Veterinary Innovation Podcast

Hosted by Veterinary Innovation Podcast

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

The Veterinary Innovation Podcast covers the most interesting, exciting, and controversial topics in the industry today. Veterinary technology entrepreneurs Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zakharenkov chat with industry leaders and innovators about the biggest challenges they're facing - and how they're overcoming them.

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60 recent

September 10, 2026Episode 32621 min

326 - Dr. Brad Waffa | Truss Vet

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak sit down with Dr. Brad Waffa , a small animal and exotics veterinarian and co-founder of Truss Vet - Veterinary Urgent Care , to discuss the growing need to define urgent care in veterinary medicine. Dr. Waffa explains how Truss Vet fills the gap between overburdened general practices and high-cost emergency hospitals by providing true intermediate care. He shares how Truss Vet's unique operational model helps protect veterinary team members from burnout while delivering exceptional patient experiences. The discussion also touches on how practices can navigate changing market pressures, build strong referral relationships with local GPs, and continuously innovate to support both clinicians and pet owners. Learn more about Truss Vet - Veterinary Urgent Care . Dr. Brad Waffa recommends "The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company" by Robert Iger . He also mentions currently re-reading "The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers" by Ben Horowitz .

August 27, 2026Episode 32519 min

325 - Anthony Gatti | PetPax Co

This week, we speak with Anthony Gatti , co-founder and CEO of PetPax Co. , about how their proprietary SupplaMelts® are fixing one of pet wellness's biggest bottlenecks: administration compliance. Anthony explains how these thin wafers sit above the gum line to deliver microencapsulated active ingredients directly through the oral mucosa, bypassing stomach acid and taking effect within minutes. He discusses how pairing effective formulations with simple, mess-free delivery formats helps pet owners stick to daily preventative routines. From calming anxious pets to maintaining daily oral hygiene, this episode highlights how PetPax Co. is bridging the gap between clinical intent and actual home compliance. Learn more about PetPax Co . Discover more about SupplaMelts® . Anthony Gatti recommends the insights shared in Yo-Yo Ma On Sharing Joy & Finding Connection Through Music regarding shifting mindset from "proving" to "sharing".

August 20, 2026Episode 32421 min

324 - Dr. Jake Rodgers | Rodgers Veterinary Care

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak sit down with Dr. Jake Rodgers, a relief veterinarian and founder of Rodgers Veterinary Care and Vet Buddies, to address a critical flaw in veterinary medicine: breakdowns in care between clinic visits. With 52% of pet owners skipping needed care, traditional discharge sheets are no longer enough to maintain client compliance and continuity of care. Dr. Rodgers explains how Vet Buddies bridges this gap by pairing pet owners with veterinary students under clinical supervision to manage a living medical record and provide ongoing support. You will learn how this relationship-first model provides students with hands-on communication experience, offloads busy practitioners, and creates a scalable framework for independent practice. Learn more about Vet Buddies . Dr. Jake Rodgers recommends "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari .

August 13, 2026Episode 32324 min

323 - Gary Peters | PupPilot

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak talk with Gary Peters , co-founder and CEO of PupPilot , about how AI front-office technology is helping with front-desk understaffing and burnout in veterinary practices. Gary shares how PupPilot manages inbound and outbound calls, texts, and emails using AI voice models and dynamic PIMS integrations built for veterinary teams. He explains why human-healthcare platforms fail in veterinary medicine and how PupPilot's hardware and software make it possible to automate scheduling, post-op check-ins, and website content updates. This episode offers practical insights into how clinics can eliminate phone overload, improve client compliance, and capture lost booking opportunities. Learn more about PupPilot . Gary Peters recommends the YouTube channel and podcast by Dwarkesh Patel .

May 14, 2026Episode 32218 min

322 - Neshmeen Faatimah | Nuzzle Technologies

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak catch up with Neshmeen Faatimah , the founder and CEO of Nuzzle Technologies, Inc. , to discuss how AI-powered simulations are transforming veterinary communication training. After losing her cat during a complex care journey marked by communication breakdowns, Neshmeen set out to solve one of veterinary medicine's most overlooked challenges: teaching vets how to navigate difficult conversations with clients. Nuzzle's platform allows veterinarians to practice realistic case scenarios with AI-simulated pet owners, helping teams improve trust-building, treatment discussions, cost conversations, and clinical decision-making in a low-stakes environment. This episode is a fascinating look at the intersection of AI, behavioral science, education, and the future of veterinary mentorship. Learn more about Nuzzle Technologies . Neshmeen recommends "Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In" by Roger Fisher, William L. Ury, and Bruce Patton , a foundational text on negotiation and alignment that helps reframe vet-client interactions.

May 7, 2026Episode 32120 min

321 - Guilherme Coelho | Maven Pet

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Guilherme Coelho , Co-founder and CEO of Maven Pet , to discuss how AI-powered pet wearables are helping owners better understand their pets' health between vet visits. They discuss how Maven combines sensor data, app-based inputs, and artificial intelligence to build a "digital paw print" for each pet and detect early signs of illness before they become critical. Guilherme explains why the modern pet owner is moving beyond simple GPS tracking in favor of deep health insights that provide peace of mind, especially for pets with chronic conditions. Learn how Maven is changing the conversation in the vet office by empowering owners with continuous data that supports more accurate diagnoses and effective treatment monitoring. Learn more about Maven Pet . Guilherme recommends the Youtube - Head of Growth (Anthropic): Anthropic is automating its own growth for insights into rapid AI scaling.

April 30, 2026Episode 32019 min

320 - Dr. Lisa Beagan | Your Vet Direction

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Dr. Lisa Beagan , founder of Your Vet Direction , to discuss how AI-supported triage can bring more structure, consistency, and safety to veterinary intake. The conversation explores one of the most overlooked risks in practice operations: asking front-desk teams to make triage decisions without the clinical tools or training to do so confidently. Dr. Beagan shares how her platform, Your Vet Direction , helps guide CSRs through the right questions, prioritize urgency, and support better decision-making while keeping humans firmly in the loop. The episode offers a practical look at how structured AI can reduce variability, improve efficiency, and help veterinary practices modernize one of their most critical workflows. Learn more about Your Vet Direction . Dr. Beagan recommends " The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma" by Mustafa Suleyman for its insights on AI guardrails.

April 23, 2026Episode 31919 min

319 - Marisa Hoskins | Paws Abroad Inc

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.

April 16, 2026Episode 31823 min

318 - Dr. Ragen McGowan | Petivity by Purina

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 .

April 9, 2026Episode 31719 min

317 - Brendan Baker | PawthosX

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.