Veterinary Viewfinder Podcast

Your clinic has an HR department. But do you know who to call when you need help, especially if the concern involves your manager? This week on Veterinary Viewfinder, veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and credentialed veterinary technician Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, discuss the challenges of getting support when management and HR work somewhere else. They explore why a phone number or shared inbox may not be enough when an employee needs to raise a sensitive concern. Beckie shares what happened when she asked her own team who they would contact if they needed help beyond her. Their answers highlight how easily managers can assume everyone knows where to turn. Ernie and Beckie encourage teams to ask those questions before a problem becomes urgent: Who should you contact? How do you reach them? Where do you go if the issue involves your direct supervisor? For veterinarians, technicians, practice managers, and support staff, this episode is a prompt to check whether the people meant to help are actually accessible.

What happens inside a veterinary clinic when a client believes their pet has died, but the team knows the animal is still alive? This week on Veterinary Viewfinder, veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and credentialed veterinary technician Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, discuss reports of clinics secretly keeping pets their owners believed had been euthanized. They examine the damage to client trust and the pressure on staff when keeping the pet also means keeping a secret. The conversation explores difficult decisions around unaffordable treatment and euthanasia requests a team cannot support. Ernie and Beckie discuss alternatives, including seeking financial help, declining euthanasia, and arranging a transfer of ownership with the client’s knowledge and consent. They also ask how questionable decisions become accepted practice. How does a whole team go along with a lie? What can you do when you’re uncomfortable with your clinic’s actions? For veterinarians, technicians, practice managers, and support staff, this epi

This week on the Veterinary Viewfinder, veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and credentialed veterinary technician Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, join you from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Congress in Warsaw, Poland, to share why they volunteer and what they’ve learned along the way. Conversations with colleagues from around the world reveal familiar concerns: client communication, workplace bullying, decision fatigue, and work-life balance. Ernie and Beckie discuss how getting involved gives veterinary teams a way to work on these shared problems and learn from each other. Beckie explains why veterinary technicians need a stronger voice in professional organizations. Ernie reflects on how volunteering has shaped his career and taught him to listen, compromise, and work across cultures. They also discuss the work behind speaking opportunities and why a different perspective is a reason to participate. For clinic employees, technicians, managers, and veterinarians wondering where to start, they

Should the person who’s been at the clinic longest always get first pick of holiday time off? This week on the Veterinary Viewfinder, veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward and credentialed veterinary technician Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, tackle a familiar source of tension: deciding who works Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. They weigh seniority, rotating holidays, lotteries, and shift swaps, including what happens when family plans change after the schedule is set. Ernie explains how his practice used seniority to resolve competing requests. Beckie questions what makes a system fair and whether holiday duties should fall only to certain staff members. There’s no perfect formula, but there are ways to make the process clearer and give teams more room to work things out. The discussion covers announcing clinic hours early, setting clear time-off policies, and considering relief coverage. They also explain why holiday boarding checks should involve at least two people and why veterinarians can share that respons

Veterinary Technician Week is meant to recognize credentialed veterinary technicians. But somewhere along the way, has the celebration become too complicated? This week on the Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, look at why Vet Tech Week continues to spark debate across veterinary medicine. Should practices broaden the celebration to include the entire team, or does that unintentionally diminish the people the week was created to recognize? And has a full week of lunches, gifts, activities, and expectations become more than clinics or technicians actually need? Ernie and Beckie talk about why professional recognition matters, how seemingly small decisions can affect team culture, and why appreciation doesn’t need to be expensive or elaborate. They also ask a bigger question: Would one meaningful day of recognition, paired with a week focused on educating clients and the profession about what credentialed veterinary technicians actually do, make Vet Tech Week more effective?

October is World Pet Obesity Month, and this episode covers what veterinary teams can do to help patients and clients better understand, prevent, and treat pet obesity. Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor break down APOP’s 2026 Veterinary Clinic Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey, including how clinics can participate, which patients to include, and why asking owners how they perceive their pet’s body condition is such an important part of the data. Qualifying licensed U.S. practices can receive a $50 staff-time stipend after submitting at least 15 complete, eligible records that pass APOP’s data review. APOP has also created extensive support materials to make participation easier, including clinic instructions, BCS charts, printable resources, ready-to-share social media graphics and captions, email and newsletter copy, and other outreach materials. Ernie and Beckie also explore the updated 2026 Pet Obesity Communication Guidelines and APOP’s growing collection of free clinical tools designed to help veterinary

Recognizing neurodivergence in veterinary medicine is one thing. Knowing what actually helps is another. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, welcome Ron Sosa, CVPM, CCFP, back to the Veterinary Viewfinder for a practical conversation about neurodivergence at work and the supports that can make a real difference. They talk about executive function, masking, the inner critic, imposter syndrome, and the exhaustion that can come from constantly adapting to expectations that don’t fit the way your brain works. Ron also shares practical tools he’s building for veterinary professionals, including body doubling, structured peer support, coaching, and his C.O.S.T. framework for understanding chronic self-monitoring, over-adaptation, self-criticism, and tension. The conversation also looks beyond the individual. What can veterinary leaders and workplaces do differently to support a wider range of people? If you’ve ever wondered why certain parts of veterinary work feel harder than they “should,”

What does it look like to celebrate veterinary technicians and support the careers they’ve worked hard to build? First, a reminder: October 2026 is World Pet Obesity Month. Sign your clinic up for APOP’s 2026 Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey, running October 1–December 31. Eligible U.S. clinics receive a $50 stipend after submitting at least 15 complete, eligible records that pass APOP’s data review. Now back to this week’s episode! This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, look ahead to National Veterinary Technician Week, October 18–24, and explore new resources from the American Association of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians (AACVT). Beckie shares practical tools for requesting a raise, building a résumé, preparing for interviews, and navigating title protection. They also discuss mobile care resources, speaking opportunities, and why celebrating credentialed technicians doesn’t mean valuing anyone else less. For credentialed veterinary technicians, it’s a chance to find support for your

October is World Pet Obesity Month! We need your help in collecting pet obesity prevalence data - and you can earn $50 for your team! Visit https://www.petobesityprevention.org/2026-veterinary-clinic-pet-obesity-prevalence-survey Speaking of obesity in dogs and cats: spaying and neutering may be routine surgical procedures for most veterinary professionals and pet parents, but the nutritional shift afterward is anything but. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk with Dr. Yuki Okada, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and Virbac’s Veterinary Medicine and Nutrition Manager, about one of veterinary medicine’s most useful obesity-prevention windows: What should we feed growing dogs and cats in the period surrounding spay or neuter? Dr. Yuki explains why appetite may rise while energy needs and activity fall, and why the feeding conversation should begin before surgery rather than get buried in discharge instructions. The team covers moving away from free-feeding, accounting for trea

The sympathy card goes out. The next appointment comes in. But when a patient dies, who checks on the people who cared for them? This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, turn the conversation about euthanasia toward the veterinary team. They explore why some losses hit harder, from saying goodbye to a longtime patient to losing an animal everyone worked to save, and why being experienced doesn’t mean being unaffected. Ernie shares how making room for memories during staff meetings helped his team acknowledge those losses. Beckie discusses when support needs to happen sooner, how a shared journal can give people somewhere to put their feelings, and where veterinary social workers can help. They also consider how to share difficult news, plan around emotionally demanding appointments, and support a colleague facing the loss of their own pet. For anyone working in a veterinary clinic, this episode offers practical ways to start the conversation before a difficult goodbye. The goal isn’t to make e

A missed call becomes a potential ER visit. An overwhelmed team becomes a business risk. And suddenly, an everyday practice challenge can feel a lot more urgent than it did five minutes ago. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, take a closer look at fear-based marketing in veterinary medicine and how the way a problem is framed can shape how veterinary teams respond to it. Using a real veterinary technology ad as their starting point, they explore how messages built around loss, failure, and urgency can add anxiety to already-stretched teams and sometimes push practices toward solutions before they’ve fully understood the underlying problem. Ernie and Beckie aren’t arguing against technology or outside support. They’re asking for a little more perspective before reacting. Are calls genuinely being missed, and are emergency rooms experiencing an overload due to them? If so, when does this occur, and why? Is the problem related to staffing, workflow, priorities, or something else entirely?

You accepted the new job, gave notice, and walked into what you thought was a better opportunity. Then, within days, the red flags start piling up. The workload isn’t what you were promised. Training is almost nonexistent. The team feels unwelcoming. Now what? This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk about what happens when a new veterinary job doesn’t match the one you interviewed for, and how to decide whether to stay, speak up, or start planning your exit. They discuss why poor onboarding can be an early warning sign, how money and benefits can make leaving harder, and why simply “giving it more time” can quietly turn a few bad weeks into years of frustration. Ernie and Beckie also offer a practical approach: identify exactly what isn’t working, decide what needs to change, talk with management, and set a clear timeline for action. And for practice leaders, there’s a flip side: what happens when the new hire isn’t who you thought you hired? #VeterinaryMedicine #VetTech #VetMed #Vete

A headline can do more than earn a click. It can change how veterinary professionals see one another. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, examine how clickbait and rage-bait framing can deepen mistrust across veterinary teams. Using a provocative article about employee theft as a starting point, they explore what happens when practical business guidance is presented in terms of employers versus employees, managers versus staff, or one part of the hospital versus another. Ernie and Beckie aren’t arguing against audits, safeguards, accountability, or sound financial controls. They’re asking whether those measures can be discussed without treating every team member as a potential threat. The conversation expands to other familiar divides, including front versus back, veterinarians versus technicians, and corporate versus independent practice. They also challenge veterinary publications, professional organizations, and social media creators to consider how headlines shape beliefs, workplac

Backyard chickens, miniature cows, goats, pigs, and other unconventional pets are showing up in suburban homes and on social feeds faster than veterinary care can keep pace. In this episode, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, examine what happens when owners expect a small animal clinic to help with a species the team isn’t trained, equipped, or comfortable treating. They discuss the real risks of leaving that gap to social media influencers, the pressure already facing large animal veterinarians, and why simply turning people away can damage both animal welfare and community trust. The conversation also explores a more hopeful side: clinics with genuine interest can use targeted CE, basic equipment, team training, and strong referral relationships to serve an emerging need. Veterinarians, technicians, and practice managers will leave with practical questions to ask now: Do we have a script for these calls? Do we know where to refer urgent cases? Could this be a service, recruiting, or professi

Veterinary employers have long complained about applicants disappearing during the hiring process. Now, candidates who are ghosted after an interview have websites where they can publicly report the employer. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, explore what these anonymous reporting sites reveal about hiring culture in the U.S., and perhaps in veterinary medicine. Beckie explains why silence after an interview can create more than frustration. Candidates may put other opportunities on hold because they believe a decision is still pending. Ernie argues that while practices may not owe every applicant a personal response, anyone who has invested time in an interview deserves a clear and timely answer. They discuss the risks of unverified online reports, when a simple email is enough, and why post-interview communication should be part of every practice’s hiring process. They also offer practical advice for candidates handling rejection without damaging future opportunities. In a small p

Why can taking PTO, stepping away during the holidays, leaving on time, or protecting even one hour for yourself feel like letting down your team or the people you love? This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, unpack the guilt veterinary professionals often carry when they step away from the clinic. Their message is simple: feeling guilty is not the same as being selfish, and discomfort does not mean a boundary is wrong. Beckie reflects on her own evolution from a “baby technician” who felt she had something to prove to someone who learned that rest and boundaries are worth the initial discomfort. As she reminds listeners, “You can’t expect that free time to just come.” Even five, ten, or fifteen protected minutes can be a meaningful place to begin, and, after taking that time, “you do come back better.” Ernie shares the lesson that has guided him through decades in veterinary medicine: “If I were trying to protect my time to improve my overall health, that was not selfish. It was essential.

Keeping skilled veterinary team members isn’t simply about letting them perform more tasks. In this episode, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, explore Beckie’s early University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill doctoral research into what helps credentialed veterinary technicians feel valued, utilized, and more likely to stay. The findings challenge a familiar assumption in veterinary medicine: working at the top of your license is important, but it isn’t enough. Trust, autonomy, inclusion in clinical decisions, meaningful continuing education, and the freedom to apply new skills may matter just as much as the skills themselves. Ernie and Beckie discuss why surgery teams often model this well, how micromanagement can undermine highly capable employees, and why a generous CE budget only works when team members can use what they learn. They also examine the important difference between keeping people busy and helping them feel fulfilled. For veterinarians, technicians, practice managers, and clini

Getting medications into pets sounds simple—until the patient refuses the tablet, the dose doesn’t fit, the flavor is a disaster, or the client physically can’t make the plan work. This week, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk with Dr. Rae Hutchins and Dr. Jennifer Merlo from Wedgewood Pharmacy about how veterinary compounding can support better patient care when commercially available medications are not the right fit. The conversation covers where compounding helps most, where it should not replace FDA-approved commercial products, and why quality matters more than convenience or cost. The group also digs into common legal and regulatory confusion, including GFI 256, patient-specific prescriptions, office stock, and why veterinarians should understand their state’s rules. Dr. Hutchins also discusses how Wedgewood Pharmacy has transformed the treatment of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) by providing compounded GS-441524 and Molnupiravir. Credentialed veterinary technicians (CrVTs) get

More pet owners are asking an AI agent before they call the clinic. They’re walking into the exam room with AI-generated ideas, possible causes, treatment questions, and sometimes a pretty strong opinion about what should happen next. So how should veterinary teams respond? In this 501st weekly episode of The Veterinary Viewfinder, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, talk about what happens when AI becomes part of the client conversation. Not as a replacement for veterinary care, but as a new starting point for questions, concerns, and expectations. The goal isn’t to shut clients down. It’s to keep them engaged, acknowledge their curiosity, and bring the conversation back to the pet in front of you, the physical exam, and trusted clinical judgment. Our hosts walk through the various responses many vet teams give and explain what may be the best communication approach to this potentially prickly situation in today’s clinics. While AI can provide clients with information, it’s up to veterinary teams

For 500 consecutive weeks, The Veterinary Viewfinder has shown up for the conversations veterinary medicine needs, from team dynamics and credentialed technician advocacy to urgent care, leadership, burnout, workplace culture, and the profession’s toughest debates. In this milestone episode, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, reflect on nearly a decade of weekly podcasting without missing a single week. They look back at how the show began, why the veterinarian-and-technician perspective has shaped its voice, and what 500 straight weeks have taught them about consistency, respectful disagreement, psychological safety, and professional progress. This episode is both a celebration and a reminder. Veterinary medicine moves forward when people are willing to listen, challenge assumptions, and keep difficult conversations going. Whether you’re a veterinarian, credentialed technician, practice manager, assistant, CSR, or industry leader, this milestone episode offers a thoughtful look at where the prof