A Coffee with Dr. Ayatallah Alshanti — What 40+ Years in Veterinary Practice Taught Him About Small Changes

Interview – Dr. Alshanti Feb 24, 2026

We talked after clinic hours. No agenda. No script. Just coffee and an honest conversation about daily reality in a busy veterinary clinic — and why one small change quietly made a difference. Dr. Shanti has been practicing small animal medicine for over four decades. His clinic handles everything from routine appointments to post-operative recovery and isolation cases. Like most clinics today, it runs under steady pressure: full schedules, fast turnaround, and not always enough hands on deck.

Volkos: Dr. Shanti , how did you even come across the @Volkos treatment & exam box?

Dr. Alshanti: Honestly, we were simply looking for ways to make our days run more smoothly. Nothing more dramatic than that.

Steel trays have always been part of clinical practice. They work, and they are reliable. But every tray requires washing, disinfecting, drying, stacking, and repeating that cycle again and again. On a busy day, that workload accumulates quickly. At one point, someone on the team asked a simple question: What if we did not have to reprocess a tray between every recovery case? That is really where the idea began.

Volkos: And did it actually help?

Dr. Alshanti: More than I initially expected. Per patient, you might save around five minutes. That does not sound significant on its own. But across 10 to 15 recovery cages, that becomes close to an hour per shift, roughly 25 percent of tray reprocessing time. On a day when you are short-staffed, that hour is not trivial.

Volkos: What about infection control – does it actually make a difference there?

Dr. Alshanti: For me, it comes down to predictability.

With reusable trays, safety depends on every cleaning cycle being performed correctly. Every single time, the correct disinfectant, proper dilution, adequate contact time, and no shortcuts increase pressure. We aim for that standard consistently.

With single-use boxes in isolation settings, that variable is removed. You open a new unit, and you begin with a clean environment. That level of predictability reduces uncertainty.

There is also an occupational health dimension that deserves attention. Every reprocessing cycle involves exposure to disinfectants. Skin irritation, respiratory symptoms, and ocular exposure are documented risks in veterinary settings. Organizations such as NIOSH and the Merck Veterinary Manual highlight chemical disinfectants as occupational hazards with long-term exposure concerns.

Volkos: Did you notice anything different with the animals?

Dr. Alshanti: Yes, particularly with cats. Feline environmental sensitivity is well documented, including in the AAFP COOPERATION and @ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines. Steel surfaces are cold, reflective, and can amplify sound. Some cats do not settle easily in that environment.

The boxes provide a quieter and more enclosed setting. We observed that many cats appeared to settle more quickly. Calmer patients require less reactive handling, monitoring becomes easier, and recovery tends to be smoother.

Volkos: How did your team take to it?

Dr. Alshanti: They were appropriately skeptical at first. In clinical practice, skepticism is healthy. Questions such as ‘Will it hold up?’ or ‘Is this necessary?’ are valid and should be asked before introducing change. After a few shifts of use, the questions diminished.

Volkos: What about the environmental side – single-use always raises that question.

Dr. Alshanti: It is a valid question and one that should be considered thoughtfully.

When evaluating environmental impact, one must consider the full cycle. Reprocessing steel trays involves water consumption, chemical disinfectants, energy, and staff time with each cleaning event. The Volkos material, being plastic-free and biodegradable, adds another dimension to the equation. The environmental assessment is more complex than the assumption that disposable equals wasteful.

Volkos: Last question – what would you say to a clinic considering trying it?

Dr. Alshanti: If your team feels stretched, if tray washing accumulates, or if isolation days feel heavier than they should, try it in a focused area. There is no need to overhaul your entire system.

Volkos: Dr. Shanti , thank you so much for your time and for this open, honest conversation. The work you and your team do every day matters — and it’s clear that you think about your patients and your staff with equal care. We’re grateful.

Dr. Alshanti: Thank you. If sharing our experience helps even one clinic operate more smoothly or reduce strain on their team, then it is worthwhile.

If you work in veterinary medicine, distribution, or animal health, what are the friction points in your day?

We’d genuinely like to know – contact us at info@volkos.com – www.volkos.com

© 2026 Volkos — All rights reserved

Sources

AVMA Veterinary Workforce Reports: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/reports-statistics

CDC Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities: https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-and-sterilization/index.html

Merck Veterinary Manual — Occupational Hazards in Veterinary Medicine (chemical exposure section): https://www.merckvetmanual.com/public-health/occupational-safety-and-health/hazards-related-to-environmental-and-infectious-diseases-in-veterinary-medicine

AAFP & ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines (2013) — official download: https://catvets.com/resource/aafp-isfm-environmental-needs-guidelines/

AAFP & ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines — PubMed (peer-reviewed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23422366/