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Search for the sessions you are most excited about! Over 50 hours of cutting-edge continuing education will be offered by 10 distinguished nationally and internationally recognized speakers.
■ Time: 12:45 – 1:35 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
■ Sponsor: Zoetis
Regenerative medicine is one of the fastest growing lameness treatment modalities in equine medicine. However, some of the statements describing the promise of these therapies sound almost too good to be true. Join our session for a discussion on how regenerative medical devices are used in practice, the published evidence supporting various claims, and the ongoing research needs in this space.
■ Time: 1:45 – 3:30 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The Laws and Rules Governing the Practice of Veterinary Medicine is a two-hour oral and visual presentation. Attendees should leave the presentation with a firm grasp of the requirements of: Chapter 455, F.S. (the Department of Business and Professional Regulation); Rule 61G18, F.A.C. (the Rules of the Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine); and Chapter 474, F.S. (the Florida Veterinary Medicine Practice Act).
Topics include the disciplinary process and guidelines, recordkeeping requirements, permit requirements, and common causes for disciplinary action and how to avoid them. Recent statutory, regulatory, and case law developments will be discussed.
■ Time: 3:30 – 4:00 p.m.
■ Location: Coral Ballroom Foyer
■ Time: 4:00 – 4:50 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
Dispensing Legend Drugs is a one hour oral and visual presentation. Attendees should leave the presentation with a firm grasp of the requirements of: Chapter 499, F.S. (Drugs, Devices, Cosmetics, and Household Products); Chapter 893, F.S. (the Florida Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act); and federal laws regulating the dispensing of legend drugs.
Topics include appropriate dispensing practices, DEA regulations, permit requirements, and common causes for disciplinary action and how to avoid them. Recent statutory, regulatory, and case law developments will be discussed.
■ Time: 4:55 – 5:45 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The burden of emergency service is one of the main factors in the decreased number of veterinarians interested in equine practice. Because horses traditionally have received emergency services on the farm from their local veterinarian, changes are necessary to ensure that care is available when needed. This presentation will outline new ideas for providing equine emergency care that could reduce the burden on individual equine practitioners.
■ Time: 7 – 7:50 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
■ Sponsor: Dechra
The world of equine joint supplements can be confusing. The aim of this talk is to discuss the scientific evidence that supports, and on occasion, does not support commercially available equine joint supplements. The talk will cover the most commonly – and some less commonly – used equine joint supplements, both oral and injectable.
■ Time: 8 – 8:50 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The pathogenesis of musculoskeletal injuries in equine athletes is complex, with many external and internal factors playing a role in its development. We know from decades of study that most of these injuries are repetitive stress injuries that develop over time. They are complicated by the fact that they occur in the face of tissue adaptation in response to repetitive stress.
However, the chronic process leading to tissue fatigue and injury also provides an opportunity to identify horses with impending injury prior to tissue failure. Whether by monitoring movement or by diagnostic imaging, our ability to identify horses at risk of injury is enhanced by our understanding of the disease process.
In this discussion, the pathogenesis of injury will be briefly reviewed, especially considering how the process relates to our ability to identify horses at risk of injury.
■ Time: 8 – 8:50 a.m.
■ Location: Coral DE
Trends in equine practice are constantly undergoing change. This presentation will outline the relationship between current economic and industry conditions and their effects on practice performance, delve into the opportunities and challenges in the equine veterinary industry, and offer insights into innovative thinking about the future of equine practice. New statistics will be shared and strategies for strengthening the industry will be discussed.
■ Time: 8:55 – 9:45 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
Many tools can be used today to influence injury prevention. In addition to clinical examination and diagnostic imaging, changes in behavior, training load, and physiologic response to training can be monitored to identify horses at risk of injury.
■ Time: 8:55 – 9:45 a.m.
■ Location: Coral DE
With the present difficulty with retaining staff and associates in many practices, culture has become more important than ever. Communication, teamwork, collaboration, security, connection, balance of professional and personal life, and opportunities for growth are all important in creating a healthy practice where people like to work. This presentation will review ways to achieve a culture that attracts both team members and clients.
Morning Break
■ Time: 9:45 – 10:30 a.m.
■ Location: Exhibit Hall
■ Time: 10:30 – 11:20 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
Social License to Operate has become a critical title to discuss society’s tolerance of animal use in sport, especially horses. It comes with strong emotional meaning on both sides of the argument regarding the appropriateness of training and competing horses in sport.
In this discussion, we will review the topic in light of our role as health care providers and how guidelines and regulations are being informed in equine organizations.
■ Time: 10:30 – 11:20 a.m.
■ Location: Coral DE
Best practices for a mentorship relationship will be described in this presentation, along with recommendations for offering constructive criticism, sharing experience, and building trust. The best mentoring is a reciprocal relationship where both parties learn and grow. Helping the mentee find success beyond skills acquisition is often the most powerful effect of a mentor. Transformational mentors are humble and recognize that their own vulnerability and imperfection serve as an empowering model for a new veterinarian.
■ Time: 11:25 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
Radiographic findings in yearling and 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses intended for racing can be contentious. In this discussion, we will specifically review the incidence of radiographic lesions in the femoral condyles and proximal sesamoid bones and how they relate to racing outcomes. The progression and regression of such lesions will also be reviewed.
■ Time: 11:25 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
■ Location: Coral DE
■ Sponsor: Merck Animal Health
There is a lot of confusion in the field of EHV-1, especially as it pertains to the neurological disease form also known as equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Outbreaks are becoming more frequent and often breach many facilities, counties, and sometimes even states.
The scope of this presentation is to review newly investigated aspect of EHM (etiology, genotype, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention). Further, the presentation will cover research data regarding frequency of EHV-1 detection in healthy sport horses and environmental monitoring.
Lunch Break
■ Time: 12:15 – 1:45 p.m.
■ Location: Exhibit Hall
■ Time: 1:45 – 2:35 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The purpose of this lecture is to present and review clinical and imaging-based advances in the diagnosis of tendon and ligament injuries, particularly those within the digital flexor tendon sheath and the hoof capsule.
■ Time: 1:45 – 2:35 p.m.
■ Location: Coral DE
■ Sponsor: Merck Animal Health
Infectious viral diseases involving the respiratory tract of horses have been identified as one of the most common medical entities encountered by equine practitioners nationwide. EHV-1, EHV-4, and EIV are among the most common viruses recognized with infectious upper respiratory tract disease.
The lack of etiological diagnosis in some cases is at least partially attributable to concentrating diagnostic efforts to viruses that most frequently cause disease. It is likely that more comprehensive diagnostic efforts would identify agents in affected animals that tend to cause either less dramatic outbreaks or sporadic rather than epidemic disease (e.g. gamma herpesviruses, equine rhinitis viruses).
The presentation will give an overview of common and less characterized respiratory viruses including contemporary information on epidemiology, clinical presentation, and diagnostics.
■ Time: 2:40 – 3:30 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The purpose of this lecture is to review types of biologic products available for veterinary use, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), amnion-based products, autologous conditioned serum (ACS), autologous protein solution (APS), and alpha 2 Macroglobulin (A2M). The differences between each product and the current evidence for their use will be discussed.
This lecture will also discuss the viscoelastic therapies available on the equine market and how they differ in terms of composition, target tissue and mechanism of action, and scientific studies available, as well as why and how they should be combined with biologics.
■ Time: 2:40 – 3:30 p.m.
■ Location: Coral DE
■ Sponsor: Merck Animal Health
In horses, equine coronavirus has been associated with diarrhea in foals and lethargy, fever, anorexia, and occasional gastrointestinal signs in adult horses. The challenge with ECoV infection is recognizing the entity based on clinical and hematological abnormalities and support a diagnosis via molecular detection of coronavirus in feces. While horses are apparently susceptible to the human SARS-CoV-2, they appear to be incidental hosts because of occasional SARS-CoV-2 spillover from humans.
This presentation will focus on the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and prevention of ECoV, and present data on the role of horses in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Afternoon Break
■ Time: 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
■ Location: Exhibit Hall
■ Time: 4 – 4:50 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The purpose of this lecture is to review the types of stem cells available for veterinary use, the current FDA guidelines for stem cell use, and what we have learned through the use of stem cells for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries over the past decade.
■ Time: 4 – 4:50 p.m.
■ Location: Coral DE
■ Sponsor: Merck Animal Health
Sarcocystis neurona is the most common etiologic agent identified as a cause of EPM, but similar parasites, including Neospora hughesi and Toxoplasma gondii, have also been identified. Although EPM has been recognized since 1970 and most equine practitioners in North America are routinely confronted with this neurologic disease, several issues are still encountered, including ante-mortem diagnostic modalities to support a diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
This lecture will review established knowledge of EPM and also present new developments in the field of epidemiology, serological testing, treatment, and prevention of this disease.
■ Time: 4:55 – 5:45 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The purpose of this lecture is to present current opinions on optimal rehabilitation and monitoring protocols during the treatment of tendon and ligament injuries. Case studies will be incorporated throughout.
■ Time: 7 – 7:50 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
■ Sponsor: Merck
Integrating a new graduate into your practice is an exciting and rewarding, yet challenging, prospect. A thriving mentorship program has distinct steps and timelines, clear advancement between steps, and regular meetings to assess progress while providing constructive feedback. Recognition of challenges and setting realistic expectations are vital to creating a strong mentorship program. This presentation will summarize the challenges that exist for integrating new graduates into practice and give clear recommendations for overcoming these challenges.
■ Time: 8 – 9:45 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
■ Sponsor: Merck Animal Health
During this two hour session, Drs. Lauren Schnabel and Nicola Pusterla will provide an overview of current medical articles and case studies related to equine health and care.
■ Time: 9:45 – 10:30 a.m.
■ Location: Exhibit Hall
■ Time:10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The purpose of this presentation is to bring attention to the clinical manifestations and the diagnosis of a number of bone and joint injuries interfering with the brachial plexus nerve roots, or the plexus itself, and which is responsible for thoracic limb dyskinesia. The equine cervicothoracobrachial syndrome (CTBS) can be induced by several joint conditions involving the intervertebral joint spaces between C5 and T2 or lesions involving the first costovertebral joint or rib abnormalities.
The common link of these conditions is the close anatomical relationships with the brachial plexus and its roots. This syndrome overlaps what is described in human medicine as the cervicobrachial syndrome and the thoracic outlet syndrome (Cyriax 1982, Resnik 1988, Jones 2019), although horses lack a clavicle.
■ Time: 12:15 – 1:45 p.m.
■ Location: Exhibit Hall
■ Time: 1:45 – 2:35 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
Although, during the last two decades, imaging techniques have improved considerably, our capacity to diagnose and document injuries potentially responsible for back pain in horses, an objective assessment of the clinical manifestations of back pain or dysfunction is still challenging. Clear recognition of movement alterations remains difficult mainly because of the limited regional and intervertebral range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine.
■ Time: 2:40 – 3:40 p.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
An objective assessment of back and/or lumbosacroiliac pain and a clear identification of the cause(s) of the pain are not easy in horses. Osteoarticular thoracolumbar lesions has been well documented in horses (Jeffcott 1980, Denoix 1999, 20011). Several papers have been published on the clinical and nuclear scintigraphic evaluation of the sacroiliac joint (Dyson, 2003). But little attention has been attributed to the lumbosacral junction (Denoix, 1992, 2005, 2017).
■ Time: 7 – 7:50 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
■ Sponsor: ConturaVet
Over the past decade, intra-articular 2.5% Polyacrylamide Hydrogel (PAAG) has shown to be a potent and promising medical device in the therapy of osteoarthritis (OA) in both animals and humans; no other single medical treatment for OA has such prolonged efficacy. The aim of this presentation is to review the clinical and experimental trials that have been conducted and have also demonstrated that intra-articular 2.5% PAAG is highly effective, long lasting, and safe for the treatment of all stages of equine OA.
During this presentation, we will show clear differences in composition, manufacturing, and the biocompatibility of the 2.5% PAAG. Lastly, we will review multiple case histories where 2.5% PAAG was used to successfully to treat both late-stage OA as well as early-stage OA in various equine disciplines.
■ Time: 8 – 8:50 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a slowly progressive disease that affects approximately 25% of horses over 15 years of age. While late stage PPID is easily diagnosed, often based on clinical signs alone, reaching a correct diagnosis in horses earlier in the disease process is more difficult as many factors influence test results. It is important to consider the horse, management, environment, and diagnostic test attributes before a diagnostic test result can be appropriately interpreted. This talk will discuss approaches to maximize available testing strategies for PPID in practice.
■ Time: 8:55 – 9:45 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
The vast majority of equine laminitis cases are due to endocrinopathic laminitis, and insulin dysregulation is the primary risk factor for development of this career limiting and life-threatening condition. Therefore, identifying insulin dysregulation in horses is key for early intervention, if the devastating consequences of laminitis are to be avoided. This session will discuss best practices for diagnosis of insulin dysregulation including which horses should be tested, which tests are best in the field, and how to interpret test results.
■ Time: 9:45 – 10:00 a.m.
■ Location: Coral Ballroom Foyer
■ Time: 10:00 – 10:50 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
This session will highlight treatment options for horses with PPID, insulin dysregulation (EMS), or both diseases concurrently. Classic treatment approaches and how best to monitor effectiveness of the treatment plan will be reviewed. Advantages and limitations of newer therapies will be discussed, including when these alternative therapies might be appropriate.
■ Time: 10:55 – 11:45 a.m.
■ Location: Coral ABC
■ Sponsor: Purina
Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble vitamin that is abundant in fresh green grass and is commonly supplemented in equine diets. It serves as a potent antioxidant and plays an integral role in maintaining cell membrane integrity. Vitamin E is supplemented to meet daily NRC requirements (500 – 1000 IU/day), support performance and health conditions, and treat deficiencies. Serum vitamin E is a sensitive indicator of vitamin E intake, and some horses will test deficient in vitamin E (<2.0 ug/mL) despite adequate dietary vitamin E intake. It’s important to understand that vitamin E metabolism can differ widely from horse to horse and sample handling can affect lab results. Vitamin E supplementation is widespread in the industry, but supplementation protocols vary widely. Understanding the factors that affect vitamin E status in horses, including access to pasture, supplementation type and level, exercise status, and disease state will help to guide decisions on effective dietary supplementation protocols.
AAVSB/RACE Information
This program #20-1080678 is pending AAVSB/RACE approval for 41 continuing education credits. The maximum number of credits available to veterinarians will be 26 CE hours. The maximum number of credits available to veterinary technicians and team members will be 23 CE hours. Each 50-minute lecture is equal to one (1) continuing education credit. For your convenience in recording your CE hours, one certificate will be included in your registration packet. It is your responsibility to document the sessions you attend and the number of hours you receive. Conference attendees’ CE hours will be reported to AAVSB/RACEtrack.
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