Allyson Berent, DVM, ACVIM SAIM
Cynthia Ward, VMD, PhD, DACVIM SAIM
Mark Kittleson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM Cardiology
Course Open: June 17-August 15, 2020
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Wednesdays, June 24, July 8, 15, 22, 29, and August 5, 2020; 8:00-10:00 pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate course will be open to veterinarians interested in extending their knowledge of feline medicine.
VIN CE Course: Open to veterinarians. This course is approved by RACE for veterinarians. (RACE 22-41446) Course Information:
This course focuses upon extending the participants knowledge of feline medicine, covering topics in a variety of fields: hyperaldosteronism, ureteral obstructions, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and feline cardiomyopathy. Week 1 (Real Time Session June 24, 2020): The Other Feline Cardiomyopathies
Presenter: Mark Kittleson, DVM, PhD, DACVIM Cardiology
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- identify each of the types of feline cardiomyopathy on an echocardiogram.
- describe how each cardiomyopathy results in heart failure.
- provide a general approach to how to treat the cardiomyopathies.
Presenter: Cynthia Ward, VMD, PhD, DACVIM SAIM
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- Accurately diagnose hyperthyroidism in cats
- Develop a treatment plan in hyperthyroid cats
- Appropriately evaluate and protect kidney function during hyperthyroid treatment
- Utilize current monitoring methods for hyperthyroid cats
Presenter: Amy Hinc, VMD, ABVP Feline
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- Recognize the clinical signs of and understand the pathogenesis of primary hyperaldosteronism in the cat.
- Confidently diagnose and treat primary hyperaldosteronism in the cat.
- Recognize other, less common, adrenal disorders that may be encountered in the feline species.
Presenter: Cynthia Ward, VMD, PhD, DACVIM SAIM
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- Recognize clinical symptoms of diabetes mellitus
- Identify concurrent diseases associated with diabetes mellitus
- Design an individualized treatment plan for each diabetic cat
- Know which insulins are an appropriate for treating feline diabetic veterinary patients
- Design an effective for monitoring effectiveness of diabetic treatment in cats
Presenter: Allyson Berent, DVM, ACVIM SAIM
Format: Audio
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- feline ureteral obstructions are associated with an excellent prognosis if treated appropriately by trained operators
- pre-operative imaging has been found to have no predictive value for short- or long-term prognosis
- preoperative biochemical parameters has been found to have no predictive value for short- or long-term prognosis
- always assume a dilated renal pelvis with associated hydroureter is obstructed until proven otherwise
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course. About the Presenters:
Amy Hinc graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. After finishing a private practice internship and working as a staff doctor at a referral and specialty center she opened her own feline exclusive practice in 2004 where she developed a special interest in feline endocrine disorders. In 2013 she earned Board Certification in Feline Practice through the American Board of Feline Practitioners. In addition to remaining in private practice Dr. Hinc serves as a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network on the Feline Internal Medicine Boards and lectures for the Veterinary Information Network in the Topics in Feline Medicine course. Allyson Berent graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002. She completed a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at the University of Minnesota and a residency in small animal internal medicine at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, thereafter. She was boarded in internal medicine in 2006. After completing a fellowship in interventional radiology at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and a fellowship in endourology at Thomas Jefferson University she served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine and Interventional Radiology/ Interventional Endoscopy at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2009, she holds a staff position at the Animal Medical Center in Interventional Radiology and Endoscopy and is director of the Interventional Endoscopy Service. Her research interests are in minimally invasive diagnostics and therapeutics and endoscopic and image-guided therapies focusing on endourology, ureteral disease, regenerative medicine, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary interventions, and nasopharyngeal stenting. Cynthia Ward received her VMD and PhD degrees and from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed residency training at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania in small animal internal medicine. She has been on the faculty at the University of Georgia since 2005. Dr. Ward has been honored by numerous teaching awards and was named the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Georgia. She is the co-founder and director of the UGA Veterinary Diabetes Clinic. She has an active research program in clinical and basic endocrinology and has authored numerous journal articles, book chapters, and research abstracts. Dr. Ward is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (small animal internal medicine). Mark D. Kittleson is a professor emeritus, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. He has published extensively on feline cardiomyopathies. He co-discovered the gene mutations that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Maine Coon and Ragdoll cats and taurine deficiency as a cause of feline dilated cardiomyopathy. Total CE Credit: 12
Tuition: Member $276 ($248 early bird special if enrolled by June 3, 2020)
Non-Member $413 ($372 early bird special if enrolled by June 3, 2020)
Prices are listed in US dollars. *To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on June 24, 2020 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached. *For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center. To Enroll:
- Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
- Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
- Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
- For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email CEonVIN. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
VIN Education Director VIN CE Services: CEonVIN
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357