Small Animal II Track

This presentation will prepare veterinarians to recognize clinical features and risk factors associated with New World screwworm myiasis in dogs, cats, and other companion animals and to distinguish a suspected infestation from more common wound-associated myiases. Attendees will learn appropriate diagnostic, treatment, containment, and reporting steps for a suspected case. This session will also introduce practical strategies for client education, wound management, and prevention in animals living in or traveling to areas where exposure may occur.

This presentation will examine how changing tick distributions, seasonal activity, animal movement, environmental conditions, and emerging pathogens are reshaping tick-associated health concerns in the southeastern United States. Attendees will learn to recognize important established and emerging ticks, connect their veterinary and public health significance across companion animals, livestock, and people, and interpret tick and pathogen findings within the context of regional ecology and surveillance. The session will also identify practical opportunities for veterinarians to strengthen prevention, diagnostic testing, client education, surveillance, and One Health preparedness.

This will be a case-based look at factors that result in mistakes by medical practitioners.  The lecture will evaluate evidence-based strategies for organizations and medical teams to limit those mistakes.  Finally, it will discuss peer-reviewed recovery trajectories those practitioners experience and how to optimize a healthy recovery.

Attendees will gain a practical framework for reading labels: which element carries the most clinical weight, where the guaranteed analysis and ingredient list fall short, and how to compare diets on an energy basis rather than as-fed or dry matter. Learn to separate regulated terms from marketing language, what to ask a manufacturer before recommending its food, and who actually regulates pet food — including why “AAFCO-approved” doesn’t exist.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is one of the most important inherited diseases of dogs. This lecture will review the genetic discoveries that have transformed our understanding of IVDD risk, present the latest information about spinal health screening of breeding dogs, and discuss emerging breeding strategies to improve canine spinal health while preserving genetic diversity. A brief synopsis of current Auburn research into the breeding management of IVDD will be presented and future research directions explored.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this lecture, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the roles of the FGF4 retrogene variants (FGF4L1 and FGF4L2) in chondrodystrophy and IVDD susceptibility.
2. Interpret current evidence regarding the relationship between FGF4L2 genotype, radiographic disc calcification (KN score), and IVDD risk.
3. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of genetic testing and radiographic screening as tools for reducing IVDD prevalence in breeding populations.
4. Discuss the impact of selection for spinal health on genetic diversity using outcomes from the Danish KN-scoring program.
5. Identify emerging research approaches, including whole-genome sequencing for modifier gene discovery, that may improve risk prediction beyond currently available genetic tests.
6. Describe future opportunities for IVDD prevention, including KN screening programs, CT-based spinal scoring in young dogs, and early interventions for puppies identified as high risk.

A structured workup for allergic skin disease that can be performed during a 15-minute appointment

1. Diagnostic process
2. Distinguishing allergies from other diseases with similar presentations
3. Treatment strategy

Skin and ear cytology technique and interpretation, comparing what a general practitioner sees under the microscope with what a specialist would diagnose.

1. Diagnostic techniques
2. Cytology interpretation
3. Next steps

When empirical treatment is appropriate and when culture and sensitivity testing can meaningfully impact treatment decisions.

1. When and why to culture
2. Topical vs systemic treatments
3. Treatment strategy

Interpreting pathology reports and effectively communicating findings to clients.

1. Understanding parts of a pathology report
2. Translating the report into an action plan
3. Communicating results to clients

This session will describe the most common causes of sudden collapse which would appear similar to seizure activity. The five most common events which mimic seizures to be described include syncope, movement disorders, narcolepsy, sleep disorders and neuromuscular collapse. An investigational approach to ruling these out and getting to the bottom of the cause of the seizure activity will be presented.

The drugs available, the side effects and how to use them will be discussed for the management of dogs with difficult to control seizures. Adjunctive alternative approaches will also be discussed.

In this session we will discuss a step by step treatment protocol for emergency seizures in dogs and cats. We will outline what to do if the seizures don’t stop when treated in a standard manner.

We will use a case based approach to describe the clinical signs, work up and potential causes of inflammation affecting the CNS. The treatment of unknown and suspected cases will be dealt with during this session.