Jessica Quimby, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Colorado State University

"Feline Chronic Kidney Disease: Novel Approaches to Treatment Strategies and Supportive Care"
Chronic kidney disease is a common progressive disease in elderly cats that currently has no cure other than a kidney transplant. Novel treatment strategies and options for supportive care are important in treating this disease. This lecture will focus on the potential use of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of feline chronic kidney disease as well as the use of appetite stimulants for supportive care. It will begin with a review of stem cell therapy principles and potential application to kidney disease and then will discuss clinical trial results. Nutritional management of cats with kidney disease will also be discussed as well as the recent results of the mirtazapine appetite stimulant clinical trial.

Karen Moriello, DVM, DACVD
University of Wisconsin-Madison

"Superficial Fungal Skin Diseases in Cats"
New findings regarding two superficial fungal skin diseases of cats will be highlighted in this presentation. Malassezia dermatitis (yeast overgrowth) is the most common superficial fungal skin disease and is often under recognized and under diagnosed. The second most common superficial fungal skin disease of cats is dermatophytosis or ringworm. This talk will discuss what’s new and useful in the area of diagnosis, treatment, and disinfection. In addition, a brief discussion of what to do when you suspect an outbreak will be presented and detailed in the notes.