Veterinary Vertex

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Oral fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) capsules sound like the kind of elegant fix we all want for canine parvovirus: simple to give, easy to store, and built for high-volume shelter medicine. But when you put a microbiome therapy into a randomized controlled trial in a real outpatient protocol, the story gets more complicated and far more useful.

We sit down with manuscript authors Drs. Meghan Hoel and Amanda Gimenez to unpack their shelter-based study at Austin Pets Alive and why they designed it for the realities of accessible veterinary care. We dig into the key choices that make-or-break field research: why oral capsules were more feasible than rectal FMT, how they approached dosing without a known “right” answer, and how blinding and consistency can actually hold up over a two-year trial in a dynamic shelter environment. We also talk about what “recovery” should mean when survival is already high, and why time to normal stool and a negative SNAP parvo test matters for isolation space, staffing, and cost.

Then we get into the results and the nuance clinicians care about most. The oral FMT capsule regimens did not shorten recovery, did not reduce ICU transfers, and did not show a clear survival benefit. Even without definitive proof of harm, the overall trend pushes us to ask a harder question: should we assume FMT is benign when the intestinal barrier is severely damaged and immune defenses may be suppressed? We close with what better follow-up studies could look like, including timing later in recovery, comparing delivery routes, confirming microbial viability, and adding longitudinal microbiome sequencing.

If you care about evidence-based parvovirus treatment, the veterinary microbiome, and what actually works in shelter medicine, subscribe, share this conversation with a colleague, and leave us a rating and review. What would you test next?
JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.26.01.0051
INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ®  OR AJVR ® ?
JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors
AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthors

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JAVMA ® :
Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook
Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter
 
AJVR ® : 
Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook
Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter

JAVMA ®  and AJVR ®  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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Hookworm cases that “just won’t clear” are no longer a weird outlier, and that should change how we practice. We sit down with parasitology expert Dr. Ray Kaplan to unpack the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) Hookworm Task Force recommendations on diagnosing and treating multidrug-resistant canine hookworms, including what clinics can do right now to stop guessing and start confirming.

We talk through how this problem came to light, why drug-resistant hookworms likely gained traction in greyhound breeding and racing environments, and why it’s now a pet dog problem across breeds and regions. We also zoom out to the biology that makes Ancylostoma caninum such a persistent threat, from multiple routes of infection to the possibility of “larva leak,” and then get practical about what should raise suspicion. 

From there, we map out a clear diagnostic path. We discuss the value of a two-week post-treatment fecal recheck, how to use a fecal egg count reduction test to quantify efficacy, and what “good” reduction should look like. We cover the task force approach to treatment and testing across the three drug classes (topical moxidectin, pyrantel, and benzimidazoles like fenbendazole or febantel), the limits of current PCR testing, and when extra-label emodepside enters the conversation with important safety precautions. If you want a grounded, clinic-ready framework that also addresses environmental contamination and zoonotic risk, this one’s for you. 

Subscribe for more evidence-driven veterinary conversations, share this with a colleague who’s seeing chronic hookworm cases, and leave us a rating and review to help more listeners find the show.
JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.26.02.0094
INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ®  OR AJVR ® ?
JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors
AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthors

FOLLOW US:

JAVMA ® :
Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook
Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter
 
AJVR ® : 
Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook
Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter

JAVMA ®  and AJVR ®  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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A dog needs a pacemaker, the estimate is five figures, and the family’s last lifeline is a GoFundMe link. We wanted to know what happens next when veterinary teams suggest crowdfunding as a way to cover the cost of canine pacemaker implantation and whether it truly works often enough to be responsible advice.

We sit down with cardiologist and researcher Dr. Mark Rishniw to break down what he found by mining publicly available GoFundMe campaigns for dog pacemakers. We talk about how “success” gets defined, why reaching 80% of a target can still be a huge gap, and the uncomfortable headline: only a small slice of campaigns come close, while many never reach even half of what they ask for and some raise nothing at all. We also explore a pattern that changes the timeline for decision-making, with most donations arriving early and then fading fast.

From there, we widen the lens to the rising cost of advanced veterinary procedures, the reality that some interventions now rival the price of a car, and what that means for client conversations when the choices feel like treatment or euthanasia. We also discuss where pet insurance fits, why “friends and family” may be the true engine of most fundraising, and how to set expectations without taking hope away.

If you’ve ever wondered what to tell a client considering veterinary crowdfunding, this one will give you data and language you can use. Subscribe, share this with your team, and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
JAVMA article: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.26.03.0160
INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ®  OR AJVR ® ?
JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors
AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthors

FOLLOW US:

JAVMA ® :
Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook
Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter
 
AJVR ® : 
Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook
Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter

JAVMA ®  and AJVR ®  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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A lot of researchers quietly struggle with the same question: when is a study truly ready to publish, and how do you write it so someone actually uses it? From the AVMA Convention 2026, we sit down live with Dr. Joshua Stern, a veterinary cardiologist and geneticist whose work bridges cardiovascular disease, genomics, and clinical impact.

We start with Joshua’s path into cardiology, sparked by working with “super athlete” animals like racehorses and sled dogs, then move into what he learned from publishing early in his career, including a genetic screening project in boxer dogs that came back completely negative. The twist: those results still mattered, and they taught him how to frame significance, define impact, and tell the truth clearly without overselling. We also talk about how to decide when to stop collecting “just one more” datapoint and instead share findings that can help patients, clinicians, and other researchers now.

From there, we get practical about scientific writing and peer review. We unpack how to distill complex datasets into an approachable manuscript, when to move tables and niche analyses into supplementary materials, and why a massive supplement can be a sign you’re trying to write two papers. Joshua also shares his go-to mindset for reviewing and responding to reviews, including the simple habit of reading critiques, walking away, and coming back with a clearer lens. We close with a research challenge he hopes the field tackles next: the optimal timing of medical or surgical intervention in dogs and cats as advanced therapies expand.

If you care about veterinary research, manuscript publishing, and clinician-scientist career skills, subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave us a review with your biggest peer review lesson.
INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ®  OR AJVR ® ?
JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors
AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthors

FOLLOW US:

JAVMA ® :
Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook
Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter
 
AJVR ® : 
Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook
Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter

JAVMA ®  and AJVR ®  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals

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Your research might be solid, your conclusions might be exciting, and you still may be setting yourself up for a rough peer review if the methods, statistical analysis, and journal fit aren’t dialed in. Recording live from the AVMA 2026 convention in Anaheim, we sit down with Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn, a longtime veterinary surgeon and associate editor, to unpack what actually speeds up (or stalls) publication in veterinary journals like JAVMA and AJVR. 

We get specific about the behind-the-scenes signals editors look for right away: study design clarity, sample size thinking, appropriate statistical tests, and whether the discussion stays relevant instead of inflating claims. Jolle explains why selecting a journal early and writing for a defined audience can prevent avoidable rewrites, and how improvements like faster time to publication can change an author’s entire submission strategy, especially for early-career veterinarians navigating deadlines and credentialing pressure. 

We also dig into the emotional side of publishing: that first brutal review, the temptation to get defensive, and the simple habits that separate a strong revision from a red-flag response. You’ll leave with a practical writing workflow (starting with Materials and Methods), a reminder that good research can matter more than flashy results, and clear guidance on making your abstract and cover letter do real work. 

If you found this helpful, subscribe for weekly conversations with the people shaping veterinary research, share this episode with a colleague who’s writing a paper, and leave a review telling us what publishing question you want answered next.
INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO JAVMA ®  OR AJVR ® ?
JAVMA ® : https://avma.org/JAVMAAuthors
AJVR ® : https://avma.org/AJVRAuthors

FOLLOW US:

JAVMA ® :
Facebook: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association - JAVMA | Facebook
Instagram: JAVMA (@avma_javma) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: JAVMA (@AVMAJAVMA) / Twitter
 
AJVR ® : 
Facebook: American Journal of Veterinary Research - AJVR | Facebook
Instagram: AJVR (@ajvroa) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: AJVR (@AJVROA) / Twitter

JAVMA ®  and AJVR ®  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/avma-journals