Veterinary Vertex

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Can Botox Help Laminitis? May 21, 2026

Show notes

Botox for the equine hoof sounds like a punchline until you learn the science behind it. We sit down with Dr. Kali Slavik and repeat guest Dr. Andrew van Eps to explore a simple but high-stakes question in equine biomechanics: what happens when you inject botulinum toxin into the deep digital flexor (DDF) muscle, the muscle-tendon unit that helps control the rotational forces acting on the horse’s foot and distal phalanx (P3)?
We walk through the anatomy in plain terms and then get into the study design, using healthy horses with one treated limb and one control limb to reduce variability. Kali explains how they used wireless pressure sensor membranes to quantify ground reaction forces at different hoof regions and track center of pressure during stance and at the walk, a powerful alternative to traditional pressure plates when you want more real-world movement data. Andrew shares what he expected to see and what surprised him once the numbers came in.
Then we dig into the findings that matter most for equine laminitis: reduced toe force during breakover and a meaningful palmar shift in center of pressure, including changes seen even when the horse is just standing still. We also cover the practical realities, including the short-lived effect (about two weeks), who this may best help (think acute onset laminitis tied to SIRS or hyperinsulinemia), why it is less suited to chronic or support-limb cases, and the big barriers of cost and technical ultrasound-guided injections. We close with study limitations and the next research step: a blinded placebo-controlled trial that also looks at P3 rotation outcomes.
If you care about laminitis treatment options, hoof biomechanics, and how veterinary research turns measurements into better decisions, listen now and share this with an equine colleague. Subscribe, leave a rating and review, and tell us what question you want answered next.

AJVR article: https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.12.0452

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Blocked Again? How Lorazepam May Reduce Repeat Urethral Obstructions in Male Cats May 13, 2026

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Zero re-obstructions sounds almost too good to be true, so we wanted to understand exactly how the data got there and what it means for everyday feline practice. We are joined by study author Dr. Kelly Tart to talk about a prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial evaluating lorazepam for recurrence prevention after feline urethral obstruction in male cats, one of the most common and life-threatening urinary emergencies we treat.
We start with the “why”: feline urethral obstruction can rapidly cause azotemia, hyperkalemia, acidosis, and fatal arrhythmias, and recurrence often hits within the first couple of weeks after discharge. Kelly explains the key anatomic detail that drives the whole hypothesis: the male feline penile urethra contains both smooth and skeletal muscle, and plugs often lodge distally where skeletal muscle dominates. Many past pharmacologic approaches have focused on smooth muscle pathways, which may help explain inconsistent results in recurrence studies. Lorazepam, a benzodiazepine with skeletal muscle relaxant effects, offers a mechanism that better matches where the problem happens.
We also dig into what strong evidence looks like in veterinary medicine and why prospective enrollment, standardized care, placebo control, and double blinding matter when owners and clinicians are judging outcomes in nonverbal patients. You will hear practical discharge details including timing, dosing approach, a 30-day course to cover the highest-risk window, approximate cost, and what adverse effects to monitor such as sedation and ataxia. We close with the clinical “so what”: how this could change post-obstruction management, which cats we would avoid based on prior benzodiazepine sensitivity, and the research questions this opens for lower urinary tract signs beyond true obstruction.
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JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.26.01.0045

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A Practical Way To Reduce Venipuncture In Hospitalized Dogs May 05, 2026

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What if the IV catheter your hospitalized dog already has could spare them multiple needle sticks a day without sacrificing lab accuracy? We sit down with Dr. Bryan Welch to challenge a common assumption in small animal emergency and ICU care: that venipuncture is the only reliable way to get serial bloodwork. We talk through a validated push-pull blood sampling technique that uses a peripheral IV catheter to collect repeat samples while aiming to reduce stress, preserve veins, and lower the risk of oversampling and hospital-acquired anemia.
Bryan breaks down the method step by step: flushing with sterile saline, drawing blood back, returning it to the patient, and repeating to clear dead space and reduce dilution. Then we dig into the results that matter to practicing veterinary teams, including how peripheral IV catheter samples compare with venipuncture right after placement and after at least 24 hours of continuous IV fluids and medications. We also clarify a point that trips up a lot of clinicians, statistically significant versus clinically relevant differences, using real examples of when a number changes but your treatment plan should not.
We also cover the practical concerns that drive hesitation, hemolysis, clot formation, turbidity, and smear changes, plus what the study did and did not evaluate. Bryan shares where he would be cautious, including interpreting sodium potassium ratios for suspected hypoadrenocorticism, and offers simple implementation tips for teams trying the technique for the first time. If you want evidence-based ways to improve patient comfort and streamline hospitalized dog bloodwork, hit play, then subscribe, share with your ICU team, and leave a rating and review.

JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.09.0635

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The Gut–Brain Link in Dogs with Chronic Enteropathy May 02, 2026

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A dog with chronic diarrhea or vomiting might also be telling you something else. That’s the core thread we pull on as we explore the gut-brain axis in dogs and why chronic enteropathy (CE) can’t be fully understood through GI signs alone.
We’re joined by Drs. Ulrika Ludvigsson and Sarah Heath to unpack how chronic enteropathy is defined (GI signs lasting more than three weeks) and why emotional health has historically been sidelined in veterinary care. Then we get concrete about measurement. Sarah explains how a validated canine PANAS tool can capture emotional bias. We also dig into displacement behaviors like yawning, lip smacking, and shaking off in odd moments, using the Heath model “sink” analogy to show how high arousal can overflow into visible behavior.
The conversation turns to what their findings suggest: dogs with CE show higher protective bias and more frequent high-arousal signals than healthy dogs, even when GI disease activity seems well controlled. We talk about what that means for clinical decision-making, when to consider referral to a veterinary behavioral medicine specialist, and how co-management can support welfare. You’ll also hear practical owner steps that connect canine gut health and emotional stability, from fiber-forward diets and microbiome-friendly habits to sleep quality (yes, many adult dogs need 14 to 18 hours daily), environmental adjustments, nutraceuticals, pheromones, and medication when appropriate.
If you care about chronic GI disease, canine emotional health, and better outcomes through whole-dog treatment, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this episode with a veterinarian or dog-loving friend, and leave us a rating and review wherever you listen.

JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.09.0623

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From Habit to Evidence: The Shift in Antibiotic Use for Canine Acute Diarrhea Apr 25, 2026

Show notes

Metronidazole has been the reflex prescription for canine acute diarrhea for years and that habit is hard to break. We sit down with Dr. Erin Frey to unpack what the data actually says about outcomes in mild to moderate acute diarrhea, including cases with bloody stool, and why supportive care often matches antibiotics for speed of recovery. Along the way, we get honest about the real reasons “we know better” doesn’t always translate into “we do it” when a worried client is sitting in front of us.
We walk through what uncomplicated acute diarrhea looks like in practice and what supportive care really means: hydration plans, a highly digestible diet, smart fiber use, and when probiotics may fit. Erin also explains why the gut microbiome is now central to the conversation, and how antibiotic-associated dysbiosis can linger for weeks to months, with special concern for puppies and kittens. If you’ve ever prescribed “just in case” because you feared missing something, this conversation gives you a clearer risk-benefit frame grounded in randomized controlled trials and day-to-day clinical reality.
Then we zoom out to the culture of prescribing. Peer expectations inside a hospital, mixed standards between clinics, client demand for instant gratification, and the challenges faced by newer grads or relief doctors all shape decisions. Erin shares practical tools for behavior change, including practice-wide talking points, team alignment from front desk to exam room, and a concrete starting point using the AVMA antimicrobial stewardship checklist.
If you want a clearer, evidence-based approach to treating canine acute diarrhea without unnecessary antibiotics, listen now, share this with a colleague, and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.10.0686

AVMA veterinary checklist for antimicrobial stewardship: Veterinary-Checklist-Antimicrobial-Stewardship.pdf

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Rethinking Neurological Exams in Guinea Pigs: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All Apr 16, 2026

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Guinea pigs don’t read the dog-and-cat neurology textbook and that’s exactly where clinicians get into trouble. We sit down with Dr. Vishal Murthy to unpack what a truly species-specific neurologic examination looks like for guinea pigs, why so many “standard” tests can be misleading, and how prey-species stress can flatten reflexes and hide both normal function and real disease. If you’ve ever felt unsure interpreting postural reactions or reflex testing in small mammals, this conversation gives you a clearer baseline for what normal actually is.
We dig into the practical realities that make exotic pet neurology hard in the exam room: freezing, shutdown behaviors, and the ways restraint and stress can change responses. Vishal shares the most surprising findings from their work, including why a gag reflex attempt can quickly become a chewing response, and what that means for brain and spinal cord lesion localization. We also talk about differences between client-owned and research guinea pigs, and why handling style may explain pelvic limb tactile placing changes.
To make this useful at 2 a.m. in ER as well as in specialty practice, we walk through a guinea pig specific checklist designed to emphasize feasible, more reliable exam elements and reduce unnecessary handling. The goal is better diagnostic accuracy, faster decision-making, and improved welfare for a prey species that experiences exams differently than cats and dogs. Subscribe for more veterinary neurology conversations, share this with your zoological companion animal colleagues, and leave a rating and review wherever you listen.

JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.12.0823

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Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance in U.S. Poultry: Why Environmental Surveillance Matters Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can feel like an abstract, far-away crisis until you realize how easily it travels through connected systems and how quietly it can persist when we only watch the “end product.” We talk with Dr. Pankaj Gaonkar about antimicrobial resistance in the U.S. poultry industry, starting with a clear definition of AMR and why it is a pressing global health and economic threat. From there, we dig into the uncomfortable reality that resistance can still be detected even as antimicrobial use declines, and why that “disconnect” matters for veterinarians, producers, and anyone who cares about food systems.
A big theme is scale and structure. Modern poultry production is often vertically integrated, moving birds through a coordinated chain from breeder farms and hatcheries to broiler grow-out and processing. That efficiency has a downside: if antimicrobial resistant bacteria emerge at one point, they can move through the system. We also unpack how disease pressure in high-density environments can influence therapeutic decisions, and how older antimicrobial exposure can leave behind residues and resistant organisms that continue to shape selection pressure over time.
The heart of our conversation is environmental surveillance and the One Health approach. Monitoring litter, soil, water, and air around poultry houses helps reveal where resistance is maintained and how it moves between “inside” and “outside” the farm. Pankaj explains key tools like metagenomics, qPCR, and culture-based methods, along with the real challenges around cost, standardization, and interpreting results in complex microbial communities. We close with practical roles for veterinarians and producers, and what smarter policy could look like to strengthen AMR monitoring without creating unnecessary burden.
If you found this valuable, subscribe for more Veterinary Vertex conversations, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.07.0488

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AI in Scientific Writing: Opportunity, Risk, and Responsibility Mar 28, 2026

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A citation can be polished, specific, and completely fake and that’s the scary part. We sit down with Morna Conway, PhD, Scholarly Journal Consultant and JAVMA and AJVR Copy Editor Vic Schultz to unpack how generative AI tools like ChatGPT can hallucinate references, remixing real author names, familiar journal titles, and plausible article wording into sources that simply do not exist. If you write, review, edit, or read scientific articles in veterinary medicine, this conversation is a practical guide to protecting research integrity in the age of AI-assisted writing.
We walk through how these fabricated citations get discovered, from peer reviewers who know the field well enough to spot a suspicious claim to copy editors who notice missing DOIs, dead Crossref links, absent PMIDs, or volume and page details that don’t add up. Dr. Lisa Fortier shares how editorial workflows shape when problems are caught and why JAVMA and AJVR take a hard line: if hallucinated references are found, the editorial team can reject the manuscript even after acceptance because accuracy is non-negotiable for credible scientific publishing.
We also get specific about responsible AI use in scientific writing: disclose how you used AI, describe the workflow, and personally verify every output before submission. The best advice sounds old-school because it works: proofread, slow down, and click every DOI. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a rating and review to help more researchers find it.

JAVMA editorial: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.264.4.382

Scientific Reports article: Fabrication and errors in the bibliographic citations generated by ChatGPT | Scientific Reports

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A Blood Test Before the Scalpel: MicroRNAs and Canine Splenic Masses Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

A splenic mass is one of those findings that can flip a normal day into a crisis. You may have an older Labrador or Golden Retriever, an ultrasound that shows a splenic tumor, and an owner asking the question you cannot fully answer yet: “Is it cancer?” We sit down with Dr. Janet Grimes to unpack why that gap between suspicion and certainty is so hard in canine medicine and why better preoperative diagnostics for splenic masses could change everything from emergency decisions to long-term screening.
We walk through what veterinarians currently juggle when counseling clients, including the role of hemoabdomen, the wide spread in prognosis between benign lesions and canine hemangiosarcoma, and how rules of thumb like the double two-thirds rule fit (or do not fit) in different clinical scenarios. Then we zoom in on the science of microRNAs: tiny non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and can be detected in circulation, making them promising minimally invasive biomarkers for veterinary oncology.
Dr. Grimes explains how a multi-marker microRNA panel is built from blood samples and measured with quantitative RT-PCR, why panels can be more specific than single markers, and what it could look like to use this as a send-out test today with the longer-term goal of a cage-side diagnostic. We also discuss the real-world barriers: differentiating hemangiosarcoma from other splenic malignancies, avoiding misleading results in sick dogs, and integrating any new test as an adjunct to physical exam, imaging, and standard lab work.
If you care about earlier cancer detection in dogs, smarter decision-making around splenectomy, and the future of blood-based cancer diagnostics, listen through to the end and share this with a colleague. Subscribe, leave a rating and review, and tell us what question you most want a pre-op splenic mass test to answer.

AJVR articles: https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.07.0258 and https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.25.07.0250

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