Pet food recalls, climate change, animal welfare, and longevity are all directly related to the foods we feed our pets. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT are joined by one of Dr. Ward’s co-authors, Alice Oven, MA, to discuss their important new book, “The Clean Pet Food Revolution: How Better Pet Food Will Change the World” (2019 Lantern Books). The trio discuss why pet food is such a hot - and often controversial - topic for veterinary professionals and pet parents, what the plant-based diet shift means for dogs (and cats), the coming cellular agriculture meat revolution, and why they felt this book needed to be written now. Regardless of you own personal food philosophies, this conversation - and book - will help you better understand the rapidly changing pet food environment an dhow to answer your client’s toughest questions. The “Pet Food Revolution” is well underway, and this book (and, hopefully, this podcast) will help you stay informed. And Dr. Ward explains why “he can’t write a paragraph without a scientific citation” and why the authors CITED 27 PAGES OF REFERENCES. (That’s as many as Dr. Ward’s classic pet obesity book, “Chow Hounds” -2010 HCI Publishing. Yeah, he's like that...) We can't wait to bring you the final co-author, super biotech CEO, Ryan Bethencourt!

If you live in North America or the UK, chances are you’ve encountered political debates on the treatment floor of your veterinary clinic over the past couple of years. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT share their experiences, Dr. Ward recounts his political campaign and how it impacted his veterinary staff and clients, and the two offer advice on how to successfully handle these potentially heated conversations in the clinic. This podcast isn’t about our political beliefs, but about how you can create best practices and boundaries to avoid hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and workplace tension. With the 2020 US political campaigns heating up, this is an excellent time to begin creating your plan for dealing with political debate within your veterinary practice. 

There’s drama and then there’s DRAMA!! This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT discuss when, how, and why you should share your feelings with your veterinary work family. Dr. Ward reveals why he believes the legacy of Baby Boomers “Suck it up buttercup” attitude may have led to today’s burnout and mental stress. Beckie shares a recent personal tragedy and how she dealt with it. Both emphasize the importance of a supportive clinic culture and leader that staff members feel comfortable sharing their feelings (and how Dr. Ward and Laura Ward did this!). And the duo discuss how REAL Drama Kings and Queens make it more challenging for real nurturing to occur (and what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation). This is another good “real real” talk about the tough topics faced in everyday veterinary practice.

Do you struggle with money? Are you worried about your financial future? Is retirement a fictional concept? This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor are joined by Denise Tumblin, a certified public accountant with years of experience helping veterinary professionals pay themselves and secure their financial future. This is a practical conversation about why you should be paying attention to your savings, debt, and why Dr. Ward says, “Pay your future self!” 

No matter where you are or what you're doing, someone is watching you. By definition, that makes you a LEADER. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT offer advice to help you overcome the challenges of daily veterinary practice and life. From awareness of your influence on others around you, to techniques to clearly communicate with colleagues and family (and Dr. Ward's two most powerful phrases you need to say more often), to strategies to stay inspired and positive, the duo gets real with tips on how you can find happiness, success, and positivity in your daily grind. 

By now you’ve probably heard about the controversy between certain dog foods and potential DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy). But is DCM really caused by dog food? Many specialists and veterinarians are beginning to raise serious questions about the alleged link between diet and heart disease. This week we’re joined by animal nutritionist Dr. Ryan Yamka for a deeper dive behind the headlines into what’s really going on - or not! Dr. Yamka shares his expertise and experience with this issue, what veterinary professionals need to know in order to answer our clients’ questions, and what we do to do moving forward to resolve the controversy. Dr. Yamka also shares some of his concerns about how the data has presented to the veterinary profession and dog-owning public, and what he thinks may be behind the dilemma. This is an incredibly educational episode that EVERY veterinary professional (and pet parent) needs to hear! 

We've discussed the importance and value of mentoring here on the podcast multiple times over the past three years. This week we're joined by Dr. Aaron Smiley, the founder of an online veterinary mentoring app called DVM Mentor (DVMMentor.com). Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT ask the tough questions about whether or not online mentoring can help, the challenges of "virtual coaching," why everyone is in agreement that we need a better mentoring system, and Dr. Ward shares his experiences with earlier attempts at "virtual mentorship."  This is an exciting conversation that digs in on many of our profession's underlying issues and why we believe this needs to be more openly addressed. This is a good one, Viewfinders! 

If you like conversations like this, please do us a HUGE favor and leave us a review on iTunes. Thank you Viewfinders for being the BEST PODCAST FAMILY IN THE UNIVERSE!

Problems, problems, problems! These days there’s no shortage of challenges and issues within the veterinary profession. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT are joined by Catherine Haskins (Chicago-based Haskins Consulting) to discuss how to switch from problem-focused to solution-oriented in your veterinary clinic. This is a candid conversation that focuses on why a healthy mindset is essential to maintain team morale, retain enthusiasm, and avoid burnout. 

Self-care is essential in resisting burnout, remaining positive, and restoring passion. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT share their favorite personal self-care habits and hacks, how they deal with “self-care guilt,” and Dr. Ward reveals his favorite technology to help him optimize restorative sleep (and why he no longer calls it “recovery!”). The duo also dives into intermittent fasting (Dr. Ward “Yes,” Beckie “Maybe”), when is the best time to workout, and simple gratitude practices each use to, as Dr. Ward puts it, “Tilt toward optimism!” This is a fun conversation about a topic many recommend and advise, but few get real about. 

The anti-vax movement has been slowly infecting the pet-owning public the past few years. Recent surveys indicate many dog and cat owners are skipping or avoiding core vaccinations for their pets., including puppy and kitten vaccines. Many pet owners claim these vaccines are unnecessary or may somehow cause harm, including outrageous claims including “canine autism.” This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT take a candid look at this controversial topic. 

Do you have an “Employee of the Month” award? Do you give out “gold stars” or have a “Reward Wall” in your clinic? What about holiday pay bonuses? If you do, do these tactics actually encourage positive workplace behaviors and actions? This week co-hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT explore what veterinary staff incentives get results and create a more positive clinic environment. Find out what Dr. Ward calls the “Perfectionist Trap,” what happens when an incentive program fails, and why sometimes a paid-day-off beats more money. This is a conversation rich in management nuggets, real-world examples, and lots of practical advice for any veterinary team. 

This week we’re honored to be joined by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) President-elect, Dr. Douglas Kratt. Dr. Kratt joined Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT for a candid, provocative, and inspiring discussion about the veterinary profession and his plans for his Presidency. Dr. Kratt shares how and why he became a veterinarian, what it’s like to practice with his veterinarian wife, student debt, telemedicine, VCPR, generational shifts, the rise in power and scale of corporate veterinary practices, and so much more!