VIN MULT309-0719: Topics in Feline Medicine 2019

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

Enrollment is closed.
Presenters:
Jennifer Reinhart, DVM, PhD, DACVIM(SAIM)
Jennifer Woolf, DVM, MS (Veterinary Forensics)
Urs Giger, DACVIM (SAIM), DECVIM-CA (Internal Medicine), DECVCP (Clinical Pathology)
Joe Bartges, PhD, DVM, ACVN, ACVIM(SAIM)
Amy Hinc, VMD, ABVP(Feline)
Alyssa Sullivant, DVM, MS, DACVIM(SAIM)

Course Open: July 23-September 13, 2019
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Tuesdays, July 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27, and September 3, 2019; 8:30-10:30 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate level course will be open to veterinarians actively interested in feline medicine.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians. This course is approved by RACE for veterinarians. (RACE 22-36887)

Course Information:
This course focuses upon extending the participants' knowledge of feline medicine, covering a variety of topics: adverse drug reactions, animal abuse, anemias resulting from non-infectious causes, blood transfusion medicine, urinary obstructions, incontinence, uncommon thyroid disorders, and novel diagnostics in gastroenterology.

Week 1 (Real Time Session July 30, 2019): Common Adverse Drug Reactions in Feline Medicine
Presenter: Jennifer Reinhart, DVM, PhD, DACVIM(SAIM)
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • describe the differences between dose-dependent and idiosyncratic drug reactions.
  • identify clinical situations in which feline patients are at high risk for adverse drug reactions.
  • institute appropriate monitoring plans for high risk patients.
  • institute appropriate treatment plans for feline patients with adverse drug reactions.
Week 2 (Real Time Session August 6, 2019): I Won't See Animal Abuse in Private Practice, Right?
Presenter: Jennifer Woolf, DVM, MS
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand the connection between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence, and why this is important.
  • find the laws relevant to the participant's location.
  • identify common red flags and signs of animal cruelty as it relates to cats.
  • document abuse and neglect of cats in the medical record.
Week 3 (Real Time Session August 13, 2019): To Pee or Not to Pee?
Presenter: Joe Bartges, PhD, DVM, ACVN, ACVIM(SAIM)
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • describe the neuroanatomy and control of the micturition reflex.
  • outline the diagnostic approach to a cat with lower urinary tract signs.
  • identify and compare and contrast different minerals found in feline uroliths and matrix-crystalline plugs and their management.
  • list pharmacologic management of urine retention and urine leakage and their mechanisms of action.
  • describe management of feline urethral obstruction including management after relief of the obstruction.
Week 4 (Real Time Session August 20, 2019): Feline Hypothyroidism: An Uncommon Endocrinopathy?
Presenter: Amy Hinc, VMD, ABVP(Feline)
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • understand the pathogenesis of congenital, adult spontaneous onset, and iatrogenic feline hypothyroidism.
  • recognize the clinical signs of all types of feline hypothyroidism.
  • diagnose feline hypothyroidism.
  • successfully treat and monitor feline patients with hypothyroidism.
Week 5 (Real Time Session August 27, 2019): Feline Anemias Beyond Infections & Feline Transfusion Medicine
Presenter: Urs Giger, DACVIM (SAIM), DECVIM-CA (Internal Medicine), DECVCP (Clinical Pathology)
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Feline Anemias Beyond Infections
    • list the various causes of anemias in cats.
    • differentiate blood loss, hemolytic and no-regenerative anemias.
    • appropriately approach anemic feline patients.
    • propose meaningful tests to reach a diagnosis.
    • manage anemic cats.
  • Feline Transfusion Medicine
    • recognize conditions requiring transfusions in cats.
    • state the major differences between the more common canine versus feline transfusion medicine.
    • assess blood types and crossmatches to assure blood compatibility.
    • determine when and what the specific blood products and volumes to give a patient.
    • recognize transfusion reactions and avoid them.
Week 6 (Real Time Session September 3, 2019): What's New in Feline GI Diagnostics?
Presenter: Alyssa Sullivant, DVM, MS, DACVIM(SAIM)
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • discuss the new diagnostics that are available for diagnosing feline GI disease.
  • recognize the indications and limitations for each diagnostic test.
  • explain how and where to submit each diagnostic test.
  • interpret the results for each diagnostic test.
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:
Jennifer Reinhart received her veterinary degree from the University of Illinois in 2010. Following a rotating internship at Cornell University, she completed her residency training in small animal internal medicine at Kansas State University and was board certified in 2014. She completed her Ph.D. in comparative biomedical sciences and residency in veterinary clinical pharmacology at the University of Wisconsin in 2017. Following this, Dr. Reinhart joined the veterinary faculty at the University of Illinois where she is currently an Assistant Professor in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Her research interests include pharmacogenetics, drug metabolism, adverse drug reactions, and endocrinology.

Jennifer Woolf received her DVM and a Masters degree with a concentration in veterinary forensics from the University of Florida. After veterinary school, she began private practice. She has worked in small animal, feline-only, and emergency clinics, as well as private and public shelter medicine. Dr. Woolf has been working in the field of veterinary forensics since 2010 performing investigations, testifying, consultations, and education, including speaking internationally and publishing articles and a book chapter on veterinary forensics. In addition to her company, Woolf Veterinary Forensics Consulting, Inc., she works with the University of Florida's Veterinary Forensic Sciences program and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and is a member of the board of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association.

Urs Giger is a clinician, laboratory diagnostician, and researcher on hematological diseases, transfusion medicine and hereditary diseases in cats. He and his work are nationally and internationally recognized and he has published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific and clinical articles. He was the recipient of the 2002 WSAVA International Scientific Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2007 International Bourgelat Award from the BSAVA, the 2015 AVMA Excellence in Feline Research Award for outstanding clinical research in feline medicine.

Joe Bartges is Professor of Medicine and Nutrition at The University of Georgia and is a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (small animal internal medicine) and the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. He has over 30 years of experience in research on urinary tract disorders and nutrition and teaching and lecturing in urinary tract disorders and nutrition. He has lectured at over 250 meetings including internationally.

Amy Hinc graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. After completing a small animal internship, she entered general private practice before opening her own feline exclusive practice in 2004. She became Board Certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Feline Practice in 2013. Dr. Hinc currently still works in a feline exclusive practice and is a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network in the Feline Internal Medicine folder. Her inspiration to explore the topic of uncommon but potentially more common than traditionally reported endocrinopathies comes from many client-owned cats but also her own cat with congenital hypothyroidism.

Alyssa Sullivant is a board-certified small animal internist with a teaching and research focus in canine and feline gastroenterology. She is employed by Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and has a 50% clinical appointment in the Small Animal Internal Medicine referral service there. Dr. Sullivant has spoken at multiple conferences, including the ACVIM Forum, and lectures for Hill's Pet Nutrition. She teaches an elective, Advanced Small Animal Gastroenterology, for 4th year veterinary students.

Total CE Credit: 12

Tuition: Member $276 ($248 early bird special if enrolled by July 9, 2019)
Non-Member $413 ($372 early bird special if enrolled by July 9, 2019)
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on July 30, 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 (22-36887) is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 12 CE Credits, with a maximum of 12 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian. 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