During an interview with Zachary Wright, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology) at the 2025 Fetch National Harbor conference, he shared with dvm360 more on some promising new cancer screening tests, including some pros and cons, plus what attendees were able to take away from his lecture during the conference.

 My name is Dr Zach Wright. I'm a veterinary medical oncologist and the medical director at VCA Dallas in Dallas, Texas, and I also chair the Mars Veterinary Health oncology advisory board.

: What are some of the most promising new cancer screening tests and how do they differ from traditional methods?

I think all the cancer screening tests are promising. The most promising, I'm not sure I'm willing to go on record for that yet, because I think we're still working through it. Traditional cancer screening is on top of a physical exam, in routine blood work, routine imaging, really thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, maybe that's a partial or full body CT scan, and that's really how we have been screening to date, all of these newer, essentially, liquid biopsies are intended to use fluid, whether that's blood, urine, or effusions, to try and find a to try and find a malignant diagnosis through those mechanisms.

So they all have pros and cons. They all have different price points. They have different shipping and time delays. So again, I'm not willing to say which one is best. I think all of them have potential. And I actually think many of them will have different use cases as we start to sort through this. Some of them will be used more for true cancer screening and healthy dogs, and some of them, maybe from an oncology perspective, will be more utilized for disease response evaluation and for us to trend those patients a little more utilizing these tests. But I think they're all exciting, and they're all, in my opinion, generally going to be an easier part of our clinical workflow compared to the older methods

In your opinion, what are the most significant takeaways from your lecture on emerging oncology breakthroughs, and why?

: I think the most important part about emerging breakthroughs is that there are breakthroughs. There's a lot about cancer in general, but specifically veterinary medicine that we don't have the answers to. And for me, it's really encouraging that I can design this lecture, frankly, every year and it's new content. There's a lot of startups and a lot of larger companies that are focusing on veterinary cancer, both diagnostics and therapeutics. So to me, the biggest take home is that the industry is paying attention and recognizes the need to push things forward, not a specific breakthrough in and of itself.

There's a lot of cancer for us to both diagnose and to treat, and all the tools that are available to us probably are underserving us compared to the human oncology experience. We've got a long way to way to catch up. So every year we're ticking off a few of the boxes that help us get to the higher level of care that we need to be providing our patients

Articles

Learn more about cancer screening tests, including some of the latest ones, and more in this interview with Zachary Wright, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology).

Q&A with Fetch Faculty: Zachary Wright, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)

The Senior Dog Veterinary Society (SDVS) and veterinary product developer Virbac are collaborating to advance education and awareness of mobility in aging canines, and solutions backed by science for improving outcomes for these patients. The company has been named a “gold-level” sponsor for the society,

 which recognizes Virbac as a key educational and content collaborate for SDVS, according to a spokesperson’s email to 

“Mobility is at the heart of quality of life for senior dogs, especially as they are living longer,” Gio Abruzzini, president and CEO, said in a news release.

 “At Virbac, we are committed to helping senior dogs stay active and maintaining the human-animal bond by providing veterinary professionals and pet owners with products that support joint and muscle strength and endurance.”

Joint conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA) and injuries affect a patient’s quality of life. “We know OA is a degenerative disease, which means that the initial symptoms are not evident to most owners until the dog is much older. So recognizing that when that dog tears their ACL, once they recover from their TPLO, they may not be limping,” Leilani Alvarez, DVM, DACVSMR, said in a recent episode of dvm360’s 

“Any time there is an injury to the joint,…that's the time that you want to intervene. Start your supplementation, make sure you do activity modification to avoid that high impact activity, but make sure they stay active and still moving and walking on a daily basis. Make sure that they're an ideal body weight,” Alvarez continued.

Skeletal muscle atrophy also affects a dog’s quality of life by impairing activity, strength, endurance, and overall health. A highly prevalent canine condition, skeletal muscle atrophy can be caused by a variety of factors that include advanced age, malnutrition, chronic kidney disease, cancer, congestive heart failure, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, osteoarthritis, critical illness, and joint injuries.

According to Virbac, the company’s “clinical innovations” will be brought into the SDVS platform to provide veterinarians exposure to “timely, evidence-based insights about mobility care for senior dogs.” Virbac offers a portfolio of mobility products that includes the joint health supplement Movoflex Advanced Soft Chews and the muscle function support product 

. SDVS brings to the collaboration a network of veterinary professionals and advocates for senior dogs.

The partnership aims to create educational resources, social media content and sponsored events to encourage veterinarians to provide early intervention for mobility issues, help dogs stay active longer, and empower pet owners to make informed decisions regarding canine care, a Virbac spokesperson told 

“Every senior dog deserves a life of health, happiness and comfort,” said Monica Tarantino, DVM, MBA, a founder of SDVS, said in a news release.

 “By joining forces with Virbac, we can elevate the conversation around muscle atrophy, a challenge that has been overlooked for too long, and equip veterinarians with innovative solutions that truly improve the day-to-day lives of aging pets and their families.”

Canine craniodorsal hip luxation: management and treatment.

Virbac and Senior Dog Veterinary Society announce collaboration to advance canine mobility. News release. September 15, 2025.

Alvarez L, Christman A. Looking back at Pet Mobility Awareness Month. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/looking-back-at-pet-mobility-month

Ebert SM, Nicolas CS, Schreiber P, et al. Ursolic acid induces beneficial changes in skeletal muscle mRNA expression and increases exercise participation and performance in dogs with age-related muscle atrophy. 

. 2024;14(2):186. doi:10.3390/ani14020186

Virbac and the Senior Dog Veterinary Society are combining resources to provide innovation, insight and educational resources for the industry.

New partnership aims to advance senior canine mobility

Photo: Adene Sanchez/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock

State and federal officials have confirmed the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain H5N1 in a dairy cattle herd in Nebraska, the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on September 15.

 The detection marks the first known case of avian influenza in the state.

“APHIS is working closely with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to conduct additional on-farm investigation, testing, and gathering of additional epidemiological information to better understand this detection and limit further disease spread,” the federal agency wrote in its announcement.

Genetic testing by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories revealed the virus belongs to the 2.3.4.4b clade and the B3.13 genotype, which have been associated with the current outbreak of H5N1 in US dairy cows. According to the APHIS, officials were able to detect the virus through state tracing and investigation after H5N1 was found in milk samples collected as part of a premovement surveillance required under a federal order issued by the USDA in April 2024.

The federal requirement mandates that lactating dairy cows be tested for H5N1 before being shipped across state lines.

 to mandate that raw milk samples nationwide be collected and submitted to the USDA for H5N1 testing.

Only a small number of H5N1 cases have been detected in livestock this year, although 17 states have experienced bird flu infections since the outbreak started in March 2024.

A veterinarian’s role in bird flu client education

The APHIS said the detection does not affect the safety of the commercial milk supply or pose a risk to consumer health. “The...[FDA] is confident that pasteurization is effective at inactivating H5N1 and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe,” the APHIS wrote.

 “Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption.”

According to the agency, milk from impacted animals is being kept out of the commercial milk tank or destroyed to prevent it from entering the human food supply.

As the fall migratory bird season approaches, the APHIS advises dairy farms to adopt stronger biosecurity measures and immediately report any livestock with clinical signs to their state veterinarian. State veterinarians should also be notified of unusual sick or dead wildlife animals, the agency said.

Clinical signs of H5N1 in dairy cattle include low appetite, decreased milk production, and abnormal appearance of milk, which may be thickened or discolored. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the outbreak has impacted lactating cows the most.

The bird flu threat beyond the herd: Felines in the crosshairs

Still, livestock are not the only animals at risk. Domestic cats and wild feline species are especially susceptible to H5N1. Clinical signs of infection in these animals can include fever; lethargy; respiratory distress; anorexia; reddened or inflamed eyes; neurologic signs such as tremors, seizures, incoordination, or blindness; and death.

“Cats are a really good measure of where bird flu is in the community because they could be serving as sentinels. They could [catch] this virus through hunting outside and eating an infected bird, for instance, or [through] drinking raw milk or eating raw meat,” Deborah Thomson, DVM, founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization One Health Lessons, told 

Recommendations for veterinarians evaluating feline cases of H5N1

Since December 2024, there have been reports of at least 5 raw cat food products that have been suspected or confirmed to be contaminated with H5N1.

 from exposure to the virus through contaminated raw cat food or raw milk.

Last year, avian influenza was also identified in 

“If you suspect that a cat or another patient has H5N1, then it is best to have them in the isolation ward, contact your local public health authority, and ask them what the protocol [is] for that moment. When it comes to bird flu or any other emerging infectious disease, rules can change quite often, so just stay up to date and contact your local public health authority,” Thomson said.

USDA confirms highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy herd in Nebraska. News release. US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. September 15, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-confirms-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-dairy-herd-nebraska

Federal orders. US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. July 30, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock/federal-order

Bautista-Alejandre A. Unpasteurized milk will now be tested in effort to tackle H5N1 in dairy cattle. 

. January 6, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/unpasteurized-milk-will-now-be-tested-in-effort-to-tackle-h5n1-in-dairy-cattle

Avian influenza virus type A (H5N1) in US. dairy cattle. American Veterinary Medical Association. September 15, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza/avian-influenza-virus-type-h5n1-us-dairy-cattle

Bautista-Alejandre A. FDA releases guidance to prevent bird flu risk in cats. 

. December 18, 2024. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/fda-releases-guidance-to-prevent-bird-flu-risk-in-cats

Bautista-Alejandre A. Recommendations for veterinarians evaluating feline cases of H5N1. 

. August 28, 2024. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/recommendations-for-veterinarians-evaluating-feline-cases-of-h5n1

Thomson D, Bautista-Alejandre A. Cats as H5N1 indicators in the community and response steps. 

. August 12, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/cats-as-h5n1-indicators-in-the-community-and-response-steps

McCafferty C. Raw cat food tests positive for H5N1. 

. September 4, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/raw-cat-food-tests-positive-for-h5n1

McCafferty C. Additional cat food company announces recall over H5N1 concerns. 

. March 18, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/additional-cat-food-company-announces-recall-over-h5n1-concerns

McCafferty C. WSDA and ODA identifies raw pet food as source of bird flu infections. 

. February 18, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/wsda-and-oda-identifies-raw-pet-food-as-source-of-bird-flu-infections

Bautista-Alejandre A. Several cat deaths reported following bird flu exposure through raw pet food and milk. 

. January 16, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/several-cat-deaths-reported-following-bird-flu-exposure-through-raw-pet-food-and-milk

Coppock Crossley K. Researchers find avian influenza in New York bobcats. 

. April 3, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/researchers-find-avian-influenza-in-new-york-bobcats

Since the outbreak started in March 2024, dairy cattle in 17 states have been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.

USDA confirms first case of bird flu in Nebraska dairy cattle

This episode is sponsored by Blue Buffalo

On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes Alex Miller, VMD, MS, and Phil Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFP, to the show to talk about some recent progress for awareness and integration of wellbeing in veterinary practices. Throughout the episode, the trio emphasizes the importance of addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, and mental health through positive psychology, veterinary social workers,  and evidence based tools. 

This episode will also share more on the Florida Veterinary Medical Association's Inspire program, which focuses on access to mental health professionals, workplace well-being champions, and more. 

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity

 Well, I love that we're having this conversation friends, because this is what it really should be about. And I want to start talking a little bit about, where are we at with the current state? Phil, you know, how would you describe the current state of well being in veterinary medicine today?

:That's a great question. Adam, and I think it's important for us to remember where we came from, you know, as thinking about 15-20, years ago. Dare I say? When those of us in this room were in vet school, and before is, were we really having these conversations? Were we talking about well being on a systemic level? I mean, we were just starting to talk about, you know, like burnout and maybe a little bit of compassion fatigue and some of these things. But the level in which well being is being is being integrated into veterinary medicine is very heartening. Certainly, it's like watching the news. I mean, there can always be things that, you know, if we get on social media, you know the downsides, but we don't hear about the, you know, the 10 year old kid walking, you know, walking the grandmother across the street. 

You know, in the hard work that many, many people in veterinary medicine are doing day to day to elevate well being in the profession. So I'm very, very bullish on on where we are, where we've come from, and the direction we're going in, because it's not just it's it's not just the passion of the lived experience of veterinarians, but bringing in evidence based tools, bringing in veterinary social workers, mental health professionals, veterinarians who are trained in, you know, in positive psychology and that type of thing, veterinary professionals. So really, really excited about the direction we're going

I would agree with Phil, in the sense that we've come a really long way. It's really easy to look forward and say, here are the gaps of where we want to be versus where we are. But when you think about how the the content that's shared in veterinary magazines and at conferences and and just what the talk on the street is in veterinary medicine, well being is now a household name. Now it doesn't necessarily mean that every solution that's out there is that we've that we've that we've gotten where we want to be. But I think getting over that hurdle of awareness and kind of, I wouldn't say the stigma, is completely overcome, but we're able to talk about these things openly and candidly now. And my favorite sort of indication that we've moved beyond that is I hear less and less of well being referred to as a soft skill. It's probably my least favorite term in veterinary medicine. I'm definitely a stickler for language. So there's all these things in veterinary medicine that I think are named wrong. 

But soft skill, it suggests that it's an afterthought, it's squishy, it's fuzzy, it's cozy. These are things that sometimes get in the way of a busy day when we start to think of these as genuine people skills. And I know Phil and I have chatted a lot about this, it becomes integral to the success of everyone in veterinary medicine, and that's where I think we are. But we can't take our foot off the gas, because we've made a lot of progress, and we can see things, you know, slow down or halt. 

Podcasts

Explore the vital conversation on veterinary well-being, addressing burnout and mental health with Adam Christman, DVM, MBA; Alex Miller, VMD, MS, and Phil Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFP.

Me, we, us: Comprehensible wellbeing

Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology) shares best practices for measuring heart size in veterinary radiology in this interview with dvm360 

Video interview with veterinary cardiologist Lance Visser

 at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), associate professor of cardiology at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Fort Collins, discusses 2 primary ways to measure a patients heart size: vertebral heart size (VHS) and vertebral left atrial size (VLAS). VHS is a traditional length and width measurement of the cardiac silhouette, while VLAS is a newer, left-heart-specific measurement focusing on the width of the left atrium.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity 

Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology):

 Assessing heart size, I think, should definitely involve measurements. I think that's going to be best practice in combination with your subjective or qualitative assessment if the heart looks big, but I think measuring it, particularly if you're not viewing thoracic radiographs regularly, and even if you are, like myself as a cardiologist, we would still recommend measuring heart size on radiographs. So there's 2, I guess you could say main or primary measurements. There are more that are being studied. So...a lot of new measurements coming out. It's kind of a hot topic in veterinary cardiology, if you will. But the main ones with the most literature behind them are the kind of good, old vertebral heart size. That's kind of that length and width measurement of the cardiac silhouette from the right lateral radiograph graphic projection.

The newer one is called vertebral left atrial size. Or we often abbreviate VLAS, V, L, A, S, that's, that is a newer measurement, as I said, and it's more specific to left heart size, which is really what we're most concerned about in these patients. And it's not that vertebral heart size is worse, at least in this context. It's just not necessarily a left heart specific measurement. And they're both pretty simple. They're VHS, or vertebral heart size is kind of that length and width measurement. And vertebral left atrial size is really just measuring the width of the left atrium radiographically. So it uses the carina as kind of a baseline or starting point, and then you're going to measure the caudal aspect of the left atrium at the point where the left atrium intersects with the dorsal border of the caval vena cava.

Videos

Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology), discusses essential heart size measurements as well as highlights best practices for accurate assessments.

Using radiographic measurements to assess patient heart size

April Blong, DVM, DACVECC, discusses clinical signs and what veterinary professionals should look for in these emergency cases.

Recognizing blunt force trauma injuries

When a patient has experience blunt force trauma, what types of injuries should the emergency care team recognize? April Blong, DVM, DACVECC, an associate clinical professor at the Iowa State University Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center in Ames and the medical director at Iowa Veterinary Specialties in Des Moines, discusses some of the obvious injuries as well as less obvious injuries, in a 

Blong presented continuing education (CE) sessions on emergency and critical care at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, where her interview was recorded. These CE sessions presented insights on abdominal and thoracic injuries in blunt force trauma cases as well as identifying and stabilizing possible traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. In this video, she addresses one of the key takeaways from her presentation on blunt force trauma.

Common causes of blunt force trauma in pets

The following is a transcript of the video:

 Lot of times we're looking at things that I would say…[are] maybe the less obvious external injuries. [These] are things like bleeding into cavities. Even if you fracture a bone, you actually have a lot of blood loss. Bones are very vascular, and so we see dogs that come in with multiple fractures and they need blood transfusions, even though they haven't lost a drop of blood externally. We also have to worry about injuries to the chest cavity, so contusions or bruising of the lung, [or] air accumulation outside of the lungs in the chest. And then less commonly we see diaphragmatic hernias, where the abdominal contents are in the chest cavity. Those are some of our more common injuries. And then I think the more obvious ones are things [like] broken bones, lacerations, wounds, that kind of stuff.

Identifying signs and managing triage for a patient in shock