The Dr. Molly Says Podcast

Hi friends! This week's episode is a quick one because by the time you're watching this, I'll be in Jamaica! But before I left - I recorded an episode about something a lot of you have been asking about: my new veterinary practice!

I know I've mentioned it here and there, but I've never actually sat down and told you the whole story — how it came to be, what it's going to look like, and why I'm doing this instead of just... not (spoiler: there was a corporate buyout involved, and honestly, that was my sign 😅). 

I give you all the details about some special features in the new practice:
Why our exam rooms have their OWN exterior doors (hint: anxious dogs and achy senior dogs will thank us)
The comfort room - a private space with its own entrance specifically for euthanasia appointments, so families don't have to walk back through the lobby afterward
"The vet bar" - basically a nurse's station meets open pharmacy window, so you can actually SEE the care happening as you walk through

Then we finish off chatting about the real timeline (soft opening tentatively September 1st, grand opening party September 19th — mark your calendars!), hiring updates, and why I believe so strongly in private practice vet med.

If you've ever wondered what actually goes into opening a vet clinic — or you just want to nose around the design decisions with me — this episode is for you!!!!

If you want to see visuals of everything I'm describing, come find me on socials; I'm @drmollysays and the clinic is @thelocalvets. And if you've got questions about the practice, please send them in! I'd love to do a Q&A episode as we get closer to opening.

LOVE YOU GUYS!

Timestamps:
00:00:00 Welcome back + why today's episode is just me
00:04:27 The building, the layout & what our clinic will look like
00:09:57 Design details — porches, the comfort room & full transparency
00:15:32 Opening timeline, hiring updates & the mystery new vet
00:20:52 Private practice vs. corporate vet med (and how you can help)
00:22:00 LOVE YOU GUYS 💛

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Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple:
https://www.youtube.com/@drmollysayspod 
https://open.spotify.com/show/7xmKqrXGPJXpsbDbtCMgfe?si=17148ddc74604cb1 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028

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Follow Dr. Molly:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysays
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysays

Follow the podcast:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysayspod/
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysayspod

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This week on Dr. Molly Says, I’m hanging out with our FIRST repeat guest, Dr. Tannetje Crocker! We’re talking about veterinary medicine, practice ownership, motherhood, social media, and what it’s really like trying to build a business while juggling everything else.

Then we get into YOUR questions…from choosing the right veterinarian and veterinary clinic red flags to dental health, supplements, arthritis, emergency cases, and more. Plus, we talk about how pet owners can better support their veterinary teams and share some of the craziest cases we’ve seen in emergency medicine. 😂

Basically, it’s two veterinarian friends talking about the realities of vet med, business, pets, and everything in between.

LOVE YOU GUYS 💛

00:00 Dr. Tanja Is Back!
04:31 Opening a New Veterinary Surgery Practice
14:15 Answering Your Pet & Veterinary Questions
17:13 The Pros & Cons of Being a Vet Content Creator
23:40 Balancing Motherhood & Practice Ownership
29:31 What Pet Owners Should Ask Their Veterinarian
47:58 Veterinary Clinic Red Flags
56:47 Crazy Emergency Vet Stories
01:02:43 How to Support Your Veterinary Team

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Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple:
https://www.youtube.com/@drmollysayspod 
https://open.spotify.com/show/7xmKqrXGPJXpsbDbtCMgfe?si=17148ddc74604cb1 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028

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Follow Dr. Molly:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysays
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysays

Follow the podcast:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysayspod/
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysayspod

Follow Dr. Tannetje Crocker:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dr.tannetje.crocker 

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This week on Dr. Molly Says, we’re going to vet school! Well… kind of lol. 

We’re doing a Vet School for Pet Owners episode because I firmly believe educated pet parents are the best pet parents, and today, we’re talking about something that every dog and cat owner has probably dealt with at some point: vaccines.

I’m breaking down the diseases we vaccinate our pets against, what those diseases actually do, and why your veterinarian recommends the vaccines they do. Because “your dog needs the distemper combo” is helpful information… but knowing what that vaccine is actually protecting your dog from? Even better.

We get into:
What the infamous distemper/parvo combo actually protects dogs from
Why distemper can be so devastating, including the neurologic form that can show up weeks or months later
Why parvo is basically the absolute worst and why it’s so incredibly contagious
What leptospirosis is, why it’s now considered a core vaccine for dogs, and why it’s not just a “farm dog” disease
The truth about the kennel cough vaccines (and why they don't necessarily prevent every single cough)
Canine influenza, Lyme disease, and which dogs may benefit from those vaccines
The vaccines cats need, including herpesvirus, calicivirus, and feline panleukopenia
Why feline leukemia vaccination is especially important for outdoor cats
Why some vaccines are recommended every year while others can be given every three years

Basically, if you’ve ever sat in your veterinarian’s office and thought, “Okay, but what exactly are you vaccinating my pet AGAINST?” - THIS episode is for you.

LOVE YOU GUYS 💛

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome y’all!!
00:52 Why Pet Owners Should Understand Vaccines
02:01 Dog Vaccines: What Are We Protecting Against?
02:25 Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza & Parvo
03:28 Canine Distemper
08:59 Adenovirus
11:21 Parvovirus
17:00 Parainfluenza & Kennel Cough
8:57 Dog Core Vaccine Schedule
19:41 Leptospirosis
24:10 Bordetella & Kennel Cough
26:01 Canine Influenza
28:13 Lyme Disease
30:07 Cat Vaccines
30:42 Feline Herpesvirus
33:21 Feline Calicivirus
34:34 Feline Panleukopenia
36:25 Feline Leukemia Virus 38:30 Final Thoughts & Vaccine Q&A

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Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple:
https://www.youtube.com/@drmollysayspod 
https://open.spotify.com/show/7xmKqrXGPJXpsbDbtCMgfe?si=17148ddc74604cb1 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028

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Follow Dr. Molly:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysays
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysays

Follow the podcast:
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysayspod/
TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysayspod

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This week on Dr. Molly Says, it’s just me… and we’re talking about one of the most important diseases in veterinary medicine that somehow still manages to be one of the most misunderstood: heartworm disease. I know, I know… heartworms aren't exactly the sexiest podcast topic BUT if you've ever wondered, "Does my indoor dog really need heartworm prevention?" or "Is heartworm prevention actually safe?" or "Can't I just skip it during the winter?"… we're answering all of it.We start with Heartworm 101 (don't worry, I'll make parasites as fun as they can possibly be 🤝). We talk about how dogs actually get heartworms, why mosquitoes are the real villains here, and how these parasites somehow manage to make their way from one tiny mosquito bite all the way into your dog's heart and lungs. (Nature is... honestly kind of terrifying.)Then we get into the questions I hear every single day in practice.* How heartworm disease actually develops* Why your dog can have heartworms for MONTHS before showing any symptoms* The scary complications veterinarians worry about (including caval syndrome)* What heartworm treatment actually looks like... and why we'd all rather prevent it than treat it* How heartworm preventatives actually work (because they don't work the way most people think they do)* Whether indoor dogs really need heartworm medication (spoiler: yes 😅)If you've ever had questions about heartworm prevention (or you've seen one too many TikToks trying to convince you it's more dangerous than heartworm itself) this episode is for you.LOVE YOU GUYS 💛Timestamps:00:00 Welcome back! Why we're talking about heartworm disease01:20 What heartworm actually is03:58 How mosquitoes transmit heartworm07:18 The heartworm life cycle explained11:10 What heartworms do inside the body15:57 Early signs of heartworm disease17:34 Right-sided heart failure & caval syndrome20:13 Wolbachia bacteria & why it matters for treatment22:30 How veterinarians diagnose heartworm disease25:45 Heartworm treatment explained30:39 Why treatment is expensive (and dangerous)31:39 Heartworm prevention myths debunked32:28 How heartworm preventatives actually work34:24 Ivermectin, resistance & prevention options36:30 Why year-round prevention matters37:43 Why your vet recommends annual heartworm testing38:31 Indoor dogs still need prevention39:20 LOVE YOU GUYS 💛---------------------------------------------------------------Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple:https://www.youtube.com/@drmollysayspod https://open.spotify.com/show/7xmKqrXGPJXpsbDbtCMgfe?si=17148ddc74604cb1 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028---------------------------------------------------------------Follow Dr. Molly:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysaysTikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysaysFollow the podcast:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysayspod/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysayspod---------------------------------------------------------------

This week on Dr. Molly Says, we’re taking a little trip down memory lane!!! We’re working hard behind the scenes on the clinic right now (more on that soon 👀), so while we’re in the thick of it, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes with my friend and internal medicine specialist, Dr. Nicole Fein.
We’re diving into everything from what internists actually do to the reality of specialty vet care (plus a few unhinged tangents… obviously).We break down how someone becomes a board-certified veterinary internist (spoiler: years of chaos + 16-hour exams), the types of cases they see all the time (yes… so much poop), and a hot take you might not expect: more diagnostics ≠ better medicine.We also get into:* When it’s actually time to see a specialist* The relationship between pet owners, general practitioner veterinarians, and specialists (it’s a throuple, not a love triangle)* Why some cases should be referred sooner (and what can go wrong when they’re not)* The real cost conversations that need to happen in vet med* Why internal medicine is basically the “everything that doesn’t make sense” specialtyPLUS: Dr. Nicole explains her viral “baby talking patients” videos (yes, including “mouth meat” 💀), we discuss cuteness aggression, and share what really happens behind the scenes at the vet.And of course… we end with Global Pet Expo chaos: piglet parades (aka Frenchies in wagons), influencer pets, and why veterinarians are just trying their best out here.LOVE YOU GUYS 💛Timestamps:00:00:00 Welcome + recording from a hotel bed
00:02:00 What is Global Pet Expo?
00:03:00 Meet Dr. Nicole Fine (internal medicine specialist)
00:07:00 How you become a veterinary internist (aka years of torture)
00:14:55 What cases internal medicine actually sees
00:18:30 Favorite cases (Addison’s, immune disease & emergencies)
00:21:00 What a typical day looks like (and why it’s so communication-heavy)
00:23:00 When should you ask for a specialist referral?
00:26:00 GP vs specialist dynamics (the “throuple” conversation)
00:33:50 Cases that should be referred sooner
00:37:00 Cost conversations & setting expectations
00:39:00 Making specialty care more accessible
00:42:30 Trends in cases + city vs rural vet med
00:46:00 IVDD, surgery vs medical management
00:49:00 Viral baby talk videos explained (yes… really)
00:55:00 Global Pet Expo chaos (piglet parade, influencer pets)
00:59:00 Outro---------------------------------------------------------------Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple:https://www.youtube.com/@drmollysayspod https://open.spotify.com/show/7xmKqrXGPJXpsbDbtCMgfe?si=17148ddc74604cb1 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-molly-says-podcast/id1800302028---------------------------------------------------------------Follow Dr. Molly:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysaysTikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysaysFollow the podcast:Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drmollysayspod/TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@drmollysayspod