International pet travel is one of those topics that sends both pet owners and veterinary teams into a quiet panic. This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak sit down with Marisa Hoskins, the founder of Paws Abroad Inc., to discuss the growing need for better infrastructure around global pet travel. Drawing on her experience moving internationally with her rescue dogs—a journey that also inspired her book The Adventures of Harley and Kalinda: Harley and Kalinda Go to Thailand—Marisa shares how she's turning a frustrating, high-stakes process into a more structured, manageable workflow for both pet owners and veterinary teams.

The conversation explores why international pet travel creates so much administrative strain for clinics, where the biggest compliance breakdowns happen, and how technology can help reduce errors, improve communication, and make travel planning less overwhelming.

If your practice has ever struggled with travel certificates, shifting regulations, or clients who need guidance on moving pets across borders, this episode offers a practical look at a problem many clinics know all too well.

Learn more about Paws Abroad Inc. Get free early access to the Pawsabroad Vet Portal. Marisa recommends "The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer" by Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker for its insights into proactive pet health and nutrition.

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak chat with Dr. Ragen T.S. McGowan from Petivity powered by Purina about how the brand's Smart Litter Box Monitor provides a voice for cats. They discuss how AI-powered tracking of weight and elimination patterns can alert owners to changes that might indicate early signs of illness, such as FIC or urinary blockage, before they become clinical emergencies.

Dr. McGowan shares insights into Purina's massive research initiative, involving 300,000 data points to create an objective "window" into feline health. This episode is a must-listen for veterinary professionals looking to bridge the communication gap with cat owners and utilize longitudinal home data to improve clinical outcomes and patient welfare.

Dr. McGowan recommends "Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions" by Jaak Panksepp and the TED Talk "Could an Orca Give a Ted Talk?" by Karen Bakker.

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Brendan Baker, founder and CEO of PawthosX, to talk about why the next generation of veterinary tech isn't more tools — its orchestration. Brendan shares how PawthosX acts as an AI-native operating system, coordinating over 45 AI agents to handle scribing, SOAP notes, reminders, and reporting, so clinic teams can reduce the heavy cognitive load by automating administrative tasks and coordinating real-time clinical workflows.

By focusing on "calm" and simplicity, Brendan's vision allows veterinarians to move away from fragmented, legacy tech and return their focus to high-quality patient care.

Learn more about PawthosX. Brendan recommends "Greenlights" by Matthew McConaughey for its perspective on reframing problems as signals and moving toward "green lights" in life and business.

Veterinary medicine has long relied on "snapshots" of health taken during clinic visits, but what happens during the months in between? This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak speak with Eric Humbert, Head of Science & AI at Invoxia, about how wearable technology is helping veterinarians monitor pets more continuously and more objectively.

Eric explains how the Biotracker uses advanced signal processing and AI to track heart rate, respiratory rate, activity, and recovery trend outside the clinic — and how the Biotrack veterinary platform gives clinics a dedicated dashboard to monitor all their patients remotely. From earlier detection of chronic disease deterioration to post-op follow-up and treatment monitoring, the episode looks at how remote monitoring could support more proactive care while also opening new opportunities for client engagement and recurring revenue.

The episode offers a practical look at where wearable data may fit into real veterinary workflows, what still needs to be solved, and why continuous monitoring could become an important part of the future of care.

Learn more about Invoxia. Discover more at Biotrack Invoxia. Eric recommends "Hackers & Painters: Big Ideas from the Computer Age" by Paul Graham for its stimulating ideas on technology, independent thinking, and the power of startups.

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Dr. Asaf Dagan, Chief Veterinary Scientist and Co-Founder of PetPace, to discuss how continuous monitoring is expanding clinical visibility outside the exam room.

The conversation explores how real-time physiological data can help veterinarians detect changes earlier, better understand chronic conditions, and support more informed follow-ups between visits. From pain detection to seizure monitoring, continuous data is adding a new layer to how patients are assessed and managed.

The episode offers a practical look at how these tools are already being used and what this shift could mean for everyday clinical workflows.

Learn more about the PetPace. Dr. Dagan recommends "The Great Equations: Breakthroughs in Science from Pythagoras to Heisenberg" by Robert P. Crease, which explores the 10 most influential mathematical equations in history.

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Sebastian Gabor, co-founder of Digitail, to talk about what the latest wave of AI investment means for veterinary medicine and how this momentum could accelerate the arrival of better, cheaper, and more capable AI tools for clinics.

With visits down across the industry, they discuss how technology can help strengthen client retention, reactivate patients, and build a more connected hospital. Sebastian also shares how Digitail is approaching holistic AI, where each major function in the practice has its own assistant supporting the team's daily work.

They also unpack a practical question many practices are asking today: what should AI actually do in veterinary medicine? From human-in-the-loop workflows that support medical teams to fully autonomous tasks that handle follow-ups and communication, the episode looks at where automation adds value and where humans must remain central.

Learn more about the Digitail. Discover more preventive care insights with "Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity" by Peter Attia. Sebastian recommends "Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter" by Liz Wiseman for leadership and team empowerment.

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome back industry growth consultant and Bird Bath host, Ryan Leech, to talk about what 2026 might look like for veterinary medicine. After the biggest conferences of the year, a few themes kept coming up: vet care affordability, rising salaries, corporate consolidation, and growing pressure on margins.

Ryan challenges the profession to stop searching for a "silver bullet" in AI or telehealth and start embracing the uncomfortable lessons of operational efficiency. From the "Walmart-ification" of vet med to the shrinking middle class of pet owners, this episode is a reality check on the economics of being a veterinarian in 2026.

Learn more about the First 100. Discover more at The Bird Bath. Ryan recommends Huge* If True with Cleo Abram.

In this episode, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Tanika Hall, serial entrepreneur and founder of ZooDoc, to discuss a significant shift in the veterinary industry: the transition from managing overcapacity to needing proactive lead generation. Inspired by her struggle to find care for a sick frog, Tanika built ZooDoc to connect pet parents with trusted professionals, especially those specializing in exotics.

The conversation explores how ZooDoc's B2B2C model supports clinics by providing tele-triage tools, transparent pricing, and flexible financing. As veterinary practices face new economic pressures, Tanika explains why technology should focus on building trust and bridging the gap between clinical expertise and patient accessibility.

Learn more about the ZooDoc. Tanika recommends "All About Love: New Visions" by Bell Hooks.

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome David Nietzke, the Chief Operating Officer at Snout, to discuss a transformative approach to veterinary wellness plans. As veterinary costs rise and visit frequencies decline, many clinics struggle with "legacy" wellness models that create administrative nightmares and delayed cash flow. David shares how Snout has redesigned the experience by financing transactions upfront, ensuring clinics get paid immediately while pet owners enjoy predictable, interest-free monthly payments.

You will learn how removing the financial barrier of the exam fee can skyrocket client compliance and visit frequency. From mapping messy PIMS codes to securing a $110M capital injection to fund clinic payouts, David explains how Snout aligns the incentives of the pet owner, the provider, and the patient. This episode offers a roadmap for any practice looking to transition from reactive care to a thriving, proactive preventive model without the traditional risks of "do-it-yourself" plans.

Learn more about the Snout. David recommends TEDx Talks: "What Being a Veterinarian Really Takes" by Melanie Bowden, DVM

Veterinary clinics are currently facing a market shift where appointment volumes are down, revenues are tightening, and relief staffing has become both expensive and administratively messy. This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak chat with Dr. Andrew Ciccolini, co-founder of Serenity Vet, about a new subscription-based relief management model that replaces 20% transaction fees with a streamlined, flat-fee platform.

Dr. Andrew shares how clinics can use data-driven tools—like profitability calculators, market benchmarks, and Average Check Transaction (ACT) tracking—to ensure relief shifts drive revenue rather than just filling gaps. Learn how to reclaim control of your relief network, reduce administrative burnout, and run a more profitable practice in a shifting economy.

Learn more about the Serenity Vet.

Dr. Ciccolini recommends "Do What Matters Most: Lead with a Vision, Manage with a Plan, Prioritize Your Time" by Rob and Steven Shallenbergers.

Veterinary professionals are masters of the clinic environment, but what happens when the electricity goes out, supplies run low, or a patient is miles from the nearest hospital?

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak connect with Tom Roffe-Silvester from Veterinary Task Force and Exped Vet to discuss the evolution of Expedition Veterinary Medicine. Tom shares how his background in the British Army led him to create specialized training and assurance solutions for the working dog community and humanitarian responders.

Learn how "survival" training — ranging from Arctic operations to tactical first aid — is helping veterinarians reduce burnout by building resilience, adaptability, and leadership skills that are just as valuable in a local clinic as they are in a disaster zone.

Learn more about the Veterinary Task Force LTD. Tom recommends YouTube - William Micklem - the GO! Rules - How to run your own race and thrive in sport and life.