The Vet Vault: Fall In Love With Veterinary Science

Is our podcast getting… repetitive?

Honest question.
Lately, we’ve felt a growing tension behind the mic: are we just saying the same things… just with a new guest and in slightly different ways?
Are we actually helping you? (With is after all the point of this podcast)
In this short solo episode, I ask a few questions that I’d love your input on. 
We want to rebuild this with you. This is your invite.

Feedback to [email protected], or at our contact form on the website, or hit me up in the comments on Spotify.

Ever check your payslip… your student debt… your mortgage… and wonder if you’re just treading water?
You’re not alone, and you’re not stuck.
In this episode we revisit one of the most neglected topics in the profession: money.
Hubert sits down with US-based financial adviser Eric Miller to break down the decisions that can actually move the money-needle for employed vets: from budgeting and debt to investing, insurance, and increasing your income. (We do global principles with US specifics)
No jargon. No guilt. Just a clear starting point for vets who know they should have a plan… but haven’t begun yet.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
Why practice ownership isn’t the only route to financial security
The one habit that underpins every solid financial plan
A simple 70/20/10 framework for spending, investing, and enjoying your money
How to handle student debt without letting it control your life
Whether to prioritise debt repayment, investing- or both
The difference between good debt and bad debt (and why it matters)
How automation quietly builds wealth in the background
What young vets need to know about insurance, income growth, and lifestyle creep
And perhaps most importantly:
A more grounded, reassuring view of the profession itself.
Yes, financial pressure is real.
But Eric will convince you that veterinary medicine is still a strong, high-potential career - IF you do it right. 

⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠ for show notes, access to our clinical continuing education content and to sign up for our weekly 'best of the Vet Vault' newsletter, or join us in person at one of our phenomenal Vets On Tour conferences.

Topics and Time Stamps
04:24 Biggest Financial Mistakes
05:42 Budgeting & The 70/20/10 Rule
14:41 Retirement Planning & 401k
24:09 Student Debt & How to Tackle It
26:22 Loan Forgiveness
28:58 Pay Off Debt vs. Invest
31:53 The Debt Snowball Method (it's a good thing!)
33:55 Increasing Your Income
37:44 Constructive vs. Destructive Debt
41:35 Insurance & Health Coverage
44:06 Looking Ahead: The Veterinary Industry
49:45 One Financial Habit for Ne w Grads

We love to hear from you. If you have a question for us or you’d like to give us some feedback please get in touch via our contact or catch up with us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.
And if you like what you hear, please share the love by clicking on the share button wherever you’re listening and sending a link to someone who you think should hear this.

Four years after our original antibiotic myth-busting episode (Ep 60), we’re back with Dr Riati Scarborough to talk antibiotic prescribing habits. This time we’re joined by fellow stewardship expert Dr Laura Hardefeldt, and this time we’re asking the harder question:
Have we actually changed?
The good news? Some prescribing habits are shifting. We’re seeing shorter courses and less ‘just in case antibiotic usage. 
But let’s not pat ourselves on the back too quickly. Because some of our most entrenched habits are still alive and well, like how we treat skin disease, and our ongoing love affair with amoxiclav.
This episode is a practical, clinically grounded update on what the evidence says in 2026 - and how to make realistic changes without compromising patient care.
We cover:
Why skin disease remains the single biggest driver of antimicrobial resistance in small animal practice, and what to do about it
Amoxicillin vs amoxiclav: when de-escalation is not just safe, but smarter
Why convenience (you know the brand we’re talking about right…) is not a clinical indication
Trimethoprim-sulphonamide and the real story on KCS risk
Dentals, heart murmurs, and what prophylaxis actually looks like in 2026
Simple in-clinic stewardship strategies that genuinely shift prescribing behaviour
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress.
If you’d like effective antibiotics to still exist in five to ten years…
This episode is essential listening.

Find out how we can support you in your vet career at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
Grab one last handful of spots in the Maldives for our surf/dive vet conference with ⁠Vets On Tour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Tips and Timestamps
3:03 Progress in prescribing habits including UTI durations and surgical prophylaxis
4:55 Skin disease as the biggest problem area in small animal practice
7:01 Topical therapy versus systemic antibiotics for skin conditions
9:28 Deep pyoderma and the new consensus statement
11:00 Gut bacteria as a source of resistant infections
12:41 Rise of MRSP, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
14:00 Amoxicillin-clavulanate overuse
16:47 Vets on Tour conferences advertisement
18:08 Pharmacology refresher on amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and cefovecin
19:45 Why cefovecin is classified as high importance, vs the convenience argument for cefovecin in cats
22:56 Long-acting amoxicillin injections as an alternative
24:00 Getting amoxicillin back on the shelf
24:53 Communicating antibiotic choices to clients
29:32 Dental antibiotics and debunking the heart murmur myth
34:07 Subclinical bacteriuria and stopping cultures in asymptomatic patients
38:30 Reassessing the dry eye risk of trimethoprim-sulfonamide
41:43 Antimicrobial stewardship trial using colour-coded pharmacy shelves

Veterinary life can feel like a treadmill with no off-switch: 15-minute consults that always run over. Emotional labour no one trains you for. A schedule that swings from slow to chaos - in minutes.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
In this raw and refreshingly real episode, productivity coach Demir Bentley (Life Hack Method) live-coaches GP vet Dr Ray Gates, tackling the uncomfortable truth of veterinary medicine:You’re expected to be clinically excellent… while running on empty.
This isn’t a listicle of “10 productivity hacks.”This is about reclaiming 1% wins that actually work in the chaos of clinical life.
You’ll learn:
Why productivity isn’t about doing more - it’s about protecting your energy
How “chaos as the default” leads to burnout (and how you can change the system, not just yourself)
How to lower your cognitive load and reduce admin fatigue
The art of setting goals that don’t become another source of stress
Small upstream shifts that stop downstream disasters
How to finish a shift and still feel like you
Whether you’re buried in charting, stuck in overbooked consults, or silently wondering if you’re just not “resilient enough” - this conversation will show you another way.
You don’t need another motivational quote.You need practical tools to get your time, headspace, and energy back.
And it starts here.

Raise your hand here to find out more about our AI for clinics Mastermind
Find out how we can help you build you in your vet career at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.
⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.

Topics and Time Stamps
10:56 The problem
23:04 The revenge binge
26:10 Taking back the 1%
35:52 Upstream changes to prevent downstream chaos
41:31 Expectations vs reality
52:05 You are not powerless

Ever feel like your anxiety or fear of failure is just... who you are?
The perfectionism. The overthinking. The constant pressure to “get it right.”
It can feel like it’s wired into your DNA.
But what if it isn’t?
Dr Rod Irwin, vet, former clinic owner and author tells us how who went from panic attacks in an empty vet clinic to a completely rewired life - thanks to neuroscience.
After hitting breaking point, a chance encounter with neuroscience set him on a 15-year journey into neuroplasticity and positive psychology - and ultimately changed how he led.
Together, we unpack how our brains are shaped by past experiences, why vets are particularly vulnerable to negative belief loops, and how we can deliberately rewire our thinking to reduce anxiety, improve performance and build healthier workplace cultures.
We explore:
Why early experiences like bullying and perfectionism hardwire us for burnout
What neuroplasticity actually means, and why this isn't just “positive thinking”
How emotions strengthen or weaken your neural pathways
Dr Irwin’s first 3 practical steps to start rewiring your brain
Why your identity is the key to lasting change
How clinic leaders unconsciously set the emotional tone for the entire team
And how reconnecting to purpose and values can transform your culture
This is a science-backed, practical conversation on mindset, leadership and wellbeing – tailored to the veterinary world.
Because your brain isn’t broken.It’s just wired by experience - and you can change the wiring.
⁠⁠
Learn about all 12 keys here, or here if you're a practice owner, or book a chat with Rod here.
Find out how we can support you in your vet career at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.
Grab one last handful of spots in the Maldives for our surf/dive vet conference with Vets On Tour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Get case support from our team of specialists in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Check out our Advanced Surgery Podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cutabove.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or go all in on surgery with our collaboration with Sydney University's ⁠⁠⁠CVE Surgery Course.