Wisconsin lawmakers have proposed a bipartisan bill that would offer recent veterinary graduates $25,000 in student loan repayment for each year that they practice in a rural county. Recipients would be eligible to receive the grant for up to 4 years.

If passed, state lawmakers hope the bill encourages new veterinarians to work with Wisconsin’s rural farms, according to a news report.

 As part of the proposed legislation, applicants would be required to spend at least 25% of their time working with farm animals.

Students enrolled in an accredited school of veterinary medicine who are in their final year or those who have graduated within the past 7 years are eligible for the grant.

 The Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board, which would award the grant, would not provide veterinarians or veterinary students with the $25,000 grant unless they completed the corresponding year of full-time employment as a veterinarian in a rural county. Additionally, the grant would not be taxed.

The proposition comes as the US continues to face a shortage of veterinary professionals. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary for veterinarians in Wisconsin increased from $99,860 in 2020 to $148,680 in 2022, marking nearly a 50% increase.

 In a report by the Wisconsin Public Radio, Jo-ell Carson, the executive director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association, said the increase in average veterinary wages was likely tied to the shortage of veterinarians.

Working in a small, rural practice becomes less attractive when many veterinary graduates face substantial debt post graduation, supporters of the bill say.

 Joie Haines, a third-year veterinary student on the board of the Wisconsin Veterinary Medicine Association, spoke at a public hearing on the bill on November 13, 2025, stating that classmates at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have realized that they can earn more by practicing in corporate clinics in an urban area, working specifically with small animals.

“I have a couple of classmates who have gotten offers of $30,000 or $40,000 for a sign-on [bonus],” Haines said.

 “They’re like, ‘Why would you go to rural Wisconsin and be at a large animal practice and make less than $100,000 [per year]?’”

Haines was raised on a farm in Trempealeau County, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. Her family, who raised beef cattle, swine, and poultry, often did not have access to veterinary care without traveling long distances.

In the same public hearing, Alan Martens, DVM, a practitioner at Waupun Veterinary Service, which serves farms across 9 counties in eastern Wisconsin, said the practice covers such a large area because most small, 1- or 2-veterinarian clinics have disappeared. According to Martens, many practices no longer offer emergency services, which creates long wait times for animals needing critical care, leading to animal welfare concerns and farm economic losses. 

Although both parties support the bill, the legislation has 1 caveat: It does not yet provide funding for the grants. Lawmakers would need to include money for the program in the next biennial state budget, which will be determined under a new governor and legislature. Securing funding for the grant would be challenging because the current state budget began in July, according to Representative Joel Kitchens.

Kirwan H. Bill to address farm veterinarian shortage would offer new grads loan repayment. Wisconsin Public Radio. November 14, 2025. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://www.wpr.org/news/bill-address-farm-veterinarian-shortage-offer-loan-repayment-new-grads

Wisconsin Assembly Bill 505, 2025-2026 Legislature, Regular Session (Wis 2025). Accessed November 14, 2025. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/proposals/ab505

Veterinarian salary: states where salaries have increased (and decreased) the most. TotalVet. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://total.vet/veterinarian-salary/

Kirwan H. Wisconsin veterinarians see 49 percent wage growth as clinics compete for limited number of doctors. Wisconsin Public Radio. June 16, 2023. Accessed November 14, 2025. https://www.wpr.org/agriculture/wisconsin-veterinarians-49-percent-wage-growth-shortages

Articles

Veterinarians who have graduated within the past 7 years or students in their last year of veterinary school could receive up to $100,000 under the proposed bill. 

Wisconsin lawmakers propose student loan relief bill to attract vets to rural areas

Image Credit: © kassini | stock.adobe.com

 interview, Rebecca Windsor, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology), outlines Gallant’s approach to building regulated, ready-to-use stem cell products for veterinary practice. She walks through how mesenchymal stromal cells work systemically to reduce immune-driven inflammation, addresses common safety myths, contrasts donor-sourced therapies with patient-sourced and unregulated products, and previews upcoming targets such as feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) and osteoarthritis.

Editor’s note: This Q&A was drafted from an audio interview. The responses from Windsor have been lightly edited for clarity and flow in a written format.

dvm360: Can you outline Gallant's approach to stem cell therapy and the problem it aims to solve for clinicians and patients?

: "The main difference is we are developing FDA-regulated, off-the-shelf stem cell therapy so they are available on demand, as needed. We're sourcing our cells from mesenchymal stromal cells from uterine tissue, which is really unique from healthy animals that would get spayed anyway. [They are] screened donors using dog-to-dog and cat-to-cat donors to allow stem cell therapies to be available to any pet that would need it, instead of having it be more of a boutique type of therapy targeting the root cause of disease."

dvm360: How do these mesenchymal stromal cells actually work to reduce inflammation and promote healing?

: "The majority of inflammatory and many degenerative diseases are rooted in immune dysregulation. Stem cells are predominantly immunomodulatory. We give them IV, and they start working immediately systemically to reduce that systemic inflammation. Then they follow chemotactic signals from the diseased tissue. Once they're there, they release cytokines, growth factors, exosomes—all things that can help rebalance the immune system to make it less inflammatory. They also can work with the cells that are there to make them be more anti-inflammatory and promote tissue repair."

dvm360: What are the most common myths you encounter about stem cell therapy, particularly regarding safety?

: "The number one is whether or not it's going to cause an immune reaction. [Mesenchymal stromal cells] contain a low number of MHC class receptors, so the body's immune system doesn't recognize it as foreign. The other common one is whether or not they're going to cause tumors. Mesenchymal stromal cells really stick inside their lane—they're not going to go form a bunch of other cells—and we've got good long-term data that show that they don't form tumors."

dvm360: How does this differ from other regenerative therapies a practitioner might encounter?

: "The majority of therapies are going to either be sourced from the patient, [which requires] putting the patient through a lot, [and] stem cells that are coming from patients that are sick or older.... The other thing is, people are getting products that are not the same as a pure stem cell therapy [and] are not going through FDA regulations, so you're not quite sure exactly what you're getting."

dvm360: Looking ahead, what does the pipeline look like for future conditions beyond FCGS?

: "We're really excited. Our next biggest target will probably be feline osteoarthritis. Again, we want cats to go first. Hopefully [we will have] 2 feline stem cell therapies before [one for] dogs comes out, with canine osteoarthritis closely behind. [Other conditions include] atopic dermatitis [and] inflammatory bowel disease—another one that's a really big interest to us as well."

Gallant is developing FDA-regulated, off-the-shelf mesenchymal stromal cell therapies to rapidly modulate inflammation, support tissue repair, and make stem cell treatment broadly available to cats and dogs.

How off-the-shelf stem cells are aiming to treat systemic inflammation quickly

Happy Friday dvm360 readers! Did you know that dvm360 is hosting our first Fetch Encore on December 14, 2025, beginning 11 AM EST and ending at 5 PM EST? Join dvm360 for a day full of feline medicine with key industry leaders to gain 6 continuing education credits for only $25! Join our first group of Fetch Encore attendees and register 

Here is what was popular this week on dvm360.com:

 it has filed a federal lawsuit and an emergency motion against the American Veterinary Medical Association in an attempt to block the AVMA from proceeding with a hearing determining whether or not Tuskegee’s College of Veterinary Medicine will be stripped of its accreditation.

Zoetis’ Vanguard Recombishield, a new injectable vaccine that protects dogs aged 8 weeks and older against 

 in the US market after receiving approval from the USDA in March 2025.

On this week’s episodes of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, 

, joined host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, to talk about how veterinary professionals and clients can better decode the puppy mindset to gain a better understand of behavior. Then, 

, comes to us from this year’s Fetch National Harbor to talk more about hyaluronic acid in periodontal treatment

 in US history came to an end with President Donald Trump signing government funded bill H.R 5371. Now that the shut down is over, what does this bill being signed mean for veterinary professionals?

 a vaccine that will work to protect honeybees against American foulbrood caused by 

 after it demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials.

 with dvm360 at the 2025 New York Vet Show in New York City, Monica Tarantino, DVM, MBA, cofounder of the Senior Dog Veterinary Society, shares signs of chronic pain in geriatric canine patients.

Wrap up: AVMA sued by another veterinary school, and other news

The USDA has announced the opening of a sterile fly dispersal facility in Tampico, Mexico, for the purpose of mitigating the threat of New World screwworm (NWS) infestation. The facility will allow the USDA to disperse sterile flies aerially across northeastern Mexico, which can help prevent infestation in the US.

“The New World screwworm continues its March northward.…Unlike typical maggots that feed on necrotic tissue, this screwworm larva loves living flesh. It will, in fact, disfigure and kill livestock, pets, wildlife, and yes, even you,” Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, said in a 

Image courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association and USDA.

Two methods are used to disperse sterile insects: aerial dispersal and ground release chambers. “Aerial operations are preferred because they allow for dispersal at a steady rate through a large area and because sterile insects may be dispersed in areas that are unreachable from the ground,” the USDA said in a news release.

 “Mass production and targeted dispersal of sterile flies remain critical components of our effective response.”

The federal agency is currently dispersing 100 million sterile flies per week in Mexico. However, the majority of reported NWS cases in Mexico have come from the southern regions and aerial operations have been limited to those areas, thus far.

Ground release chambers have been used when a need to quickly deploy sterile insects has arisen outside the range of other dispersal facilities.

 “The [new] facility will ensure flexibility and responsiveness in northern Mexico, giving us a greater ability to drop sterile flies and continue to push the pest south,” US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said in the USDA release.

Earlier this year, NWS was confirmed less than 70 miles south of the US-Mexico border. This confirmation marked the northernmost detection of the parasite during the ongoing outbreak in Mexico and prompted an increase in concern for the US cattle and livestock industry.

In September 2025, the FDA issued the first conditional approval in the US for a drug indicated to prevent and treat NWS larval infestations in cattle. Doramectin injection solution (Dectomax-CA1 Injectable; Zoetis) is also indicated for the prevention of NWS reinfestation for 21 days in cattle.

“New World screwworm has the potential to bring unprecedented economic and animal health harm to livestock producers,” Mike Lormore, DVM, MS, MBA, director of cattle and pork technical services at Zoetis, said in a news release.

 “Our top priority is to support keeping animals healthy and provide timely, efficacious solutions to our customers and partners.”

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, said agency officials understand the urgency for fighting NWS infestation. According to Timothy Schell, PhD, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, the agency will continue to expediate their review of animal drugs that have the potential to protect US livestock and the livelihoods of those that care for them.

Meanwhile, the USDA is working to expand US response to the NWS threat with the construction of a 

sterile fly dispersal facility at Moore Air Base

 in Edinburg, Texas. The domestic facility is projected to open and begin sterile fly production in early 2026.

USDA announces opening of sterile fly dispersal facility in Tampico, Mexico. USDA. November 13, 2025. Accessed November 15, 2025. 

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/3fb1841

Lee C. New World screwworm invasion update; a looming threat to US borders. 

. July 15, 2025. Accessed September 30, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/new-world-screwworm-invasion-update-a-looming-threat-to-us-borders

Bautista-Alejandre A. New World screwworm detected less than 70 miles from the US-Mexico border. 

. September 22, 2025. Accessed September 30, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/new-world-screwworm-detected-less-than-70-miles-from-the-us-mexico-border

Zoetis receives conditional approval for Dectomax-CA1 injectable for the prevention and treatment of New World screwworm myiasis in cattle. News release. Zoetis. September 30, 2025. Accessed September 30, 2025. 

https://investor.zoetis.com/news/news-details/2025/Zoetis-Receives-Conditional-Approval-for-Dectomax-CA1-Injectable-for-the-Prevention-and-Treatment-of-New-World-Screwworm-Myiasis-in-Cattle/default.aspx

Crossley KC. FDA conditionally approves drug to prevent and treat screwworm in cattle. 

. September 30, 2025. Accessed November 14, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/fda-conditionally-approves-drug-to-prevent-and-treat-screwworm-in-cattle

The program is used to combat New World screwworm, a global health threat.

USDA opens sterile fly dispersal facility in Mexico

In the United Kingdom (UK), officials are planning to phase out animal testing through a new strategy that is expected to achieve the outcome faster. Under the new government road map unveiled by UK Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance earlier this week, researchers are encouraged to replace animal tests with new methods for determining the safety of products, such as vaccines and chemicals like pesticides.

“This is a road map [that] will ensure government, businesses, and animal welfare groups can work together to find alternatives to animal testing faster and more effectively,” Lord Vallance said in a government press release.

The plan acknowledges that the use of animals can only be phased out of scientific research if it can be replaced with reliable and effective alternative methods offering the same level of safety for humans. The road map includes working with partners, supporting researchers with new funding, and optimizing regulation to make the transition possible.

Doing so would help develop methods such as organ-on-a-chip systems, 3D bioprinted tissues, and an expanded use of artificial intelligence (AI), according to the government press release.

Organ-on-a-chip systems are small devices that use real human cells to mimic the way human organs work. Additionally, 3D bioprinted tissues would create realistic human tissues, such as skin and liver, to test whether certain substances are toxic. The tissues would also help researchers study human biology. Meanwhile, AI would be more extensively used to predict whether new medications will be safe and effective on humans. To achieve this, experts would use AI to analyze large quantities of information about molecules.

“Nobody in our country of animal lovers wants to see suffering, and our plan will support work to end animal testing wherever possible and roll out alternatives as soon as it is safe and effective to do so,” Lord Vallance said.

The plan outlines concrete commitments for the next couple of years, including the end of regulatory testing on animals for assessing skin and eye irritation, as well as skin sensitization, by the end of 2026. By 2027, researchers are expected to stop testing the strength of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) on mice and use only DNA-based lab methods to screen for adventitious agents, including viruses or bacteria that could accidentally contaminate the medication. By 2030, the UK aims to lower the number of pharmacokinetic studies on dogs and nonhuman primates. These studies have been historically used to track a drug’s movement through the body over time.

The UK has been at work on replacing animal testing with alternative methods for some time, with the UK first making the commitment in 2010.

In 2014, the country announced a new policy to reduce, replace, and refine (3Rs) the use of animals in research by better leveraging technology, influencing an international adoption of the 3Rs and promoting awareness and understanding about the use of animals where alternatives did not exist.

 In tandem with their commitment, the UK also created the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animals in Research.

The new plan builds on these previous initiatives and includes the following

Providing foundational training in alternative methods for early-career researchers for next year

Publishing lists of research priorities for alternative methods at least every 2 years, starting in 2026

Encouraging research funders to support alternative methods and make these methods more visible, including in academic journals

The plan also aims to position the UK as a global leader in regulating nonanimal research methods.

According to the UK, this latest road map is receiving £60 million in funding for the creation of a data, technology, and expertise hub for researchers to work together, and a new center to streamline the path to regulatory approval for new alternative methods. The Medical Research Council, Innovate UK, and the Wellcome Trust are also providing £15.9 million to help advance human in vitro models, which include organ-on-a-chip systems.

The new plan has received verbal support from various UK-based organizations, including pharmaceuticals and animal welfare groups such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, Association of Medical Research Charities, Royal Society of Biology, Francis Crick Institute, Understanding Animal Research, and Animals in Science Committee.

Animal testing to be phased out faster as UK unveils roadmap for alternative methods. News release. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. November 11, 2025. Accessed November 14, 2025. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/animal-testing-to-be-phased-out-faster-as-uk-unveils-roadmap-for-alternative-methods?utm_source=chatgpt.com

king to Reduce the Use of Animals in Scientific Research

. Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills. February 2014. Accessed November 14, 2025. 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c79b1e5274a559005a1ee/bis-14-589-working-to-reduce-the-use-of_animals-in-research.pdf

The United Kingdom plans to end certain animal testing for safety assessments starting in 2026.

UK vows to phase out animal testing, turning to AI and lab-grown human tissues 

This episode of VetxChange will review medical options to relieve allergic itch and how to consider medication administration when prescribing treatments.

Itch stops here: Fast fixes for happy dogs and happier clients

This content is sponsored by Zoetis. To obtain your CE certification for this episode, head over to dvm360's Flex 

Managing canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) can be difficult, lifelong and frustrating for the owner and clinician as well as uncomfortable for the pet. It is crucial to consider factors that can increase pruritus in dogs such as secondary infections, allergies and ectoparasites. As a member of the veterinary team, we also need to consider logistics such as finances, caregiver burden and physical limitations. This podcast episode will review medical options to relieve allergic itch and how to consider medication administration when prescribing treatments.

Understand options for fast and effective management of pruritus for cases of canine atopic dermatitis.

Identify limitations with long-term allergy management to the owner (finances, physical limitations, etc.).

Feel comfortable with the rule outs of a pruritic dog.

Videos

Discover expert insights on managing itchy dogs and effective treatments on this episode of VetxChange.