Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, MPA, RVT, have co-hosted their award-winning weekly veterinary podcast since 2016.
Each week, they “tackle the toughest topics in veterinary medicine,” highlighting controversial issues and trending news, introducing veterinary key opinion leaders and provocateurs, and offering solutions to the myriad challenges facing the veterinary profession.
Latest Podcast
Latest Podcast Episodes - Click to Listen
Counterfeit Heartworm Meds, Fake Cancer Cures and Sketchy Pet Service Providers
The veterinary and pet worlds were rocked once again by recent allegations that counterfeit heartworm preventives and fake cancer cures were being sold online as well as a high-profile animal abuse case involving a doggie daycare facility in North Carolina.
This week, hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT reveal the latest counterfeit heartworm scare, this time involving purchases made at Amazon.com. A Minnesota (!!!) dog was diagnosed with heartworm disease after it was discovered the preventive she purchased was fake. Our hosts also discuss the online company recently found guilty of selling phony cancer cures disguised as legitimate medications. Finally, what about sketchy pet care service providers? A breaking news story from North Carolina reveals the importance of veterinary professionals working with lay pet care providers to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pets.
Viewfinders, how are you handling these issues? What are you telling your clients about online medication purchases? How do you recommend pet care services you don’t provide to the pet parents in your community? What should our profession be doing?
Does your clinic need a counselor? A conversation with Becky Murray CVT LCPC (Licensed clinical professional counselor)
Working in a veterinary clinic can be stressful! Burnout, compassion fatigue, imposter syndrome, depression, and more are a few of the consequences of an unhealthy work environment and lack of emotional support for veterinary professionals.
This week, hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor RVT are joined by a licensed clinical professional counselor who also happens to be a Certified Veterinary Technician! Becky Murray, CVT, MA, LCPC discusses her role as grief counselor for clients, how she helps her staff of over 300 (!!!) successfully (and healthily) deal with daily stress, and tips for handling online criticisms and negativity.
The trio also cover the practical value of glitter jars (that's not a typo, and Dr. Ward is apparently a glitter-fan), why you shouldn't throw pizza or doughnuts at problems (again, not a typo), and how to avoid judging and shaming clients for their treatment choices.
Decoding Pet DNA Tests with Dr Chris Menges from Basepaws - What Can (and Should) We Tell Pet Parents about DNA Testing?
Pet parents can order a variety of DNA tests for their pets off the internet or even in select retailers these days. This week we’ve got a special guest to help veterinary professionals decipher fact from fiction, advice from speculation, and C from G (DNA joke) when it comes to pet DNA and genetic tests. Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT are joined by their friend and colleague, Dr. Chris Menges from Basepaws. Chris shares his story of how he went from private veterinary practice to DNA-biotech startup, why he specialized in epidemiology and genomics, and how he thinks the future of veterinary genetic testing will advance over the next ten years. This is an important conversation that every veterinary professionals needs to have with their teams. More pet parents are having (or considering) these tests for their pets and we need to know how to answer their questions an address their concerns. Viewfinders, this is a good one!
Latest USDOT Flying with Pets Proposals May Have BIG Impacts for Vets and Pets!
On January 22, 2020, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) released its latest “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) ‘Traveling by Air with Service Animals.’” This proposal could significantly change the definitions - and mandatory allowances - of service animals and how they are allowed to travel by air in the US. Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT dissect the new proposals, how to navigate the often-confusing definitions and terminology used, potential impacts (and unintended consequences) of this update. If you haven’t read the NPRM, you can check it out below. Our hosts also advise concerned veterinary professionals to comment during the 60-day comment period (link in show notes). This is a potentially big change that could directly impact veterinary professionals.
Is the Cost of Veterinary Care a Barrier for Pet Owners? Why Aren't More Pets Visiting their Vet?
It’s that time of year when many of us have a bit of a “spending hangover” from the holidays! Credit card bills are piling up, and bank accounts are looking thin. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT discuss whether the cost of veterinary care is a barrier for pet parents seeking our help. Dr. Ward shares some breaking January 2020 pet parent survey results along with the latest reporting from Chewy, Guggenheim, and PetIQ on the current state of the veterinary market. The talk turns to the trend in “retail veterinary services” or the growing number of veterinary “wellness clinics” appearing in Walmart, Tractor Supply, and elsewhere. Dr. Ward and Beckie tackle the “talent attraction” dilemma and how generational shifts are causing significant change in both veterinary practice organization, professional culture, and the type of pet care services offered. This is a wide-ranging conversation that touches on many urgent and important challenges the veterinary profession is facing.
Viewfinders, what do you think about these trends? Is the price of our services and products actually part of the problem? Are only 33-40% of pet parents visiting their veterinarian each year, as some of the shared data suggests? Would a large number of pet parents really prefer a "retail vet?" We want to hear from you!
Australian Fires, Climate Change and Animal Welfare: The responsibilities of veterinary professionals with Dr Anne Fawcett
Most of you of heard - and seen - the massive bush fires engulfing Australia over the past four months. The environmental devastation on this scale is historically unprecedented. This week's guest is a veterinary professor, animal ethicist (and part-time philosopher) from the University of Sydney, Dr. Anne Fawcett. Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT discuss the latest on the Australian fires, the environmental impact she's witnessing, the damage to both animal life and ecosystems, and the role veterinarians should play in this tragedy. Dr. Fawcett shares her thoughts on why she believes veterinarians should take a more active role in discussing climate change and animal welfare, and offers advice for veterinary professionals who want to help.
Viewfinders, this is an incredible story that impacts every living organism on our fragile planet. Please listen and share this podcast with other animal advocates.
Allergic Itch and the Benefits of an Efficient Veterinary Team with Vet Dermatologist Dr. Dana Liska
Skin allergies season in dogs (and cats) never seems to end these days. This week we're thrilled to be joined again with Dr. Dana Liska, Dermatology Specialist at Zoetis to talk about the benefits of a dermatology work up and how veterinary teams should (and can) work together to ensure derm and itching appointments are as efficient - and effective - as possible.Hosts Beckie Mossor, RVT and Dr. Ernie Ward review who and how to take a thorough dermatological history, the basics of diagnosing seasonal skin allergies, and the latest the treatment options. We're so grateful for the support of Zoetis in bringing this special episode to the Viewfinders. We're also appreciative of the efforts of Dr. Liska and Zoetis at providing highly efficacious and safe treatments for these challenging clinical conditions.
Veterinary Zoo Careers and Adventures with Mark Romanoski CVT
We'll be honest, we secretly dream of working with lions, tigers, bears, and all sorts of wildlife! If you share this dream of working as a veterinary professional in a zoo or exotic locale, you're going to love this week's podcast! This weeks hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT are joined by the Oklahoma City Zoo's Mark Romanoski, CVT. Mark shares how he got started in zoo medicine, offers advice for aspiring exotic animal professionals, and indulges us with some pretty amazing tales of treating wildlife. The trio discuss conservation and breeding programs, the dangers of improper "animal sanctuaries" and unlicensed individuals keeping exotic animals in their homes, and why feces is an important tool for research (you can blame Dr. Ward for that little tangent...). Mark reveals his "daily grind" and his favorite species to work with (all of them, of course!).
Seasonal Euthanasia - Helping your Veterinary Team Deal with Loss during the Holidays
There’s an old saying in medicine that, “Death and Illness Follow the Seasons.” In this week’s podcast, hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT discuss how veterinary professionals can cope with seasonal surges in pet euthanasia and loss. The pair share stories from their practice lives, offer advice on shifting from “Silly Sweater Mode” to “Terminal Illness Expert,” and how to help colleagues struggling with the strains and stress of euthanasia during the holidays. We believe the veterinary profession needs more authentic conversations like this on tough topics we all confront.
Should We Give Holiday Gifts? We Share Our Top Picks for Family, Colleagues, and Pets (and What We’re Getting!)
Once again, we tackle the tough topic of what, if any, holiday gifts we should give our veterinary coworkers. Hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT explore whether structured gift-giving within a business team is appropriate, establishing (and adhering to) gifting boundaries, and examples of some of their favorite veterinary team gifts. The pair also share what they’re giving their personal pets and some of their all-time favorite dog and cat toys and accessories. Beckie announces a special project celebrating her upcoming tenth wedding anniversary (congratulations!) and Dr. Ward reveals the special gift he and his wife are giving each other (hint: it involves surfing).
What Should We Call the Holidays, How Should We Celebrate, and What about Parties?
Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Whatever you celebrate this time of year! This week our hosts, Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mossor, RVT, tackle the topics of what we should say to clients and coworkers this holiday season, how should we celebrate, and what about spouses and significant others at work parties? Learn about Dr. Ward’s dreaded (and celebrated) annual team caroling, why having assigned tasks and an agenda for a party helps “keep it moving,” and what you should do about alcohol during office parties. The pair also debate whether or not holiday parties make sense for veterinary clinics these days. This week’s podcast is a raw and candid discussion about these potentially controversial seasonal topics that our profession needs to discuss more openly. Our words - and the spirit with which we deliver them - affect everyone around us, and our hosts offer some insight into what works, and doesn’t, in veterinary clinics.
Generation Burnout: Should We Be Working 4-Days a Week?
Recently Microsoft revealed that it found workers who worked a four-day work week were more productive and happier. This week hosts Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mosser, RVT contemplate whether we’re working ourselves to poor patient outcomes and burnout. Dr. Ward explains why he’s concerned we’re creating a “Generation Burnout” of veterinary professionals and how to improve inefficiencies in the veterinary clinic. Beckie shares her stories from clinics who reduced the days worked and why she’s convinced it can work in any clinic.
It’s the time of year when veterinary clinics revisit their staff policies, but how do you implement them without creating chaos or resentment? In this week’s episode of “The Veterinary Viewfinder,” Dr. Ernie Ward and Beckie Mosser, MPA, RVT, dive into the challenges of rolling out new rules, such as sick leave policies, PTO usage, and vacation time, in a way that ensures fairness and team cohesion.
The co-hosts explore common pitfalls in policy implementation, such as reactionary rule-making after isolated incidents such as “sick-outs” and chronic absenteeism, and explain why sudden, poorly communicated policy changes can erode trust. They also discuss the importance of balancing structure with empathy and emphasize collaborative approaches to decision-making that involve the entire team.
The episode also unpacks why policies requiring sick employees to provide doctor’s notes can send a harmful message of distrust and why flexible, inclusive guidelines create a healthier workplace culture. Dr. Ward and Beckie share real-world stories of successful—and unsuccessful—policy rollouts, offering actionable tips to help veterinary managers make thoughtful, equitable decisions.
If you’re a practice owner, manager, or team member, tune in to learn how to create policies that support your team while keeping your clinic running smoothly. Let’s make 2024 the year of fair, effective policies in veterinary medicine!