1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 This week, Shawn Wilkie and Dr. Ivan Zak welcome back industry growth consultant and Bird Bath host,&amp;nbsp; Ryan Leech, to talk about what 2026 might look like for veterinary medicine. After the biggest conferences of the year, a few themes kept coming up: vet care affordability, rising salaries, corporate consolidation, and growing pressure on margins. Ryan challenges the profession to stop searching for a &quot;silver bullet&quot; in AI or telehealth and start embracing the uncomfortable lessons of operational efficiency. From the &quot;Walmart-ification&quot; of vet med to the shrinking middle class of pet owners, this episode is a reality check on the economics of being a veterinarian in 2026. Learn more about the First 100. Discover more at The Bird Bath. Ryan recommends Huge* If True with Cleo Abram. Veterinary Innovation Podcast https://www.veterinaryinnovationpodcast.com/ <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/40317175/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ffb400/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/40317175