The Itchy and Scratchy Cat

Different categories of feline allergies can be difficult to differentiate from one another.  Understanding the different patterns of cutaneous lesions, response to treatment, and management of secondary issues is important for control.  This lecture will present how to differentiate and perform a diagnostic workup for flea, food, and environmental allergies in cats.  

From tip to tympanum: diagnosing otitis

Managing difficult otitis externa cases in cats and dogs can be challenging, chronic, and frustrating. This lecture will discuss a complete approach to the diagnostic workup of otitis externa including cytology, culture and sensitivity, handheld otoscopy, and video otoscopy.

From ear drops to pills: how to effectively treat otitis externa and media

Choosing appropriate ear cleansers and initial therapeutics can be imperative in defeating micro-organisms. However, systemic therapy can also be used to help alleviate discomfort and treat infection in complicated cases. This is especially true when disease extends deeper than the external ear canal. This lecture will address how to assess the best treatment plan for every type of otitis case from a simple yeast otitis to a resistant otitis media.

Don’t fear the smear (basics of cytology)

Cytology is one of the most important diagnostic tools in dermatology.  A quick, inexpensive test that can be essential in diagnosing and managing various skin diseases.  This lecture will discuss what different findings of cells, organisms and structures may indicate.  Also, techniques for collecting and interpreting cytologies from different anatomical sites will be discussed.

Be A Derm Detective! Case-Based Approach to the Dermatology Workup

Multiple real-world challenging dermatology cases will be presented. Some straightforward, some with a “twist”, to show how avoiding common dermatologic pitfalls and customizing an individualized diagnostic and treatment plan for each case leads to the best outcome.

Room for One More: Introducing a New Dog or Cat to the Household

Introducing new pets to an existing pet household can be a daunting or intimidating task for dog and cat owners, and problems associated with these introductions are easier to avoid than they are to solve once they’ve occurred.  Knowing how to guide your clients through this process will decrease the risk of conflicts and increase the integration success rate for your patients.  This presentation will cover strategies and concepts critical to navigating this process successfully.

More than just a naughty cat: Understanding feline nuisance behaviors

“Not quite a behavior problem, but not exactly well-behaved either…”  Do you have any feline patients that fit that description? Normal cat behaviors aren’t always appreciated, they may be creating discord in your clients’ homes, and they may even be risking the surrender or euthanasia of your patients.  Knowing how to respond to client questions about everyday behavior patterns, efficiently (!), can mean the difference between frustration and enjoyment, and potentially between life and death.

Pitfalls in Socialization

The consequences of insufficient socialization may include behavior patterns such as increased emotionality and a predisposition toward fear and anxiety-based emotional states.  We also know that the process of socialization is about more than “exposure”, and that those social exposures need to be provided in just the right quantity and quality, and at the right time for maximum benefit.  What happens when we miss the mark?  Is it possible to create problems while trying to provide socialization experiences?  This presentation will focus specifically on two such potential problems, traumatic experiences and conditioned arousal, and will outline how these complications may occur and how to avoid them.  

Do You See What I See: Medical Conditions Masquerading as Behavior Problems

Clients frequently report changes in their pet’s behavior to veterinary staff during appointments.  Understanding when to recommend additional diagnostics and when to recommend primary behavior treatment is a valuable skill to have in your tool kit!  This presentation will cover common conditions that may appear to be behavioral in origin, when in fact, they may be occurring due to an underlying medical concern.

Chill out – incorporating conditioned relaxation techniques into behavioral therapy

Tension, stress, and hyperarousal are common obstacles for successful treatment of fear, anxiety, and aggression problems in dogs.  Teaching a dog how to relax, both physically and physiologically, can be a helpful foundation exercise with widespread applications.  This presentation will introduce a variety of ways to condition a reliable relaxation response using techniques that can be applied to many different patient temperaments and learning styles.  Video examples will be provided to illustrate key points that maximize the success of this technique.  Practical applications for incorporating this exercise into treatment plans for a variety of behavioral diagnoses such as noise phobia, resource guarding, and leash reactive behaviors will also be covered.  

Prescribing for separation anxiety

This presentation will walk participants through the process of deciding whether medication use is appropriate for separation anxiety cases, and how to make educated decisions between options. In addition to the use of single pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine and alprazolam, other treatments such as nutritional therapy, supplement use, herbal therapies, and combination therapies will be discussed as time allows.

Bringing the conversation out of the shadows: behavioral euthanasia considerations

If your professional role includes counseling pet owners through consideration of available intervention options for behavioral problems, it is inevitable that you will experience a situation in which the option of euthanasia is on the table for one reason or another. This is a complicated subject, and it is important that the behavior consultant has a solid grasp of the factors that influence this conversation and outcome across various circumstances. Specific discussion topics will include: a discussion of risk assessment and safety, navigating the role of the pet in that specific household, quality of life and welfare considerations, the impact of guilt on caregiver decision making, as well as specific conversation strategies and client support resources.