In a slideshow drawn from an on-site dvm360 interview at the 2026 Fetch National Harbor Veterinary Conference, a veterinary oncologist and a veterinary social worker walk through how the role supports owners and staff across a pet's cancer diagnosis, treatment, and end-of-life care.
At the 2026 Fetch National Harbor Veterinary Conference in Maryland, dvm360 spoke with Erika Krick, VMD, DACVIM (Oncology), medical director at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital, and Caroline Cox, MSW, LSW, a veterinary social worker at Mount Laurel, after their session, "Collaborative Oncology Care: Leveraging Veterinary Social Work for Comprehensive Support,” to better understand the role of veterinary social workers and how they can support veterinary teams, clients, and patients throughout the oncology care process.
As Cox and Krick explained, a veterinary social worker's job is to address the human side of veterinary medicine, supporting clients through hard decisions and supporting the care team through the emotional weight of the work.
The 8 ideas above, derived from that interview, outline what the role entails, how it fits alongside the medical team, and how a practice might use it even without a social worker on staff.
Full video interview coming soon.
