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It’s been an exciting kick off to 2025, especially when it comes to diagnostics and education offerings at Antech. Rapid innovations to imaging platforms, and AI, are making what seemed impossible, possible! With recent diagnostic advances, along with the broadening array of reference laboratory and in-house test options, comes the need for education on how these commercially available tests, and imaging platforms, support veterinarians and their teams, in helping pets (and pet owners) in their clinical day-to-day. 
 
AI-powered radiology interpretation tools, like RapidRead™, ultrasound, CT modality, and other imaging tests, bring many questions, such as what information does the test provide, test availability, reliability, quality and cost, together with turnaround time, and additional support options, e.g. Antech Imaging Services (AIS) consulting. Additionally, veterinarians need to be able to communicate not just imaging results (which can be complex!), but also the why, what, when and how, of the varied imaging options available within their practice. Not only that, but they also need to be able to communicate across the spectrum of pet owner needs to feel comfortable practicing shared decision-making with their clients.  
 
To help understand more about the Antech and VETgirl educational offering and how it helps clinical veterinary teams provide better care, we asked Dr. Michelle Evason (DVM, BSc, DACVIM, MRCVS), our Global Director of Veterinary Clinical Education, to weigh in on what Antech and VETgirl decided to focus on in the 2025 Diagnostic Imaging Certificate program. 

How did you decide on imaging diagnostics as the topic? 

We listened to what vets and their teams were telling us about what they needed to support them in their clinical day-to-day. And time after time, they said, ‘Help with imaging options!’ This ranged from, ‘How do I tell when a dog needs to go to surgery or needs supportive care in cases of a suspected foreign body?’ to ‘The cat is struggling to breathe—is it heart or lungs?’ to ‘Can you help me decide if AI and imaging is right for me and my practice? And is there an actual person (ideally a radiologist) who can help me with the findings? So, and because I really wanted that ‘chatting around the viewbox’ collegial feel to the webinar sessions, we worked with the amazing VETgirl team to build out a certificate program that tried to hit the most pressing questions we, and our incredible Antech Imaging Services (AIS) team, heard most often from vets… AND deliver the sessions in a style that focused on clinical cases. 

Who can complete the modules to earn this certificate?  
Our certificate is freely available online for CE credit for veterinarians and technicians. Antech sponsored this certificate for the whole of 2025, and it’s available on the VETgirl site. 

How did you curate content for the Diagnostic Imaging certificate? 

Dr. Lisa Zeimer (Chief Radiologist, AIS) and I worked to choose the 12 live webinar topics based on our most frequently asked questions from veterinarians- and the ones we remember being puzzlers in clinical practice. With the VETgirl team’s support, we also added in additional content like blogs, videos, and podcasts. 

What content do the modules include? 

The Diagnostic Imaging certificate is made up of 24 educational modules with a mix of webinars, blog posts, and videos, including Five reasons to switch from traditional to digital radiography, Diagnostic Essentials for the Vomiting Dog, Screening and Diagnosis of Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia, Obstruction Ahead: Radiographic Diagnosis of Small Intestinal Mechanical Obstruction, and many more. You can view the full program list on the VETgirl site. 

Why are you excited about the content of this certificate? 

TBH, I wish this program had been available to me in practice! I have vivid memories of standing around the viewbox (or computer screen) with other veterinarians, and trusted technicians, (or just me, myself and I), trying to figure out what clinical recommendations to make- or trying to work with residents, interns and vet students to do the same. We really want to make sure veterinarians feel supported in their clinical day-to-day, and know that they can connect and have resources. Particularly, if (and when) they feel uncomfortable, worried, stressed or alone in practice —like I sometimes remember feeling, especially at 2 a.m. with a super challenging case and an anxious owner! There is support and there are diagnostic options that can help in your day-to-day—even in the middle of the night on an ER shift—and many of us need (and want) help with imaging interpretations and keeping up with today’s imaging innovations. The program and the webinars are meant to help in one’s clinical practice, to raise awareness around available imaging options, and to educate on common clinical challenges- for the whole vet team.

When and how can I put into practice the learnings from these modules in my clinic? 

We designed the modules so you could put these learnings into practice immediately. There are pearls from experts (radiologists, criticalists, and other specialists) on what to do with cats in respiratory distress, how to sort out questions of whether disease is in the heart or lungs, along with ‘needs to know’ for getting started with ultrasound, and even expert positioning tips. Not to mention help with dentistry, oral imaging pathologies, and tips to make decisions based on findings. We even included webinars on exotics, AI, and one on canine orthopedics, because again, these were common requests.

How is diagnostic imaging currently advancing in the veterinary industry? 

It’s been incredible how many changes there have been since I graduated vet school, and even in the last several years, particularly around AI (Artificial Intelligence). I think many of us struggle with how to use these innovations, sort through how they might fit into our practice, and how to best communicate with pet owners. We’ve had a lot of technologic advances at Antech, and that’s true for our imaging offerings also—RapidRead™ is just one example. We understand that with evolving technology comes a need for awareness and education to feel comfortable with the rapid change and how it fits in. I’m excited to offer this program in collaboration with VETgirl. They are a fantastic partner within the Mars family, and we all hope that whoever participates in the program will pass along any feedback and suggestions (negative and positive!). We want our educational support materials to provide what veterinary teams actually need as we all try to deliver on our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS! 

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