Veterinary Innovation Podcast

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Veterinary Innovation Podcast

The Veterinary Innovation Podcast covers the most interesting, exciting, and controversial topics in the industry today.

11/27/2025

A successful human health biotech founder with a $500M exit just made a full pivot to animal health. Why? 👇

Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak sit down with Todd Zion of Akston to discuss his mission to engineer once-every-six-month treatments for pets with chronic diseases like cancer and dermatitis.

🔬 The Innovation: Akston is applying its protein-engineering platform to create cutting-edge biologics that are significantly cheaper and longer-lasting than current options.
🗓️ The Impact: Imagine treatments that reduce dosing to once or twice a year, dramatically reducing cost and compliance stress for pet owners.
💡 The Insight: Todd shares why the regulatory pathway in vet med is a major advantage for de-risking new therapeutics and attracting investment.

Tune in to learn how this human health expertise is about to redefine the standard of care for chronic disease in pets: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/once-a-year-dosing-the-future-of-pet-therapeutics/

10/23/2025

🤔 How do we give future vets the diagnostic reps they need without stressing a live patient?

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Dr. Nathan Mitchell from SIMON Education Systems.

Dr. Mitchell explains how his company is solving the core problem he faced in vet school: limited, high-stress practice on diagnostic skills like ultrasound.

💡 The Innovation: 3D-printed probes with RFID tags that turn any patient model into a realistic, customizable simulator.
✔️ The Impact: Students can practice for unlimited time on both normal and pathological cases, building confidence without risking a bite, a scratch, or patient discomfort.
⚪️ The Market: This affordable solution is now being adopted by vet schools, undergrad programs, and even for continuous education.

Tune in to learn how simulation is changing vet education bridging the gap between classroom theory and clinical confidence for diagnostics: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/diagnostic-simulations-how-to-get-unlimited-practice/

10/16/2025

What if tracking a pet’s vitals was as easy as laying down a mat?

High barriers to entry have kept continuous pet monitoring out of most practices.

This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak talk with Yale Zhang from Seismi Inc. about the future of effortless monitoring.

Discover how Seismi’s zero-touch mat captures heart and breathing rates with no wires, no setup headaches, and no subscription fees — just reliable data that fits into any clinic workflow.

They explore what makes hardware innovation so challenging, why simplicity wins in practice, and how this tech could transform recovery and at-home monitoring for senior pets and cats.

Tune in to discover how affordable, simple hardware could be the key to better patient outcomes in recovery and at home: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/the-next-generation-of-pet-vitals-monitoring/

10/09/2025

🤔 How can we fight vet burnout and help clinic teams build real wealth?

This week Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Kimball Carr, CEO of Inspire Veterinary Partners, who is pioneering a model built on Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP).

Kimball explains how IVP is disrupting the traditional consolidation model by:
➡️ Giving equity to doctors, technicians, and clinic staff to foster retention and wealth-building.
➡️ Choosing an early IPO for long-term stability and greater capital access, freeing clinics from short-term private equity pressures.
➡️ Investing in infrastructure and growth tools that ensure the success of clinics for years, not just a quick exit.

🎧 Tune in to discover how this innovative structure aims to keep the future of veterinary leadership and ownership in the hands of the professionals who drive care: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/how-employee-ownership-changes-veterinary-care/

09/25/2025

What if your pet’s collar could tell you when they’re not feeling well — before you even notice?

This week on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak sit down with David Teaster from SATELLAI to explore how his team is using satellite technology and AI to transform pet wearables. The conversation goes beyond simple GPS, diving into how these smart collars decode hidden wellness patterns, create virtual fences that are reinforced by training, and empower owners to foster closer, longer relationships with their pets.

Tune in to discover how this innovation is redefining pet safety and well-being: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/why-the-next-generation-of-pet-wearables-is-about-more-than-tracking/

09/18/2025

Artificial intelligence is everywhere in the veterinary conversation — but is it hype, or is it actually helping? 🤔

This week on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome Dr. Sonya Gordon, a professor of cardiology at Texas A&M University. She reveals how AI isn't a threat but a game-changing tool that can help veterinarians work smarter. Dr. Gordon explains how AI is:

✅ Freeing vets from endless medical records
✅ Adding precision to cardiology & radiology
✅ Training the next generation more effectively

Tune in to hear how the future of veterinary medicine is a powerful collaboration between human expertise and smart technology: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/the-adoption-of-ai-in-veterinary-practices/

09/11/2025

Everyone knows cats have 9 lives. But could longevity science unlock 10? 🐱

This week on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak talk with Alex Voda from The Cat Health Company about how his team is building the first clinical-stage company focused on feline longevity. Alex explains how veterinary-first drug development has historically driven pharma innovation, why the longevity field still moves slowly, and how repurposed drugs could accelerate therapies for age-related feline diseases. They explore common and unique aging mechanisms in cats, and what these breakthroughs could mean for veterinarians in practice.

🎧 Tune in to learn how advancing feline longevity could transform veterinary care: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/nine-lives-and-beyond-the-future-of-feline-longevity/

09/04/2025

Are veterinarians truly equipped to meet the needs of senior pets?

While puppy care has clear protocols, older dogs are often managed without consistent standards. This week on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak talk with Dr. Lisa Lippman from the Senior Dog Veterinary Society about how her organization is closing this gap. She explains how CE-certified training and certification programs give veterinary teams the tools to identify different stages of seniority, create proactive wellness plans, and adapt clinics for the comfort and safety of older dogs. The conversation also highlights the use of validated quality-of-life scales to guide care decisions and the importance of supporting owners through anticipatory grief and end-of-life planning.

🎧 Tune in to discover how raising the bar in senior pet care is reshaping veterinary medicine: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/how-to-build-standards-of-care-for-senior-dogs-in-veterinary-medicine/

08/28/2025

How can veterinary clinics cut costs, reduce inefficiencies, and decide where AI really belongs in practice workflows?

This week on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak talk with Joe Chickerillo from Chckvet, a five-in-one platform helping practices replace multiple disjointed tools with one customizable solution. Joe shares how client feedback has guided Chckvet’s growth, what veterinary medicine can learn from dentistry’s digital transformation, and why AI should complement rather than complicate clinic operations.

🎧 Tune in to discover how smarter automation and streamlined analytics are reshaping the future of veterinary technology: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/useful-or-overkill-rethinking-your-clinic-tools/

08/21/2025

What happens when veterinarians leave traditional practice but still need access to vaccines, medications, and diagnostics?

This week on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak talk with Dr. Elianne Mimoun from The Veterkin Society, a virtual animal hospital designed to solve this exact problem. Learn how her membership model empowers veterinarians to care for their own pets and those of loved ones while maintaining autonomy outside of a clinic setting.

🎧 Tune in to hear how this $170 solution is redefining support for over 100,000 non-practicing veterinarians: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/how-independent-veterinarians-can-access-the-same-tools-as-clinics/

08/07/2025

How can veterinarians detect disease before symptoms appear?

This week on the Veterinary Innovation Podcast, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak talk with Dr. Eve Hanks from MI:RNA Diagnostics to explore how AI and microRNA are being used to create predictive diagnostics that personalize treatment and improve outcomes for pets and farm animals. Eve shares her journey from clinical vet to CEO and how her platform is redefining early detection and preventative care.

🎧 Tune in to learn how this cutting-edge approach could redefine preventative care in veterinary medicine: https://veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/episodes/can-ai-and-rna-predict-your-pets-next-illness/

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How it all started...

Shawn: “The idea of creating the Veterinary Innovation Podcast came to me when I was thinking about the veterinary space and how there was a ton of cool and innovative things happening within the industry. I was interested in discussing these things with Ivan to hear his perspective, and as we got into these conversations, we quickly realized these talks might appeal to a broader audience. I’ve been an avid podcast listener for almost six years now. I have always liked the way that podcasts capture thoughts in a very organic and fluid way.”

Ivan: “The veterinary domain is a fast developing industry and has a lot to catch up with human medicine. There are a number of entrepreneurs that are challenging the status quo and solve the pain points in addition their day to day work.

Shawn and I were both blessed with an opportunities to create and exit out of companies and live the full experience of the startups end to end. When considering how to share these conversations, we figured that a podcast would be the ideal medium. We thought this form of communication would resonate with our audience. The goal was to get industry leaders to share their insight in a way that is both informative and fun.”

We are working hard every day to generate new topics and find new guests that you guys want to hear from. We think we’re getting better every episode. We hope you grow with us and tune in for years to come.