Lindsay Hallman, CVT, CCMT, VTS (Oncology), and Katelyn McDonald, CVT, VTS (Oncology), discuss clinical administration of oncology pharmacology, in a dvm360 interview.

Key considerations for chemotherapy dosing

Chemotherapy administration can pose challenges for the veterinary team, clients and patients. In a 

 interview, Lindsay Hallman, CVT, CCMT, VTS (Oncology), and Katelyn McDonald, CVT, VTS (Oncology), veterinary technician specialists at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey, discussed dosing, patient behavior, and adverse effects with chemotherapy as well as other aspects of administration. In this video, showing part of the interview, they address some dosing considerations to help patients achieve positive outcomes.

Considering patient behavior with chemotherapy

The following is a transcript of the video, lightly edited for clarity:

What are some considerations for dosing veterinary patients with chemotherapy?

Lindsay Hallman, CVT, CCMT, VTS (Oncology): 

The doses that we're using in animals are much, much, much smaller than what we're using in humans. In human oncology, what they're looking for is quantity, not quality, and we're not going to do that to an animal. One, they didn't sign up to be sick for a year. And two, for people, it's okay to lose that year, because you might get 30, 40, 50 years on the back end. Unfortunately, I wish that our companion animals would get 30 years on the back end, but we know they're not going to. So we are more looking for quality. So we dose our chemotherapy and we check blood work really frequently to make sure that we walk this really fine gray line where we're keeping the cancer at bay, hopefully putting them into remission, but not making them sick.

We do have a dose range for all of these medications. We stereotypically start out on the high end of dose ranges, because obviously we want to challenge the cancer as much as possible. Our objective is to try to treat the cancer as aggressively as we can, but not to the detriment of our patient. And what that allows us to do is if we have a patient that does experience significant enough side effects to impact their quality of life, because, as Lindsay said, that's our goal. If we are making them sick, we're not doing it right. What we can do is we can do dose reductions of that chemotherapy by about a 10% per dose reduction rate, typically to start. So we would just shave a hair off of their next dose in order to alleviate them from having those side effects that they had. So they can still get the benefit of a treatment that's efficacious, but not with those side effects.

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Lindsay Hallman, CVT, CCMT, VTS (Oncology), and Katelyn McDonald, CVT, VTS (Oncology), discuss clinical administration of oncology therapy, in a dvm360 interview.

! As we celebrate this season of gratitude, we asked veterinary professionals to share what they’re most thankful for in their careers and in the veterinary community. Here’s what they had to say:

Danny Sack, DVM, veterinary surgery resident at MedVet Columbus in Worthington, Ohio:

“I am thankful for my family (2- and 4-legged). They have stuck by my side throughout my entire career and have been a massive support system for me in the toughest of times. I absolutely would not be where I am today without them, and I am so lucky to have them in my life.”

Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, CVPP, VTS (Anesthesia and Analgesia):

“I’d say the thing I’m most thankful for in veterinary medicine is folks willing to be mentors. I’ve been so lucky to learn from some really amazing technicians (Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry); Darci Palmer, LVT, VTS (Anesthesia and Analgesia); Stephen Cital, RVT, SRA, RLAT, CVPP, VTS-LAM; Amy Dowling, CVT, VTS (Anesthesia); Megan Brashear, RVT, VTS (ECC); David Liss, MBA, RVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM), CVPM, PHR; and more). I think that for new technicians, there is nothing more impactful than a great mentor!"

“I’m grateful for the moments when a family begins to truly understand their animal—when behavior starts to make sense and the path forward becomes clearer for everyone involved. The animals we work with push us to stay present and adaptable, and they’re constant reminders of why this work matters.

I’m also thankful for the colleagues and teams who choose to approach the practice of veterinary medicine with curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to learning. This field requires emotional stamina, collaboration across disciplines, and a willingness to sit with complexity. The people who show up for that work every day make the profession better.”

Courtney Campbell, DVM, DACVS-SA, founder of Stitches Veterinary Surgery Center:

"Celebrating the one-year anniversary of Stitches Veterinary Surgery fills me with deep gratitude, especially for the incredible team that has made this journey possible. Every day, we experience a special synergy I call "CareTrio"—the beautiful convergence of 3 profound joys: helping families, working alongside a dedicated veterinary team, and caring for animals with compassion. The trio of care for families, animals, and colleagues is the essence of our work. It’s seen in the grateful smiles of pet owners, the collaborative spirit and expertise of our team, and the gentle healing we offer our patients.

I am profoundly thankful for my team’s unwavering commitment and love, which bring CareTrio to life at Stitches every day. Their dedication transforms challenges into triumphs and transforms moments into lasting memories for families and pets alike. As we celebrate this milestone, I am inspired and motivated to continue growing, healing, and sharing this extraordinary journey with the wonderful people and animals who make it all worthwhile."

“Having been around veterinary medicine for over 50 years, I have a lot to be thankful for. Universally, I am thankful to have been in this field and to have met so many wonderful partners, friends, colleagues, co-workers, students, team members, industry supporters, clients, leaders—I could go on. There is no profession like veterinary medicine that is so close knit and really so supportive of one another.

My thanks are to all of you who have been cheerleaders and advocates for all of the stakeholders that impact the lives of the vast diversity of species for which we care. Each and every one of you has made a difference in the human-animal bond. In reality, that is the foundation for all the great work that we do. A big THANK YOU to all who read this for caring as much as you do.”

“I am very grateful to have colleagues that have a passion for teaching and engaging with our fellow veterinary professionals at not only our Fetch conferences, but also our virtual events, content creation, social media posting, and everything in between. Thank you to everyone for all the hard work and dedication you put into your work each and every day, it truly makes all the difference.”

, happy Thanksgiving to the veterinary community. Thank you for all you do for animals and the people who love them!

Articles

This Thanksgiving, veterinary professionals celebrate the community's dedication, expressing gratitude for each other, mentorship, the human-animal bond, and more.

From the veterinary community: “I’m thankful for...” 

Photos courtesy of Schwarzman Animal Medical Center.

Dion Small, BSc, LVT, with a feline patient, Phoenix

Growing up in Guyana, South America, surrounded by domestic pets and agricultural animals, Dion Small, BSc, LVT, dreamed of becoming an airline pilot. He instead began a career path that would eventually lead him to his current position as a practicing veterinary technician and LVT/assistant director for internal medicine, cardiology, primary care service, medical-surgical unit and the clinic at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York, New York.

Small currently has 2 terriers, Naomi and Mandy. Growing up, his grandmother had cats, while his mother had dogs and a parrot. “My first introduction to that parrot was when it bit me, and they bite really, really hard,” he said. “I’ve had quite a few pets throughout the years.”

Small said he realized early on that his dream of flying airplanes was not the career meant for him. Upon graduating from high school, he entered a program to train animal health assistants created for the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) countries. “The school was located in Guyana….We had students from all the Caribbean countries studying,” Small said in a 

After completing the program, Small went to work as an animal health assistant with a sugar business in Guyana that incorporated dairy farming and sheep rearing. For about a decade, Small built his animal health care skills working in a similar capacity to that of a US veterinary technician, he said.

“We ran the hospital on the farms. We delivered the calves when they were having difficult births. One of the things I was able to do was artificial insemination. So I did artificial inseminations on quite a number of cows,” he added.

Small said he learned early on that humans should never turn their back on a bull. “In my career, I did that and almost paid the price,” he said.

He recalled walking away from a bull in a barn when a colleague in the adjacent milking parlor jumped up and told him to run. “So I ran and jumped on the fence, and this bull just smacked right into the fence,” Small said.

After spending his first 27 years of life in Guyana, Small immigrated to the US, where he landed a job handling paperwork for a company that dealt with stocks and bonds in New York, New York. “I worked for 3 months with a temp agency, which I hated,” Small said.

Small and his veterinary team care for their feline patient, Jimmy, at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York, New York.

The turning point back to animal care happened during a walk with a woman who was helping him with a job search through the church he had joined. “We were talking about several things, and then we started talking about animals,” Small said. “In the middle of the conversation, she just stops and she goes, ‘Why don’t you do what you love?’ And I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ And she said, ‘As I started talking about animals with you, your face just lit up.’ And so at that moment, [it was decided that] the path I should go is working with animals,” Small said.

Focusing the job search on veterinary practices, Small landed a position at Clinton Veterinary Center in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. There, he worked with Jeffrey Fisch, DVM, as he transitioned from caring for dairy cows and other agricultural animals to caring for companion animals. “Working with cats and dogs, it’s a finer skill in terms of restraint. My first time working with a feral cat that was not the happiest camper was scary. But working with an animal, you kind of adjust. It took some adjusting, but it happened,” he said.

During his time at Clinton Veterinary Center, Small also earned a bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology at Mercy College (now Mercy University) in Dobbs Ferry, New York. “In tech school, we have to do externships. It’s part of the program, and I did my externship at the [Schwarzman] Animal Medical Center. About 6 weeks in, I was offered a job, so I’ve been with [Schwarzman] since then,” Small said.

Small worked his way up to his current position, leading a team of veterinary technicians and assistants. Although the role is not without its challenges, Small said his team is a big part of what keeps him motivated.

“One day, I came to work and there was this note on my door [from an employee], and all it said was, ‘Everybody just comes to you to complain about stuff, but I just wanted to thank you. You did a phenomenal job.’ That meant the world to me,” he said.

Small enjoys seeing his team members succeed and find their way along their career paths. He mentored one staff member who recently earned their technician license. He has also routinely worked with high school students and was proud to write a recommendation that helped a young woman gain admission to a graduate program.

“Those are the things I like. It makes me really happy. I love it when I see people grow and develop,” he said.

Dion Small, BSc, LVT, found his passion for animal care and a purpose in leadership

Rising high in veterinary medicine

Happy Thanksgiving from dvm360! In celebration of the holiday and to help make sure your pets and patients stay safe, we have spotlighted 3 relevant articles to feast on. Enjoy your day!

Veterinarians share holiday pet hazards and tips

Holiday pet emergencies are highlighting risks from decorations and toxic foods, while veterinarians offer tips to keep pets safe this season.

Counter surfing canine ingests cooking seasonings

What happens when Snoopy the dog licks oil infused with garlic and onion? Pet Poison Helpline shared the story to serve as a cautionary tale.

Give thanks and be thankful to be in our profession

s chief veterinary officer, lists 24 reasons joys and privileges that are unique to a veterinary career.

In celebration of the holiday, dvm360® has spotlighted 3 relevant articles to feast on. 

3 must-reads for Thanksgiving 2025

An izenivetmab injection (Lenivia; Zoetis) for reducing pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in canines has been granted marketing authorization by the European Commission.

 The single-injection monoclonal antibody drug has shown to reduce OA pain in dogs for 3 months.

Rob Polzer, PhD, executive vice president and president of research and development at Zoetis, said the company strives to develop products that address unmet medical needs. “The European Commission’s marketing authorization for [izenivetmab injection] marks another important step forward in managing osteoarthritis pain in dogs,” Polzer said in a news release.

Canine OA causes joint pain and is associated with the loss and dysfunction of cartilage. The condition poses a significant threat to the welfare of dogs.

“Osteoarthritis can be painful for dogs and negatively impact their quality of life. We see daily some patients for which we don’t have a proper solution to help them be more comfortable and happier,” Guillaume Ragetly, DVM, PhD, DACVS (SA),DECVS, an orthopedic surgeon in France, said in a news release.

 “Having more tools to help dogs control pain from osteoarthritis is important for veterinarians to continue to provide the standard of care pet owners expect today.”

Izenivetmab injection works by binding antibodies to nerve growth factor (NGF) for decreasing pain and increasing mobility. A 9-month field study demonstrated safety for izenivetmab injection, while also showing improved mobility and decreased pain in dogs with OA. Adverse effects reported in the study included balance problems, weakness or trouble standing, decreased appetite, and vomiting or diarrhea, as well as drinking and urinating more often.

The European Commission’s decision to grant marketing authorization follows the recommendation for the designation by the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The CVMP issued a positive opinion of the drug with the recommendation in October 2025.

In its opinion, the EMA wrote that izenivetmab injection was evaluated in 2 exploratory dose determination studies and 1 placebo-controlled clinical trial. “In the pivotal clinical trial, administration of Lenivia [izenivetmab injection] at the proposed dosing interval [0.05-0.1 mg/kg] increased the owner-assessed treatment success and resulted in overall improvement of a veterinary categorical assessment in dogs with OA for 90 days, compared [with] dogs that were administered placebo,” the EMA wrote.

Zoetis is expecting Izenivetmab injection to become available in Europe in 2026. On the European market, this new drug is Zoetis’ second monoclonal antibody for reducing OA pain in dogs. The other is bedinvetmabl (Librela),which targets NGF with binding at a different site and with a shorter period of pain relief.

"Four years ago in Europe, we introduced the first monoclonal antibody therapy designed to manage pain associated with OA in dogs, and we look forward to providing veterinarians with another innovative tool to help them manage pain associated with OA for the animals in their care,” Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, global chief medical officer and head of medical affairs at Zoetis, said in the release.

Zoetis receives European Commission marketing authorization for Lenivia (izenivetmab) to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. News release. Zoetis. November 26, 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. 

https://news.zoetis.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2025/Zoetis-Receives-European-Commission-Marketing-Authorization-for-Lenivia-izenivetmab-to-Reduce-Pain-Associated-with-Osteoarthritis-OA-in-Dogs/default.aspx

Crossley KC. Novel therapy for managing OA pain gains momentum in global markets. 

. October 16, 2025. Accessed November 26, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/novel-therapy-for-managing-canine-oa-pain-gains-momentum-in-global-markets

Anderson KL, Zulch H, O’Neill DG, Meeson RL, Collins LM. Risk factors for canine osteoarthritis and its predisposing arthropathies: a systematic review. 

. 2020;7:220. doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.00220

Summary of opinion: Lenivia. European Medicines Agency. October 10, 2025. Accessed October 16, 2025. 

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/smop-initial/cvmp-summary-positive-opinion-lenivia_en.pdf

The single-injection monoclonal antibody (Lenivia) from Zoetis reduces OA pain in dogs for 3 months.

Long-acting drug for reducing canine OA pain receives European marketing authorization

Niccole Bruno, DVM, CEO and founder of blendVET, discusses practical strategies to expand access to veterinary careers and improve community care through hands-on pathway programming.

Editor’s note: The following is an edited and condensed Q&A based on a recent 

dvm360: What is the mission of blendVET and why did you focus on middle-school students?

 blendVET was created to expose young people to what veterinary medicine 

. Wanting to be a veterinarian at age 12 but lacking exposure motivated me to fill that gap. Middle school is a pivotal time for career curiosity. Without deliberate programming, students never see the profession or the pathways into it. blendVET’s hands-on events aim to plant and nurture that seed, especially in communities with limited veterinary infrastructure.

dvm360: What does success look like for the program over the next 5–10 years?

 Success is multi-stage: creating programming that meets needs at every point in the pipeline; seeing early participants choose relevant undergraduate majors; watching participants progress into vet school, vet tech roles, practice management, or allied careers; and ultimately graduating a cohort of blendVET scholars working across the profession. Short-term wins—students choosing a next step, finding mentorship, or gaining confidence—are also meaningful markers of progress.

dvm360: Why is hands-on exposure especially important, and which activities spark interest most reliably?

 Students learn by doing. Passive lectures don’t reveal aptitude or ignite curiosity the way a hands-on station does. A 15-minute activity—picking up a needle driver, for example—can show a student they have dexterity and interest, or it can show them a different strength. These immediate, practical experiences empower students to pursue additional learning and demystify what veterinarians actually do.

dvm360: How should mentorship be structured so early interest becomes a realistic pathway?

 Mentorship should be distributed across a network rather than relying on a single hero mentor. blendVET encourages volunteers to share contact information and fosters institutional partnerships so students can access short observational opportunities (1–2 hours), virtual mentoring, and follow-up resources. Establishing simple expectations, such as how often to check in, preferred modes of communication, makes mentorship feasible for a wide range of clinicians, including those who are busy or introverted.

dvm360: What barriers—socioeconomic or racial—do students face, and how can programs address them?

 Barriers are systemic. Some schools lack formal pathways (eg, CVA programs), parents may be unaware of career options, and the cost of veterinary education is a real deterrent. Programs can mitigate these barriers by educating parents, connecting students with scholarships and alternative career paths (eg, industry roles that offer tuition support), and intentionally recruiting in areas with limited access to care. Representation matters: when students and clients see veterinary teams that reflect their communities, trust and access to care improve.

dvm360: Are there scalable models, whether virtual or in-person, that you recommend for clinics and schools wanting to help?

 A hybrid approach works best. In-person, hands-on events create immediate impact; virtual programming extends reach to schools and regions blendVET cannot visit. Clinics can participate by offering short observation hours, hosting small groups, or partnering with local high schools and tech programs to provide tours and career workshops. Even small, consistent acts like allowing students to observe for an hour or offering a quarterly clinic open day build sustained exposure.

dvm360: If a reader could take one action after this interview, what should it be?

 Say “yes.” You don’t need to found a program. Simply show up. Volunteer for a local pathway event, provide 2 hours of observation, or agree to a monthly check-in with a student. Collective small commitments create a village that can change the profession’s future, improve access to care, and restore professionals’ sense of purpose.

blendVET founder Niccole Bruno, DVM, explains how hands-on veterinary programming, distributed mentorship, and hybrid clinic–school partnerships can diversify the veterinary pipeline and expand access to care.