The conference’s CE program, which is organized by a committee from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), includes a range of speakers from across Canada and the U.S. who will give presentations on topics in companion animal, food animal, equine and practice management tracks. Sponsored information sessions are also part of the three-day conference that attracts veterinarians, registered veterinary technologists, veterinary assistants and administrative staff.
Created in 2016, the annual VET conference is organized by Ontario-based Macgregor Communications that provides affordable CE conferences for professionals in both human health and animal health as well as other learning opportunities for business professionals.
While all conference speakers and presentations are listed at veterinaryeducationtoday.ca, here’s an overview of VET presenters who have a WCVM connection:
Dr. Candace Lowe is a board-certified veterinary dentist and an assistant professor in the WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. Lowe will conduct a veterinary dental surgical extraction lab that gives veterinarians the opportunity to perform difficult extractions. She will also give two lectures during the conference — one focusing on feline and canine oral examinations and one on dental radiographic interpretation.
Dr. Kerrie Lewis is a clinical associate in anesthesiology at the WCVM. Lewis will give a pre-conference lab focusing on the basics of triage, stabilization, CPR and the current updates in CPR. Lewis also has four different lectures on anesthesia topics.
Dr. Chris Clark is the WCVM’s associate dean academic and a board-certified specialist in large animal internal medicine. Clark’s presentations will cover fluid therapy for scouring calves, roadside livestock emergencies, and emergency euthanasia for livestock.
Dr. Greg Starrak is a board-certified specialist in medical imaging and a member of the WCVM VMC’s medical imaging team. Starrak’s two lectures focus on ultrasonography of the gastrointestinal system.
Dr. Sarah Boston is a WCVM graduate and a board-certified veterinary surgical oncologist who practises at VCA Canada’s 404 Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital in Newmarket, Ont. Boston’s talks will focus on principles of surgical oncology, oral tumours and feline injection site sarcomas (FISS).
Dr. Miranda Sadar is a faculty member at Colorado State University (CSU) and a former assistant professor of zoological, exotics and wildlife medicine at the WCVM. Sadar has three different sessions at the conference, all of which focus on zoological companion animal cases.
Dr. Tony Carr is a professor and board-certified specialist in small animal internal medicine at the WCVM. Carr’s four presentations focus on feline hypertension, the coughing dog, treating heart disease, and cardiac case studies.
Dr. Katherine (Kate) Robinson is an assistant professor in the WCVM’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Her practice interests include preventive medicine, sport horse management, lameness and diagnostic imaging. Robinson will give presentations on obesity and equine metabolic syndrome, as well as equine nutrition.
Dr. Alan Chicoine is an assistant professor in the WCVM’s Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and a board-certified veterinary pharmacologist. Chicoine will discuss non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) pharmacology in food animal practice, looking at recent evidence and what veterinarians need to know about drug approval in food animals.
Dr. Kevin Cosford is an assistant professor and board-certified specialist in small animal internal medicine at the WCVM. His three VET conference talks focus on canine diabetes ketoacidosis, neonatal medicine and respiratory distress.
Dr. Stephen Manning is the associate dean of clinical programs at the WCVM and a board-certified theriogenologist. Manning will give two talks on the problem broodmare and one on equine acupuncture.