The final Fetch dvm360® conference of 2024 promises to be educational, informative, and inspiring. The event will be held December 6 to 8, 2024, at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, and features more than 120 sessions focusing on a variety of clinical, practice management, and business topics. Among these sessions are presentations that should not be missed. They are as follows: 

All registered conference attendees are welcome to join in celebration of the 2024 dvm360 Veterinary Heroes® program winners at the awards luncheon being held on December 8, 2024, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm PST. This year’s Veterinary Heroes program is supported by corporate sponsor Schwarzman Animal Medical Center and category sponsors Blue Buffalo Natural, MedVet, Banfield Pet Hospital, Thrive Pet Healthcare and PRN Pharmacal. The Class of 2024 inductees have achieved landmark successes within the industry. These 12 winners not only excel in their professional roles, but they are trendsetters whose influence reaches beyond the borders of the veterinary community. They set the standard for the industry while inspiring the evolution of the veterinary profession. 

The following sessions are both being presented in the convention center exhibit hall’s Learning Lounge: 

Craig Fraser, managing director US, Premier Vet Alliance, will present “Creating a Sustainable Veterinary Wellness Routine That Wins Over Clients” on December 6, 2024, from 10:20 am to 10:50 am PST. During the CE session, he will educate veterinary practices on the ideal offerings for their current client base. With more than 16 years of experience in the veterinary business, Fraser will share the secret to keeping business in the clinic while remaining affordable to clients and profitable as a practice 

Sometimes pets are not interested in their food, regardless of how nutritious it might be. Pet owners want to feed their pets foods that they enjoy, but because pets can’t vocalize their taste preferences, it can be difficult to manage. Vicky Ograin, scientific communication senior specialist, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, will host the Lunch and Learn CE session “Palatability in Pet Food: A Blend of Science and Practice” on December 6, 2024, from 12:20 pm to 12:50 pm PST in the exhibit hall. She will cover preference tests, which allow pets to taste samples, deciding for themselves which foods they prefer. The session aims to provide veterinary professionals with the tools they need for effective communication with pet owners regarding transitioning foods and proper feeding practices.

To register for Fetch dvm360 Long Beach and for more information about this event, visit 

Articles

There is a lot to look forward to at the upcoming dvm360 conference in California

Don’t miss these special sessions at Fetch Long Beach

Gianluca Bini, DVM, MRCVS, DACVAA, describes in detail what Sage Pet Anesthesia is and its role in helping veterinary professionals.

Interview with Dr Gianluca Bini

, Gianluca Bini, DVM, MRCVS, DACVAA, explains what Safe Pet Anesthesia is, and how it is providing support to veterinary professionals. With this company, veterinary teams can gain telehealth access to anesthesia consultants to help resolve issues in real time, making anesthesia an easier process for professionals, and a safer one for pets. 

It's an interesting, like, new concept, really. Most people don’t know that something like this exists. So what we do is we offer anesthesia teleconsulting on video call the whole time... We support the general practitioners that so far have never had access to an anesthesiologist being there with them. And we think that this has been kind of unfair on them, and it’s really unfair to the majority of patients that go under anesthesia. The majority of them do go under anesthesia in a general practice setting, they don’t go under anesthesia in academia or in a referral setting. But unfortunately, there’s only a few hundred of us in the US, and you can find us in academia or in very few referral places. Actually, the majority of referrals don’t have an anesthesiologist nowadays. And so that cuts off a bunch of patients from having access to an anesthesiologist.

And so what we do is, you know, we check with the clinic first…we figure out what monitoring they have, what drugs they have. We don’t really revolutionize what they do, we want to work with what [they] have, as long as we think it’s safe for the patient. And then from there on, they can just schedule us for an anesthetic event. They upload the medical record in our system, and then we just show up on the video call, and as long as they have a phone, an iPad, or a laptop, and a WIFI, that’s all they need—so a device with a camera and WIFI—and we can just jump on the call and stay there the whole time, from start to finish.

Videos

Gianluca Bini, DVM, MRCVS, DACVAA, provides insight into his new business, and how it helps veterinary professionals that are putting patients under anesthesia

Introducing Safe Pet Anesthesia 

Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC talks about the goals of his lecture on behavioral euthanasia that he presented at the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Behavioral euthanasia conversations

 delivers expert-led veterinary continuing education on your schedule. With 

, you can access top-tier sessions anytime, anywhere—whether at home, in the clinic, or on the go. Ready to earn CE credits? Watch this session and more on 

 during the Fetch dvm360 Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Christopher Pachel, DVM, DACVB, CABC, owner and lead clinician of Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon, talked about what his lecture “Behavioral Euthanasia Considerations: Bringing the Conversation Out of the Shadows” dealt with. In this interview, Pachel explained that his lecture aims to tackle the subject of behavioral euthanasia to give veterinary professionals a better understanding this complex topic.

So the topic about behavioral euthanasia really covers a conversation that we've really not spent a lot of time on over the years; really thinking about all of the complexities of that unique issue, differentiating how behavioral euthanasia considerations are somewhat different than those for the euthanasia for other medical concerns, and also thinking about some of the weight that our teams carry when performing or choosing not to perform those procedures.

A new clinical study from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine found that famciclovir, an antiviral medication for feline herpes, speeds up recovery in kittens suffering from infectious upper respiratory disease (IURD) and may help mitigate corneal disease in some kittens.

“…IURD is a common and major health problem for kittens worldwide, especially those housed in multi-cat environments, such as animal shelters, rescue groups and breeding catteries,” wrote the study’s authors.

The main pathogens responsible for IURD in cats are feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), feline calcivirus (FCV), 

 In environments with multiple cats, methods like quarantine, reduced crowding, and vaccination are used to control IURD. However, these have their drawbacks, as quarantining can take up time, resources, and space; and reduced crowding may call for revisions in shelter policies related to animal admissions and euthanasia. Additionally, kittens aged less than 4 weeks may face challenges when it comes to vaccinations, as vaccinations are generally not recommended for feline patients less than 4 week of age.

Another treatment method for IURD is the antibiotic doxycycline, which is frequently prescribed due to its effectiveness against 

, along with several other typical respiratory bacterial infections.

 According to the study’s authors, this antibiotic is often favored over azithromycin and topical treatments specifically for 

The study by UC Davis researchers explored the effects of adding famciclovir to doxycycline in a cohort of 373 kittens suffering from ocular disorders linked to IURD. The kittens were divided into 3 age groups and categorized based on the severity of their condition—mild or severe.

Over a 3-week period, the kittens were randomly assigned to receive either doxycycline along with a placebo or doxycycline in combination with famciclovir. Results indicated that kittens with mild disease who received famciclovir achieved full recovery 4 to 5 days sooner than those treated with doxycycline alone. Moreover, fewer kittens receiving famciclovir developed corneal disease.

The study's large sample size may also pave the way to further research opportunities, according to a university release.

 “Because we had so many kittens and looked at their growth every day, we noticed potential for side projects,” Karen M Vernau, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology), lead author of the study, said in the release. “Some of these kittens had hypothyroidism, ringworm, and other conditions we can study.”

In the release, Vernau commended the Orphan Kitten Project, which is run by veterinary students at UC Davis, and YOLO County SPCA for taking initiative to maintain the project on foot during the COVID-19 pandemic when shelters’, rescues’, and fosters’ ability to care for animals was affected.

“With many shelters closed during that time, those two groups did a tremendous amount of work caring for an overabundance of homeless kittens,” expressed Vernau in the release.

 “This clinical trial could have easily been shut down, but the school’s partnerships with these rescues, as well as animal-focused organizations like Maddie’s Fund and the Orphan Kitten Club, were paramount in completing this study. I’m so proud of these teams working together to make it happen.”

Min E. Antiviral discovered to speed recovery and reduce corneal disease in kittens with herpesvirus. News release. UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. November 1, 2024. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/antiviral-discovered-speed-recovery-and-reduce-corneal-disease-kittens-herpesvirus#:~:text=A%20recent%20clinical%20trial%20conducted,upper%20respiratory%20disease%20(IURD).

Vernau KM, Kim S, Thomasy SM, et al. Doxycycline with or without famciclovir for infectious ophthalmic and respiratory disease: A prospective, randomized, masked, placebo-controlled trial in 373 Kittens. 

. 2024;26(11). doi:10.1177/1098612x241278413

Researchers found famciclovir decreases recovery time in kittens with infectious upper respiratory disease and may reduce corneal disease

Antiviral medication for feline herpes accelerates recovery in kittens with upper respiratory disease

Synchrony recently released its Veterinary Specialty Care study, which is an extension of the Synchrony Lifetime of Care study, to better understand the relationships between clients and specialists. The study also took a deep dive into the role that primary care veterinarians have within the referral process for specialist.

 72% of pet parents are very/extremely concerned about the financial implications of the costs of care for their pet at the specialty clinic as they are with the potential outcome of their pet. The study also found among these pet parents, half would be stressed by a bill for specialty care of up to $1000, and 81% would be stressed if the bill increased to $2500.

 The study also found that half of those within this study stated they explored payment options prior to seeking specialty care and 38% researched costs.

“Both specialty and primary care veterinarians have witnessed the stress pet parents have about the cost of care and the anxiety of balancing their financial realities with their pet’s medical needs,” said Amanda L. Donnelly, DVM, MBA, the organizational release.

 “This stress is doubled when their pet needs specialized care because they may not have previous knowledge of what a specialist is and costs are likely the first concern that jumps into their mind.”

As for the top 5 veterinary visit concerns, the research showed clients are worried about

If my pet’s condition was treatable: 62%

What would happen if I could not afford treatment: 62%

What level of care my pet would need, and for how long: 58%

Along with the stress surrounding the cost of specialty care for pet parents, the study also investigated communication and education from specialists and general practitioners to help prep pet parents in advance of an emergency. For emergencies, more than 60% of those included in the study stated they went directly to the emergency care veterinarian for care without a referral, doubling down on the ideology that there is a need to make information about payment options easily accessible to clients. 

The study was based on findings from 305 clients, 225 who visited specialty or ER veterinary professionals within the past year, 50 who only sought primary care, and 118 veterinarians that provide emergency and specialty services, who also accepted CareCredit credit card. The study is the 4th conducted within the Lifetime of Care research series.

“Nearly 50% of today’s pet parents underestimate the cost of pet care,

 and unexpected emergency care plays a big role in this miscalculation,” said Jonathan Wainberg, senior vice president and general manager, Pet, Synchrony. “This new report reveals the critical need for proactive communication about the cost of specialty care, information about payment options like the CareCredit credit card to manage those costs, and education about specialty care itself.”

The study shared its key takeaways for veterinary professionals is proactive communication with both pet owners and referring hospitals is crucial and more educational efforts are needed to combat the widespread lack of understanding among clients in regard to emergency and specialty care.

New Synchrony Research Finds Pet Parents Are Equally as Concerned About the Cost of Specialty Veterinary Care as their Pet’s Potential Outcome. News release. October 29, 2024. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.vetspecialtycare.com/#page=36

Synchrony. Veterinary Specialty Care . Synchrony. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.vetspecialtycare.com/#page=1

Synchrony. Lifetime of Care Study. Synchrony. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://petlifetimeofcare.com/#page=1

The findings include the fact pet owners face high stress over specialty care costs, underscoring the need for better communication and financial education in veterinary services

Study highlights client concerns about veterinary specialty and emergency care

The CATalyst Council, an organization that promotes the lifelong health and welfare of companion cats, announced that it has provided a grant to Sylvester.AI, a pet wellness and animal health digital platform. The $20,000 grant will help Sylvester.AI continue its work on its Ai technology, specifically designed to enhance detecting chronic pain in feline patients.

"With this generous grant from the CATalyst Council, Sylvester.ai will continue to push the boundaries of pet health technology," said Susan Groeneveld, CEO at Sylvester.ai, in an organizational release.

 "Our AI model has already shown remarkable accuracy in detecting acute pain in cats, and this funding will enable us to further refine and expand our capabilities to better understand chronic pain, ultimately improving the lives of countless feline companions.

The CATalyst council was established in 2008 and provides support to programs and initiatives that are prioritizing the wellbeing of companion animals.1 The group works with shelters, veterinary professionals, adoption organizations, and industry stakeholders to help provide feline patients the attention and care that they need throughout their entire lives. For Sylvester.ai, it works improve pet health assessment and strengthen the bond for cats and their owners, resonating with the mission of the CATalyst council.

"We are thrilled to support Sylvester.ai in their mission to advance feline health detection technology," said Anne Ward, DVM, CATalyst Council vice president.

 "Their innovative approach aligns perfectly with our goal of ensuring that every companion cat receives the care and attention they need to thrive. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of cats and their caregivers.”

According to the release, through the grant, Sylvester.AI will continue its ongoing research and development efforts to better enhance its already existing AI model to detect chronic pain in feline patients.

 Through its algorithms, the company is striving to provide pet owners and veterinary professionals a tool for early detection as well as personalized care.

“We are working now with cat populations that have confirmed chronic pain conditions in at home settings and the CATalyst grant has helped propel this vital work forward to benefit all cats in the future,” said Frances Valentine, PhD, lead behaviorist at Sylvester.ai added.

CATalyst Council Awards $20,000 Grant to Sylvester.ai to Advance Feline Chronic Pain Detection Technology. News release. CATalyst Council. October 31, 2024. November 1, 2024.

The grant awarded to Sylvester.AI will help the company advance pain detection technology for chronic feline pain 