretty accurate in terms of the outcomes that you measure versus doing something with, for example, dairy. If you wanted to do groups of dogs that reportedly consumed dairy versus didn't, that's probably going to be less accurate because we found that that was extremely not accurate on the survey versus the real world.

Using the food frequency questionnaire data is going to be a huge follow up. So, using the data that was collected with it to do those sorts of studies to say, ‘Okay, well, we know that dogs that might be consuming one type of diet versus another, and what are the differences in their health outcomes?’ Those are, those are huge studies that we're excited about doing.

Are there any other projects you’re currently working on?

We're doing, like a reporting accuracy of grain free diets. And so that one's also really exciting to me, just the ‘How accurate are owners at reporting whether their dog is on a grain free diet or not?’ and how that impacts whatever findings you're trying to look at, whether that's cardiac outcomes or skin outcomes, whatever that might be.

Janice O’Brien, DVM, MPH, DACVMP, discusses her research in dog nutrition in this interview with dvm360 at the 2025 ACVIM Forum. 

The role of food frequency questionnaires in veterinary research and beyond

Researchers recently discovered a genetic mutation in a Bengal kitten that mirrors a rare human condition called developmental and epileptic encephalopathy type 50 (DEE50). This severe neurometabolic disorder results from mutations in the 

 gene, which plays a key role in making pyrimidine nucleotides, essential components of DNA, RNA, and other molecules the body needs to function. When the 

 gene fails, the body cannot produce enough of these nucleotides, which leads to seizures, anemia, and developmental delays. In humans, clinicians treat DEE50 with uridine, a supplement that bypasses the defective metabolic pathway.

The 4-month-old Bengal kitten began having seizures at 13 weeks. These episodes included body stiffness, facial twitching, and drooling. The kitten also showed abnormal behavior and episodes of reduced consciousness. Veterinarians performed blood tests, MRI scans, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, but they found no clear cause. The kitten responded only partially and temporarily to antiepileptic drugs, which suggested an underlying genetic or metabolic problem. With no effective treatments available and the kitten’s quality of life declining, the owners chose humane euthanasia.

After euthanasia, the veterinary team investigated further. They reviewed all test results, which showed mild changes in blood cells but no major abnormalities. Suspecting a genetic disorder, they sequenced the kitten’s genome. The sequencing revealed a rare mutation in the 

 gene (XP_011279586.1:p.Ser2015Asn). This mutation affects a region of the CAD protein critical to its structure and function.

To test whether the mutation disrupted CAD activity, the researchers used a human 

-knockout (KO) cell line. This cell line cannot grow without uridine unless researchers restore CAD function. When they introduced wild-type human 

 into the cells, the cells grew in uridine-free media. However, cells with the Ser2015Asn mutation failed to grow, proving that the variant destroyed CAD function.

Next, the team screened 110 Bengal cats to see how common the mutation was in the breed. They found 4 healthy cats with only 1 copy of the mutation, showing that the variant exists at low frequency. They found no cats with 2 copies of the mutation, which supports a recessive inheritance pattern. These findings prompted the researchers to recommend genetic screening in Bengal cats to help breeders avoid producing affected kittens.

Although the kitten never received uridine therapy, the findings from human studies and the KO cell experiment suggest that the supplement might have helped. In human patients, uridine has reversed seizures and improved developmental outcomes by using an alternative, CAD-independent pathway to create uridine monophosphate (UMP). This salvage pathway bypasses the defective step in pyrimidine synthesis.

This case marks the first documented instance of 

 deficiency in a cat. The Bengal kitten displayed key features of DEE50, including early-onset seizures, abnormal behavior, and resistance to standard antiepileptic medications. Although the kitten was euthanized before the disease could fully progress, the clinical signs already matched the human condition. This discovery gives scientists a spontaneous large animal model to study DEE50 and explore new treatment options, especially valuable given the limitations of existing rodent models.

By identifying this mutation in cats, the researchers expanded the known impact of 

 mutations beyond humans. Their work highlights the importance of cross-species genetic research and reinforces the value of animal models in rare disease studies. This Bengal kitten’s case not only opens new paths for veterinary treatment but also provides a powerful tool for understanding and treating DEE50 in humans.

 is a 2026 PharmD candidate studying veterinary pharmacy at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Kaczmarska A, Christen M, del Caño-Ochoa F, et al. Epileptic encephalopathy in a young Bengal cat caused by 

 2025;15:13506. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-98414-0

Articles

An investigation highlights the importance of cross-species genetic research and the value of animal models in rare disease studies.

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy type 50 is found in a Bengal kitten

FDA officials have approved a generic drug for the treatment of canine and feline skin infections. Cefovecin Sodium for Injection is sponsored by Qilu Animal Health Products Co in Shandong, China.

Cefovecin Sodium for Injection is an antimicrobial drug used to treat infections, abscesses, and wounds caused by certain bacterial strains. It is only available with a prescription from a licensed veterinarian and is supplied as a multiuse vial equal to 80 mg/mL when reconstituted with 10 mL of sterile water for injection.

The generic drug contains cefovecin sodium, the same active ingredient in Convenia (Zoetis Inc), which was approved by the FDA in 2008. Cefovecin Sodium for Injection does not contain inactive ingredients that may significantly affect the bioavailability of cefovecin sodium, according to the FDA.

Investigational drug aims to treat equine skin cancer

According to Zoetis, Convenia is indicated for skin infections in dogs caused by susceptible strains of 

 (group G). These infections include secondary superficial pyoderma, abscesses, and wounds.

In cats, Convenia is indicated for the treatment of skin infections caused by susceptible strains of 

These feline infections include wounds and abscesses.

FDA approves first generic cefovecin sodium injection treating skin infections in dogs and cats. FDA. June 24, 2025. Accessed June 24, 2025. 

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-approves-first-generic-cefovecin-sodium-injection-treating-skin-infections-dogs-and-cats?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Convenia (cefovecin sodium). Zoetis. 2023. Accessed June 24, 2025. 

https://www.zoetisus.com/products/petcare/convenia/

Cefovecin Sodium for Injection is sponsored by Qilu Animal Health Products Co.

New generic drug for skin infections is approved by the FDA

During this video with dvm360's chief veterinary officer Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, 

Video interview with dvm360

During this interview with Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, chief veterinary officer, dvm360, Caroline Monk, DVM, DACVO, shares the importance of general practitioners performing basic eye tests before referring their cases to the specialist. Throughout the interview, the pair discusses all things ophthalmology from Schirmer tear test, fluorescein staining, simple ulcer treatments, and to why you should consult with an ophthalmologist when your brachycephalic canine patients have constantly wet eyes. Monk also explains to Christman that it is important to educate clients on the importance of hard plastic cones instead of the inflatable collars for patients postoperative eye protection.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity 

What are some things that we should be doing if we are definitely going to be referring our cases over to you? What are some pointers that you can give to those tuning in?

You know, I think it's never wrong to take a hand at trying to prescribe some eye drops, especially in like an emergent case like glaucoma or a corneal ulcer. Sometimes primary vets are nervous for prescribing something that we might say actually isn't needed. But typically, like with the price point of ophthalmics, it's not wrong to go ahead and write a prescription...then in there to get them started on something that might ...decline rapidly without intervention in the few days it takes to get in with us.

:  RIght? And let's talk about, in the [dermatology] world, we always talk about the dermatologic database, yeah. And in the eye world, walk me through about the basic...essentials that we should be doing [when] doing an eye exam.

The 3 basic tests that we love to have performed on every patient are a Schirmer tear test, tonometry and fluorescein staining. So those are kind of like the mainstays for our like, bare minimum database that we want to get on every eye. And we love to have that information ahead of time. We probably will repeat it when the pet comes back in, and that's no offense to whoever did the initial test. Things can change, and we like to just have our own numbers in house, but I do recommend, ideally, even if you're an experienced practitioner, you kind of know what's going on. It's really nice to get those numbers, because you can always uncover, you know, a new surprise with regards to what's going on with the patient. And it really is, each one has a very important role in determining next steps for us.

Want to learn more from the team at Blue Pearl Malvern? Check out dvm360's most recent installment of 

with Craig Clifford, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology) and the rest of the oncology team, plus earn 1.0 CE credit!

Let's talk about ophthalmology

When Aliva Jones from Butler, Missouri, first saw Cardi, a young quarter horse, she did not expect the journey that they would embark on. A few weeks after Jones brought Cardi home, she began to notice that something was off with her horse during routine wound care.

“Cardi was stiff and couldn’t really walk, she had a prolapsed eyelid, and her face just didn’t look right,” Jones explained.

 “I was almost 100% sure it was tetanus. I had given her the first dose of the vaccine, but she wasn’t yet due for the second, so she wasn’t fully protected.”

Jones brought Cardi 3 hours away to the University of Missouri’s Veterinary Health Center (VHC), where the team confirmed she had tetanus. Lynn Martin, DVM, MPH, DACVI (LAIM), noticed the severity of her condition and a team of equine experts began treatment to help save Cardi. Martin noted that she presented with classic neurologic signs of the disease, moved with a rigid and uneasy gait, a sardonic grin, and a protruding third eye. If a horse presents like this, they normally do not survive, according to Martin.

Cardi was brought to University of Missouri’s Veterinary Health Center where she was diagnosed with tetanus (Image courtesy of Alivia Jones)

Cardi was treated with standard supportive care to start, including wound management, intramuscular antitoxin injections, antimicrobials, tranquilizers, and supportive measures such as housing Cardi in a dark quiet stall. However, Martin began to realize that this was not enough, plus a nationwide shortage of the antitoxin made things more complicated for Cardi’s team.

The VHC team was able to secure multiple doses of the antitoxin and quickly began treatment, but by this point the toxin had reached Cardi’s central nervous system. However, in severe cases of tetanus, the intramuscular administration of the antitoxin is not very effective, which led Martin to propose a more aggressive approach: intrathecal injection. After the first dose, Cardi collapsed.

“For a second, I thought we lost her,” Martin said. “But we gave her fluids and kept monitoring everything. And then … she got back up.”

In order to keep Cardi moving in the right direction, Marin proposed a novel approach to improve the treatment, placing an indwelling intrathecal catheter to deliver the antitoxin in a safer, slower, and smaller repeated doses. In collaboration with John Dodam, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVAA, the team at VHC performed the delicate procedure. This innovative procedure was the key to Cardi’s lifesaving treatment because administering the antitoxin in smaller more controlled doses can help avoid severe reactions that are noted with the initial large injection, allowing treatment to go on without complications.

Over 6 treatments her stiffness eased, the tension left her face, and she began to walk, eat, and trot again. She was able to eventually return home to continue her recovery journey.

“It was incredible,” Martin explained. “In all my years, I’ve never seen a horse come back from Tetanus like this. Cardi beat the odds because everyone — faculty, interns, students, residents and the anesthesia team — came together for a total team effort.”

“As far as I know, this is the first time this procedure has ever been done,” Martin said. “It’s rare to encounter something entirely new in practice, and moments like this remind me why I became a veterinarian,” Martin concluded.

Childress N. Breakthrough care at Mizzou’s Veterinary Health Center gives horse a second chance at life. Show Me Mizzou. June 23, 2025. Accessed June 24, 2025. https://showme.missouri.edu/2025/breakthrough-care-at-mizzous-veterinary-health-center-gives-horse-a-second-chance-at-life/

The first-of-its-kind procedure saved the life of Cardi, a young horse that was diagnosed with tetanus.