The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast

Recent Episodes

1. 410 - How to Build Confident, Competent Early Career Vets

   Jul 30, 2026

   Dr. Andy Rourke interviews Dr. Jason Sumski, a 3-year post-graduate veterinarian who is medical director at Bartlett Animal Hospital and co-founder of VetSoap, a digital scribe technology company. They discuss strategies for building confidence and competence in early-career veterinarians, including the critical role of mentorship, psychological safety, structured onboarding, and progressive autonomy. The conversation addresses how hospitals can invest in new graduates while preparing them for independent practice and advanced clinical work.

2. 409 - A Cry For Help From the Pathology Department

   Jul 23, 2026

   Dr. Eric Fish, a veterinary clinical pathologist and laboratory director at a large private referral center, discusses the current state and future of veterinary pathology. He explores the economic pressures, consolidation in the lab industry, burnout among pathologists, and the impact of digitization and AI on the profession. The conversation examines why clinical pathology is perceived differently than radiology despite similar digitization challenges, and potential paths forward through augmentative AI rather than replacement.

3. 408 - Beyond Trazodone: When the "Chill Protocol" Isn’t Chilling

   Jul 16, 2026

   Dr. Chris Pockle, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and owner of Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, discusses pre-visit anti-anxiety medications for pets beyond the standard gabapentin and trazodone protocols. The episode explores when to adjust doses, switch medications, and considers alternative options including alpha-2 agonists, benzodiazepines, and combination therapies, with emphasis on recognizing true anxiolytic effects versus masking sedation.

4. 407 - The Dangers of Dutch

   Jul 9, 2026

   Dr. Matt Saloy, economist and president of Veterinary Management Group (VMG), discusses the dangers of Dutch Pet's telemedicine model through a Trojan horse metaphor. The episode examines how Dutch's business model—which removes physical exam requirements and dismantles veterinary practice safeguards—threatens pet welfare, increases costs for complex cases, and shifts medical accountability away from established standards of care, despite rhetoric promising affordability and access.

5. 406 - HoF - Fireworks Phobia Over the Phone

   Jul 2, 2026

   Dr. Lisa Radosta, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist based in Southeast Florida, discusses managing fireworks phobia in dogs during an emergency phone consultation scenario. The episode covers practical communication strategies for pet owners calling on July 3rd seeking last-minute help, medication options (trazodone and clonidine), why psychotropic medications are unreliable, and the importance of setting expectations about sedation and long-term management of noise phobias.

6. 405 - Redefining the DVM Career Path

   Jun 29, 2026

   Dr. Matt Sylvius, managing veterinarian and partner at Eagle Animal Hospital (4-location practice in Kansas City, part of NVA General Practices), discusses his unique career trajectory from kennel technician to veterinarian to multi-practice leader within a large corporate organization. The episode explores how veterinarians can build entrepreneurial careers and leadership opportunities inside larger organizations rather than only through independent practice ownership, and contrasts Sylvius's experience expanding practices independently versus with NVA's resources and analytics support.

7. 404 - HDYTT: The Critical Feline Patient

   Jun 25, 2026

   Dr. Andy Rourke interviews Tasha McNerney, a veterinary technician specialist in anesthesia, about managing critically injured feline patients. Using the example of a cat attacked by multiple dogs with severe trauma and blood loss, they discuss the critical balance between pain management and stabilization before anesthesia, emphasizing that analgesics should be provided early as part of stabilization rather than delayed until after induction.

8. 403 - Improving Animal Welfare at Commercial Dog Breeding Kennels

   Jun 18, 2026

   Dr. Tess House, Assistant Director of the Animal Welfare Division at AVMA, discusses improving animal welfare standards at USDA-licensed commercial dog breeding kennels. The episode covers kennel licensing requirements, welfare assessment criteria, veterinary care programs, and how general practitioners can advocate for better breeding practices. House emphasizes that regardless of breeding source, the focus should be on ensuring dogs are physically and mentally healthy, and provides resources for veterinarians and pet owners to identify quality breeding operations.

9. 402 - A New Vet Guide to Working with Senior Paraprofessionals

   Jun 15, 2026

   Dr. Randy Work interviews Vicki Oglane, an RVT and senior specialist in scientific communication at Hill's Pet Nutrition, about building effective working relationships between newly graduated veterinarians and experienced paraprofessionals. The episode focuses on communication strategies, team mentality, and practical approaches like "ways of working" conversations and positive reinforcement feedback to foster collaboration rather than hierarchy in veterinary practices.

10. 401 - Three Super-Judgy Things Vets Should Stop Saying (Maybe)

    Jun 11, 2026

    Dr. Andy Rourke discusses three statements commonly made by veterinarians that Dr. Kate Boatwright argues are unnecessarily judgmental: "if you can't afford the vet, don't get the pet," "you can't care more than the client does," and "that's below the standard of care." The conversation unpacks the nuance around each phrase, exploring the difference between gold standard/textbook care and actual standard of care, the role of cognitive versus emotional empathy in veterinary practice, and the complexity of access to care and affordability. Both speakers agree these phrases require context and suggest better frameworks for discussing care options and client situations.