What should general practitioners (GPs) know about handling emergency cases? Tannetje Crocker, DVM, an emergency veterinarian for Veterinary Emergency Group in Dallas, Texas; owner of Alta Vista Animal Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas; and social media personality, explained the equipment, medication, and communication skills that GP veterinary teams should be familiar with for emergency cases during her lecture at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Long Beach, California.

“Pet owners are wanting more for their pets, which means we have to be able to offer more…. There's so much we can do right in our own hospitals,” Crocker said. “People are coming to you with the same expectation that they have of a specialty [emergency] facility. You want to be ready for those types of things.”

Creating an interactive experience, Crocker asked her audience to name some of the more common emergency cases they typically see in their own clinics. Among the responses were respiratory distress, heart failure, injuries from pets getting hit by cars, gastrointestinal effects of chemotherapy, seizures, toxins, and urinary obstruction in cats. “When I have a blocked cat come in, I'm talking to an owner, [and] one of the first things I say is, ‘This is a true emergency.’ I think that's a really important statement to say to some of these [clients], to escalate how quickly you're able to provide care,” Crocker told the audience.

One of the first things to consider when establishing emergency services is to determine what the veterinary team already knows, such as triage, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and emergency medications, according to Crocker. Training the staff and having these professionals practice emergency care is also essential, if needed. “It is not just you, as veterinarians; it is definitely a team approach when it comes to emergent care,” Crocker said.

Crocker urged the Fetch audience to empower their veterinary team to handle emergency tasks.

“Technicians want to be utilized to the fullest capability. If they have a puppy [and] there's not a doctor available, and this puppy looks [ill], have them check [blood glucose].... If this puppy has a blood glucose of 40 and it's sitting there for 45 minutes in your practice until the doctor can come, that's a big deal,” she said.

“If this cat is blocked, have [technicians] feel the belly.... Make it where they feel comfortable telling you what they're seeing...and you actually respond, and you respect what they're saying and what they're doing. I think that's really important as a team,” Crocker added.

During her lecture, Crocker addressed the following needs for providing emergency care in a GP setting

Teams must identify emergency cases and prioritize their patients based on severity, with the most urgent cases being the most time sensitive.

Utilize point-of-care diagnostics to quickly and accurately identify the patient’s condition.

These include immediate stabilization techniques and the administration of emergency medications.

Managing the expectations and emotions of pet owners and effectively communicating with clients during an emergency should be included in a veterinary team’s standard of care.

Integrating emergency care into a general practice also requires the establishment of an emergency-ready environment. This includes having appropriate equipment and supplies for providing emergency care services, as well as a designated area in the practice for these cases.

“Everyone should have a glucometer in [their] practice, right? Because if you have a dog come in for seizing, one of the first things you should do is check [blood glucose], especially depending on how old they are, because hypoglycemia in younger pets is going to be one of the main reasons you're going to see them seizing,” Crocker said.

Diagnostic equipment and tools are also important for emergency care. “Now, maybe you don't have an x-ray, [and] that's OK, but ultrasound…is a great way to image emergency cases. You can get a lot of information that way, and it's not as high of a price point,” she said.

 oximeter for cases that require sedation or anesthesia. “You should know where it is. Everyone should make sure it's working,” she said.

A lactometer is also recommended by Crocker, who noted she uses this device for every emergency case she handles. “Lactate gives you so much information, but it is really expensive to have, so I don't think it's something you have to have in a general practice. But if you can get your hands on one, it can really help you out,” she said.

Establishing emergency care services in a general practice may not come without challenges, such as resource limitations, including financial constraints and personnel shortages, time constraints, and ensuring client adherence. However, establishing best practices and deploying solutions can help. Crocker said “training is key” for veterinary teams, but collaborations with specialists and referral centers can add value, too.

To view additional coverage of the Fetch Long Beach conference from the 

content team, visit the event’s dedicated news page: 

https://www.dvm360.com/conference/fetch-long-beach

Crocker T. Emergency care redefined: essential elements for GPs providing emergency services. Presented at: Fetch dvm360 Conference; December 5-6, 2025; Long Beach, CA.

Articles

Tannetje Crocker, DVM, discussed common emergencies presented to GP veterinary teams and some key considerations.

Getting familiar with emergency medicine in general practice

In an interview at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Long Beach, California, Catharine Scott-Moncrieff, Vet MB, MA, MS, DACVIM-SAIM, DECVIM-CA, walked through the practical decisions clinicians face when treating newly diagnosed diabetic cats. 

Image Credit: © olezzo | stock.adobe.com

 Q&A has been lightly edited and consolidated from a verbal interview to better fit a written format while retaining the substance of the original conversation.

 I’m Catharine Scott-Moncrieff. I’m originally from England, and I’ve been at Purdue University…since 1986. I’m a full professor, and I recently stepped down as department head. I’ve been on sabbatical for a year, and I’m returning to the clinics primarily to do endocrinology.

: When you start treatment for a newly diagnosed diabetic cat, what’s your practical plan for the owner and clinic?

 The most important first step is deciding which treatment is right for that individual cat, because monitoring differs depending on whether you choose insulin or an SGLT2 [sodium-glucose cotransporter-2] inhibitor.

For insulin-treated cats, much of the early work is owner education: how to store insulin, draw it up, administer injections, coordinate insulin with feeding, recognize and respond to hypoglycemia, and what to do if the cat doesn’t eat. Avoiding hypoglycemia is the main risk with insulin, so owners must understand warning signs and what actions to take.

For SGLT2 inhibitor–treated cats, the owners have an easier regimen; the drugs are oral and once daily, don’t have to be synchronized with feeding, and the available formulations [tablet or palatable liquid] are generally well accepted. That said, early monitoring for ketones is crucial with SGLT2 therapy; the first 14 to 30 days are when you’re most likely to catch cats developing ketosis or diabetic ketoacidosis [DKA]. So, [although] administration is simpler, monitoring [especially for ketones] is still important early on.

Note: SGLT2 inhibitors commonly used/approved for cats are bexagliflozin (Bexacat; Elanco) and velagliflozin (Senvelgo; Elanco). Both are once-daily oral agents.

: How do you decide whether to start a cat on insulin or an SGLT2 inhibitor? What specific indicators do you look for?

 Ideally, we’d distinguish type 1 from type 2 diabetes because type 1 cats [no endogenous insulin production] require insulin. We don’t have a simple in-clinic test that cleanly separates type 1 from type 2, but most newly diagnosed cats—roughly 80%—are type 2. So, we look for a newly diagnosed cat with classic diabetic signs [polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss] without other systemic illness or comorbidities. That means [they're] not lethargic, not anorexic, and [there is] no obvious liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatitis, or other complicating conditions.

You should also screen to rule out ketosis [urine ketones or blood β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB)] before starting an SGLT2 inhibitor. If the cat is systemically ill, ketotic, or has significant concurrent disease, insulin is the safer option. If the cat meets the “otherwise healthy, newly diagnosed” profile and is not ketotic, [it's] a reasonable candidate for an SGLT2 inhibitor, but you must watch closely early on.

: Are owners more adherent with SGLT2 inhibitors compared with insulin?

 Yes, administration is simpler. The 2 available SGLT2 products are palatable [one is liquid, one is a tablet], can be mixed with food or given directly, and only require once-daily dosing. That generally leads to high owner [adherence]. For the first month, the monitoring burden is similar to insulin; you’re just monitoring different parameters—ketones for SGLT2s vs glucose curves and hypoglycemia risk for insulin. After that initial period, the monitoring requirements for SGLT2-treated cats often decline.

: What influences diabetic remission in cats? What factors make remission more likely?

 Reported remission rates vary widely in the literature [15%-70% in different studies], which reflects differences in patient populations and treatments. Factors that increase the chance of remission include resolving any underlying disease that causes insulin resistance, achieving an appropriate body weight [obesity reduction], a low-carbohydrate diet, and—above all—good glycemic control. In my view, it’s not the specific insulin type that matters so much as achieving and maintaining effective glycemic control early in the course of disease.

: Are there any common misconceptions about SGLT2 inhibitors that you want to clear up?

 The major concern clinicians have is euglycemic DKA [euDKA]. Cats treated with SGLT2 inhibitors can become ketotic while appearing euglycemic because these drugs lower blood glucose by promoting glycosuria. That makes euDKA easy to miss if you only check blood glucose and not ketones. It’s correct to be concerned, but the incidence appears lower than some fear. In newly diagnosed, previously untreated cats, clinically significant DKA occurs in a minority—in my experience and the data I cited, around 5% of naive cats—and appropriate early monitoring can reduce risk by catching ketone accumulation before cats become systemically ill. Nevertheless, vigilance for ketones is essential.

: Can a cat treated with an SGLT2 inhibitor go into diabetic remission? How would you detect it?

 Some cats on SGLT2 inhibitors do go into diabetic remission, but the studies that led to approval didn’t follow cats long enough after stopping therapy to answer what percentage remain in remission. The key difference compared with insulin is this: An insulin dose that becomes excessive will cause hypoglycemia and reveal that the cat is producing enough insulin [so you can detect remission indirectly when insulin needs fall]. SGLT2 inhibitors don’t cause hypoglycemia the same way because renal glucose reabsorption mechanisms can buffer blood glucose, so excellent glycemic numbers on an SGLT2 do not reliably prove remission. The only way to know is to stop the drug and monitor for recurrence of clinical signs and hyperglycemia. [The] longitudinal, postwithdrawal data for SGLT2-treated cats [are] limited, and [this is] an area we need more research on.

: What research are you and your team working on now? Is there anything that clinicians should watch for?

 We’re validating ketone meters for cats. The Precision Xtra meter has been validated for [βHB] in cats, but its strips are expensive and not always available. We’re comparing the Precision Xtra [with] other meters that measure both glucose and βHB so clinics could use a single meter for both. That would simplify monitoring. We’re also evaluating βHB urine dipsticks because urine ketone tests measure acetoacetate, whereas blood tests measure βHB, and βHB is likely the more clinically relevant ketone. Practically, it’s often easier to get a drop of blood than a urine sample from a cat.

Separately, we’re analyzing long-term safety data from extended safety cohorts in the pivotal SGLT2 studies where some cats were followed for up to 3 years. That work should help clarify long-term renal outcomes, rates of ketoacidosis over time, and other potential complications. We’re actively recruiting for some of these studies, and we hope to have abstracts and manuscripts submitted in the coming months.

To read more news and view expert insights from Fetch Long Beach, visit 

’s dedicated site for conference coverage at 

Catharine Scott-Moncrieff, Vet MB, MA, MS, DACVIM-SAIM, DECVIM-CA, explains when she prescribes insulin vs SGLT2 inhibitors, how to monitor for ketosis, and which factors most influence diabetic remission in cats.

How to choose and monitor diabetes treatment for cats

"A great culture allows people their humanity," explains Jennifer Edwards, DVM, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP, in this episode of The Resilient Vet: Mind and Body Strategies for Success.

Transforming practice culture: How individual wellbeing impacts the entire team

The Resilient Vet: Mind and Body Strategies for Success

, hosts Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, and Jennifer Edwards, DVM, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP, delve into workplace culture and the role it plays in personal well-being. They explore how the well-being of each individual contributes to the collective culture and how that culture can either support or hinder the whole team. Shaw and Edwards discuss burnout and belonging, talking about what culture really is, why it matters, and how veterinary professionals can cultivate environments where people and pets can thrive.

 podcast. Today, we’re going to be talking about culture—such an important topic for everybody in practice or any other workplace out there—and how individual well-being impacts the entire team. If you’ve ever thought about how amazing it would be to work at a place that you thought had great culture, or if you’ve worked at a place that maybe had some really good culture but deep down you just knew it could be better, then you definitely want to listen to this episode all the way to the end.

We all know that burnout is a huge issue in veterinary medicine. But I don’t know if you realized that, on top of many factors, practice and workplace culture play a huge role in impacting how quickly people reach that level that they refer to as “burnout.”

I’m Dr Jennifer Edwards, [a] veterinarian turned leadership and energy coach, and I am here today to help you learn more about culture on 

 podcast. You can find me at my website, drjenniferedwards.com.... Please feel free to download my free e-book on cultivating more happiness and joy in your life.

And my name is Aaron Shaw. I am the cohost with Jennifer. Thank you for joining us. I’m an occupational therapist, health span expert, and founder of the VetSpan Collective, which is a free online community with resources for people like you and me who want to be more resilient in the vet space. And that is exactly what we’re going to talk about today.

I think culture is a great topic. Culture is something that can really support us. Or, if you’re not in a really good culture, it can weigh us down or slow us from achieving our true potential. I’m super excited to hear Jennifer’s perspective on this. This is her forte, and I think the best way to start this conversation is by defining: What is culture? What does that mean?

I think we know inherently. We’ve been in places that are the worst—sometimes toxic workplaces—and I think that’s probably referring to the culture [or] the vibe of more than just 1 individual. So, what is culture? What does that mean?

Transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and cohesion.

Videos

Transforming practice culture: How individual well-being impacts the entire team

Benita Altier, LVT, VTS (Dentistry), discusses how veterinary professionals can choose the best lighting and magnification tools for their individual needs.

Selecting the right fit in dentistry care tools

Benita Altier, LVT, VTS (Dentistry), owner of Pawsitive Dental Education, provides professional dental instruction and consultation to veterinary practices and conferences, both in the US and internationals. Altier is president-elect for the Arizona Veterinary Technician Association as well as a past president for the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Altier presented a continuing education (CE) session about lighting, magnification and seating, during the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Long Beach, California. In a 

interview, she discussed key points of this CE session including selecting lighting and magnification tools such as loupes that best fit the individual needs of the care provider. This video is a portion of the interview.

The following is a transcript, lightly edited for clarity:

: You can't necessarily buy something just off the shelf that's sort of like one-size-fits-all, or even something that's infinitely adjustable that could potentially make it so multiple people could use the same pair of loupes. If you really want to do this profession for a long period of time and really be comfortable, and not actually cause more injury on top of injury, I would definitely recommend exploring the option of customized loupes and lights, because the manufacturer actually creates them based on your pupillary distance, also how your torso height is, and your table height and your working distance. So that way they're adjusted specifically for what you need them to be. Usually the ones that are customized can have your prescription lenses in there.

So it really is going to be your happy place, so to speak, if you have well-fitting loupes and lights that actually have the correct prescription in them, or magnification, or whatever is going to be what you need. The other thing is, usually the ones that are higher end and more customized are going to be lighter weight as well, and the lighting is going to be a lot safer, better quality lighting too.

Selecting the right fit in dentistry care tools 

Parasitologist Susan Little explains how transmission timing differs by pathogen, demonstrates safe tick removal, and shows why year-round systemic tick control plus targeted vaccines best protect pets.

Prevent tick-borne disease with time-sensitive interventions

 interview, Susan Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology), breaks down when common tick-borne pathogens are transmitted and what clinicians and owners can do to prevent them. She explains which infections can transfer within hours vs the 24- to 48-hour window for Lyme and 

, demonstrates gentle and effective tick removal, and outlines why continuous systemic tick control and selective vaccination are the most practical defenses. Watch for clear, actionable advice you can use at the clinic or share with clients.

Susan Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology):

 I'm Susan Little. I'm a veterinarian and a parasitologist. I worked in academia for 30 years, teaching veterinary students at the University of Georgia and Oklahoma State University. I still am active as a veterinary parasitologist, but I'm focusing more on continuing education for veterinarians and technicians, just sharing my love of parasites around the world. Here at the Fetch conference in Long Beach, I'm presenting on perfect timing—timing of transmission of tick-borne infections—because one of the most common questions we get from pet owners, and that I get from veterinarians, is: 

How long does a tick have to feed in order to transmit an infection?

 It's a complicated question, and I'm really excited that [Boehringer Ingelheim] invited me here to share about that topic.

The thing with tick-borne infections is that [they vary] so much. It depends on which tick and which infection. Even within the same tick-pathogen system, we see differences in different experimental models in terms of how long the tick has to feed to transmit infection. So there aren't hard-and-fast rules, but there are some general trends. The rickettsial infections—like 

 species [Rocky Mountain spotted fever agent]—are all transmitted within that first day of tick feeding. Anywhere from 3, 6, 12, to 24 hours, those pathogens can be transmitted from tick to host.

, the agent of Lyme disease, it takes longer—at least 24 to 48 hours of tick feeding before transmission to the host typically occurs—so we have a window of opportunity there to kill the tick before it can transmit infection. The same is true with 

—about 24 to 48 hours before the organism in the tick has matured enough to be transmitted to the host. Again, that gives us an opportunity to kill the ticks before they transmit infection.

To remove a tick that's already attached to one of our patients, the recommendation to clients and staff is gentle, steady rearward traction. Our goal, of course, is not to snap it off, because we don't want to leave mouthparts in the skin. If you do leave mouthparts, it's not a disaster—it's just a foreign body in the skin, similar to a splinter—but ideally, we remove the entire tick. I say “steady rearward traction” because we don't want to compress the tick and express its contents into the feeding site or onto our hands.

We also recommend using a tool—forceps, tweezers, or a tick-removal tool, [a small spoon-like tool with a slot that lets you scoop under the tick without compressing it]. If you're going to use your hands, gloves are always recommended in practice because we don't want tick contents to get into hangnails or any open cuts on the hand. Once the tick is removed, transmission stops, but there may already have been exposure, so it's important to counsel the owner about ongoing tick control. What we always say is: Every pet, every month, all yearlong. Pets need continuous tick control to prevent the next tick from completing its feeding on the host.

A seropositive dog that appears asymptomatic always presents a quandary in practice. We have to sort out what that positive test means and whether the dog would benefit from antibiotic treatment. It's now recommended by [the Companion Animal Parasite Council, American Association of Feline Practitioners, and American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine] to test dogs annually for antibodies to tick-borne infections. Because of that, we find many dogs that are seropositive but clinically normal.

The first thing I encourage is to delve a little deeper into the patient and confirm they are truly asymptomatic. We want to pull additional laboratory work. For a dog that's antibody positive [for] 

 [Lyme], we would look carefully for evidence of proteinuria that might suggest the dog could be developing Lyme nephritis and might benefit from antibiotic treatment. I also suggest getting a really good history from the owner. If they tell you that their 3-year-old lab has suddenly become much quieter and more subdued, that suggests to me the dog might be [in pain]. Often, it's not clinically obvious because the dog is stoic, so it's up to us to sort that out and decide whether treatment is indicated.

, then for those pathogens, we're going to run a [complete blood count] and a serum chemistry profile and look for the classic thrombocytopenia, maybe some anemia, or even pancytopenia if it's severe ehrlichiosis. Large granular lymphocytes are common in ehrlichiosis. On serum chemistry, we look for evidence such as hypergammaglobulinemia.

The possibility of local [autochthonous] transmission of 

 is even more important now because more pets in more places are being infected. We used to think Lyme was contained to the Northeast and the upper Midwest, and maybe some spots along the West Coast, but we now know it's endemic and actively transmitted in places like Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and throughout West Virginia.

For preventing tick-borne infections, we really have to focus on the ticks. We do have vaccines for Lyme in dogs, which is fantastic. If we get a robust OspA response to that vaccine, the dog will be protected from infection [by] 

. But that's just one infection; there are so many tick-transmitted pathogens, some described and some not yet recognized. By keeping pets on tick control—every pet, every month, all yearlong—we're limiting the time a tick can feed and therefore limiting transmission.

Some products are labeled to prevent transmission of 

—for example, NexGard or NexGard Plus has FDA label claims for prevention of transmission of Lyme in certain contexts—so that can be reassuring. But there are many different infections transmitted by ticks, and systemic tick control with the isoxazoline class [the “-laner” compounds, eg, fluralaner) is really the cornerstone of any tick control program.

If a pet lives in an area [where] the tick pressure is extremely high [for a few months]—for example, in the Southeast and south central states, [where] Lone Star ticks are abundant in spring, or in the Northeast and upper Midwest in October [and] November, when 

 activity is high—you might consider adding a second topical product for those intense months in addition to the systemic isoxazoline. But year-round systemic protection is important.

As veterinarians, we're always trying to balance providing appropriate care without overtreating. When we find antibodies to a tick-borne infection, that's an invitation to a conversation with the owner: Get the history and the additional lab work so that if the patient has clinical disease, we treat appropriately and they recover. We also need that information so we can advise the client on what to do going forward to make sure it doesn't happen again. Whether it's antibodies to a tick-borne infection or actually finding a tick on the pet, something has failed in the prevention system, and we want to make sure the pet is protected with a tick-control product going forward.

If the pet is on an isoxazoline [a “-laner”], the ticks do have to feed to acquire the drug and be killed. It's helpful to show owners a dead tick; an attached tick that is dry and crunchy and whose legs come off if you flick it [is] not a healthy tick. That shows the dog or cat is likely protected from infection because the tick was killed, which is exactly what we want the product to do. Helping owners understand how the tick-control product they're using actually works is...a real service to them.

Susan Little, DVM, PhD, DACVM (Parasitology), explains how transmission timing differs by pathogen, demonstrates safe tick removal, and shows why year-round systemic tick control plus targeted vaccines best protect pets.

Five top US veterinary schools are creating new programs to support research and development in various areas of feline and canine health. The programs, which will focus on nutrition, dermatology, cognition, and canine performance, are being funded by donations from Purina.

The new programs will be developed at the following schools:

University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Auburn, Alabama

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville, Florida

Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Fort Collins, Colorado

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York

"For decades, we have worked closely with veterinary schools to advance pet health and support the professional development of the veterinary community," Kurt Venator, DVM, PhD, chief veterinary officer for Purina, said in an organizational press release.

 "These 5 new programs promise to offer nutritional and scientific advances and enrich the education and training of future leaders in veterinary medicine for generations to come."

 The school will develop the Purina Canine Cognition and Performance Program to expand the Penn Vet Working Dog Center in the areas of canine cognition and performance. The program will focus on furthering the health and safety of people, pets, and the environment, and it will include “lifesaving search and rescue dogs to family companions,” according to Purina.

Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine: 

For this school, the donation will result in the Purina Professorship in Veterinary Nutrition, which will focus on developing education and training across all areas of canine and feline nutrition. The objective is to ensure “current and future generations of veterinary professionals can offer the highest level of comprehensive, integrative care.”

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine: 

The university will establish the Purina Endowed Professor of Dermatology, which will support diagnostic and interventional training, as well as research in veterinary dermatology and integrative nutrition.

Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine

At this college, students will have access to a new Purina Nutrition Suite—a 4-room building for education and training in nutrition. The facility will be located at the school’s Veterinary Health and Education Complex. The initiative will build on the recently established Purina Young Investigator Award Program, which provides ongoing funding to students and their faculty mentors to pursue and share scientific research.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: 

In Ithaca, Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine will create the Purina Cornell Veterinary Nutrition Program, which will build on the school’s work in nutrition, training, and clinical research. The program is intended to advance nutritional management strategies for healthy pets and those with complex health conditions. The new program will operate alongside the existing Purina Cornell Canine Healthy Aging and Mobility Program. “[T]his collaboration creates a multidisciplinary, integrative medicine center of excellence—one that will drive innovation and advance pet health and veterinary medicine,” Purina wrote in its announcement.

Purina announces donations to five leading veterinary schools to foster advancements in veterinary care. News release. Purina. December 9, 2025. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://newscenter.purina.com/2025-12-09-Purina-Announces-Donations-to-Five-Leading-Veterinary-Schools-to-Foster-Advancements-in-Veterinary-Care 

Five US veterinary schools will launch innovative programs funded by Purina, focusing on research in pet health, veterinary education, and more.