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In this episode, our host Xavier talks with Erin Spencer from the USA, Julie Hutt from New Zealand and Rachel Lumbis from UK about various topics relating to not only the role of veterinary nurses and technicians (and if there even a difference?) but also the importance of team work approach. This vast international panel discusses the wide encompassing role nurses play in patient care, the recognition lacking to the nurses and technicians supporting work,  the difference between veterinary nurse and veterinary technicians and the different education certificates and processes around the world, what's the most important thing Veterinary nursing students should know, how to better work as a team and how vets and nurses can improve together and achieve a better patient care.

Meet Dr Nalinika Obeyesekere, a veterinarian who is passionate about animal behaviour education and started the first veterinary hospital in Sri Lanka.  She talks to our host, Xavier, about evolution of companion animal medicine in Sri Lanka over the last 20 years. She was met with scepticism when she, and 2 other female veterinarians, started a veterinary hospital focussing on companion animals only but now the demand for companion animal veterinarians is higher than the availability.  Find out more about some of the difficulties and 'red tape' she and her colleagues have faced and why she values the WSAVA community. 

In this episode, Dr Jean Gauvin talks with our host, Xavier, about telemedicine and what place it currently has and may have in the future in the veterinary profession. Due to the global pandemic, telemedicine has quickly become a part of many veterinary practices and it looks like it is here to stay.   Dr Gauvin talks about telehealth, telemedicine, telemonitoring, teletriage: tele tele tele! However, many vets may not be aware they have always done some for of telemedicine in their clinic, whether they are consulting another member of staff on the next steps for the treatment of a patient or determining the severity of a case over the phone with a pet owner. If you want to know more about how it works, what you need to put it in practice and the limitations, listen to this interesting episode.

In this episode, our host talks to Dr Ellen van Nierop, the WSAVA Vice President. She is originally Dutch, was born in Pakistan, lived all over the world while growing  up, studied in Belgium and now runs her companion animal clinic in Quito, Ecuador. She talks about what it is like to be a veterinarian in Ecuador, how she moved there and started her career. She explains how companion animal medicine has developed over the years, from clients who did not even want to get blood work done for their pets to now having high quality education and even a few specialists. Lastly, she shares her experience in international veterinary medicine and why she is passionate about the WSAVA: "You are not alone, in this veterinary world".

Dr Brian Jochems talks to our host, Xavier Canavilhas, about his recent career switch to working as a full time mobile veterinarian for an in home euthanasia service (Lap of Love). He describes the intimacy of the process at home, the comfort it can give the pet parents but also how to deal with the toll it can take on veterinarian's well-being.  Find out more about in home euthanasia and what working as a veterinarian in this field is like, with Dr Brian Jochems.

In the third episode, Dr Monique Megens talks to our host, Xavier Canavilhas, about the complex issue of international puppy trade. They discuss how international puppy trade is regulated but not consistently enforced and the welfare of the dogs is not always guaranteed. Our profession is crucial in this, veterinarians are one of the key stakeholders to advocate for the welfare of our companions. On the other hand, it is important that only dogs are traded and not diseases. They also address how you and your practice could help in this complex issue and educate (future) owners.  Monique is a member of the WSAVA Hereditary Disease Committee, a consultant of the Dutch Kennel Club, the Chair of the International Collaborative on Extreme Conformation in Dogs, a consul of the International Patnership for Dogs (IPFD) and has been involved with the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) as the Presient and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) on the Animal Welfare Working Group. 

A day in the life of Siraya Chunekamrai, the first female president of the WSAVA. In this episode, Siraya shares her journey in the veterinary profession, from wanting to be an animal doctor as a small child to becoming an equine surgeon and opening the first equine surgery, the 'Horsepital' in her native Thailand.  She also expresses her thoughts on the value of the WSAVA’s global community of veterinarians – a community which shares the same goals, dreams and struggles.  She explains how coming together as a global community helps us all to learn more quickly and develop the profession more rapidly to the benefit of all WSAVA members and the patients we care for. Siraya believes in a holistic approach to both our wellness and the wellness of animals. The importance of the human-animal bond has proved so vital during the pandemic. At this time, more than any other, she says it is important that we stay connected to each other and to our companion animals.

In this first episode, our host Xavier Canavilhas is in conversation with Dr Paulo Steagall, Co-Chair of the WSAVA Therapeutics Guidelines Group, about the creation of the first Essential Medicines List for Cats and Dogs.  The List aims to tackle difficulties that exist for companion animal veterinarians in many regions of the world in accessing vital veterinary medicines by supporting the availability of the drugs required for minimum standards of clinical practice. Together they explore the challenges of creating such a list and the impact and benefits on the veterinary profession of this groundbreaking work. Find out more about the WSAVA Therapeutics Guidelines Group and the Essential Medicines List here