The current VIN date & time: Eastern

Avoiding Chemotherapy Side Effects and Maximizing Quality of Life (ONCO118-0524)

The lectures for this course will be presented via Zoom.

Presenter: Sarah E. Sheafor, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
Course Open: May 15-June 1, 2024
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Wednesday, May 22, 2024; 7:00-9:00 ET (USA) World Clock Converter
Total CE Credit: 2
RACE Category: 2 hours Medical


Enroll Now  

Tuition: Member $46 ($41 early bird special if enrolled by May 1, 2024)
Non-Member $110 ($99 early bird special if enrolled by May 1, 2024)
Prices are listed in US dollars.


Course Information:
Small animal patients diagnosed with cancer can and do live a great quality of life while also receiving treatment for their cancer and concurrent diseases. But, clients often fear that their pet will have nausea, vomiting, hyporexia, weakness, lethargy, or fever as a result of therapy, and also fear that ‘cancer pain’ is already present and that it will be intractable. As a result, some may not even choose to learn about cancer treatment options for their beloved pets. Veterinarians can help overcome these fears by understanding how and when these symptoms may arise and how to prevent them (or how to treat them!) Learn about how to prevent oncology therapy side effects – and about the best techniques in pain management for a cancer patient.


Learning Objectives: Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
  • discuss prevention strategies for possible GI side effects of commonly used chemotherapy drugs in small animal medicine.
  • discuss prevention techniques for cytopenias associated with chemotherapy drugs in small animal medicine. Discuss the treatment of neutropenic sepsis, as well as of non-febrile neutropenia.
  • discuss multimodality pain management options for a variety of different types of discomfort or pain that a patient living with cancer may have.


Level and Prerequisites: This course is approved for 2 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians. (RACE 20-952727)


Course Agenda:

Week 1 (Real Time Session May 22, 2024)
This session will cover the strategies for preventing side effects, cytopenias, and multimodality pain management options for various chemotherapies and patients in treatment.


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.


Enroll Now  

Tuition: Member $46 ($41 early bird special if enrolled by May 1, 2024)
Non-Member $110 ($99 early bird special if enrolled by May 1, 2024)
Prices are listed in US dollars.


*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on May 21, 2024 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 CEonVIN@vin.com. 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: CEonVIN@vin.com
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