Enrollment is closed.

Tuition: $63($57 early bird special if enrolled by May 18, 2023). * 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 proof of student status). Prices are listed in US dollars.

Course Information:
Gerontology is the study of aging. As companion animals age, they undergo changes. These are not disease processes but a decline in reserves and strength and other changes in all body systems, which increases the likelihood of a patient developing disease. This course will help the veterinary technician understand what happens in aging and how to improve the quality of life for the patient and their owner.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to:

• Discuss what happens as animals age.
• Outline where to begin looking at the pet’s quality of life.
• Discuss what physical rehabilitation for the geriatric patient entails.
• Discuss common physical and functional changes associated with aging.
• Understand how chronic pain affects the pet.
• Point out non-pharmacologic therapies that can help the chronic pain.
• Discuss multimodal pain management.
• Discuss the quality-of-life assessment.
• Examine Multimodal Rehabilitation for the Geriatric Dog.
• Discuss Manual therapies that can be used and precautions.
• Explain Hydrotherapy.
• Discuss Geriatric Canine and Feline Activities of Daily Living (ADL).
• Know what muscles and movements are important for geriatric animals.
• Analyze what the objectives are for geriatric patients.

Week 2 (Real Time Session June 15): Quality of Life, Setting Goals, Modalities and Therapies in Physical Rehabilitation plus Environmental Modifications
In this session, we will go further into a quality-of-life assessment, examine multimodal rehabilitation for the geriatric dog, and describe manual therapies and hydrotherapy. We will discuss geriatric canine and feline activities of daily living, muscles, and movements that are important for these patients, and analyze our overall objectives.

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.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on June 8, 2023 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

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. 792 or email VSPNCE. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.