CE Information

The California Veterinary Medical Board has determined that one-hour of CE is defined as 50 minutes of presentation and a 10-minute break. Question and answer time is considered the same as presentation time.

The following chart is provided as a guide to calculating your CEUs.

Veterinarians and technicians from outside California should contact their state licensing agency to determine which CE sessions at the Pacific Veterinary Conference qualify for purposes of license renewal in your state.

Basic Abdominal Ultrasound

Speaker: Georgette Goorchenko, DVM, MS, DACVR

Lecture Sessions (open to veterinarians only):

9:30 AM-12:30 PM (3 CEUs)

This in an introductory course designed to give attendees basic knowledge of ultrasound machine controls, ultrasound physics, and image optimization. Ultrasound lectures will focus on normal and abnormal findings of the liver, spleen, urinary tract, and limited gastrointestinal tract. By the end of the course, it is expected that attendees will gain basic skills in ultrasound probe manipulation and identification of major organs, including liver, spleen, kidneys, urinary bladder, stomach, small intestine, and colon.

Lab (limited to 20 veterinarians max):

Must pre-register, space is limited.

2:00 PM-5:00 PM (3 CEUs)

This in an introductory course designed to give attendees basic knowledge of ultrasound machine controls, ultrasound physics, and image optimization. Ultrasound lectures will focus on normal and abnormal findings of the liver, spleen, urinary tract, and limited gastrointestinal tract. By the end of the course, it is expected that attendees will gain basic skills in ultrasound probe manipulation and identification of major organs, including liver, spleen, kidneys, urinary bladder, stomach, small intestine, and colon.

Program Committee

Program Chairs

        Dr. Victoria Joseph  |  Vicky Ograin, RVT

Section Chairs

Equine  :        Dr. Mark Rick

Avian/Exotic :  Dr. Victoria Joseph

Technician :    Vicky Ograin, RVT

Shelter Medicine :  Dr. Jyothi Robertson

Practice Management : Linda Markland, RVT 

Small Animal Surgery :  Dr. Diane Craig

Small Animal Medicine  : Dr. Keith Richter 

Friday, June 9, 2023

9:30 AM-10:20 AM

• Speaker: Rachel Venable, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology)

Recent Advances in Veterinary Oncology: Updates Every General Practitioner Should Know
This session will provide an overview of recent advances in oncology for the veterinary practitioner. It will discuss novel treatments and a new early cancer detection test. A review of the mechanism of action, study results, and uses of an oral treatment for canine lymphoma (Laverdia) and an injectable treatment for canine mast cell tumor (Stelfonta) will be discussed. This session will also provide a basic overview of cancer biology and introduce the fundamentals of blood-based “liquid biopsy” testing for canine cancer detection using next-generation sequencing of cell-free DNA (OncoK9); a review of the peer-reviewed clinical validation study of this testing in over 1,000 dogs will be presented.

10:30 AM-11:20 AM

• Speaker: Todd Cohen, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

An Internist, a Vet, and a Tech Walk into an Exam Room: Liquid Biopsy in Practice
Just about every vet has been asked at some point: “Isn’t there a blood test for cancer?” Until recently the answer was unfortunately no, but the introduction of next-generation sequencing-based liquid biopsy testing has changed the conversation about cancer detection in dogs. This session will review the fundamentals of blood-based liquid biopsy testing, clinical performance data from real-world use of the test, and how to interpret results in the context of the patient’s clinical presentation. A series of thought-provoking case studies will be presented, along with a discussion of how liquid biopsy can be implemented into a hospital workflow from the perspective of the ordering clinician.

11:30 AM-12:20 PM

• Speaker: Todd Cohen, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

Is It Cancer? Use of a Blood Test to Aid in the Diagnosis of Cancer in Dogs
What do you do when a dog presents with an abdominal mass that you can’t access for FNA or biopsy? How about a case where cytology or histopathology is inconclusive, but you still suspect cancer? What if you recommend biopsy, but the owner objects because they feel it is too invasive? When a dog is suspected of having cancer, the workup can take many forms and a variety of testing modalities may be needed to arrive at a definitive or presumptive diagnosis. This session will review a novel tool in the clinician’s toolbox—liquid biopsy—a test that evaluates a blood sample for the presence of circulating tumor DNA, which indicates the current presence of cancer in the body. This session will review the basic principles of liquid biopsy testing and how this technology may be useful as an aid-in-diagnosis. A series of illustrative case samples will be presented, demonstrating how liquid biopsy has been used in the evaluation of dogs with suspected cancer.

Speaker: Rodney Johnston, MBA, CMA

Friday, June 9, 2023

3:10 PM-4:00 PM

Maximize Your Veterinary Practice Transition

Powerful Cliff-Notes version! A must-attend session for veterinary practice owners who are 0-8 years away from a transition. The calculation of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) can vary from firm to firm. Is this the best corporate offer? Should you sell now or wait five years? Should I sell or keep the real estate? These are just some questions you MUST have answered before you accept an offer.

4:10 PM-5:00 PM

Selling to a Corporate – What to Know

Is selling to a coworker better than a corporate entity? What can you expect when dealing with a corporate buyer versus an individual buyer? What are the reasons for selling or keeping the real estate? In this lecture, we will go over all these questions and more.

5:10 PM-6:00 PM

What Happens If You Sell Your Practice Mid-Career?

Many people imagine they will transition and sell their veterinary practice at retirement age. But what happens when the need or desire arises when you are in the middle of your career? In this talk, we will cover the following aspects and how to prepare yourself:

• What is the next step in practice ownership?
• What do you look for if a corporate wants to buy you out?
• How can you still work back but not have the hassle of running your practice?
• Is it easy to switch gears mid-life?
   

Karl Storz Veterinary Endoscopy

• Speakers: Justingermed Ganjei, DVM, DACVS-SA | Jarrod Moss, DVM

Saturday, June 10, 2023

8:00 AM-8:50 AM

• Speaker: Justin Ganjei, DVM, DACVS-SA

MIS and Rigid Endoscopy for the GP

In this session, Dr. Justin Ganjei will introduce the benefits of incorporating rigid endoscopy into the small animal hospital. Discussion will include when to implement this valuable modality, diseases that you see every day in general practice, and how this modality can improve your treatment and diagnose common disease. He will provide valuable tips to correctly diagnose and treat disease.

Learning Objectives:

• Veterinarians will learn how this modality can improve your diagnosis of common disease in small animals.
• Veterinarians will learn valuable step-by-step tips to correctly diagnose and treat disease.
• Veterinarians will learn valuable tips on scope handling, getting a viable biopsy, and foreign body retrieval technique.

9:00 AM-9:50 AM

• Speaker: Justin Ganjei, DVM, DACVS-SA

GP Applications of MIS Laparoscopic Surgery: Top 4 Uses
This session will cover Dr. Ganjei’s top four applications of rigid laparoscopic surgery in the general practice: laparoscopic ovariectomy and ovariohysterectomy, laparoscopic-assisted gastropexy, laparoscopic diagnostic biopsy, and laparoscopic cryptorchid. For each of these applications, Dr. Ganjei will discuss major considerations for when to implement endoscopy over other modalities, why endoscopy is his preferred method for these common procedures, case work-up and selection, instrumentation, and procedural basics.

Learning objectives:

• Veterinarians will learn the advantages and disadvantages of rigid endoscopy over other modalities for commonly presented conditions in the general practice.
• Veterinarians will learn case selection and surgical technique for commonly performed rigid endoscopic procedures.
• Veterinarians will understand the economic and clinical consideration of adding endoscopy in the general practice.

10:20 AM-11:10 AM

• Speaker: Justin Ganjei, DVM, DACVS-SA

GP Applications of Rigid Endoscopy: Rhino, Cystoscopy, and Otoscopy
Dr. Ganjei will discuss how the use of endoscopy offers enhanced visualization for certain cases when examining the urinary tract (cystoscopy), nasal passage (rhinoscopy), and ear canal (video otoscopy).

Learning Objectives:

• Veterinarians will learn how this modality can improve your diagnosis of common disease in small animals.
• Veterinarians will learn valuable tips to correctly diagnose and treat disease.
• Veterinarians will learn valuable tips on scope handling, getting a viable biopsy, and foreign body retrieval technique.

11:20 AM-12:10 PM

• Speakers: Justin Ganjei, DVM, DACVS-SA and Jarrod Moss, DVM

Value of Endoscopy from a General Practitioner’s Practice
Dr. Jarrod Moss will join Dr. Justin Ganjei to discuss implementing rigid endoscopy from a general practice prospective.

Learning Objectives:

• Veterinarians will learn the advantages and disadvantages of rigid endoscopy over other modalities for commonly presented conditions in the general practice.
• Veterinarians will learn case selection and surgical technique for commonly performed rigid endoscopic procedures.
• Veterinarians will understand the economic and clinical consideration of adding endoscopy in the general practice.

Zomedica Symposia

• Speakers: Robin Downing, DVM, MS, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP
• Deborah Greco, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM

Saturday, June 10, 2023

2:00 PM-2:50 PM

• Speaker: Robin Downing, DVM, MS, DAAPM, DACVSMR, CVPP, CCRP

The Future Is Now: The Science (Not Science Fiction) of Today’s Pain Management
This session will provide an overview of our current understanding of multi-modal pain management for pets, including pharma options, non-pharma options, as well as physical medicine (both technical and hands-on) that can contribute to an effective pain management plan.

Program Agenda:

• An overview of chronic maladaptive pain
• An overview of pain management categories
• Identification of the various commonly used pain management strategies, including physical and technological modalities

Learning Objectives:

Outline multi-modal pain management for pets
Identify various pain management tools that may be included in a multi-modal pain management plan
Prescribe an effective and individualized pain management plan

3:30 PM-4:20 PM

• Speaker: Deborah Greco, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM

Canine Hypothyroidism—New Tools to Make an Accurate Diagnosis
This session will review new information about the diagnosis of hypothyroidism in dogs and discussion of treatment, monitoring, and concurrent conditions. We will discuss special emphasis on new diagnostic techniques, including the use of eTSH, TT4, and the new FT4 measurements as an aid in diagnosis of hypothyroidism.