Calendar of Events

Presented by Catherine Ruggiero, MS, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)

In this seminar, attendees will navigate the diagnosis and management of canine allergic skin disease through an engaging, interactive, and case-based approach. They will start by learning about the common causes of canine allergic skin disease before meeting their patient for the day, Stella, who is presenting for a history of allergic skin disease. The seminar will discuss diagnostic considerations such as immunologic testing and elimination diet trials while diving deeper into the typical presentation of canine atopic dermatitis and adverse food reactions, emphasizing that overlap between the two conditions is common. The seminar will then discuss different nutritional options for adverse food reactions, including hydrolyzed proteins, before introducing the secret to Stella’s success: Prescription Diet Derm Defense. The seminar will then detail the nutritional technology behind this food, how nutrition can support and strengthen the skin barrier, and help normalize immune responses to environmental allergens.

Learning objectives:

1. Be able to list 3 common causes of canine allergic skin disease
2. Be able to recognize and establish a diagnostic plan for allergic patients, including proper execution of a therapeutic diet elimination trial
3. Be able to describe the differences between hydrolyzed and novel protein foods and discuss the pitfalls of relying on over-the-counter foods for elimination trials
4. Be able to describe the key nutritional components of Prescription Diet Derm Defense and the role of nutrition in management of canine atopic dermatitis

*Live Session is RACE approved for 1 hour of CE

Sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

This Webinar is FREE to NAVTA members, there is a $45 registration fee for non-members. Not a NAVTA Member? For just $15 more, you could join NAVTA for the full year and get every webinar for free!  Click HERE for more details.

Presented by Bernard Hansen, DVM, MS, DACVECC, DACVIM (Internal Medicine)

High-quality assessment questions are difficult to write!  During this session we’ll look at examples of common mistakes in question design and examine some principles of well-built assessment questions. I’ll spend most of the hour on multiple choice questions; although these are often used to assess a candidate’s ability to recall information, they can also be used to assess the higher-level cognitive skills of application and analysis.

Sponsored by the NAVTA Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties

This Webinar is FREE, and all interested parties are welcome to attend.

Presented by Tamara Grubb DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVAA

Appropriate pre-anesthetic patient preparation prior to the administration of any anesthetic drugs is critical for anesthetic safety. Preparation includes evaluation of general and specific diagnostic test results, especially in patients with comorbidities like diabetes and renal disease. In this case-based session we will discuss crucial diagnostic testing and, based on the test results, will develop stabilization plans and anesthetic protocols for safe anesthesia in every practice.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session the attendee will:

1. Understand the critical importance of patient preparation as a component of safe anesthesia.
2. Utilize appropriate diagnostic testing and physiologic support to optimize patient anesthetic safety.
3. Develop specific anesthetic/analgesic protocols based on diagnostic testing and patient health status for patients with renal disease.
4. Develop specific anesthetic/analgesic protocols based on diagnostic testing and patient health status for patients with diabetes.

Session is RACE approved for 1 hour of CE

Sponsored by Zoetis

This Webinar is FREE to NAVTA members, there is a $45 registration fee for non-members. Not a NAVTA Member? For just $15 more, you could join NAVTA for the full year and get every webinar for free!  Click HERE for more details.

Presented by Julie Dinnage, DVM and David Bruyette, DVM, DACVIM

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, is a systemic fungal disease that causes a great deal of morbidity and mortality in affected patients and can also infect humans. Although it is primarily found in the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico, human cases have been recently reported as far north as Washington state. Dogs and cats who live in or travel to endemic regions are at risk.

In this webinar, veterinary technicians will learn about the fungus that causes Valley Fever and the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differentials, and treatment of the disease. The session will help veterinary technicians understand when to discuss the risks and symptoms of Valley Fever with pet owners. We will also review promising work towards development of a preventive vaccine.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the cause, geographic range, and acquisition of coccidioidomycosis
• Be aware of the clinical manifestations and what to consider on the differential diagnosis list
• Know what diagnostic tests to perform and key findings that point toward coccidioidomycosis
• Understand the use of the available antifungal drugs, strengths and drawbacks, potential adverse effects, and when to stop treatment

*Live session is RACE Approved for 1 hour of CE

Sponsored by Anivive Lifesciences, Inc.

This Webinar is FREE to NAVTA members, there is a $45 registration fee for non-members. Not a NAVTA Member? For just $15 more, you could join NAVTA for the full year and get every webinar for free!  Click HERE for more details.

If you are attending the 2022 AVMA Convention, make sure to visit the NAVTA Booth (#352)!

If you are attending the 2022 AVMA Convention, make sure to visit the NAVTA Booth (#352)!

NAVTA is a proud sponsor of the 2022 AVTE Annual Conference. We will announce the winners of the SCNAVTA Chapter and Advisor of the year awards!

Presented by Holly Cummings, LVT

Veterinary technicians play a crucial role when it comes to educating pet owners about parasitology. Having a strong knowledge base on heartworm disease empowers the vet tech to protect more dogs through prevention, education, and testing. This session provides a unique and memorable perspective on heartworm disease through images of real clinic cases that illuminate the true impact of these parasites on the dog’s health.

Learning Objectives:

1. Take a close look at the reality of heartworm disease
2. Examine the role of the veterinary technician in educating pet owners
3. Provide a basic review of heartworm disease pathogenesis, including relevant canine anatomy
4. Address common misconceptions about heartworm transmission and disease through case studies, photographs, and videos provided by renowned heartworm expert Dr. Stephen Jones

*Live Session is RACE approved for 1 hour of CE

Sponsored by HeartGard

This Webinar is FREE to NAVTA members, there is a $45 registration fee for non-members. Not a NAVTA member? For just $15 more, you could join NAVTA for the full year and get every webinar for free. Click HERE for more details.

Presented by Danielle Conway, DVM

This lecture will present the evidence based pros and cons to various nutritional dietary options. Attendees will learn how to interpret product labels, and how to talk to owners about hot topics in veterinary nutrition such as organic, natural, grain free, by-product fear, and alternative diets. We will also discuss the evolutionary diet trend and the environmental sustainability of pet food.

Learning objectives:

• By the end of the talk participants should be comfortable discussing the pros and cons of all feeding options:
  • Commercial over the counter
  • Commercial Therapeutic diets
  • Homemade
  • Raw
• Other
  • Understand pet food, labels, ingredients, and available options
  • How to navigate popular diet trends

RACE approval pending

Sponsored by Merrick Pet Care

This Webinar is FREE to NAVTA members, there is a $45 registration fee for non-members. Not a NAVTA Member? For just $15 more, you could join NAVTA for the full year and get every webinar for free!  Click HERE for more details.

Presented by Vicky Ograin, MBA, RVT, VTS (Nutrition)

Getting clients on board with a nutrition plan can be challenging and the rampant misinformation available at clients’ fingertips after a two minute session with “Dr. Google” only further complicates this issue. In this seminar, we will address the most common nutritional myths the VHCT needs to be prepared to discuss with clients by first discussing how to help clients tell the difference between fact and fiction and how to educate pet owners about these challenging topics. This seminar will then provide the necessary facts to help the VHCT counter common nutritional myths including high protein foods, whether or not pets can digest carbohydrates, raw foods, and home cooked diets.

Learning objectives:

1. Understand why pet owners may buy into the nutritional myths they read online and how we can educate them to see the facts
2. Understand the importance of protein in a pet’s daily meal and why too much protein can do more harm than good
3. Understand the differences between the canine and feline digestive systems and how this relates to the foods they can tolerate
4. Understand the risks of raw food and home cooked diets and how to navigate these discussions with pet owners.

*Live Session is RACE approved for 1 hour of CE

Sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition

This Webinar is FREE to NAVTA members, there is a $45 registration fee for non-members. Not a NAVTA Member? For just $15 more, you could join NAVTA for the full year and get every webinar for free!  Click HERE for more details.

Celebrating National Veterinary Technician Week 2022

Presented by Janet McConnell, CVT

This program is a live continuing education presentation targeted toward a veterinary technician audience. As such, it is a part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Vet Tech Champions (TC) program. The goal of the TC program is to empower veterinary technicians in speaking to dog owners specifically about the lone star tick. By pairing technical information on the disease state with communication tools and techniques, veterinary technicians will leave this presentation feeling empowered to educate pet owners on how to keep dogs safe from tick-borne diseases.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn the health risk associated with lone star ticks, which transmit more pathogens to dogs and people combined than any other US tick
2. Recognize how the geographic expansion of these ticks puts more dogs and owners at risk
3. Understand why year-round protection is necessary

*Live Session is RACE approved for 1 hour of CE

Sponsored by NexGard

This Webinar is FREE to NAVTA members, there is a $45 registration fee for non-members. Not a NAVTA Member? For just $15 more, you could join NAVTA for the full year and get every webinar for free!  Click HERE for more details.