Governmental Affairs Committee Members-Join us to discuss the upcoming legislative session and Veterinary Day at the Capitol-Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
It’s not every day that an entirely new class of vaccine makes its debut in veterinary medicine, but in this presentation we will be examining the next generation of vaccines. RNA particle vaccine technology provides an innovative and exciting way to provide optimal protection for our companion animals. Come learn not only how Nobivac® NXT Canine Flu H3N2 provides next level antibody-mediated and cell-mediated protection, but also to update what we know about canine influenza and why it is vital for pet owners to appreciate the risk this virus poses to their pets.
Join CVM friends for a special times of fellowship and hear how God is making an impact through veterinary medicine around the globe. Dr. Mendoza will share on CVM’s theme of the “Compassion” from Colossians 3:13.
The goal of this lecture is to teach you, the general practitioner, the various dermatology diagnostics, from the minimum database (cytology, skin scrape, DTM) to some of the more commonly used advanced diagnostic tests (biopsy, cultures, dermatophyte PCR, etc.). We will discuss when and why certain tests will be used as well as how to obtain samples for the different diagnostics.
Blocked cats: love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are a common part of small animal practice. It’s easy to get confused by contradictory studies that leave us wondering if prazosin, acepromazine, gabapentin, or nothing is the best approach. Which of the many urinary catheters is best and how long should we leave them in? What about the conservative approach protocol where you don’t use a urinary catheter at all? Should we use NSAIDs? This lecture will walk through the pathophysiology of feline urethral obstruction, the medications we’ve used over the years and which ones are still worth considering, and the pros and cons of urinary catheterization. We’ll also discuss the two extremes: how to manage the limited budget cases and when to consider perineal urethrostomy.
Veterinarians practicing across primary and tertiary care must often provide multiple care plan options for clients, especially when faced with financial limitations. In recent years, recognition has grown around the additional personal and systemic challenges that impact clients’ access to veterinary services for their pets. Additionally, growing bodies of research demonstrate that Spectrum of Care approaches are necessary to provide care that is evidence- and experience-based as well as animal welfare-focused and family-centered. This session will provide a background on today’s Spectrum of Care track, including important new shared terminology, data on gaps in access to veterinary services, and information about national efforts to incorporate new frameworks for practice. At the end of this session you will be able to:
– Define Spectrum of Care, Access to Veterinary Care, Gold Standard, standard of care, and legal vs ethics vs welfare
– Identify barriers clients face in accessing care
– Identify barriers veterinarians face in providing care to pets
– Explore role of the veterinarian in providing a spectrum of care to meet clients’ diverse needs.
– Practice explaining the pros and cons of different care options
During this session we will discuss the basic uses and techniques for different alternative modalities used in equine rehabilitation. Primarily, we will focus on techniques for therapeutic ultrasound, shockwave, therapeutic laser, and massage. At the end of this session you will be able to describe how these treatments work, if they work, and how they can be applied in a clinic setting.
We know that confusion still exists regarding dog and cat import requirements, so let’s get is straight. Hear from state and federal personnel well versed in the various rules!
We will discuss key strategies in early-life management.
This session will detail strategies for equine ocular examination that will enhance ease of seeing lesions, maximize use of common ophthalmic instrumentation, and discuss enhanced diagnostic modalities such as tonometry and ultrasound. We will review the optimal setting for ophthalmic examination, periocular nerve blocks, strategies for a systematic approach, fundus evaluation, diagnostic tests, and ocular ultrasound.
As an accredited veterinarian, one of your many roles and responsibilities is to ensure disease is not introduced or spread among animal populations. Veterinarians providing education about zoonotic diseases is another important responsibility. This can include instituting biosecurity protocols, proper disinfection procedures, and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when working with animals. This module will review concepts that are essential to prevent and control the spread of infectious disease agents.
At the end of this session you will be able to: Take an appropriate history for dermatologic issues, and understand the importance of veterinary nurses in history taking; Discuss the utility, collection technique, and interpretation of each diagnostic tool in dermatology; Describe how to perform an accurate and useful elimination diet trial; Explain the principles of allergy testing and immunotherapy and the need for consistent recommendation of this therapy; Recognize cases of methicillin resistance and how to practice better antimicrobial stewardship; and Describe the importance of early referral in dermatology cases.
Respiratory distress can be one of the most stressful situations to manage. This lecture will offer a practical approach to stabilizing, treating, and diagnosing these patients. There are a multitude of ways to provide oxygen, many of them needing only readily available supplies, and each method has its own pros and cons. The emergency clinician’s mindset when working through the dyspneic patient will be utilized, with the goal of giving the audience tools to make a rapid assessment of the patient and expedite coming up with differential diagnoses. Differentials can often quickly be made based on species, breed, a few physical exam findings, and a brief history. An initial treatment plan can be made based on the most likely differentials, potentially with significant impact. There will be discussion about the best time to do more definitive diagnostic testing such as radiographs. The benefit of thoracocentesis both diagnostically and therapeutically will be emphasized, along with indications for and a review of how to do the procedure. Not eager to keep these cases in your hospital? No problem! We’ll talk about how best to set these patients up for transfer success.
To understand where gaps in access arise and why Spectrum of Care closes those gaps, we first need to understand the influence of our social upbringings, cumulative life experiences, and personal belief systems on our understanding of medicine and the human-animal bond. In this session, you will learn how to recognize and work through your implicit biases and personal ethics in interpersonal and clinical settings. At the end of this session you will be able to:
-Define implicit biases and identify how they influence behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives.
– Identify which elements make up your social identity and explain how they impact your ability to connect with others.
– Examine how your social identity influences dynamics of power and trust with colleagues and clients.
– Define cultural humility and apply the three pillars of cultural humility to veterinary medicine.
Are you using an ECG monitor during anesthesia but are unsure what you’re looking for? Join us for a presentation focused on ECG patterns and arrhythmias commonly seen in the anesthetized patient. We will discuss how to recognize what is expected and what is abnormal. We’ll explore potential causes for various rhythms and look at strategies to determine when and how to treat them.
Veterinary services have seen a significant uptick in MNOSHA Compliance inspections over the past year, resulting in about 80 clinics and hospitals being inspected. During this session you will discover why MNOSHA Compliance is inspecting so many clinics and hospitals and what you can do to help your clinic become more compliant before they come knocking.
Explore nutrition to support the growth and resilience of beef × dairy calves, focusing on practical, research-backed approaches from birth to weaning.
Squamous cell carcinoma, corneal ulceration (simple, infected, melting), corneal stromal abscesses, and immune-mediated corneal inflammatory conditions (eosinophilic and IMMK) are the most common equine corneal disease categories. With rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment, each can be managed most effectively to help prevent blindness and/or loss of an eye. Attendees will learn how to identify and appropriately manage such frustrating conditions to improve patient outcomes and will also learn when to refer cases to a specialist.
As an accredited veterinarian (AV), awareness and understanding of notifiable diseases is crucial to protect animal health, public health, the environment, and to stabilize animal agriculture, the food supply and the economy.
At the end of this session you will be able to: Explain the different mechanisms of cyclosporine, oclacitinib, lokivetmab, allergen specific immunotherapy, and steroids; describe potential problems associated with these therapies; list relevant literature regarding these therapies; and discuss how to adjust each therapy for individual cases.
Ask most people to define shock and the answer will be: hypotension. Shock is actually insufficient oxygen delivery to the tissues, so it is useful to understand the factors that impact oxygen delivery and how the body compensates. Sound stressful? This lecture will work step by step through a flowchart that provides a methodical interpretation of shock, helping to identify what the underlying cause of shock may be to best guide appropriate treatment. Each influencing factor on oxygen delivery will be highlighted by case examples and easy diagnostic tests and treatments. Early identification of shock is key to ensuring prompt intervention to improve patient outcomes. Despite knowing the signs of shock we can still fall victim to ignoring some key warnings, sometimes because we are a little intimidated by the responsibility of caring for these critical patients. What kind of shock is it? How do I need to intervene? Does this patient need fluids, blood, pressors, or will more volume be detrimental? This lecture seeks to lessen some of the stress the clinician will experience when facing a patient in shock by helping them feel more empowered and simplifying the approach to these cases.
Incorporating One Health and understanding the concept of “determinants of health” are critical when assessing a patient and developing a care plan. The physical environment and policy landscape that humans and their animals exist within not only impact the health of animals and people, but also the trust between veterinary professionals and clients. This session will define the determinants of health and describe the impact on health and clinical decision-making. At the end of this session you will be able to:
– Define implicit biases and Identify how they influence behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives.
-Identify which elements make up your social identity and explain how they impact your ability to connect with others.
-Examine how your social identity influences dynamics of power and trust with colleagues and clients.
-Define cultural humility and apply the three pillars of cultural humility to Veterinary medicine.
Whether you are new to capnography or just looking to brush up on your skills, join us for this capnography review. We will discuss what the capnograph can tell us about an intubated patient, how analyze anomalous waveforms, and how to troubleshoot malfunctioning equipment.
During this session, participants learn what types of safety and health hazards have been identified in veterinary clinics and hospitals by MNOSHA and what you can do to mitigate those hazards. Picture of hazards identified will be provided and resources will be shared. There will also be time for questions and answers.
This session walks through a checklist all veterinarians can use to help evaluate the calves and feedlot when lightweight cross calves enter a yard. This preparation will help ensure that the calf, producer and veterinarian are set up for success. We will work through a case study, as well as some nuances particular to diary beef cross calves.
Placement of subpalpebral lavage (SPL) systems are key for patient (and owner) compliance in horses that require numerous and frequent medications or are hard to medicate. Due to the long-flexible catheter they require the use of liquid medications versus ointments. If placed incorrectly, corneal ulcers can result from footplate friction so conscious attention during placement and routing monitoring of line position is important. This session will detail the simple steps for placing a SPL in an upper or lower eyelid, using the SPL, troubleshooting tips, and removal of the SPL once an eye has healed. This treatment system can greatly facilitate equine ocular management to help save horses’ eyes and everyone’s sanity.
After completion of this module, you will be able to:
Awards for Veterinarian of the Year, Distinguished Veterinary Service, Outstanding Faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Outstanding Industry Representative, and Emerging Leader will be presented.
During this lecture, we will dive deep into learning about ways to stay positive while working in the vet field as technicians. We all know Vet Med is in a mental health crisis and everyone talks about how bad it is, but I am here to talk solutions! You will discover how to learn more about yourself in order to better your outlook on life and performance in the vet clinic. We will have fun, share some stories/tips & tricks, and leave with a confident smile!
Various canine dermatology cases will be presented. The cases will begin with patient presentation and history taking, continue through diagnostics, treatment plans, and recheck visits when appropriate. The cases will consist of allergies, infectious diseases, otitis, immune-mediated diseases, and neoplastic conditions.
We’ll walk through real cases where things went wrong to highlight the opportunities to avoid or more successfully treat acute kidney injury (AKI). Familiarity with risk factors for and early identification of AKI will ensure early treatment and avoid risking kidney injury through NSAIDs, dehydration, or anesthesia. We’ll talk about red flags on routine bloodwork, the importance of serial renal chemistries, and how to use degree of azotemia to set expectations for owners. Managing an AKI patient? We’ll talk about the potential benefit of urinary catheter placement for urine output measurement and alternative monitoring strategies that may be more practical, such as frequent body weight, PCV/TP, POCUS, and signs of overhydration. Management of AKI largely involves careful fluid therapy and supportive care. Excessive fluid administration is detrimental in any patient and it is important to resist the temptation to “flush” the kidneys as overhydration can worsen AKI. Wondering when to give antibiotics? Place an e-tube? Send for dialysis? This lecture will cover a spectrum of cases, from the lower intensity cases to knowing how to set sicker patients up for referral success.
All clinical settings have a role in Access to Care and can practice Spectrum of Care; in fact, almost all veterinarians are already part of it! Understanding opportunities to expand your clientele through Spectrum of Care practice is good for business and good for the community, while providing the added bonus in your clinical acumen. This panel will showcase multiple business models that practice Spectrum of Care concepts in ways that meet the needs of the communities they serve. At the end of this session you will be able to:
-Describe differences and similarities among four business models: Spectrum of care, specialized basic care, easy to access, and subsidized care
-Identify the goals of each business model and the specific barriers they aim to address
-Identify advantages and challenges of each business model
Anesthesia impairs the ability of our patients to regulate their breathing. In this lecture, the presenter will discuss risk factors for respiratory complications and anesthetic protocols designed to minimize risk. Case examples will demonstrate how to detect, recognize, and treat respiratory complications before they become life-threatening.
Prescription Platform Vaccines represent a relatively new approach to vaccine licensing under current USDA Guidelines. Brought in as a solution to the need for rapid-response vaccines for emerging diseases and rapidly changing organisms, these products provide solutions in several challenges to animal agriculture. This talk will address (1) the licensing pathways of USDA-licensed vaccines, and where Platform/Prescription Platform vaccines fit into these regulations (2) how these vaccines are implemented in practice, and the requirements for direct input and control by veterinarians in the process and (3) the primary areas where these vaccines have provided solutions to animal agriculture, particularly for cattle, swine, and companion animals. The talk will present both general concepts as well as specific examples of how these vaccines are currently being used in the field.
Uveitis is the most common cause of equine blindness; however, other intraocular issues also exist in horses with varying levels of concern for visual status and globe retention. This session will review iris abnormalities (iris stromal hypoplasia, corpora nigra cysts), uveitis, cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, chorioretinitis, and optic nerve abnormalities with focus on accurate identification and appropriate management strategies.
After completion of this module, you will be able to:
We see a lot of allergic cases in dermatology but we can’t forget about all the other things we may encounter! Not every itchy or alopecic dog has allergies, and these cases can be tricky. At the end of this session you will be able to: Desribe why it is essential to recognize diseases that may mimic allergies; Recognize parasitic diseases, endocrinopathies, non-allergic inflammatory dermatoses, immune-mediated diseases, and neoplastic conditions that may mimic allergies.
A common answer to improving medical quality? Training. Ensuring the team has the skills, knowledge, and experience to do the task is important, however, often the solution is adjusting the system, not the people. Set up the flow such that it is difficult for people to do the thing they shouldn’t do and easy to do the thing they should do. Help nudge them to do the right thing without even realizing it. Remember: the right solution is the one that people will do and people will always choose the easy solution. This lecture will reveal how a full time medical quality doctor approaches her day: from universal themes to specific examples of cheap and easy opportunities to make a meaningful impact. We’ll also discuss how to do a fish bone analysis to figure out contributing factors when there was a patient safety event. Guess what? It’s never just one thing. And it’s almost never the fault of inadequate training. Anxious about navigating patient safety event conversations with the team? We’ll talk about how to create a safety culture and how to make these learning opportunities a win.
Now that we’ve covered the who, what, and why, let’s chat about how. Without changing your clinic’s existing business model, how can you deliver Spectrum of Care to close access gaps right when this conference ends? In this session, we will build on the skills you’ve already learned today (cultural humility, social determinants of health, and structural competency) to help you practice along a Spectrum of Care. These new skills include trauma-informed practices, describing pros/cons of options, record keeping, and connecting to resources. At the end of this session you will be able to:
-Create a communication/care plan for a client/patient by applying concepts of Spectrum of Care
-Define trauma, including identify primary and secondary examples and principles of Trauma Informed Care
-Identify tangible skills that improve clinical decision making in Spectrum of Care practice
This topic will cover k-9 and feline transfusion indications, including contraindications. Different types of transfusion reactions will also be covered. Recommended transfusion monitoring protocols and prevention measures to ensure a safe transfusion. Transfusion dosages with component therapy, and the rule of 1’s will be lectured on. K-9 and feline blood typing, typing methods, crossmatching, and component therapy will be covered. New findings to consider in transfusion medicine, including DAL and MIK.
Dr. Scheftel will share what she has learned about leadership, managing people, and team building over two careers and 40+ years. Participants will be encouraged to join the conversation with their own insights and lessons learned.
Diseases transmitted by ectoparasites represent a critical “One Health” need. Addressing these diseases through vaccination has been challenging, at least partially due to regulatory constraints within the prior frameworks. Despite this, direct vaccination to inhibit tick and fly feeding, as well and thereby limit disease transmission, has been an approach used in other parts of the world for many years. Recenty, two avenues have become available for distribution of vaccines to address this issue, namely regional licensing of “Immunostimulants” to control Texas Cattle Fever tick, as well as the use of Prescription-Platform vaccines for more general tick control. This talk will address current tick-transmitted diseases that are potential targets for this approach, the basic concepts behind how these vaccines work at the molecular level, and finally applications in-use in cattle or under development to address these challenges for companion animals, minor species, and swine.
Though corneal disorders and uveitis are the most common issues that prompt owners to seek veterinary care for their horses, eyelid, orbital, and neurologic issues should stay on every veterinarian’s radar as possible causes of corneal pathology. We will discuss management of various adnexal abnormalities (entropion, ectopic cilia, distichiasis, eyelid lacerations, neoplasia, dacryocystitis), orbital issues (fractures, neoplasia), and neurologic disorders (facial nerve paralysis, Horner’s syndrome). Enucleation considerations and surgical tips will also be addressed for when an eye is irreversibly, blind and painful or simply cannot be saved.
This module provides an overview of the State, Federal and international entities an accredited veterinarian may interact with when creating animal movement forms. It will describe the services each entity provides as well asa give an overview of information that is needed to properly complete various animal movement forms for both interstate and international movement.
Everyone LOVES cat dermatology! For this lecture, we’ll discuss cutaneous reaction patterns in cats. I’ll go through my schedule for one month and compile random cat cases that I think will be helpful for you in general practice including history taking, dermatological examination, diagnostics, treatment plan, and communication points.
Those triaging patients and providing ICU care are vital to identifying which patients need immediate attention. We often forget that a significant amount of information can be determined based on TPR and visual assessment and may miss the opportunity to recognize early signs of shock, leading to poor patient outcomes. Many patients – the tachycardic GDV, the tachypneic congestive heart failure cat – are predictable and straightforward. However, some situations are complicated and challenging to interpret and require more critical thinking. How do you interpret a TPR in a post-anesthetic patient – does hypothermia suggest it needs fluid resuscitation or simply a Baer hugger? Is a heart rate of 140 bpm in a cat a cause for concern? Is this dog’s tachycardia from shock, pain, stress, or a full bladder? Is the hyperthermia, tachycardia, and tachypnea suggestive of stress and anxiety or sepsis? A primary goal of this lecture is to give the team more tools to confidently identify shock and empower them as patient advocates.
The concepts and principles of Spectrum of Care can be implemented at all levels of patient care, from general practice to specialty care, emphasizing the need for open communication. This panel will explore opportunities for collaboration for veterinary providers across primary and tertiary care to share client communication best practices, utilizing data, and care plan consultation. Better patient care is our goal, and collaborative practice can help us get there. At the end of this session you will be able to:
-Explore the role of various levels of veterinary practice in providing a spectrum of care approach to meet clients’ diverse needs and preferences.
-Identify barriers or perceived risks veterinary teams face in providing a spectrum of care approach.
-Explore opportunities for primary and tertiary care providers to collaborate in making care more accessible for pet owners.
When we triage a patient, we must know what to ask, how to phrase our questions, what to watch for, and timing. In this presentation we will discuss the important questions to ask, and how phrasing questions is important to diminish miscommunication, and encourage honesty on the part of the pet owner. We will cover asking sensitive questions, such as drug toxicity for example. I will also list a timeline on how long each part of our triage should take. We will discuss things to watch for while speaking to the owner, as well as knowing what questions to ask based on the presentation of the animal. Having a knowledge base on these things will help streamline our triage, while being thorough and effective.
This interactive session will review the steps to finding the next long-term employee for the veterinary practice. The discussion will begin with marketing strategies aimed at targeting the “elite” candidate pool with desirable traits and qualifications. Once a group of candidates is identified, the audience will dive into the assessment of submitted resumes/curriculum vitae, discussing methods of identification of potential interviewees. The importance of phone and oral communication skills will be explored as well as validity of “working interviews”. Hiring doesn’t stop once the final candidate has been chosen, and the session will end with a discussion of the on-boarding process of new “hires” and ensuring growth and sustainability of the new hire can ensure a long-term benefit to the veterinary practice in increased revenue and optimal working environment for staff and management.
The tendency when problem solving can be to reach for a product. However, digging deeper within an operation or system can reveal management solutions that can save your client money, strengthen your relationship, and establish you as a trusted consultant that provides value. Dr. Joe will outline several case examples that fit this problem solving model in this interactive session.
During this session will work through a number of real life clinical ophthalmology cases. We will examine the client history, discuss appropriate diagnostics and explore treatment protocols.
The focus of this session is primarily on daily protection from biological hazards. A review of more sophisticated levels of PPE used as part of an animal health emergency response will also be covered.