Michael Blackwell, DVM, MPH; Stephanie Jones, DVM; Jane Brunt, DVM; and Alex Miller, VMD, MS, at the awards ceremony during WVC (Image courtesy of Caitlin McCafferty)

During the 2025 WVC Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, Blue Buffalo honored 4 veterinarians during its Together For Pets awards event. This year’s winners are Michael Blackwell, DVM, MPH; Jane Brunt, DVM; Stephanie Jones, DVM; and Philip Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFO. Each winner received a $10,000 grant to support their mission and continue their efforts to improve the lives of patients and clients.

“We’re thrilled to support veterinary professionals and advance their contributions to the profession,” Alex Miller, VMD, MS, manager of veterinary services at General Mills, said in an organizational release.

“Veterinarians are extraordinary people in so many ways. Through our Together for Pets program, we have been honored to showcase how so many go above and beyond to make the world and our industry a better place.”

Blackwell founded the Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE), which strives to advance pet family health equity through a Health Approach. PPHE is also working to transform communities in a way that ensures access to essential care and integrated services. The organization works to ensure that every pet family, no matter their circumstances, can access the care and services they need to thrive.

During his address at the award ceremony, Blackwell highlighted the fact that the family model in the United States has changed over time because families now include both human and nonhuman members. Nearly 70% of households in the US have pets, and 97% say their pets are real family members who deserve the care they need regardless of circumstances.

Closing out his speech, Blackwell recalled a time as a child when he was exposed to economic euthanasia, and what that sparked in him.

“So it was the veterinarian that ended up in a horrible situation with the dog being euthanized or a treatable medical problem, and it was on that day that my childhood ended about these things happen that seemed all wrong. Why? Because they're known better, another expression of serving our collective good in a serious way. I think of our teachers. I think of public servants in general. These people deserve access to health care for all of their family members, and that is how the program for public equity got started and ultimately aligned care as a system to subsidize that care,” Blackwell shared.

Brunt serves as the executive director for the CATalyst Council, an organization working to improve healthcare for feline patients in the US through increasing responsible cat ownership, enhancing the stature of cats, and enriching lives.

“If you think about why we're all here, it's the human-animal bond, and that's what brings us together for pets. So with the people that are coming in next to me, I am feeling not worthy, because they do so many things with people and pets, and all I do is promote the power of purr.It's fun, but I am so proud to be a veterinarian. Our profession continues to evolve, adapt and grow in the ever-changing environment, because we're all veterinarians, and yes, we like animals,” Brunt expressed.

Through the CATalyst Council’s efforts, pet owners are connected to and gain an understanding of the importance of taking their cats to the veterinary regularly, veterinarians provide a positive experience for cats and clients as well as believe that caring for cats is a crucial part of a sustainable and profitable practice, and shelters and veterinarians work together to educate families adopting cats on positive cat care practices.

At age 10, Jones read a Dear Abby news article that sparked her journey into veterinary medicine. She did not have any exposure to the field but pursued the career anyway landing here where she is today. Jones told attendees that throughout her career, like others in the industry, she lost her purpose and why within the profession. However, she ended up doing a community service project at a foster care organization that gave her that spark back. While volunteering, she could not start engaging with children until telling them she was a veterinarian, and that helped create interest and curiosity for the field.

“Pets Help the Heart Heal was created as a place that provides opportunity and experience to our youth and the power of the human-animal bond. So our youth and foster care have all the different challenges, and sometimes they don't know what it is that they want to do so I always say you don't know until you know,” explained Jones.

“So Pets Help the Heart Heal has been able to do that, not only for youth in foster care but youth all over because you don't know until you know. And I love that I have the space, I have the team, and I have the support of the community in order to do that, through our shadow programs, through our life at pets and junior vets, through our reading initiative, and our STEM workshop, and so we are giving them a why,” she concluded.

Richmond, who could not be present at the awards ceremony, is the founder of Flourishing Phoenix, a veterinary wellbeing and engagement consulting practice. Richmond founded the company intending to help veterinary teams create positive workplace cultures and improve veterinary professionals’ overall well-being. In a statement provided by Richmond for the event, he shared a time in his career when he was suffering mentally, leading him to think about the future of veterinary medicine and how to improve the mental health and well-being of those who make up the industry.

“If it weren't for caring individuals in the veterinary community like you, I wouldn't be here today as an early career veterinarian, I experienced serious psychological distress, lacked effective tools, and had a plan to end my life. Thank goodness my coworkers recognized the signs and knew the resources available to get me help,” Mills read from the statement provided by Richmond.

“While in treatment, I was given tools, not only to help me be better and heal but also to enrich and elevate in work and in life. Those lessons and experiences offer me the foundation for a generative question for the future of VetMed: what if veterinary professionals leave in better psychological condition than when they arrived? What if every one of them left work through fulfilled energies, energized and uplifted to do that, we need to prevent psychological harm, treat illness, and promote flourishing.”

Flourishing Phoenix created the first comprehensive workplace well-being, psychological safety, emotional social hazards, and positive leadership evaluations. Richmond also shared that through work with the Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA), and sponsorship from Blue Buffalo, the FVMA now offers support for veterinary professionals in the state, regardless of role in the clinic, to give them mental health professional coaching and therapy.

To date, Blue Buffalo has donated over $120,000 to veterinary industry organizations to help make the veterinary industry a better place by uplifting those working to do so, like this year’s Together For Pets award recipients. Previous winners of the award, like Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS, founder and chief executive officer of MentorVet, used her grant from 2024 to grow programs that are evidence-based to help support and uplift veterinary professionals. Other previous winners, Jon Geller, DVM, DABVP, emeritus founder of the Street Dog Coalition, Robin Downing, DVM, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP, CVA, MS, who pioneered pain management in animals, Terrence Ferguson, DVM, and Vernard Hodges, DVM, hosts of NatGeo’s hit show 

, all have contributed in different ways to make the industry a better place for pets, clients, and veterinary professionals.

“In some ways, [WVC] kind of runs itself. We go through the motions. Veterinary medicine can feel like that as well. We show up, we do our job, and we just kind of move forward. I'll tell you, what's really easy is, you get home from a hard day's work, you have a glass of wine or a beer, however, you relax and you start thinking about, like, ‘oh, veterinary medicine really could use this. Or why can't we just right?’ And we said, we have those conversations with ourselves or with others, so it's really easy to think about what needs to be done. What's really hard is doing it is actually taking those steps to change the profession for the better, because I truly believe we can be something miraculous. We have been, we are now, and we can get even better,” Mills expressed to the crowd.

Blue Buffalo Continues Annual “Together For Pets” Award Ceremony Marking $120,000 Milestone. News release. Blue Buffalo. February 26, 2025. Accessed March 12, 2025. 

Brown A. About Half of U.S. Pet Owners Say Their Pets Are as Much a Part of Their Family as a Human Member. Pew Research Center. Published July 7, 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/07/about-half-us-of-pet-owners-say-their-pets-are-as-much-a-part-of-their-family-as-a-human-member/

Articles

Together For Pets awarded $120,000 to various organizations across the animal health industry over the years

Blue Buffalo honors extraordinary veterinarians 

Brian J. Sutherland DVM, DACVS-SA shares the differences between palliative procedure and definitive repair as a preview to his upcoming lecture at Fetch Charlotte

Video interview with Dr Brian J. Sutherland

Ahead of his upcoming lectures at dvm360's Fetch Charlotte conference this weekend, Brian J. Sutherland, DVM, DACVS-SA, explained the differences between a palliative procedure and definitive procedure. Throughout the interview, he uses an example of how the different methods could be used to treat the same condition, and the benefits of each. 

: Yeah, sure. Well, my name is Brian Sutherland, small animal surgeon, soft tissue focus at the University of Georgia. I got my my degree from North Carolina State University and my internship at Michigan State and did a surgery specialty internship at Dallas Veterinary Surgical, did my surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. I spent my first couple of years after residency in private practice in Northern Virginia, sort of outside of DC, and ended up going back to do a fellowship in cardiac surgery at Colorado State University in 2018 and since then, my sort of energy and sort of interest and focus has been in the realm of cardiac surgery. Outside of work I love mountain biking. We have a small little hobby farm with a bunch of goats and things like that. So that's been a fun, a fun adventure here lately. So yeah, that's, that's me.

So a palliative procedure, generally, is one that I would describe as something that we use to try to mitigate clinical signs for as long as possible, but we're not actually addressing the primary lesion. And so, for example... a patient with a condition called tetralogy of fallot has multiple different congenital heart defects, but a palliative procedure that we can do can reroute some piping and bring more blood to the lungs than the heart is able to provide. And so we can decrease their clinical signs, or maybe completely eliminate those clinical signs, but we're not actually addressing the primary lesion that's causing the problem. 

So for a definitive repair, you know, would be doing just a surgical procedure to primarily address the the main problems associated with that cardiac defect. So for the tetralogy of fallot, for example, closing the defect in the ventricular septum and treating the stenosis of the of the pulmonary valve. So, you know... with a definitive repair, generally, the idea is hopefully this is essentially a cure. You know, obviously things always come with some risk and that sort of thing. But sort of palliative is, hey, let's make them feel better for as long as we can. And definitive repairs, hey, let's, you know, attempt to cure, restore normal to your normal expectancy and quality of life.

Want to hear Sutherland and other amazing faculty members at Fetch Charlotte? There is still time to register! Learn more about Fetch Charlotte and secure your spot 

 today! For those who cannot make it, the dvm360 editorial team will be on-site to provide you real time coverage of sessions, interviews, and more! You can follow along with the dvm360 team's coverage of Fetch Charlotte 

Brian J. Sutherland, DVM, DACVS-SA, shares the differences between palliative procedures and definitive procedures in this interview with dvm360

Cardiac surgery insights: Palliative vs. definitive procedures

Casey Locklear, DVM, discusses Credelio Quattro's efficacy and administration in a dvm360 interview.

Using new combination drug to protect against parasites

Lotilaner, moxidectin, praziquantel, and pyrantel chewable tablets (Credelio Quattro: Elanco Animal Health) provides protection against 6 parasites including multiple worm species as well as fleas and ticks.The new combination drug was recently showcased by Elanco at the Veterinary Meeting & Expo in Orlando, Florida; and the WVC Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. In an interview with dvm360

Casey Locklear, DVM, US medical strategic lead for Elanco Animal Health and a practicing veterinarian in Texas, discussed the efficacy and administration of this therapy.

Communicating with clients about parasite protection

The following is a transcript of the video:

: Credelio Quattro provides the broadest parasite protection available in an isoxazoline insecticide. So what does that mean? It is the first and only parasiticide of its kind that protects dogs against 6 different types of parasites. So those parasites are heartworm disease, fleas, ticks, hookworms, roundworms, and it is the first and only isoxazoline insecticide to cover tapeworms. That's something that we here are at Elanco are very excited about, to be able to provide veterinarians an all-in-one product to cover tapeworms—really bringing their patients a new level of medical care.

[Credelio Quattro] is proven to be 100% effective against heartworm disease. It also is efficacious against fleas, ticks, round worms, hookworms, and also has 100% efficacy against tapeworms. And one of the really interesting things about Credelio Quattro is that it has the same dose of lotilaner as was found in the original product Credelio. Now you all will remember that lotilaner is an isoxazoline targeting fleas and ticks.

So, Credelio Quattro is labeled to be administered on a monthly basis. And we want to really emphasize the fact that agencies like the American Heartworm Society and Companion Animal Parasite Council encourage these pets to be on heartworm disease prevention year round. So Credelio Quattro should be given once a month, year-round, and we've made that easier by making it available in a meat allergen-free, beef-flavored, highly palatable chewable tablet.

Novel therapy protects against 6 parasites

Videos

Casey Locklear, DVM, discussed the combination drug’s efficacy and administration of the therapy, during an interview with dvm360.

Signs that can be used to identify dogs with a high risk of gastrointestinal disease before they develop symptoms have been found by Texas A&M Gastrointestinal Laboratory (GI Lab) investigators. Results of the study, published in the 

, showed changes in several biomarkers used to identify preclinical inflammatory bowel disease in healthy soft-coated wheaten terriers.

Soft-coated wheaten terriers have a predisposition for developing protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), which causes the intestines to stop functioning normally. The disease sometimes leads to death in less than 6 months after diagnosis. However, the study’s authors indicated that early recognition of PLE may improve outcomes for soft-coated wheaten terriers and other canine breeds at higher risk for the disease. Breeds prone to GI disease include German shepherds, Yorkshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers.

GI disease accounts for more than 10% of all new veterinarian visits, according to Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) in College Station. “Sometimes, dogs that are predisposed to GI disease can go their whole lives without having any clinical signs. For others, signs develop after some kind of stressor in the gut, like an unbalanced diet or having to take antibiotics, triggers the GI disease to develop,” Katie Tolbert, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition, SAIM), a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, small animal internist and associate professor in the VMBS department of small animal clinical sciences, said in a news release.

The GI Lab team of investigators examined 22 healthy dogs, including a dozen soft-coated wheaten terriers, as well as 8 dogs with PLE. The prospective study evaluated fecal calprotectin, targeted metabolites and unconjugated bile acids, intestinal permeability testing and video capsule endoscopy.

“In this study, we found that certain biomarkers start to show up before symptoms are present, and we think this can help us identify dogs before they actually have the disease,” Tolbert said. Notably, investigators found multiple signs that indicate a high risk of disease. The discovery could be lifesaving for breeds that are prone to diseases with a high mortality rate.

“There are all sorts of things going on in the gut that turn out to be markers for high risk,” Tolbert said. “Some dogs may have inflammation, while others have leaky guts. Any of these signs can contribute to the development of GI disease if enough changes are present.”

The team of VMBS investigators plans to use their discovery to study whether specific dietary interventions can help prevent at-risk dogs from developing GI disease. The team has received funding to conduct a new study that will investigate how diet changes might help prevent or slow down the development of GI disease in soft-coated wheaten terriers.

“As a nutritionist, I’m hopeful that diet can be a benign intervention to reverse the condition in these dogs,” Tolbert said. “At the GI Lab, we’re also working toward the development of new diagnostics that we hope will make preclinical detection more widely available.”

Price C. Texas A&M Gastrointestinal Laboratory discovery may help prevent GI disease in dogs. News release. March 11, 2025. Accessed March 11, 2025.

Tolbert K, Darrow J, Grubb L, et al. Preclinical enteropathy in healthy soft-coated wheaten terriers. 

2025;39(2):e17293. doi:10.1111/jvim.17293

The discovery has the potential to be lifesaving for certain breeds

Research may lead to earlier identification of GI disease in dogs

Our first Fetch conference of the year officially begins this Friday! Because there are so many lectures, hands on labs, and other learning and networking opportunities available during the conference, dvm360 has compiled a list of lectures and events happening at the conference to keep an eye out for. For all those attending, we hope you have a great conference, and for those who are not, we have multiple shows coming up throughout the year, so learn more and register for the Fetch closest to you today.

On site at Fetch Charlotte, attendees will have access to exhibitors from leading companies within the industry, networking events with fellow attendees and Fetch Faculty, and for every purchase at our Wag Shop, dvm360 will be donating a blanket to a local shelter in Charlotte! The dvm360 team will also be collecting children’s books on-site at Fetch Charlotte to donate to Promising Pages, a charity that provides reading materials to children with the goal of eliminating the book desert.

On Friday March 14, 2025, at 8:00 AM EST, Philip Bergman, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), takes the keynote stage to discuss the top 10 advancements in veterinary oncology. Throughout his keynote address, Bergman will review these clinically relevant advances in veterinary oncology, diagnostic, antinausea and appetite stimulation, USP 800, and then more on white feet, don’t treat.

On March 15, 2025, our day 2 keynote speaker Joya Griffin, DVM, DACVD, from Animal Dermatology Clinic, will present Extreme Makeover: Derm Edition! Attendees at her lecture will learn how a pet’s outward appearance, and the discomfort of skin diseases, can impact the human-animal bond. The lecture will explore the powerful diagnostic tool, patter recognition, uncover causes of skin disease, specific skin patterns in feline and canine patients, and how systematic illnesses can be revealed through the skin. 

Hosted by dvm360’s chief veterinary officer Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, 7 of the Fetch Faculty will each become a team captain to compete with attendees for exciting prizes, all while also earning continuing education credits during the Fetch Finale Trivia Gameshow. Who will be the Ultimate Fetch Fanatic Champions? Check out the Fetch Finale Trivia Gameshow to find out!

For an additional cost that varies based on profession in the veterinary industry, Fetch Charlotte attendees can attend a RECOVER CPR Certification hands-on lab. Beginning Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 9:15AM to 4:15 PM, Elise Littleton, LVT, VTS(ECC), and Leslie Wereszcak, MS, LVMT, VTS(ECC), will educate attendees with the concepts and techniques in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) through simulations that are scenario-based. For this hands-on lab, a pre-requisite course is required for attendees: 

RECOVER Basic Life Support: A 5 module online course that requires a knowledge assessment after each module and are required to score over 80% to advance to the next. It is estimated the course will take 5 hours to complete.

RECOVER Advanced Life Support: This module contains 3 courses and participants must complete knowledge assessments after each completed module, with a required score of over 80% to move on to the next course. This course takes an estimated time of 3.5 hours.

This lab also has a seat limit of 20 attendees.

Suture Techniques: Group 2 is an interactive workshop designed for veterinarians and technicians looking to refine their suturing skills. For over 2 hours (including a networking break), participants will practice essential suture patterns, knots (hand ties, friction knots, Aberdeen, etc.), tacking, and walking sutures using models. Led by Justin Ganjei, DVM, DACVS-SA, this lab will cost attendees an additional $20 and all attendees of the lab must be registered for the conference.

Navigating Amphibian Anesthesia and Analgesia

Jb Minter, MS, DVM, DACVZM, will present to attendees the challenges they can face when it comes to anesthesia and analgesia in amphibians. His lecture, which kicks off at 6:45 AM, will cover the principles of anesthesia and pain management, focusing on immersion and injectable anesthesia techniques, the importance of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and species-specific considerations, and more.

Feline Vaccine-Associated Sarcomas: Myth or Reality?

After wrapping up his keynote address, Bergman will be presenting to attendees a review of epidemiology and etiology of vaccine-associated sarcoma (VAS), how to mitigate risk factors, and new treatments will be explored to help attendees address the client and colleague concerns surrounding VAS.

Caring for the Diabetic Cat: What’s New

Cythnia Ward, VMD, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM), will help attendees explores feline diabetes mellitus, focusing on its pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. Using case examples, she will address common management challenges and discuss advancements in feline diabetes care. Her lecture will begin at 11:00 AM ET.

Shockwave and PEMF in Veterinary Orthopedics

From 1:30-2:30 PM ET, David Dycus, DVM, MS, CCRP, DACVS-SA, and Kristin Kirkby Shaw, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVS, DACVSMR, will educate attendees on shockwave therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, 2 non-invasive modalities that are becoming utilized more and more in veterinary orthopedics to reduce pain, promote healing, and enhance recovery in musculoskeletal conditions.

Unleashing the Facts: The Evolving Risks of Ticks and Tick-Borne Disease

Kathryn E. Reif, MSPH, PhD, will focus on key information regarding tick biology, distribution, and disease risks during her 2:45 PM lecture. Through the lecture, she will explain when and where ticks are active now, how they successfully find hosts vector-borne pathogens of veterinary and zoonotic importance, and the risk of pathogen transmission.

Innovative Practice Ownership Models for Modern Veterinary Practices

From 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM, Jennifer Bruns, DVM, MPVM, will teach attendees who are seeking to explore non-traditional models of practice ownership by providing insights into diverse ownership structures and operational strategies that can align with both contemporary needs and personal goals.

There’s More Than One Way to Treat a Cat: A Practical Approach to the Spectrum of Care

Kick off Day 2 of Fetch Charlotte at 6:45 AM ET with Kate Boatright, VMD, as she uses a case-based approach to discuss with attendees how they can evaluate patients and then determine the appropriate options when using the concepts of spectrum of care with incremental care. Boatright will also help attendees learn how to compassionately address conversations regarding finances with their clients.

Demystifying the Neuro Exam: How to Perform Quick, Effective, Comprehensive Neuro Exam

Following Griffin’s keynote address, Gaemia Tracy, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology), will unlock the secrets of the neurologic exam with attendees as he breaks down the complexities of these assessments and providing practical step-by-step guidance, which will be great for veterinary professionals trying to elevate their comfort when it comes to these evaluations.

With the economy tightening, there are practices on the hunt for ways to cut costs, leaning into the idea the cut practice managers from their practice and pass their duties on to other team members. Bash Halow, LVT, CVPM, will use his lecture at Fetch Charlotte to reevaluate the role of practice managers for today’s veterinary hospital, including calculating their Return on Investment from existing efforts. This lecture will take place at 11:00 AM in the Learning Lounge located in the Exhibit Hall.

Are They Nutty? Are They Neuro? Are They Both?

After lunch, Tracy and Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, will take explain to attendees how they can identify findings, both on examination and historically, that differentiate a neurological condition from a behavioral condition. This lecture will also include a series of challenging cases as well as best practices on tackling them in the veterinary clinic.

Managing Blood Pressure: A Practical Case Series

Gianluca Bini, DVM, MRCVS, DACVAA, owner of Safe Pet Anesthesia, will educate attendees on the ways they can confidently assess and control hypotension and hypertension through real world examples to improve the outcomes of your anesthetized patients. Through the lecture, Bini will explain hypotension and its significance in veterinary anesthesia, the appropriate treatments for hypotension through patient assessment, and more. This lecture will be from 2:45 PM to 3:45 PM.

Understanding "Equity" Arrangements Between You and a Consolidator

Charlotte A Lacroix, DVM, JD, will explain to attendees during her 8:00 AM session on what issues veterinarian should consider before they enter an equity arrangement. Lacroix will tell attendees why these agreements need to be reviewed carefully and assessed in the context of value proposition and accompanying associated risks.

Sudden blindness is a common concern in veterinary ophthalmology, with causes ranging from corneal and lens issues to retinal, optic nerve, and brain diseases, and diagnosing the underlying condition can be challenging and complex. Joshua Broadwater, DVM,DACVO, will review the key structures of the eye and brain involved in vision, explore potential causes of sudden vision loss in dogs and cats, and outline essential diagnostic approaches to identify the cause.

The Caregiver's Dilemma - Assessing Quality of Life

Leigh Ann Collins, DVM, will help attendees assess the quality of life when it comes to family pets by understanding the trends in both clients and pets as a way to better identify each of their needs, address concerns, and make decisions that do the most good for all the parties involved with the pets care. This lecture will begin at 11:00 AM ET.

Heading to Fetch Charlotte this weekend? If so, here are some of the lectures, events, and hands-on labs you cannot miss. 

Sneak peek into Fetch Charlotte 2025

Veterinary patient visits are decreasing and the gap between appointments is increasing, a newly released white paper found.

 According to data from the paper, which was available to attendees of the 2025 WVC Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, clients may be struggling more to cover the costs of care for their pets than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Behavior shift: Implications of today’s pet owner trends on veterinary medicine in 2025

 by Vetsource—a pet health company specializing in pet pharmacy services and veterinary analytics—gathered data from 6574 practices in the US to investigate current trends among pet owners. The practices analyzed consisted primarily of general companion animal clinics, with 65% being independently owned and 35% being corporate owned.

Results from the data showed that veterinary visits had decreased 2.3% in 2024 compared to 2023. The total number of active patients were also down by 1.9% from the previous year. Meanwhile, the time between visits increased to 85.8 days from July 2023 to 2024, marking a 48% increase between visits compared to the same period 3 years ago.

These trends, however, align with economic pressures clients are facing following an 8% increase in veterinary service inflation in the last 12 months—1.6 times higher than the national inflation rate.

 “These economic concerns and other challenges translate into pet owners increasing time between visits to their veterinary practice,” wrote the authors of the white paper.

There has also been a decrease in parasiticide purchase at veterinary practices. According to the paper, dog owners are purchasing parasiticides outside of their veterinarian or choosing to skip protection entirely.

 Additional findings include an observed decrease in client spending on therapeutic diets, pharmaceuticals, and surgeries at veterinary clinics.

“Veterinary practices that excel in addressing these challenges will be the ones that focus on client relationships and offer solutions that go beyond the [4] walls of the practice,” wrote Vetsource in a news release.

 The company’s Vet2Pet app is a client communication app that offers app chat and 2-way texting, push notifications, and email messaging. It also features automated tools, including health service reminders, and online appointment requests. According to a study conducted by Vetsource, practices generate on average, 600 appointment requests annually through the app.

Other tools offered by the company include their Data Services solution, which offers veterinary reports and dashboards; the Practice Overview Report, which monitors patient activity, tracks lapsing patients, and analyzes return visits; and their Retriever tool, which sends automated emails to lapsing clients.

Vetsource solutions help veterinary practices turn challenges into opportunities. News release. Vetsource. February 27, 2025. Accessed March 6, 2025. 

https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vetsource-solutions-help-veterinary-practices-turn-challenges-into-opportunities-302386346.html

Gilmartin S, Yost B, Zirkle K. Behavior shift: Implications of today’s pet owner trends on veterinary medicine in 2025. Vetsource. Accessed March 6, 2025. 

https://assets.vetsource.com/m/3e5197539521d838/original/DataServicesWhitePaper.pdf?&target=_blank

A white paper by Vetsource found that the time between client visits increased by 48% from 2023 to 2024 compared to 3 years ago.