What VETgirl says will shape veterinary medicine in 2026

CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: Veterinary medicine’s next wave may be less about a single breakthrough and more about how fast everyday tools are becoming practical. In a February 9, 2026, VETgirl podcast, emergency and critical care specialists Drs. Garret Pachtinger and Justine Lee pointed to four areas they see shaping the year ahead: AI integration, more personalized care, continued growth in urgent care, and more advanced diagnostics. The discussion lands as VETgirl is also rolling out its VETgirl vital app, a mobile CE platform with offline learning, certificate tracking, and community features, and promoting broader 2026 education efforts including VGU 2026 with a dedicated veterinary technician track. That framing casts innovation not just as clinical technology, but also as how veterinary teams learn, specialize, and work. (podcasts.apple.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the takeaway is operational as much as clinical. AI use is already moving into mainstream discussion and practice settings: an AAHA-Digitail survey reported that nearly 40% of veterinary professionals were using AI tools in their workplace, while AAHA has separately hosted CE on using AI to improve care and efficiency. At the same time, companies are pushing AI-enabled diagnostics, including Zoetis’ Vetscan OptiCell hematology platform, and urgent care models continue to expand in markets looking to fill the gap between general practice and 24-hour ER. The profession is also putting visible emphasis on technician development and advanced skills, including dentistry-focused training and specialty pathways highlighted in VETgirl programming. Together, those trends suggest clinics will face growing pressure to evaluate new tools for workflow, triage, diagnostics, client communication, staff training, and team utilization. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Expect more debate in 2026 over where AI and urgent care add the most value, and how quickly clinics can adopt them without creating new training, regulatory, or workflow burdens. Also watch how education and credentialing pathways for technicians factor into adoption, especially in areas like dentistry where advanced team skills can directly affect how new tools are used in practice. (aavsb.org)