The current VIN date & time: Eastern

VIN MULT309-0822: Topics in Feline Medicine

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

Presenters: Erica Tolar, DVM, DACVO (Ophthalmology)
Steve Bailey, DVM, ABVP (Feline)
Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, ACVN
Meagan R. Painter, DVM, DACVD
Kelly St. Denis, DVM, MSc, DABVP (Feline)
Susan Little, DVM, ABVP (Feline)
Course Open: August 3-October 1, 2022
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Wednesdays, August 10, 17, 24, 31, September 7, 14, and 21, 2022; 8:00-10:00 pm ET (USA) World Clock Converter
Total CE Credit: 14
RACE Category: 14 hours Medical


Enrollment is closed.  

Tuition: Member $322 ($299 early bird special if enrolled by July 20, 2022)
Non-Member $468 ($364 early bird special if enrolled by July 20, 2022)
Prices are listed in US dollars.


Course Information:
This course focuses upon extending the participants' knowledge of feline medicine, covering a variety of topics including feline ophthalmology, chronic rhinitis, feline idiopathic cystitis, allergic dermatitis, infectious diseases, and a review of the AAFP updates on cat friendly interactions.


Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
  • Feline Ophthalmology
    • understand challenging feline ophthalmology cases and pursue the appropriate therapy.
    • perform diagnostic and laboratory tests applicable to the case at hand which will facilitate a diagnosis .
    • easily discuss and describe feline ocular lesions seen on a daily basis.
  • Chronic Rhinitis: "It is not the Herpes"
    • better determine the location of inspiratory difficulty or noise.
    • communicate with others using appropriate location specific terms.
    • feel more comfortable examination the upper airway in the cat.
    • employ a number of tools to collect tissue or cells for an etiologic diagnosisdefine what "biopsychosocial disease" means.
  • Catching up to FIC - Update and Lessons from Animal Models
    • critique the evidence for and against FIC as a biopsychosocial vs. a bladder disease.
    • explain the four common types of chronic pain and how they relate to each other.
  • Feline Allergy and Atopic Syndrome – Updates and Understanding
    • confidently navigate the clinical complexity of allergic skin and ear disease in the cat by understanding pathogenesis, treatment options, diagnostic considerations, and common pit falls.
    • develop fluency with the medications available to treat the symptoms of allergic skin and ear disease in the cat.
    • reinforce best practice with each medication reviewed to include discussion of dosing strategies, age restrictions, side effects, and safety concerns associated with specific comorbidities.
    • promote evidence-based understanding of the diagnostic options available for feline atopic syndrome and other similar clinical conditions.
    • understand how to discuss medications and medical management goals with pet owners of cats with allergic skin and ear disease.
  • Think Like a Cat: Putting Cat Friendly to Work in Your Veterinary Practice
    • describe what makes a veterinary space and veterinary team Cat Friendly.
    • understand and classify the cat’s natural reactions to the perceived threats at the veterinary clinic and from the veterinary team.
    • perform an assessment of their clinic and the team’s reaction to feline patients, to create a more Cat Friendly space.
    • discuss specific veterinary team behaviors and how they create negative or positive responses in the feline patient.
  • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • recognize newly emerged pathogens as distinct from more common related ones.
    • diagnose several newly emerged feline pathogens.
    • interpret clinical signs of disease associated with newly emerged feline pathogens.


Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate VIN CE course is open for enrollment to veterinarians actively interested in extending their knowledge of feline medicine.
Accreditation: This course is approved for 14 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians. (RACE 20-908046)


Course Agenda:

Week 1 (Real Time Session August 10, 2022): Feline Ophthalmology
Presenter: Erica Tolar, DVM, ACVO (Ophthalmology)
This lecture will cover numerous feline specific ocular disorders some of which include feline herpes virus, eosinophilic keratitis, corneal sequestrum, hypertensive retinopathy and even lymphoplasmacytic uveitis. Dr. Tolar will guide you through identifying lesions, formulating a differential list and ultimately making a diagnosis.

Week 2 (Real Time Session August 17, 2022): Chronic Rhinitis: "It is not the Herpes"
Presenter: Steve Bailey, DVM, ABVP (Feline)
This session will cover diagnostics tools, tips, and hacks for obtaining an etiologic diagnosis of chronic upper respiratory diseases in cats. Additionally, we will discuss terminology used to more effectively describe clinical signs and localize the major malfunction with is key planning your diagnostic approach.

Week 3 (Real Time Session August 24, 2022): Catching up to FIC - Update and Lessons from Animal Models
Presenter: Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, ACVN (Small Animal Nutrition)
Dr. Buffington has studied FIC in domestic cats for 40 years and has come to believe it to be a chronic primary (biopsychosocial) disease variably affecting the urinary bladder and other organs. This lecture will present and review recent findings about FIC from clinical and laboratory studies, as well as some studies of rodents and humans. I also will present recent changes in the nomenclature of chronic pain in humans, and what it might mean for our understanding of FIC.

Weeks 4-5 (Real Time Session August 31 and September 7, 2022): Feline Allergy and Atopic Syndrome – Updates and Understanding
Presenter: Meagan R. Painter, DVM, DACVD
These 2 sessions are designed to empower, engage, and enlighten the general practitioner about the recognition, diagnosis, and management of feline allergic skin and ear disease. The lectures are comprised of five separate modules which review disease pathogenesis, accurate diagnosis, therapeutic management options, testing options, and application of knowledge. You are in for a comprehensive, fun, and informative educational treat!

Week 6 (Real Time Session September 14, 2022): Think Like a Cat: Putting Cat Friendly to Work in Your Veterinary Practice
Presenter: Kelly St. Denis, DVM, MSc, DABVP (Feline)
Cats do not see or experience the world the way we do. One of the key considerations that is often overlooked is the cat’s status as prey. To cats visiting the veterinary clinic, everything and everyone is a potential threat, and this leads to potentially difficult situations. This week in Topics in Feline Medicine, we will learn how to establish a Cat Friendly veterinary environment and how to be a Cat Friendly veterinary team, working towards putting our feline patients at ease, and creating a positive experience for cat, caregiver and veterinary team alike.

Week 7 (Real Time Session September 21, 2022): Emerging Infectious Diseases
Presenter: Susan Little, DVM, ABVP (Feline)
During this session, we will review some feline emerging infectious diseases such as invasive Aspergillus and Streptococcus infections, lungworm (Aelurostrongylus), influenza H5N1, morbillivirus, gamma herpesvirus, and hepadnavirus.


Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.


Enrollment is closed.  

Tuition: Member $322 ($299 early bird special if enrolled by July 20, 2022)
Non-Member $468 ($364 early bird special if enrolled by July 20, 2022)
Prices are listed in US dollars.


*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on August 10, 2022 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.


Enrollment qualifications:
  1. VIN CE Courses:
    1. VIN CE courses are open to VIN member, VIN student member, and non-member veterinarians.
    2. Veterinary support staff must be VSPN members in order to enroll in a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. VSPN CE Courses:
    1. VSPN CE courses are open to veterinary support staff and veterinarians.
    2. Only VIN and VSPN members can enroll in a VSPN CE course.
    3. Veterinarians will only receive credit for those VSPN CE courses that specify in the Accreditation statement that the course is accredited for veterinarians.
  3. Please check the course Level and Prerequisites, Accreditation, and Tuition before enrolling.
  4. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses.
    1. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  5. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.


Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
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