VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

Mast cell tumors (MCT) are the #1 cutaneous dermal mass of dogs. As MCT exfoliate well, aspirates are often diagnostic. However, before looking at it in-house, keep in mind that Diff-Quik does not stain the granules of MCT well. This VetGirl veterinary CE podcast reviews whether staining for a longer period of time in Diff-Quik helps, or whether or not you should just submit for Wright's stain analysis!

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Just aspirated fluid from your patient? Not exactly sure what to look for or run on the fluid? In this VetGirl veterinary podcast, Dr. Ashleigh Newman (clinical pathology resident guru at Cornell) gives us some clin path tips on what to do what that effusion.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Have a patient that you suspect was poisoned by an anticoagulant rodenticide (ACR; also called long-acting anticoagulant or "LAAC")? When in doubt, consider the usefulness of anticoagulant rodenticide screening, as it is readily available at veterinary diagnostic laboratories. That said, it may take days to weeks before results are available. Find out in this VetGirl podcast what the best clinical tool for diagnosing ACR in the ER.

Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, a board-certified veterinary emergency critical care specialist, discusses 5 misconceptions that many veterinary professionals have about trauma cases. Before you treat your next HBC (hit-by-car), make sure to check out this VetGirl veterinary podcast for some key simple trauma tips! Dr. Holowaychuk discusses key things like, giving shock boluses of fluids, treating with steroids, or euthanizing those trauma patients.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Did your in-house hematology analyzer just go down? Have to do a blood smear? In this VetGirl veterinary CE podcast, Dr. Ashleigh Newman (our clinical pathology guru, who is a resident at Cornell) gives us some tips on interpreting your blood smear accurately and appropriately. As in vitro, artifactual changes can occur in hematology samples, make sure to perform a fresh blood smear (at the time of blood collection) to submit with your hematology sample and to look at it in-house!

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

In this VetGirl podcast, Dr. Marie Holowaychuk reviews the use of intramuscular (IM) glargine insulin in cats for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). While we were always taught that you should only ever use regular insulin IM, this study may prove otherwise! So before you refer all your DKA cases away, pay heed to this VetGirl podcast!

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in our veterinary patients, and can sometimes be tricky to diagnose and treat appropriately. An aerobic urine culture is the gold standard, allowing identification of the infectious agent and a sensitivity profile to direct treatment; however, this test takes several days to get back, and treatment (in other words, appropriate use of antibiotics!) is often required in the meantime. This veterinary podcast reviews the importance of Gram staining urine versus evaluating an unstained urine sediment exam for the detection of bacteriuria in dogs with suspected UTI. Stain your urine!

The use of colloids is more commonly utilized in veterinary medicine as a means of increasing colloid osmotic pressure (COP). Rarely, there are complications associated with the use of colloids, including volume overload and effects on coagulation (hypocoagulability). This veterinary podcast reviews the effects of the synthetic colloid hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 (Voluven) on coagulation and reiterates how clinical patients receiving synthetic colloids should be monitored for changes in their coagulation profiles and treated accordingly.

In this VetGirl podcast, Heidi Brenegan, Director of Marketing at Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota discusses different payment plan options available for pet owners and for your clinic. Need more than just Care Credit out there? Learn about a new payment system called PaymentBanc that allows draft payments from your pet owner's banking account without it affecting (or costing) your clinic anything!

Feline cardiac disease and secondary congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common presenting complaint to the ER or ICU. Treatment often includes diuretics (e.g., furosemide), oxygen therapy, calcium channel blockers, and other cardiac medications. Recently, the use of pimobendan has been evaluated to treat cats with heart failure. Should we wait to get our echocardiogram results before starting pimobendan? Is HCM a contraindication for giving pimobendan? This veterinary podcast reviews whether the use of oral pimobedan is beneficial, and what contraindications exist.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Gastric-dilatation volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening emergency seen in large and giant breed dogs. Immediate stabilization includes IV access, aggressive fluid resuscitation, and gastric decompression. The question is, what's the best way to decompress the stomach? This veterinary podcast weighs the pros and cons of trocharization versus orogastric tube placement. After all, trocharization is way easier... but does it work?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important technique to master in veterinary medicine. After all, none of us like having our patients undergo cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). While the prognosis for survival from CPA is guarded even with CPR, it's important to be aware of the new updates in CPR (e.g., AHA guidelines, RECOVER) as it has some potential applications to veterinary species and might contribute to improved outcomes. Check out our 7 podcasts on RECOVER for additional information on CPR also.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

Have a patient that just ate some baby diaper rash cream? (VetGirl's personal fav? Boudreaux's Baby Butt Paste). How worried should you be? This VetGirl podcast reviews zinc oxide toxicosis, and whether it's going to result in heavy metal toxicosis or not.

Have an aggressive dog that you can't get near? Need to sedate it but don't know what's the most effective sedative? Have a C-section and not sure what to anesthetize the dog with? Today's VETgirl podcast interviews Dr. Jane Quandt, DVM, DACVA, DACVECC for some fantastic anesthesia and pre-medication hints for dogs!

Years ago, while running a stat cytology back from the surgery suite to the clinical pathologist, the nice clinical pathology resident asked me "Did you blot this before you made an impression smear onto the slide?" (He did this after looking at my blood-stained, non-diagnostic stat cytology). Doh. No. Here, in this VetGirl veterinary podcast, Dr. Ashleigh Newman (clinical pathology resident guru at Cornell) gives us some great tips on what common mistakes to avoid when preparing cytology. You know, like simple hints of blogging your organ before making an impression smear...

Have a fractious cat that you need to sedate? Want to consider using an epidural for a feline urethral obstruction (FUO)? Dr. Jane Quandt, DVM, DACVA, DACVECC, discusses some great anesthesia and pre-medication tips for cats. Today's VETgirl podcast interviews Dr. Quandt for some fast, efficient, helpful tips that every veterinary practitioner must review!

The use of arterial (ABG) or venous blood gases (VBG) plays an important role in both the ER and ICU. One particular parameter of the blood gas - the base excess (BE) - has been shown to be indicators of shock, intra-abdominal injury, fluid requirements, efficacy of resuscitation, and to be predictive of mortality after injury in human trauma patients. In human trauma patients, base excess (BE) also been used to predict which patients require blood transfusions within the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Does this apply in veterinary medicine? Check out this podcast to find out if the BE is your new BFF (Best Friend Forever!)!

DKA, otherwise known as diabetic ketoacidosis (AKA "Diabetes Kills Animals"), is an endocrine emergency that can be costly - but fun and exciting - to treat. This veterinary podcast reviews how to diagnose DKA for $5 or less and overall emergency management of DKA (including fluid therapy, correction of electrolyte abnormalities, insulin therapy, and treatment for the severe metabolic acidosis).

Just diagnosis a peritoneal-pericardial diaphragmatic hernia (PPDH) incidentally on chest radiographs? Not sure if it need to be cut? PPDH is a developmental malformation that allows abdominal contents to slide through a hernia in the diaphragm directly into the pericardial sac. Clinical signs of PPDH, if there are any in your patient, can be attributed to compression of the heart by contents in the pericardial sac or adverse effects on the organs that are herniating. Check out this veterinary podcast to find out if medical versus surgical management is warranted!

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide analgesia by altering the body’s inflammatory response. However, when ingested in toxic amounts, severe clinical signs can be seen. The question remains, what NSAIDS are safe for dogs? What NSAIDS are safe for cats? What side effects should we monitor for in these patients? More importantly, how do we treat NSAID toxicosis? VetGirl answers all things NSAIDs in this veterinary podcast.

Not sure what you're looking at on your in-house cytology? Dr. Ashleigh Newman, clinical pathology guru resident from Cornell, discusses how to approach evaluating a cytology smear in this VetGirl veterinary podcast.

The use of goal directed therapy (GDT) is prevalent in human medicine, based off a 2001 study by Rivers et al in New England Journal of Medicine. This concept has improved outcome in patients with stroke, acute myocardial infarct, and trauma. Can we apply GDT to veterinary medicine? In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl discusses the concept of goal directed therapy in veterinary medicine, and how we can better apply it to our critically ill patients.

Although more common in cats, aortic thromboembolism (ATE) can be seen in dogs as well. While ATE in cats is commonly seen with heart disease, the pathogenesis and presentation of ATE in dogs can be variable. In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl evaluates ATE in dogs including presentation, underlying causes, treatment options, and prognosis.

Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.

In today's VETgirl online veterinary CE podcast, we present the top 5 radiographic interpretation errors to avoid when reading your patient's x-rays. Dr. Matt Winter, DACVR provides some great tips.

The use of steroids in head trauma is a hot topic in both human and veterinary medicine. Theoretically, steroids can reduce inflammation; however, there are many adverse effects which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. While the use of steroids with trauma is debated, the use of steroids with head trauma is currently considered contraindicated. Why? In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl discusses why steroids are bad following head trauma in veterinary medicine.

Don't feel comfortable interpreting abnormal electrocardiograms (ECG)? Can't tell the difference between a bundle branch block from a ventricular arrhythmia? Dr. Marc Kraus, a board-certified cardiologist on faculty at Cornell University, offers a few simple clues to help differentiate ventricular versus sinus arrhythmias, how to calculate heart rate, and more!

All types of veterinarians, from general practitioners to emergency clinicians to specialist end up treating seizuring patients. So, when it comes to treating them, what’s your favorite “go to” anticonvulsant therapy? Ultimately, our goal of anticonvulsant therapy is to eradicate all seizure activity… or at least minimize them to less than 1 per 3 months, ideally. Although this goal may not be possible in every patient, we hope to achieve this goal. With that in mind, which anticonvulsant will help you achieve this? Which one would a neurologist pick? In this veterinary podcast, we compare phenobarbital and potassium bromide in treatment of seizures in dogs.

Xylitol, a natural, sugar-free sweetener, is becoming more prevalent in human foods, baked goods, gums, mints, and consumer products (like mouthwashes, tooth brushes, nasal sprays, chewable multivitamins, etc.). While it is very safe in people, it poses a significant poisoning risk in dogs. That’s because xylitol is a strong promoter of insulin release and can cause severe hypoglycemia and acute hepatic necrosis. This VetGirl podcast reviews xylitol toxicosis in veterinary medicine, including toxic doses, clinical signs, and life-saving treatment.

Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disease in dogs and cats. Unfortunately, while diabetes mellitus alone is often easy to manage, complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can occur. DKA is a serious complication which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. In the emergency room, we often use regular insulin for the treatment of DKA patients. However, with recent drug shortages and backorders, regular insulin is less readily available. What do you do if you no longer can obtain regular insulin? In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl evaluates the use of a new, short acting insulin, Lispro™, in the treatment of ketoacidotic patients to help determine if this is a reasonable alternative to regular insulin therapy.

Albumin is the primary determinate of colloid osmotic pressure (COP). Albumin plays key roles within the body. Hypoproteinemia has been associated with a poorer outcome in numerous diseases (e.g., sepsis, etc.). For this reason, the use of albumin transfusions has become more popular in the past 5-10 years. Due to the side effects of human serum albumin (HSA) administration in veterinary medicine, canine specific albumin (CSA) has been developed. In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl evaluates the usefulness of canine specific albumin in dogs with septic peritonitis.

Oncology cases can be challenging. Something as simple as knowing when to remove a slow growing mass versus when to perform a fine needle aspirate (FNA) prior to biopsy are important tips to know. Dr. Sue Ettinger, DACVIM (Oncology), discusses some important management tools to implement into your oncology patients. Check out this VetGirl veterinary podcast to find out when to start prednisone!

Intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) is an accepted method for acute kidney injury (AKI) in both human and veterinary medicine. It is often considered in patients with severe azotemia, hyperkalemia, fluid overload, or severe clinical signs. While it can be a life-saving therapy, most current publish information only evaluates the short-term outcome following IHD. In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl discusses common reasons to consider intermittent therapy, and also evaluates IHD’s use on long-term outcomes based on underlying diseases.

This VetGirl veterinary podcast tells you how you can implement asthma inhalers and chambers in your clinic and for your patients with feline asthma or canine chronic bronchitis. The use of inhaler steroids (e.g., fluticasone) and/or beta-agonists (e.g., albuterol) can be life-saving in patients with acute respiratory distress. However, appropriate use and medical management (including oral systemic drug therapy) is imperative!

Just made a blood smear? Not really sure what you're looking at? In this VetGirl veterinary podcast, Dr. Ashleigh Newman (clinical pathology resident guru who evaluates blood smears all day long!) gives us a few hints on how to approach blood smear evaluation. Don't forget to focus on red blood cell morphology, platelet clumps, parasites and more!

Glucagon is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that raises blood glucose levels. It has an opposite effect of insulin in the body. An injectable form of glucagon is available and can be considered in hypoglycemic patients (e.g., insulin overdose). In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl discusses the use of subcutaneous glucagon in veterinary medicine.

Diagnosing congestive heart failure (CHF) in dogs and cats can be challenging. In this VetGirl veterinary podcast, Dr. Anna Gelzer, DACVIM, provides some simple tips - found on physical exam - in diagnosing CHF. That way, you can figure out how to treat it sooner!

The impedance threshold device (ITD) is a device which attaches to the end of an endotracheal tube; it is used in human medicine to enhance circulation during CPR. You can find great information here about it's use in human medicine. This device works by regulating the influx of gases into the chest during the chest wall recoil phase. In this veterinary podcast, VetGirl discusses the ITD and how it affects the outcome of patients during CPR. Should we be using this in veterinary medicine?