VIN EXOT500-1119: Reptile Medicine: From the Wild Set to the Child's Pet

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

Enrollment is closed.
Presenters: Heather W. Barron, DVM, DABVP (Avian)
Sonia M. Hernandez, DVM, DACZM, PhD
Course Open: November 5-December 20, 2019
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Tuesdays, November 12, 19, December 3, and 10, 2019; 7:30-9:30 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

To prepare for your online experience, please review the VIN/VSPN CE informational video prior to the course open date.

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to veterinarians, veterinary technicians/technologists, and veterinary support staff actively interested in captive and wild reptile medicine.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians, veterinary technicians/technologists, and veterinary support staff. This course is approved by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. (RACE 22-38075)

Course Information:
The primary purpose of this course is to provide a basic to intermediate understanding of the principles of care for reptilian wildlife, zoologic collections, and captive pets. The course will include details on the common syndromes and diseases with which reptilian patients present to a clinic, the approach to triage, emergency treatment, basic surgeries, and routine husbandry and preventative medicine. Public health and legal implications will also be covered.

Week 1 (Real Time Session November 12, 2019): General Principles of Reptile Medicine
Presenters: Heather W. Barron, DVM, DABVP (Avian) and Sonia M. Hernandez, DVM, DACZM, PhD
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • discuss the general principles for triage and critical care techniques commonly applied to reptiles.
  • understand how to anesthetize common reptile species; advances in the application of analgesia and antimicrobials in reptiles.
  • recognize emergent diseases in free-ranging reptiles and common zoonoses.
Week 2 (Real Time Session November 19, 2019): Chelonian Medicine
Presenters: Heather W. Barron, DVM, DABVP (Avian) and Sonia M. Hernandez, DVM, DACZM, PhD
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand causes of and therapeutic approaches to trauma in turtles, including both medicine and surgery, and specifically relating to shell fracture repair.
  • understand the nutritional and supportive needs of turtles that have experienced trauma and how to meet them, including assisted alimentation.
  • recognize and diagnose some of the common chelonian infectious diseases and recommend treatment.
Week 3 (Real Time Session December 3, 2019): Saurian Medicine
Presenters: Heather W. Barron, DVM, DABVP (Avian) and Sonia M. Hernandez, DVM, DACZM, PhD
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • recognize and discuss the clinical syndromes and diseases of the most common pet and wild lizard species.
  • understand their nutritional needs and assisted alimentation.
  • learn how to restrain and apply common clinical techniques.
  • understand common reasons for why crocodilians present for clinical care and their basic medicine.
Week 4 (Real Time Session December 10, 2019): Ophidian Medicine
Presenters: Heather W. Barron, DVM, DABVP (Avian) and Sonia M. Hernandez, DVM, DACZM, PhD
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • recognize and discuss the clinical syndromes and diseases of the most common pet and wild snake species.
  • understand their nutritional needs and assisted alimentation.
  • learn appropriate caging, husbandry and preventative care.
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Presenters:
Heather Wilson Barron is Medical and Research Director at the Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island, FL. She received training in exotic and wild animal medicine and surgery through a residency at the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, where she stayed on as faculty in the Zoological Medicine Service for a decade. She obtained further international experience as Department Head of Clinical Medicine at St. Matthew's University, School of Veterinary Medicine in the Cayman Islands, where she was also the veterinarian for the Cayman Turtle Farm and Cayman Wildlife Rescue. She has served as a consultant for IDEXX and Antech Imaging Services and is a former president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

Sonia M. Hernandez is a wildlife veterinarian and ecologist. She is currently an professor in a shared position between the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia. She received training in zoological medicine through a residence at Cornell University (1998-2001) is boarded in zoological medicine and has a PhD in Ecology. She obtained clinical experience as a zoo veterinarian and a private exotic animal and wildlife practitioner. Currently she conducts research to better understand how anthropogenic activities affect the health and disease prevalence of wild animals. She currently teaches various courses on wildlife disease investigation and management and conservation medicine.

Total CE Credit: 8

Tuition: Member $184 ($166 early bird special if enrolled by October 22, 2019)
Non-Member $292 ($263 early bird special if enrolled by October 22, 2019)
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on November 12, 2019 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

To Enroll:
  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Enrollment is closed.

"This program (22-38075) is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 8 CE Credits, with a maximum of 8 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian or veterinary technician/technologist. This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of: Medical, using the delivery method of Interactive-Distance: (Web-based, Teleconference or Audio-Conference). This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements."

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357