Companion Animal ProgrammeWednesday 22 May8am: Ophthalmic examination, tools and tricks - Peter Collinson

What instruments and tools do we really need in our consultation room and car? Which drop, stain, tear teats do I use and when. We will aim to go through our tool chest and see what we really should have and will explain how to most easily use each to get the most information.

9am: Eyelids and adnexa, knocks cuts and infections - Peter Collinson

The very vascular eyelids and adnexa response rapidly and dramatically to acute insults, working though as systematic approach to deter-mine the most likely diagnosis and treatment options. Treated correctly the dramatic presentation can improve equally rapidly.

10.30am: Diagnosis and management of acute corneal ulcerative disease - Kellam Bayley

Diseases of the cornea are among the most common ocular diseases seen in practice. This talk will focus on the accurate diagnosis of corneal ulceration, highlight factors which impact prognosis and discuss in-depth the treatment strategies for the different types of corneal ulcers.

11.30am: Diagnosis and management of acute uveal disease - Kellam Bayley

Uveitis is an important cause of ocular disease, yet it is often an enigma to many veterinarians. In this talk we will discuss the different causes of uveitis, the diagnostic steps and key principles in disease management.

1.30pm: Diagnosis and management of acute glaucoma - Kellam Bayley

The diagnosis and categorization of glaucoma can be quite challenging. This talk will discuss strategies for diagnosing this disease in general practice, along with management options.

2.30pm: Acute vision loss, going towards the light - Peter Collinson

When the lights go suddenly out for a pet, it can be very dramatic for all concerned, here rapid presentation, history, signalment and assess-ment are needed for the best chance of visual recovery. We will work through a couple of more typical cases of acute vision loss.

4pm: Globe and orbital acute issues - Peter Collinson

A suddenly proptosed globe is massively distressing for pet owners and can be quite confronting when you are presented with such cases. Basic first aid advice to owners when they call, and a rapid but systematic approach to the patient gives the best chance of saving both the globe and vision.

4.45pm: Special considerations for anaesthesia and pain management in ophthalmic cases - Kellam Bayley

This presentation will highlight the important considerations for anaesthesia management of patients with ocular disease. Post-operative pain management strategies will also be discussed along with other various topics relevant to optimizing post-operative outcomes.

5.30pm: Happy Hour

7pm: Dinner - Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club, Oriental Parade

Thursday 23 May6.30am: Industry Branch 5km fun run/walk

All proceeds go to the Elizabeth Veterinary Benevolent Fund - established in 1954 to provide financial assistance to NZVA members and their families during difficult times. Today it also provides other support services for NZVA members, such as the Veterinary Wellness Programme and the Mentor Scheme.

8am: Work up of the feline skin patient - Debbie Simpson

When a cat is presented to you for skin disease, what are the first steps in a good work up? This presentation will cover some tips and tricks of what to look for in the history and physical exam as well as how to do basic in house diagnostics and treatment trials which will help get to a diagnosis.

9am: Treatment of the feline skin patient - Debbie Simpson

When a diagnosis has been made what are the best treatments for common feline skin diseases? What options are available and which have the best chance of success? What kind of monitoring do I need to do and is there anything new out there I haven’t heard about yet? This presentation will focus on feline friendly medications to get your cat patients comfortable again.

10.30am: Challenges of managing feline diabetes mellitus - Pru Galloway

Management of feline diabetes mellitus (DM) can be frustrating. Pru will discuss the science (interpreting lab and clinical data) and the art of clinical decision making in feline DM. Learn some practical management tips and how to avoid common pitfalls; then look forward to managing your next case.

11.30am: Feline gastrointestinal disease - Pru Galloway

The clinical presentation for feline gastrointestinal (GI) disease is diverse, from overt vomiting and diarrhoea, to weight loss, or ‘my cat’s just not right’. This talk will use clinical cases to cover tips and tricks for managing feline gastrointestinal disease.

1.30pm: Ultrasonography of the feline kidney - Ben Wernham

Diagnostic ultrasound is the imaging modality of choice in the investigation of feline renal disease. This presentation will detail the ultrasonographic technique and normal anatomy in the feline patient. Drawing on current literature, we will then discuss the expected imaging findings associated with renal and perirenal diseases encountered in practice.

2.30pm: Thoracic radiography in the cat: the identification of acquired cardiac disease and congestive heart failure - Ben Wernham

Thoracic radiography is one of the most commonly employed imaging modalities in the investigation of cats with suspected heart disease and congestive heart failure. In this presentation we will discuss both patient and technical factors that must first be considered before image interpretation can be undertaken. The methodology of cardiac assessment will be discussed, including the limitations of these techniques. Finally, the expected radiographic imaging findings of feline acquired heart disease and congestive heart failure will be presented including a discussion of the comparative imaging presentations between the feline and canine species.

4pm: Feline orthopedics: hard than it looks? - Richard Jerram

4.45pm: Feline urinary tract surgery: an exercise in eye strain? - Richard Jerram

Friday 24 May8am: Companion Animal Veterinarians Branch AGM

9am: “Home-brew” pneumothorax management - Ivayla Yozova

This presentation is an interactive case report covering useful tips on how to manage patients with a pneumothorax in your own clinic. It will focus on initial stabilization, different techniques for chest drainage and how to address the “stubborn” continuous leaks where no thoracotomy is required. The learning goal is to be more comfortable around patients with a pneumothorax and have a few tricks up your sleeve.

10.30am: Abdominal point of care ultrasound - The search for free fluid - Soren Boysen

Abdominal and thoracic focused assessment with sonography for trauma are commonly used as emergency point-of-care ultrasound techniques to rapidly identify underlying conditions and help direct diagnostics and therapy. They have high sensitivity and specificity at detecting abdominal effusion and other pathology, pneumothorax, interstitial and alveolar lung disease, and pleural effusion. Things we commonly see on the emergency and critical care service! Several regional lung ultrasound scanning techniques and focused vascular and cardiac techniques have been validated in veterinary medicine to further identify interstitial/alveolar disease, estimate intravascular volume status, and assess cardiac function. Ultrasound guided techniques also assist in performing diagnostic and therapeutic fluid aspiration as well as placing IV catheters. Through a series of case-based interactive lectures and hands-on training, participants will learn and practice techniques general and ER practitioners should be using on a daily basis! These techniques are easily taught and can mastered with minimal to no prior ultrasound experience!

11.10am: Abdominal point of care ultrasound - Gastrointestinal, motility, gall bladder halo, pneumoperitoneum, urinary bladder volume - Soren Boysen

11.50am: Thoracic point of care ultrasound - Evaluating the pleural space - Soren Boysen

1.30pm: Thoracic point of care ultrasound - Evaluating the lungs - Soren Boysen

2.30pm: Cardiac point of care ultrasound - Basic cardiac views and pericardial effusion - Soren Boysen

4pm: Feline trauma: how is it different to dogs? - Ivayla Yozova

This presentation will cover the particularities of managing the feline trauma patient from initial stabilization and work up, through daily care and discharge. It will focus on common causes for feline trauma and injuries to assess, complications and pitfalls to avoid. The learning goal is to recognize and treat traumatic hypovolemic shock in felines, institute appropriate pain management and overall provide a more “tailored” conservative in-hospital trauma care for cats.

4.45pm: Vascular point of care ultrasound - The caudal vena cava and ultrasound guided vascular access - Soren Boysen