Photos courtesy of Schwartzman Animal Medical Center

The author Feliza Lopez, LVT, VTS (ECC), at left, with Rochellie Cortés-Martínez, LVTg, CVT, MBA.

This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme—

Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future

—has given me space to reflect on how identity, heritage, and leadership shape the way we move through our profession. As a first-generation American, I grew up carrying fragments of my Ecuadorian culture but not always the full story of my roots. That experience pushed me to think deeply about identity and belonging, and what it means to create your own sense of heritage while working in a profession where representation is still limited. This reflection continues to influence how I approach leadership, advocacy, and community-building.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve built my career at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC) of New York, where I now serve as senior director of surgery and anesthesia. I am proud to be the first Latinx licensed veterinary technician director at AMC, as well as a veterinary technician specialist in emergency and critical care. I serve on multiple committees and recently accepted the honor of joining the New York State Board for Veterinary Medicine, helping shape the future of our profession at the state level. Along the way, I’ve been recognized with AMC’s Technician of the Year award and have had the privilege of lecturing nationally and internationally.

These milestones are meaningful, but they matter most because they allow me to open doors for others—making space for the next generation of veterinary leaders to see themselves reflected in this profession.

My colleague and new friend, Rochellie Cortés-Martínez, LVTg, CVT, MBA, walks a different but equally powerful path. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Rochellie has always carried a strong sense of identity and belonging. Her journey has never been about searching for heritage—it has been about advancing the veterinary technology profession itself. With more than 15 years of experience in education, leadership, and advocacy, she now serves as director of the veterinary technology department at Universidad Ana G. Méndez’s pioneering School of Veterinary Medicine, where she leads academic innovation, mentorship, and program development. Her focus is on pushing a profession forward—fighting for recognition and support of veterinary technicians in Puerto Rico and beyond.

Where my story has been about piecing together identity, hers has been about elevating a calling that has long been undervalued. Together, our experiences reflect 2 sides of the same truth: honoring the past while inspiring the future.

I was reminded of this during a recent panel on Latinx people in leadership, where I spoke candidly about identity and leadership. I didn’t expect people to cry. And truthfully, it’s uncomfortable when others call me an inspiration—I don’t always know how to hold that. But I’ve come to understand that those reactions aren’t about me alone. They speak to something bigger: the collective recognition of stories that have too often been left untold, and the relief of finally hearing them spoken out loud.

That same collective spirit connects me to the Latin American Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (LAVECCS). Speaking at their conference in Chile last year, I felt the power of our shared heritage across borders. Delivering lectures fully in Spanish was especially challenging, as I had learned the language later in life. But I did it. And in that moment, I felt the weight and pride of bringing my whole self—heritage, language, and profession—into a space where it mattered deeply.

In August, I traveled to Puerto Rico to see Bad Bunny perform his album 

 The concert was a tribute to Puerto Rico, to identity, to place—and to the tension of wanting to stay even when circumstances push you away. 

I couldn’t help but think of my own family’s story. My grandfather, Esteban López, was once a medical student with dreams of becoming a physician. He never got to fulfill that career; instead, he was forced to leave medical school behind and immigrate to the US to start over. My parents continued that journey, becoming US citizens, entering the workforce, and carving out a path that allowed me and my siblings to pursue education and fulfilling careers.

In many ways, my professional life is an homage to my grandfather’s unfinished dream. Although he never became a doctor, I like to believe that every milestone I’ve reached in veterinary medicine—every patient cared for, every lecture delivered, every door opened for others—is part of carrying his legacy forward.

For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is not just a commemoration—it’s a call. A reminder that finding your roots matters, and so does lifting an entire profession onto the stage it deserves. My journey and Rochellie’s may look different, but they meet in the same place: honoring the past, filling the gaps, and building a future where we all belong.

Articles

Reflecting on Hispanic Heritage Month, the author reflects on how identity, heritage and leadership shape veterinary careers.

Collective heritage: Honoring the past, inspiring the future

Advancement in veterinary anesthesia could lead to saving the lives of diving mammals kept in captivity. Darvall, a producer of veterinary anesthesia solutions based in Sydney, Australia, has developed an innovative new ventilator that enabled surgeons to successfully achieve cataract surgery on 2 sea lions at Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary (CCWS) in New South Wales, Australia.

Cataracts are an increasingly common challenge in sea lions, an endangered species, as they are living longer when housed in sanctuaries and therefore develop age-related eye disease. Left untreated, blindness in sea lions can quickly lead to starvation because of the inability to hunt.

The surgeries, performed on Miri (60kg female) and Ozzie (200kg male), were led by an international team of veterinary experts in ophthalmology and marine mammal anesthesia, in partnership with CCWS staff and SeaWorld technical specialists. Both sea lions recovered smoothly, regaining vision and quality of life.

Understanding mechanical ventilator types

The first of its kind in marine mammal anesthesia, the novel ventilator used for the surgeries is compact and portable. It is designed to replicate the unique breathing pattern of diving mammals, and has proved crucial in maintaining safe, stable anesthesia during the complex procedures. According to Darvall, traditional anesthesia systems rely on bulky equipment and high volumes of compressed gas.

“Inhalant anesthetics are potent greenhouse gases, so we do worry about the impact of those gasses in our environment…Even though we think about inhaling anesthetics as being gas or eliminated [into] and affecting the air, [they] do have an effect on the water as well,” Tatiana Henriques Ferreira, DVM, PhD, MSc, DACVAA, said in a 

 at the 2025 North American Veterinary Community SkillShop in Orlando, Florida.

Darvall’s new ventilator is the size of a backpack, and delivers a sustainable solution that reduces inhalant anesthetic use by up to 5 times, lowering both environmental impact and operational cost, according to the company. “Having a system that can both mimic the natural breathing cycle of marine mammals and run independently off bottled driving gas represents a step change. The new ventilator makes these high-risk procedures safer, more sustainable, and far more accessible,” Colin Dunlop, BVSc, DACVAA, founder and CEO of Darvall, said in a news release.

For CCWS, a not-for-profit conservation and education center, the milestone underscores the power of innovation and collaboration. “It was a privilege to be part of a world-first. Cataract surgery in sea lions is a massive risk, but Darvall’s ventilator proved safer, simpler, quieter and more portable than anything we’ve used before. This gives our animals the best chance, and it’s exciting to think this one-of-a-kind machine could help other marine animals around the world,” Tiga Cross, managing director at CCWS, said in the release.

The successful use of Darvall’s ventilator with sea lions represents a breakthrough for veterinary medicine and conservation efforts, according to the company. Company officials surmised that further development and validation of this technology could transform the anesthetic care of dolphins, seals, and other diving mammals worldwide.

Marine animal health secured through landmark sea lion surgery using Darvall ventilator. News release. Darvall. September 25, 2025. September 26, 2025. 

https://gk.news/darvall/press-release/marine-animal-health-secured-through-landmark-sea-lion-surgery-using-darvall-ventilator/

Henriques Ferreira T, Crossley KC. Environmental considerations for inhalant anesthesia. 

. July 14, 2025. Accessed September 26, 2025. 

https://www.dvm360.com/view/environmental-considerations-for-inhalant-anesthesia

Darvall, a producer of veterinary anesthesia solutions based in Sydney, Australia, has developed an innovative new ventilator that enabled surgeons to successfully achieve cataract surgery on 2 sea lions.

Novel ventilator is used to perform eye surgery on sea lions

Dechra introduced the Veterinary Green Theatre Checklist (VGTC), a sustainability tool for veterinary perioperative care, at the 2025 World Congress of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (WCVAA) in Paris, France. The checklist, adapted from the 

, a tool used in human medicine, is designed to help veterinary teams reduce waste and improve sustainability during anesthesia and surgery in equine and companion animal care.

In an announcement introducing the tool, Dechra said VGTC brings together equine and companion animal perioperative guidelines in a checklist with evidence-based content. The checklist was created over the course of 18 months by an “international expert working group” and was independently reviewed by “specialists worldwide.” According to the company, the checklist received endorsements from the following veterinary organizations

Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists

The charity partner of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), RCVS Knowledge

The idea for the checklist came from Lizzie Barker, MRCVS, MBBCh, technical marketing expert at Dechra, who came across the human medical version during her studies. According to Dechra, Barker reached out to specialists at the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and realized there was a demand for a similar tool in veterinary medicine. Thereafter, a cross-specialism collaborative team was created.

“The VGTC is a milestone in advancing OneHealth principles and sustainability in veterinary care,” Barker said in the Dechra announcement.

 “By uniting our profession under a common set of green perioperative practices, we can make a tangible difference for both animal and environmental health.”

According to Dechra, the tool’s launch was one of the main focus points at the 2025 WCVAA, which took place September 15-19.

In a news release, Dechra said it will roll out an internal training and awareness campaign following the VGTC’s launch. The company also has plans to initiate an education project in collaboration with AVA and RCVS Knowledge.

Dechra supports launch of World’s First Veterinary Green Theatre Checklist. News release. Dechra. September 17, 2025.

The tool brings together equine and companion animal guidelines.

Veterinary sustainability checklist for perioperative care is launched

In this episode of Vet Watch, our host Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, welcomes Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, to talk about 

From protection to poison: What went wrong

Moving on to endoparasites, those that kind of live inside of our pets, the American Heartworm Society, states heartworm is considered at least regionally endemic in each of the contiguous 48 states. Thus, all dogs and cats in the lower 48 really should be on prevention. So what are the most common drugs that we use for those and are those safe?

: Yeah, so the most common ones are going to be the avermectins or the macrocyclic lactone. So those are like ivermectin, Moxidectin, in those types of that class of drug usually have a wide margin of safety when they're used appropriately, as prescribed. Typically, what we see more of an issue is becoming the horse paste, the ivermectin horse paste, which is much more concentrated than the dog or cat heartworm preventative, or maybe the owner has dewormed their horse. Maybe the horse spit some of it out. The dog came in and ingested that. Because they were, of course, helping when all of that was going on. Or maybe they're using something for livestock, for cattle, and a very concentrated formula they either gave some orally or placed them along the back to help with that. 

Again, thinking that 1 or 2 drops isn't going to hurt anything, but they're at extremely high concentration compared to what is given for a dog or a cat. And so these are ones that we'll start to see some significant neurologic signs as well. We'll see significant lethargy, ataxia. We can see tremors and seizures in our patients as well. For that, and with those, a lot of times pet owners, they think, you know, a 1.87% concentration for a horse paste, it sounds really low. It sounds extremely low, but we're dosing our dogs and cats in micrograms, and cattle the concentration of 1% which is 10 milligrams per mil. Again, when we're dosing micrograms for that small animal patient, 1 or 2 drops can really be potentially life-threatening.

It seems simple, but looking at the species that it's labeled for is a key thing for pet owners.

Absolutely, if it doesn't show that your species is on the label, specifically, don't use it. Consult your veterinarian first to see if it is something that can be used, especially when we're talking about our exotic pets, our pocket pets. Most labels are going to just talk about dogs or cats or the livestock labels will talk about which, you know, which livestock it's approved for, but certainly check with your veterinarian before giving anything. 

And it's always disheartening to see when somebody gave a product because they were trying to save money, and then they have thousands of dollars in medical bills because of what has happened when they had good intentions, and certainly the best of intentions, for helping that particular animal, but always ask before you before you treat.

Sometimes expensive is cheap and cheap is expensive.

Videos

On this episode of Vet Watch, our host Christopher Lee, DVM, MPH, DACVPM and Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, break down the world of veterinary toxicology, offering essential insights and practical advice for clients pet toxicology consultationand veterinary professionals alike.

The FDA has issued an advisory cautioning pet owners that a sample of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw dog food, made by Arrow Reliance Inc, tested positive for 

), with another sample testing positive for 

 The affected products comprise certain lots of the BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef Recipe for Dogs.

The FDA said it recommended that Arrow Reliance recall the 2 affected product lots. The company reportedly notified customers through a letter about the 

contamination in the 2 lots, but did not mention the 

The FDA noted that Arrow Reliance has not yet provided sufficient proof that the affected lots have been removed from the market. “Although Arrow Reliance may have notified its customers that it is withdrawing the 2 lots for 

, the firm has not yet provided sufficient documentation to the FDA to show that this action has removed the affected product from the marketplace and customers’ freezers,” the FDA wrote in its advisory.

 “Consumers may want to check Darwin’s BioLogics All-Natural and Grain-Free Beef for Dogs products for the affected lot numbers prior to feeding to pets.”

The affected products come in 2-lb white and clear plastic packages with “BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free” written in orange letters. Each package is divided into four 0.5-lb portions. 

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef Recipe for Dogs (Lot 11895; manufacturing [MFG] date: July 29, 2025)

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef Recipe for Dogs (Lot 11826; MFG date: July 7, 2025)

Clients can find lot codes on the front, lower-left corner of each 2-lb package.

The federal agency advises anyone with these products to throw away the food in a secure container and avoid feeding it to their pets or donating it. Pet supplies and surfaces that have come into contact with the food or pet should be cleaned and disinfected.

infection in pets include vomiting, diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea), fever, loss of appetite, and decreased energy levels. Some pets, however, may be asymptomatic but still shed the bacteria in their stool.

is not common, but affected animals may exhibit mild to severe diarrhea; anorexia; fever; nervous, muscular, and respiratory signs; pregnancy loss; depression; shock; and death. Like 

, asymptomatic pets can still transmit the bacteria to humans and contaminate the environment through their feces and saliva.

FDA advisory: do not feed two lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products BioLogics dog food due to Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. News release. FDA. September 24, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-advisory-do-not-feed-two-lots-darwins-natural-pet-products-biologics-dog-food-due-salmonella-and?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Bautista-Alejandre A. Canada faces Salmonella outbreak linked to dog food and treats. 

. September 17, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/canada-faces-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-dog-food-and-treats

McCafferty C. Viva Raw issues voluntary recall. 

. August 26, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/viva-raw-issues-voluntary-recall

The company has not yet provided sufficient proof that affected lots of BioLogics All-Natural & Grain-Free Beef Recipe for Dogs have been removed from the marketplace, the FDA said.

FDA warns of Listeria, Salmonella in Darwin’s raw dog food

Diabetes affects many canine and feline patients, especially senior pets but also younger animals. Type I is more common in dogs while Type II more often affects cats.

interviews, industry experts provided their insights about different aspects of the disease including treatment options, identification of the condition and treatment for it. These videos feature Christopher G. Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (SAIM), CVJ, founder of the education platform CriticalCareDVM.com; Melissa Evans, CVT, LVT, VTS (ECC), owner of Melissa Evans, VTS (ECC): Veterinary Nurse Consulting; and Ellen Behrend, VMD, PhD, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), a consultant at Veterinary Information Network.

Watch the following videos for their insights

Managing feline diabetes mellitus with SGLT2i

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) have been used in human medicine for several years. Recently, 2 specific SGLT2is saw their introduction to feline medicine: Bexagliflozin (Bexacat;Elanco), and velagliflozin oral solution (Senvelgo; Boehringer Ingelheim).

Christopher G. Byers, DVM, DACVECC, DACVIM (SAIM), CVJ, explained how these therapies work to help manage feline diabetes, in an interview with 

. Byers outlined the effectiveness of these medications on cats, and why it can prevent the development of clinical hypoglycemia.

What are the most common diabetic emergencies in veterinary medicine? Melissa Evans, CVT, LVT, VTS (ECC), discussed these endocrine conditions in a 

interview at the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, where she presented a series of continuing education sessions, including one focused on diabetic emergencies.

Evans is an experienced emergency, intensive care unit, and critical care technician with additional experience in shelter, wildlife, and disaster medicine. She is a RECOVER CPR–certified instructor who has worked in referral and specialty hospitals in New Jersey and New York. Evans is also a relief technician for specialty hospitals throughout New York, New York.

A guide to monitoring feline patients on SGLT2 inhibitors

Monitoring feline patients with diabetes on SGLT2 inhibitors requires a different approach from monitoring those on insulin. Ellen Behrend, VMD, PhD, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), outlines what to monitor in feline patients on SGLT2 inhibitors, including when each parameter should be checked.

She also discusses a distinct form of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) seen in patients on SGLT2 inhibitors: euglycemic DKA. In the video, Behrend stresses that when treating this form of DKA, veterinarians must begin with administering insulin, even when blood glucose levels are low.

The prevalence of diabetes in pets. Oak Forest Veterinary Hospital. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://oakforestvet.com/the-prevalence-of-diabetes-in-pets/#:~:text=Diabetes%20continues%20to%20be%20one,many%20cases%20among%20younger%20animals.

In a series of dvm360 interviews, veterinary experts provided their insights about different aspects of the disease including treatment options, identification of the condition and treatment for it. 