VSPN TECH173-0722: Anesthesia and Emergency/Critical Care Pharmacology for Canine and Felines

The real time sessions for this course will be presented via Zoom webinar platform.

Presenters: Darci Palmer, LVT, VTS (Anesthesia and Analgesia) Courtney Liermann, LVT, VTS (ECC)
Course Open: July 5-August 12, 2022
Real Time Sessions (RTS):Tuesdays, July 12, 19, 26, & August 2, 2022; 8:30-10:00pm ET (USA)   World Clock Converter
Total CE Credit: 6
RACE Category: 6 hours Medical

Enrollment is closed  

Tuition: $132 ($119 early bird special if enrolled by June 21, 2022)
* Students currently enrolled in an AVMA accredited or CVMA approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status).
Prices are listed in US dollars.


Course Information:
This is a four week course designed to walk the participant through the common pharmacological agents used for a patient that requires anesthesia and management in an ICU/ER setting. The first two weeks will cover the anesthesia drug classes used to formulate a balanced anesthesia protocol. The last two weeks will focus on the common drugs used to manage a patient while hospitalized for a specific condition. The pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of each drug class will be discussed while utilizing clinical cases to help highlight important aspects of certain drugs

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:
  • Define the key components of a balanced anesthesia drug protocol.
  • Identify commonly used preanesthetic agents.
  • Evaluate clinical use of preanesthetic agents using case-based discussion to focus on when to use and not use these agents.
  • Discuss the common analgesic options used in a hospital setting as well as analgesics sent home with the owner.
  • Identify commonly used induction agents.
  • Evaluate clinical use of induction agents using case-based discussion to focus on when to use and not use these agents.
  • Identify commonly used maintenance agents.
  • Evaluate clinical application of inhalant and injectable techniques to maintain general anesthesia.
  • Identify cardiovascular medications based on the diagnosis, desired clinical response, and monitoring of such affects.
  • Identify common gastrointestinal medications and their various uses for a variety of ailments.
  • Understand the common decontamination approaches to a toxin ingestion patient, including utilization of common antidotal medications.
  • Recognize the connections and variation of pharmacodynamics of varying drug classes through discussion of an emergent patient.
  • Identify key endocrine emergencies.
  • Identify key immune system related emergencies.
  • Understand drug protocols implemented in the endocrine and immune system emergencies through case-based discussion.
  • Recognize necessary antimicrobial use in the ER and ICU, as well as identify their misuse.
Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate VSPN CE course will be open for enrollment to veterinary technicians/technologists actively interested in feline and canine pharmacology.

RACE Accreditation: This program has been approved for 6 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. (20-913485)

Course Agenda:

Week 1 (Real Time Session July 12): Balanced Anesthesia: Preanesthetic Agents and Analgesic Drugs
During this session we will be discussing a balanced anesthetic protocol and common analgesic agents. We will evaluate the clinical use of preanesthetic agents and when to use and not to use them.

Week 2 (Real Time Session July 19): Balanced Anesthesia: Induction and Maintenance Agents
We will discuss common induction and maintenance agents and evaluate their clinical use. We will also be discussing the clinical application of inhalant and injectable techniques to maintain general anesthesia

Week 3 (Real Time Session July 26): Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Gastrointestinal
During this session we will be discussing cardiovascular and gastrointestinal medications, their uses and affects. We will also discuss the approach to toxic ingestion patient.

Week 4 (Real Time Session August 2): Endocrine, Immunomodulators, and Antimicrobials
This session will cover endocrine and immune system related emergencies and understand what drug protocols are used during these emergencies.

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.

Enrollment is closed.  

Tuition: $132 ($119 early bird special if enrolled by June 21, 2022)
* Students currently enrolled in an AVMA accredited or CVMA approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status).
Prices are listed in US dollars.


*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on July 12, 2022 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.

Enrollment qualifications:
  1. VIN CE Courses:
    1. VIN CE courses are open to VIN member, VIN student member, and non-member veterinarians.
    2. Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. VSPN CE Courses:
    1. VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
    2. Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
    3. Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
  3. Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
  4. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses.
    1. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  5. 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.


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. 792 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

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

VSPN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 792
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