Episode 45: Rural Practice and Canine Reproductive Medicine - with Karen Garza

In this episode of The Veterinary Ledger Podcast, host Meghan Bingham talks with longtime colleague Karen Garza about transitioning from a large Houston veterinary hospital to managing Watermark Veterinary Hospital, a small animal clinic in Brenham, Texas.Karen explains how rural veterinary medicine differs from urban practice, from treating working and hunting dogs to managing cases like snake bites, fungal infections, and grass awns. They also discuss the realities of running a small team where managers wear multiple roles and how community involvement helps rural clinics grow their client base.Karen also shares how canine reproductive medicine became a major niche for the practice, representing roughly 60–70% of their work. Services include progesterone timing, frozen and chilled semen storage, breeding procedures, genetic testing, pregnancy diagnostics, and C-sections.