The Vet Vault: Fall In Love With Veterinary Science

You've been using your veterinary AI note taker for a couple of years now - it’s great - saves you heaps of time. But are you using it to its full potential?I’ll take a bet that you’re not. These things move fast, and it’s hard to keep up. Which is why, in our Tech for Vets Series, we pull apart the veterinary tools that are changing how we work, and this time we put Heidi up on our screens for a detailed walk through. Our guide is Dr Kieran McLeod, head of medical knowledge at Heidi Health. We start by putting the scribe through its paces to find the workflow tricks that you’re probably missing - I walked away with at least five tricks I'd never used. Then Kieran shows off all the shiny new AI magic coming your way: voice agents, built-in clinical support and a hardware solution that lets you leave your phone in your bag. You'll learn:The scribe features you're almost certainly ignoring - linked patients, the context window, smart dictation, and the one-click voice edits that mean you never type a note correction againThe AI voice agent that makes the phone call you've been dreading What baked-in clinical decision support looks likeHow to safety-net the worry that keeps you up - that quiet "did I miss something?" feelingHow to incorporate hands-free hardware into your workflowThis is a screen-share walkthrough, so head to Spotify if you want to watch the clicks rather than just hear us talk about them.Show notes and details live at thevetvault.comGet clinical support from human specialists at the Vet Vault Specialist Support SpaceGet rid of your mid-year 'meh' at our Vets On Tour New Zealand snow conferenceTopics and Timestamps02:35 Intro: Beyond the scribe005:18 Human-first vs. vet-first: does it matter?09:17 Note-taking basics09:46 Context windows & linked patients15:46 Multiple documents & the source of truth18:49 Smart Dictation for quick edits29:38 Sync changes across documents33:10 Task lists36:06 Collaboration & session sharing40:07 Sharing & exporting documents41:22 Heidi Comms: AI voice agents53:46 Heidi Evidence: clinical decision support01:04:50 Using Evidence for complex histories01:09:11 Evidence sources & collections01:14:01 Heidi Remote: the hardware mic01:21:46 EMR integrations (ezyVet & Covetrus)

Did you know that a brachycephalic dog with BOAS has a 433% higher anaesthetic risk than a dog with a normal nose? Let me rephrase that: that Frenchie you’re spaying later this week is more than four times more likely to die on her surgery day than any of your other patients. 😳Do we have your attention?!Thanks mainly to the rising popularity of the French Bulldog, you’re probably anaesthetising these kinds of patients all the time.So how do we reduce that risk? How do improve patient safety while decreeing your stress levels?!At the Brachycephalic Care Unit, surgeon Dr Abbie Tipler and her team have polished brachycephalic anaesthesia down to a fine art, and in this episode, she shares all the gold.From the days leading up to anaesthesia to selecting the safest mix of premed and anaesthesia agents, all the way to a calm, well-oxygenated recovery, this episode is the ultimate masterclass in brachycephalic anaesthesia.Hit us up for the full show notes for this episode, as well as Dr Abbie’s brachycephalic pre-surgery history template, here. This episode is one of more than 600 from our subscriber-only clinical podcasts. If you like this style of learning, where I dig for all the pro tips and updates from some of the best specialists in the world, then you’ll love our clinical feed. Go check it out at thevetvault.comOh, and if you’d like to join me in Japan in February or the Maldives in April for the most fun you’ll ever have at a vet conference - have a browse at vetsontour.comTopics Covered:Before the big dayStructured history taking: airway, gastrointestinal, sleep, and anxiety indicatorsUnderstanding the link between upper airway obstruction and GI dysfunctionAssessing regurgitation, silent reflux, and aspiration riskPre-treatment protocols: omeprazole, metoclopramide, and diet adjustmentsIdentifying when to delay elective procedures for optimisationUsing C-reactive protein and radiographs to assess for aspiration pneumoniaManaging anxiety pre-hospitalisation with trazodonePlan for the day of surgeryFasting times and timing surgeries for optimal recovery monitoringStrategies for minimising stress in brachycephalic patients pre-opThe role of early premedication and pain reliefDrug choices: the “Goldilocks” approach to sedationReducing regurgitation riskYour pre-op pro tipsExtubation and recovery: positioning, monitoring, and oxygen weaningThe impact of cage-side nursing and owner-assisted recovery

In episode 141, I shared my take on where AI fits into veterinary medicine - and where it might take us next. But I’m no expert.So I brought one in.In this episode, I sit down with Rohan Relan , Silicon Valley software engineer and founder of ScribbleVet ,an AI tool built for vets. We unpack the promise and pitfalls of AI in clinical practice and try to figure out how you can use it without losing sleep (or your license).What we cover:Why AI is not just a "smarter Google”- and why that mattersThe risky shortcuts vets are already taking (and how to avoid them)How to increase trust and accuracy when using AIWhere innovation collides with privacy, data, and consentDIY AI vs purpose-built tools If you're curious about AI but not sure what’s hype and what’s helpful, this one’s for you.Come find out what W(asabi)TF Wednesday is all about at our Japan Snow ConferenceCheck out our podcast for business owners, and Dr Sam’s ‘How To Make A Hell Of a Profit And Still Go To Heaven’ workshop.Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Get help with your tricky cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.Topics and Timestamps04:39 What I got wrong about AI08:19 How models “know” things — next‐word prediction & reasoning15:00 Grounding AI responses using external tools / search19:19 Scribble Vet features38:12 Privacy, ownership, and AI liability51:00 Rohan’s podcast and AI tool recommendations54:00 Key misconceptions & Caveats

Ever had a case where you just knew what was wrong before you even touched the patient - but if someone asked you HOW you know, you couldn’t explain it? That almost mystical “sixth sense” we develop in practice - that’s exactly what this episode is about. Our guest is Dr Annie Wayne - a criticalist, educator, and learning strategist—who’s been exploring naturalistic decision making: the cognitive model that explains how experts think in real-time, and how to pass that intuition on.We talk about what separates expert intuition from novice reasoning, how to break down unconscious diagnostic processes, and how the right kind of mentorship can accelerate the path to expertise. Annie also shares her research on parenting and vet careers, challenging the stigma around pregnancy and parenthood during training.Here’s what you’ll learn:What “naturalistic decision making” really means (and why it feels like a sixth sense)How experienced vets spot subtle signs that others missHow to externalise your gut feeling so younger vets can learn from itReal-world strategies for mentorship and better clinical teachingHow to avoid the traps of lazy “shortcut” thinkingHow this framework builds confidence and reduces stress in new gradsAnnie’s personal take on parenting through training—and how to smash the stigma around pregnancy in vet careersThis isn’t just about clinical decision-making - it’s about how we teach, how we lead, and how we support each other in a demanding profession.Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cutabove.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get case support from our team of specialists in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.Join us in person for our epic adventure CE events at ⁠⁠⁠Vets On Tour⁠⁠⁠. (Next up: Japan snow conference!) Topics and Time Stamps04:53 What is Naturalistic Decision-Making?08:36 Expert vs Novice Thinking: Why Mentorship Matters15:55 Risks of Shortcut Thinking and Balancing with Algorithms19:11 Speeding Up Expertise: Can We Teach "Sixth Sense" Thinking?22:47 Mentorship Models: Building Skills and Confidence34:45 Can AI Help Naturalistic Thinking?37:20 Parenthood and Veterinary Careers: Breaking Stigma and Building Support

You can think of a bunch of things that make your working day (and career!) as a veterinarian more frustrating than you’d like it to be, right? But have you ever considered the role of the software that you use in how frazzled you feel at the end of the day?And beyond the pure frustration of ‘too many clicks’ and that spinning wheel of doom when you have ten other things to do - have you considered how the very software that feels like it's holding you back could actually help solve some of the systemic challenges that feel like they’re just baked into the vet profession, like low clinical confidence, medical errors, and even burnout?In this conversation, we speak to emergency vet and tech entrepreneur ⁠Dr Caleb Frankel⁠ , founder of ⁠Instinct Science⁠, about what’s broken in vet tech, what good software should actually do, and why the future of practice might depend on getting this right.In this episode:Why building good vet software is so damn hard (and how to spot the tools worth your trust)What to look for (and avoid!) when choosing new software for your clinicReducing the trauma of introducing a new tech tool to the team (yes, even the dreaded PIMS change!)How software design impacts clinical confidence, patient safety, and mental health AI in clinical decision-making - why it’s more than just a productivity tool Must-have tech tools for 2025 (that aren’t just another app) If you’ve ever felt like your tools are working against you, this is the conversation that might just change the way you practice—for good.Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at ⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at ⁠⁠⁠cutabove.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠. Get case support from our team of specialists in our ⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space⁠⁠⁠.⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.Join us in person for our epic adventure CE events at ⁠Vets On Tour⁠. (Next up: Japan snow conference!) Episode topics and timestamps: 05:55 Why veterinary software is so challenging11:15 What to look for (and avoid!) in veterinary software14:26 Cloud vs server-based software?34:08 Unexpected ways where tech can help with the main challenges in veterinary medicine37:07 AI in veterinary medicine48:09 Must-have tech tools for 202555:14 Advice for new graduatesWe love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact form at ⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠, or catch up with us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.

🎙️ Introducing the Veterinary Business Accelerator, our new podcast for veterinary practice owners who want more than just survival - they want to own the practice they dreamed of when they first decided to start a practice - a place that gives them joy and freedom, and where other vets like to work. In this brand-new series, vet business coach, author, and former Vet Vault guest Dr. Sam Bowden shares the mindset, strategies, and systems he’s used to help hundreds of practice owners transform their clinics into what he calls “abundant practices” - workplaces that are profitable, sustainable, and deeply rewarding.In Episode 1: Why Even Start a Vet Practice?, we ask the question: Wouldn’t it be easier to just get a job? When you’re in the thick of it all, it feels that way, doesn’t it?Especially when you’re knee-deep in payroll, staff issues, client complaints, and wondering if you’ll ever take a proper holiday again.In this kickoff episode we start with the question every practice owner should revisit regularly: Why are you in business?Dr Sam Bowden breaks down why most owners start with good intentions: better medicine, a better team, better money - but end up overworked, underpaid, and out of joy. And why the fix begins with something deceptively simple: clarity on that why.Sam outlines his framework for what he calls an “abundant practice” - the five pillars that any vet business needs to get right if it’s going to support the life you want. And yes, that includes permission to take a holiday.What You’ll Learn:The real reasons vets start practices (hint: it’s not just the money)Why good intentions often lead to overwhelmThe 5 pillars of Sam’s Abundant Practice Model: time, team, clients, finances, fulfillmentHow a low financial drive hurts the profession—and your personal lifeCommon mindset traps (and how to replace guilt with growth)The power of shifting from “either/or” to “yes/and” thinkingWhy clarity is the foundation for fun, freedom, and financial successIf this episode was made just for you, and you’d like to hear more, you can find our other episodes here.

Telemedicine.What’s your gut reaction when you hear that term?Maybe you think it was just a clever COVID workaround, or second-rate substitute for a “real” vet visit. Or maybe you’re a bit curious about what it’s like to work in telemedicine— but you’re worried it’ll be boring. Or worse: that you’ll spend your days diagnosing lizards over Zoom.Whatever you think— chances are, you’re wrong. But don’t worry. This episode will change that. We go deep on the real-world pros and cons of telemedicine, from two key angles: For curious vets:What’s it really like to work in telemedicine?Is it fulfilling?How will I cope with all the tricky questions (and species?!)Is the pay good?Can you get into trouble for giving remote advice?For clinic owners:How do you integrate telemedicine into your practice?What are the practical hurdles?What’s worked (and what hasn’t) from someone who’s built a global platform from scratch? Our guest is Dr. Shadi Ireifej, a board-certified surgeon, tech entrepreneur, and co-founder of VetTriage, a global teletriage platform.This one made me rethink what “good vet work” really means. I think it’ll do the same for you.Join us on the slopes of New Zealand for our winter CPD adventure with Vets On Tour Wānaka 25. Lift your clinical game with our RACE approved clinical podcasts at ⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠ for more clinical confidence and better patient outcomes, or check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at ⁠⁠cutabove.supercast.com⁠⁠. Get case support from our team of specialists in our ⁠⁠Specialist Support Space⁠⁠.⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.Topics and Time Stamps01:43 So you think you want to work in telemedicine?04:20 Common concerns about telehealth work06:11 Will I get sued for giving the wrong advice?10:37 Vets on Tour: Upcoming Events15:55 Income and Work Hours in Telemedicine18:35 Will I have to give advice for all sorts of weird animals?21:29 Unexpected Joys of Telehealth23:44 Future of Telehealth and Technology29:21 Challenges and Lessons in Telehealth for Practice Owners36:33 What about the technology?We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact form at ⁠thevetvault.com⁠, or catch up with us on ⁠Instagram⁠. And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.