#140: Science vs Profit: Navigating Medicine, Money, and Morals. With Dr Brennen McKenzie 

Join us for the Vet Vault's own conference in the snow: ⁠⁠Vets On Tour Wānaka⁠⁠, New Zealand, 10-15 August 2025!Have you ever felt pressured, as a vet, to do more 'stuff' - diagnostics, procedures, and sell more, even when you can’t quite see the clinical justification for it? In this episode we welcome Dr. Brennen McKenzie-veterinarian, researcher, creator of the SkeptVet blog, author of Placebos for Pets? The Truth About Alternative Medicine in Animals, and all-round lover of science-based thinking. And who better to help us draw the line between solid science and revenue-driven decision making than someone who is known for their scepticism? Dr. McKenzie brings real-world wisdom and refreshing honesty to the debate. Together we explore the often-unspoken pressures of profit-driven care, commission-based pay, and what happens when business incentives conflict with good science. Brennen shares lessons from two decades in practice  on how to use Spectrum of care reasoning to make clinical decisions that respect science, client resources, and the needs of your employer. A must-listen for any vet who’s ever questioned the system—and their place in it.Find out more about Brennen's current work in longevity at loyal.com.Join our community of Vet Vault Nerds to lift your clinical game and get your groove back with our up-to-date, easy-to-consume clinical episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vvn.supercast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Get help with your tricky cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠V⁠⁠isit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thevetvault.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for show notes and resources related to this episode.⁠Subscribe to our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week.Episode Topics and Timestamps08:11 The Shift to Profit Driven Veterinary Practice09:46 A Guide to Evidence-Based Decision Making12:00 Client Communication and Financial Constraints17:31 Spectrum of Care: A New Approach32:15 Overdiagnosis and Screening: A Critical Look39:09 Cognitive Psychology in Veterinary Decision Making42:45 The Power of Checklists in Medical Practice43:18 Balancing Autonomy and Systematic Decision Making45:52 Clinical Audits: Improving Practice Through Data48:36 Intuitive vs. Algorithmic Thinking in Veterinary Medicine51:37 The Pitfalls of Anecdotal Evidence in Veterinary Practice01:07:40 Communicating with Clients About Unproven Therapies01:18:17 Pass Along Question and The One Bit of Advice