Anesthesiology & Pain Management

Shelter Medicine

Animal Welfare

Aquatic Medicine

Poultry Medicine

Avian & Exotic

Behavior

Dentistry

Dermatology

Emergency & Critical Care

Equine Medicine

Feline Medicine

Geriatric & Palliative Medicine

Infectious Diseases & Epidemiology

Integrative & Holistic Medicine

Cardiology

Diabetes

Endocrinology

Gastroenterology

Neurology

Oncology

Respiratory Medicine

Urology/Nephrology

Internal Medicine

Food Animals

Small Ruminant

Swine

Livestock

Microbiome

Nutrition

One Health

Ophthalmology

Orthopedics

Parasitology

Pathology

Pediatrics

Pharmacology

Preventive Medicine

Radiology

Rehabilitation

Surgery

Theriogenology

Toxicology

Virtual Care

Zoo Medicine

News

All News

Breaking News

Conference News

Expert Interviews

Programs

dvm360 Insights

dvm360 LIVE!

Pet Connections

Product360

The Vet Blast Podcast

Vet Perspectives™

VetXchange®

Fetch

All Events

Charlotte

Nashville

Kansas City

National Harbor

Long Beach

Flex CE

Flex Home

Articles

Conference Proceedings

On-demand Webinars

Podcasts

Upcoming Webinars 

Webinars

Business

Associates

Business & Personal Finance

Buying or Selling a Practice

Career Development

Hospital Design

Leadership & Personal Growth

Owners

Personnel Management

Practice Finances

Practice Managers 

Practice Operations

Students

Technicians 

Technology

Wellbeing & Lifestyle

Partners

Awards

Vet Heroes

Publications

Shop 

Subscribe

Lovey presented to the clinic lethargic, with inappetence but consuming plenty of water, and a bulge on her abdomen when lying down

Case study: Splenic mass in 8-year-old labrador retriever 

The Emergency & Urgent Care Program will help veterinary practices ensure low-stress care in critical situations 

Fear Free announces new certification 

Using this advanced decontamination procedure can help improve outcomes 

Hemoperfusion for acute toxin ingestion

Learn more about Fear Free and the impact it has on veterinary clinics in this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360

Fear free in practice

Updates on the launch of a new data-driven online platform collating global animal disease information, and an Aussie fresh pet food brand to be acquired by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Veterinary scene down under: A platform compiling global animal disease info, plus Australian pet food company is acquired

Healthcare lenders focus on cash flow, not education loans, to help new veterinarians start their own practice

How veterinary school graduates can start a practice with high student debt 

Echinococcus multilocularis infection is becoming more prevalent in North American wild and domestic canid species 

What to know about an emerging tapeworm risk

Emerging data from a recent study reveal that the frequent misidentification of spurious parasites in canine feces may signal an elevated risk of true parasitism, emphasizing the importance of accurate fecal diagnostics.

Trends in canine GI parasitism

dvm360 is the authority of veterinary medicine news, expert insights, animal health and pet care products, research, and regulations for veterinary professionals.


Contact Us

Fetch DVM360 Conference

Terms and Conditions

Privacy

Do Not Sell My Information

About Us

Editorial

dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Tiktok

Spotlight

NOW LIVE! Fetch Kansas City 2024 On-Demand is here—start earning CE credits today, wherever you are!

Access all our Fetch On-Demands

By Role

Practice Manager

Technicians

Subscriptions

dvm360 Newsletter

dvm360 Magazine

1rem

Authors

Joe Persichetti is the head of healthcare business banking at U.S. Bank.

blendVET's Believe and Belong in Veterinary Medicine at VMX 2025

Dozens of middle and high school students joined industry professionals in a day-long workshop at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX), presented by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC), in Orlando, Florida. The event, “Believe and Belong in Veterinary Medicine,” was created by blendVET to encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in veterinary medicine and provide support to get them started.

For the third year, the blendVET event was presented in partnership with NAVC as a hands-on experience to introduce pre-college students to the veterinary profession. "At NAVC, we are committed to creating pathways for young people from all backgrounds to discover and thrive in the field of veterinary medicine," Gene O'Neill, CEO of NAVC, said in a release. "Our partnership with blendVET enables us to provide students with hands-on learning experiences and mentorship in an industry that they may have never considered otherwise. Together, we are actively working to shape a more open and inclusive veterinary profession, and we're thrilled to offer these opportunities for the third year in a row at VMX, where we connect students directly with mentors and hands-on learning experiences."

Niccole Bruno, DVM, founder and CEO of blendVET, said she was thrilled to collaborate at VMX for a third year. "This year, we are proud to expand our offerings, providing tailored experiences for both new participants and returning blendVET students. It's particularly rewarding to see some of our scholars who have been with us throughout all 4 of our Florida events excitedly return to deepen their knowledge of the profession and strengthen their skills," Bruno said in a release.

In one room at VMX, first-time program participants received lessons in veterinary care as they rotated through stations. “It’s a baseline introduction into veterinary medicine,” Genine Ervin, DVM, chief operating officer of blendVET, said in a 

General practice, emergency medicine, zoological medicine, nutrition, dentistry, and surgery were among the covered topics. Activities included nail trimming, wound wrapping, and suturing. They students also got experience putting on personal protection equipment.

Returning student Catalina traveled from Puerto Rico to participate in this year’s event. She said her science teacher first informed her about the event, knowing that she was interested in becoming a veterinarian. Each of the few events she has attended offered different content, she noted. “It’s really fun, and I get to socialize and also learn new things,” Catalina said in a 

This year, a second room offered lessons in ophthalmology, clinical pathology, large animal medicine and forensic veterinary medicine to students returning to the program. At a more advanced level than the activities for first-time students, this experience provided various simulations including heartworm testing, cytology, rectal exams, phlebotomy, and bone identification.

The ophthalmology station also offered students an opportunity to view live eyes under a microscope, according to Ervin. “Through the use of the ophthalmoscope, they’re actually able to look at the lens and determine where the retina is and see what the defects are in the cornea or the iris,” Ervin added.

With the creation of a second track for more in-depth exploration of veterinary medicine, Ervin said BlendVET is working to keep middle and high school students interested in the profession. “The goal is to expose them to what we do on the veterinary side, diversify the profession as a whole, and keep them engaged along the way by also providing mentorship. Students are asking questions and developing relationships that help to make those local connections and potentially visit hospitals within their surrounding area,” Ervin said.

Bruno said it was inspiring to see young students' personal and professional growth as they began their veterinary medicine journey. "Our commitment to nurturing the next generation of veterinary professionals remains unwavering. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this vital mission and look forward to another successful year of empowering aspiring veterinarians," she added.

The blendVET program is supported by sponsorship from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Merck Animal Health, and VCA Animal Hospitals. Veterinarians and other industry professionals also lent support to the program by volunteering their time to instruct students and provide mentorship.

Local students scrub in as veterinarians for a day, gaining hands-on experience and immersive training at the world’s largest veterinary conference. News release. North American Veterinary Community. December 17, 2024. Accessed January 29, 2025. 

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/local-students-scrub-in-as-veterinarians-for-a-day-gaining-hands-on-experience-and-immersive-training-at-the-worlds-largest-veterinary-conference-302334015.html

blendVET presented the hands-on workshop to nearly 70 middle and high school students during the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo.







Education

Conference

Association

Program encourages students to believe they belong in veterinary medicine

Discover how the Avant Laser is revolutionizing veterinary care with non-invasive, precision technology that accelerates healing, reduces pain, and enhances mobility in pets—all at a competitive price.

Redefining Pet Mobility and Comfort with Non-Invasive Laser Technology

Hi, I'm Pamela Moffat from Avant Wellness and I'm here with Doctor Tom Walsh who uses our laser. And I wanted to say we’re very excited to be here for DVM360 Fetch in Long Beach, California. Tom, good to see you.

We're fairly new to the vet world. We've only been talking to vets, probably for the last, in a serious way, for the last year years. So, as we get more awareness, we have more vets using this with spectacular results. The kind of results that Tom gets—he, of course, will not brag about them, but I will. We see, time and time again, he gets results that other vets can't. You know, he very often gets dogs from other vets, who they've sort of given up. And you know, there was one you were talking about yesterday.

 Yes. Yesterday, I was talking about a dog that had a mysterious cervical nerve impingement that we could not replicate. We couldn't find a reason why on an MRI or anything like that, the neurologist said I don't know what we can do with this. And we actually started working on this with the laser. We added some ice to it as well to help reduce that inflammation. And within just a few treatments, we were able to get that inflammation down which then released the dog to have a better range of motion with its neck. Once that started happening, the dog realized it didn't hurt to move, and it got to a situation where it no longer wanted to lay in the bed all day long. It wanted to get up. and within, I believe it was 8 treatments, 9 treatments with the laser we had that dog outside running up a hill like it was a puppy.

Yeah, that was incredible. I've seen that—where this dog literally could not walk to its bed and then was sprinting up the hill. I mean, you're bringing dogs basically back to life.

 I really appreciate that. The whole reason why I love to focus on rehabilitation is because I get to help them down that journey. The laser is the key component in my toolbox. Because of the pain mitigation, the anti-inflammatory properties, and also how it speeds healing. The thing is rarely do you ever come across a product that is actually affordable and over delivers what they were actually producing, and that's what I found in Avant and I wouldn't go back to anything else.

 We’re glad to hear that. So, one of the things that I know you love is all of the protocols that we have.

 We've got 250 protocols. We've got special vet protocols for dogs, small animals, horses. And tell me about how quickly you can get results for this?

 It's not only quick to get results, but as you know, unlike a human patient where you can tell them to stay still, every vet out there knows our animals and our patients are wiggly. So, it's not only about the number of protocols you have, it is how fast you can get to them. That's why there's a favorites button in here that I utilize every single day. I'm able to pin the protocols to favorites and I'm able to get that result right away. Usually within 60 seconds of picking this device up I'm lasering. And the great thing is because of the safety of this laser, I don't have to worry about burning the animal or burning its coat or anything like that. It also gives my technicians a lot of confidence and flexibility to be able to use this.


You know, one of the key components to this laser is you designed it with a practitioner in mind. And you see how tiny it is. But here's the thing: the practitioner is very busy. We as vets are surfing on a very high wave every single day, going from appointment to appointment as fast as we can, getting records in, making sure the medications are right, all of those things. This means our time is extremely limited. The safety and the simplicity of this device allows you to hand it to your technician. Without fear they can use it, while you're busy doing something else that you need to get done as of a vet. So, I appreciate the fact that it was designed with that practitioner in mind in the application of the real world. When it gets too busy and the fur is flying out there, the reality is this: in a technician’s hands you know that’s it's trusted device. You know the animals not going to be hurt, the technicians not going to be hurt, and you know the treatments going to be right.

 So, we know that you were used to using Class IV lasers.

Yeah, as a lot of vets are used to that. And then you came across this, which is a Class 3B laser. You had to sort of get your head around that. Tell us why you switched and how you found it works.

 So, it really confused me, because going from a Class IV laser I thought for sure that it wouldn't be powerful enough, in those words, to where it would get down to the joint capsule. It wouldn't get to the IVDD spaces that I needed to get to reduce those nerves and that sort of thing. So, when I started seeing the results—that they were as good or better than I expected—I actually gave you guys a call and said, “I need more education about this, because I'm not sure why this product is working better than advertised.” And I realized that this is a light wave. When you tune it properly, it gets the right results. When you tune that, just like tuning a radio station, you can hear it clearly. The cells hear it clearly. And with that, the message it's telling them is to reduce inflammation, to reduce pain, and start the ATP process.

 So, how about the speed? How long is your treatment?

Normally my protocols last anywhere from four to five minutes, but what I love about this is the portability of being able to move it around to different places. I can actually extend my protocols to cover other areas. That animal may be there for a cruciate repair, but chances are it's got some inflammation in its shoulders as well. Because it has to balance that weight somewhere. So, the ability to be able to treat both things and within the same protocol, and moving around so easily, and the literature backs it up—that over range of motion, laser is more effective.

 How has this little laser affected your business?

You know, Pamela, this laser has changed my business completely. What has happened over the past three years, four years, is I've gone from being mobile-based to having my own facility. When I was mobile, I was treating about 12 to 15 dogs a week at the max. Now I'm averaging 25 to 30 a day.

 I have, and I have to believe that it's part and parcel because of the process, but the product that I have to use every single day, every single patient gets this laser. So, there's no deniability that this is the key component in the factor.

We like to hear that. Tom specializes in small animals, but we also have a number of vets who are using this for forces. One in particular is using it for all the top show horses. She will go to a show. They don't actually allow, from what I understand, Class IV at the show, so this is really the best tool. And in the course of two minutes, that horse is ready to go. They're jumping Grand Prix, 5-6 feet and timed. You know, it takes a lot out of the animal. The great thing about horses and having this sort of device is you have to be mobile. You have to go in the stalls. If you're dealing with thoroughbreds, they’re…

 Very anxious. This doesn't make any noise. You can approach them. It’s fast, and it's a great device for both large and small animals. You know, we do have a mission at Avant. That mission is to make laser therapy more accessible to people. And the way we do that is we make this laser really simple. The protocols are all in there. You just push the button and go. We make it affordable, so more people can get the laser. And this was really designed with practitioners in mind. You know, it's easy to use, it's fast, and it's the most powerful in its class. So, we love it at Avant because we have so many people who love this laser, and we hear these miracle stories all the time. And we're just here to tell vets that we are here to help them.

 We're so excited to be here at DVM360 Fetch. For more information, just give us a call or visit the website at www.avantwellness.com.

Discover how non-invasive laser treatment is revolutionizing veterinary care with  precision technology that accelerates healing, reduces pain, and enhances mobility in pets—all at a competitive price.

The demand for veterinary care has increased rapidly in recent years, due to a combination of pet population growth and a global shortage of veterinarians. In 2022, workplace burnout was estimated to cost the industry $2 billion

—not particularly surprising, when considering the most common issues veterinarians face are ‘lack of resources and support’ (73%) and ‘not enough time and energy’ (72%).

The question, then, is this—what approaches can be taken to mitigate these challenges? The most promising tool lies in the rapidly evolving field of veterinary technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). Through new technologies and improvements to time-tested and traditional solutions, there are greater opportunities to help predict, prevent, diagnose, and treat animal illness more quickly, accurately, and safely.

Additionally, technology can help lighten staff workloads and improve workflows for greater efficiency and reduced stress. However, there can be a reluctance to adopt newer technologies; industry surveys have revealed that reliability and accuracy are areas of particular concern.

To address these, it’s crucial to foster understanding and support through case studies, comprehensive training, and positive personal experiences.

A pivotal aspect of a patient workup is the application of techniques and tools to identify diseases and conditions in animals—and doing so as efficiently as possible. While existing methods we rely on are valuable, they can lack the speed and precision needed in today’s fast-paced environment. External laboratory turnaround times can range from several hours to days or weeks, depending on the test and lab capacity. What’s more, any error with the sample can lengthen the overall decision-making process, further delaying the time to treatment. The rise of in-clinic diagnostics, such as point-of-care and screening tests, represents a faster, more convenient approach.

 and with greater detail, empowering veterinarians to identify new disease risk factors. As such, treatment decisions are reached more quickly and efficiently, leading to improved outcomes, better patient care, more valuable time with pet owners, and better workload management.

Through meaningful innovation, Zoetis is transforming the way veterinarians receive, analyze and interpret diagnostic tests with a portfolio of automated and connected technologies. Marrying diagnostics with AI, analyzers include Vetscan Imagyst®, offering 6-in-1 diagnostics on a single platform, including AI-powered Blood Smear, Fecal, Dermatology, Equine Fecal and Urine Sediment, as well as a Digital Cytology capability. The compact analyzer represents an opportunity to increase efficiency, improve workflow and elevate patient care. Studies demonstrate that Vetscan Imagyst performs at a similar level to board-certified specialist clinical pathologists and expert parasitologists.

An addition to its extensive veterinary diagnostics portfolio, and sitting alongside the Vetscan® HM5, Zoetis will officially launch the world’s first cartridge-based AI-powered hematology analyzer for automated complete blood count (CBC) analysis, Vetscan OptiCell™, at VMX in January 2025. 

Machine learning: superficial, deep, supervised, unsupervised?

AI technology has long been harnessed by the veterinary industry. As the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) outlines,

 AI algorithms are used to detect, delineate or classify certain features in radiographs, ultrasounds and CT and MRI images. Within the US, almost 40% of veterinarians report using AI tools to supplement their practice;

 most common applications currently include imaging, radiology, record keeping and administrative tasks.

The scope of AI technology is rapidly evolving, with multiple models available to users. At its core, AI involves the creation of systems and algorithms capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. In the context of veterinary diagnostics, the methods used include machine learning, deep learning, supervised learning, and unsupervised learning.

Machine learning involves identifying patterns and analyzing data. Learning from a data set, it then applies this information to a task (i.e., makes a prediction).

 Falling under this category is superficial learning, utilizing algorithms that can only evaluate data for a limited number of features. A separate subdivision of machine learning is deep learning, involving more complex architecture of artificial neurons and neural networks to make connections within provided data.

Turning to supervised learning, where algorithms in machine learning use data that is pre-labeled during training; the algorithm then uses this training to apply it to other data sets for classification and organization. With unsupervised learning, AI finds patterns within mainly unlabeled data, requiring the technology to work more independently to discover the labels for the information.

As new devices and software are introduced to the industry, it is vital to have greater understanding of the rigorous algorithm validation process involved, so veterinarians can understand the technology and techniques available to them and their patients. A trusted, established manufacturer committed to sharing the thorough training behind their products can assuage reservations.

In the case of Vetscan Imagyst, to develop algorithms that can comprehensively and accurately identify and classify samples, Zoetis utilizes deep learning AI; in this specific example, a convolutional deep neural network is used. Each sample slide undergoes layers of precisely trained neuro inputs, for finely tuned feature identification and recognition. 

How was this object detection algorithm trained? Thousands of samples and elements were identified by board-certified clinical pathologists and parasitology experts. It has been said that the deep learning nature of the specific algorithm utilized in this example will allow for improved performance and functionality over time

; in addition, with results provided within minutes, valuable time is freed up. Zoetis also offers add-on pathologist* review when needed.

When paired with AI, advanced point-of-care testing and analysis can deliver high quality, connected insights and results to clinics. The new Vetscan OptiCell features innovative AI-powered cell classification technology and a cartridge-based design for reference lab quality CBC results.

OptiCell utilizes sophisticated AI-trained algorithms trained with normal and abnormal clinical samples, then tested and validated to reliably classify and count blood cells instantly, based on hundreds of individual cell features (i.e., cytoplasm area, color, granularity, nuclei color and shape).

Vetscan OptiCell™ utilizes sophisticated AI algorithms trained with normal and abnormal clinical samples, then tested and validated to reliably classify and count blood cells instantly, based on hundreds of individual cell features.

Joe Persichetti

Articles

Latest Updated Articles