Small Animal Learning at VMX

VMX Offers 65 Tracks and 400+ Sessions to Choose From

Small animal veterinary professionals can earn more than 42 credit hours in the course of the 5-day VMX event.

Small Animal Tracks

At VMX, you’ll find small animal tracks covering the below topics.

Small Animal Workshops

Enhance your learning with these Hands-on Workshops

Canine Flexible GI Endoscopy

Speakers: David C. Twedt, Mark C. Walker, Todd R. Tams

After a brief demonstration, attendees will gain experience in performing upper GI endoscopy on dogs, with a flexible endoscope. The instructors will demonstrate the proper technique for esophagoscopy, gastroscopy, and duodenoscopy. The participants will practice proper handling of the endoscope and maneuvering skills for traversing and examining the upper GI tract. The instructors will also demonstrate retrieval of a simple foreign body from the stomach. This experience is geared toward beginning to intermediate level endoscopy training for primary care veterinarians.

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Clinical Application and Tips for Neurological Exam in the Dog

Speakers: Kristy Broaddus, Jude Bordelon, Rose Peters

The dreaded neurological exam! Sometimes the exam results can be straight forward and revealing. In other situations, it results in a myriad of seemingly conflicting information. This workshop will alleviate the stress and minimize the complexity of the neurological exam by providing participants a comprehensive review of the neurological examination in the dog. An in-depth review of cranial nerve and peripheral nerve evaluation will be provided to participants. Additionally, the methodology and clinical application of abnormal results of the examination regarding diagnosis or diagnostic potential will be discussed. All participants will be allowed to practice examination techniques on live dogs.

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Common Feline Surgery Procedures

Speakers: Howard Seim, Brad Case

This course is designed to teach participants the technical aspects of a variety of feline soft tissue surgery procedures. Some ‘theory’ will be included in the lectures, but emphasis will be placed on ‘how’ to perform each procedure. The instructor will utilize video clips of clinical cases that represent the procedures participants will perform in the workshop. Surgical procedures will be performed immediately after viewing the video. The videos will be viewed in the same room so no time is wasted between seeing the procedure and performing it on a feline specimen! Topics have been chosen that represent surgical conditions commonly seen in cats and include: nasal planum and auricular resection, esophagostomy feeding tube placement, a new approach to perineal urethrostomy, chest drain placement using a feeding tube, trocar and percutaneous chest drain placement, diaphragmatic hernia repair, and ventral bulla osteotomy.

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Ophthalmic Surgery: Conjunctiva and Cornea

Speakers: Ron Ofri, Caryn E. Plummer

After a brief 1-hour introductory lecture, about 3-hours of hands-on time will focus on the surgical therapy of corneal ulceration and the proper use of conjunctival grafts or flaps. The different types of corneal ulcers will be compared, and those requiring surgical procedures indicated. The different types of conjunctival grafts, their indications, and limitations will be presented and then performed by registrants under the guidance of expert instructors. Corneal surgeries will include superficial keratectomy, conjunctival grafts, and cornea conjunctival grafts.

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Ophthalmic Surgery: Eyelid and Nicitians

Speakers: Ron Ofri, Caryn E. Plummer

After a brief 1-hour introductory lecture, about 3-hours of hands-on time will focus on the surgical approach to a range of eyelid diseases including entropion, ectropion, medial canthal entropion, eyelid neoplasia, and the most popular methods to treat prolapsed nictitans glands (“cherry eye”) in the dog. The different types of adnexal surgeries will be compared with respect to advantages, limitations, difficulty and long-term results.

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Refining Your Skills in Canine Lameness Exam

Speakers: Jessica Barrera , Ross Palmer , Sarah Marvel , Clara Goh

Lameness is one of the most common reasons for a dog owner to seek veterinary care…yet confident localization of that lameness is one of the most challenging tasks that veterinarians face on a day-to-day basis. Attendees (veterinarians and nurse/technicians) will learn how to recognize front- and hind-limb lameness, perform a meaningful lameness exam, distinguish cranial- from caudal-cruciate ligament rupture, identify hip luxation & hyper-laxity (subluxation), medial shoulder instability (MSI), carpal hyperextension injury, elbow luxation and more! Make the most of technology at your fingertips by learning how to use your smartphone and related apps to strengthen your lameness localization!

Small Animal Rounds

• Acute Abdomen – What’s Surgical, What’s Not?
• Canine Lameness: Case-Based Discussion from Simple to Complex
• Gallbladder Mucoceles: Medical vs. Surgical Management
• Interesting Dermatology Cases: Diagnosis and Clinical Approach
• Lame Cats: Feline Orthopedic Case Discussion
• Management of Canine Mast Cell Tumor Cases
• Playing with the Full Deck – Integrating Hematology, Chemistry and Cytology
• Practical Understanding of T Helper Cell Responses in Infectious Disease and New Therapeutics
• Problem Solving in Small Animal Gastrointestinal Surgery
• Radiology Film Reading (Abdomen I)
• Radiology Film Reading (Abdomen II)
• Radiology Film Reading (Thorax I)
• Radiology Film Reading (Thorax II)
• Should I Cut this Dog? A Case-Based Review for Diagnosing GI Obstruction
• Stifle Disorders – Ignore, Treat, or Refer?
• The C.O.R.E. Dental Procedure
• Vector-Borne Disease Case Challenges
• What to Do on a Tight Budget? Practical Internal Medicine Diagnostic and Treatment Tips

Small Animal Meet the Professor Luncheons

• Anesthesia Ventilators 101
• Antibiotic Decision Making for Sepsis
• Beyond Aspirin: Advances in Anticoagulant Therapy
• Blood Gas Bootcamp
• Canine Epilepsy: Your Questions Regarding Treatment Options…Let’s Talk
• Complicated Extractions and Extraction Complications
• Creating Self-Care Plans for the Busy Professional
• Feline Injection Site Sarcomas: Current Diagnosis and Treatment
• Feline Soft Tissue Surgery: Ask Me Anything
• Handling Emergency Ophthalmic Patients: A Primer for the Whole Clinic
• IMHA in the ER
• Let’s Work Up Some Feline Medicine Cases!
• Patella Luxation: Surgical Case Selection and Technique Tips
• Periodontal Therapies: Treating The #1 Disease in Your Practice
• The Business of Dentistry: The Synergy of Quality and Profitability
• The Diagnostic Assay Buffet: How to Avoid Indigestion
• The Vomiting Cat