REGISTRATION IS OPEN

VVMA Winter CE Conference 2025
February 1 and 2, 2025
The DoubleTree by Hilton
South Burlington, VT

 

Thank you Platinum Sponsors!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Bronze Sponsor!


 

Conference Brochure

Conference Registration
Paper Registration

 

 


We are pleased to present our programs for the VVMA Winter 2025 CE Conference.  In addition to 6 hours of small animal CE, 6 hours of bovine/dairy CE, and 6 hours of practice management, we are also making early morning CE available to all conference registrants each day as well as including an additional 1 hour Practice Management CE for our Lunch and Learn on Saturday presented by VDART.  

Sponsors and exhibitors are welcome.  For exhibitor registration and information on sponsoring a program or speaker, please visit our Exhibitor page.  

Overview and Conference Schedule

Early Morning Programs on Saturday and Sunday, 7:30-8:30
(There is no additional registration fee for early morning CE but pre-registration is required.)

Securing Your Future with Chris Kalinowski, Depaolo Financial Group
DEA Compliance with Chris Paquette
Saturday: 9AM-4:45PM
Small Animal Track: 6 CE hours
Large Animal - Bovine/Dairy Track: 6 CE hours

Sunday: 9AM-4PM
Practice Management: 6 CE hours
Equine Program - TBA
Breaks:
10:15-10:45 – Coffee, Mid-morning snack - Atrium
3:15-3:45 – Coffee, Mid-afternoon snack – Atrium, Saturday
2:45-3:15 – Coffee, Mid-afternoon snack – Atrium, Sunday
Saturday Luncheon – Noon-1:45pm
Dave Walker Award Presentation 12:15-12:45
Lunch and Learn – 12:45-1:45 with VDART, Emergency Sheltering and Disaster Preparedness, 1 hour CE 
Sunday Luncheon - Noon-1PM

Saturday, February 1

Small Animal Track: 6 CE hours by Dr. Eric Ledbetter on Ophthalmology
(this program is a deeper dive into the topic than what was presented at the VVMA June webinar)

Dr. Ledbetter is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and the James Law Professor of Ophthalmology at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, he completed a small animalmedicine and surgery internship at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and a comparative ophthalmology residency at Cornell University, where he joined the faculty in 2006.                                                                                                            
Dr. Ledbetter’s research interests include in vivo ocular imaging techniques, ocular infectious disease, and corneal disease. In addition to research and teaching endeavors, Dr. Ledbetter provides clinical ophthalmology services within Cornell University’s Companion Animal and Equine & Farm Animal Hospitals.

Course Description:
A Color-Coded Approach to Recognizing Corneal Pathologies
Corneal clarity is required for normal vision and corneal pathology predictably results in a loss of transparency. The specific corneal color change associated with the reduced transparency of the diseased cornea is often indicative of the underlying pathologic response, can assist in determining the etiology of the corneal lesion, and contributes to the development of a treatment plan. Basic corneal pathologic responses and their clinical appearance will be reviewed.
Learning Objectives
1) To understand the basic pathologic responses of the cornea and the associated color change clinically observed with each
2) To be familiar with the potential etiologies of each discussed clinical corneal color change
Clinical Management of Canine and Feline Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is among the most frequent ocular diseases for which companion animals are presented to veterinarians for medical evaluation. The clinical signs of conjunctivitis and basic clinical approach to dogs and cats with conjunctivitis will be reviewed. Clinically relevant etiologies of conjunctivitis in companion animals will be discussed with their appropriate therapeutic management. The primary etiologies of conjunctivitis will be emphasized, including allergic, frictional irritant, immune-mediated, infectious, and traumatic conditions.
Learning Objectives
1) To understand the different clinical signs associated with conjunctivitis and basic clinical approach to dogs and cats with conjunctivitis
2) To be familiar with the etiologies of conjunctivitis in companion animals, including their appropriate therapeutic management
Ocular Manifestations of Systemic Endocrine, Metabolic, Hematologic, and Infectious Diseases in Dogs and Cats
The ocular examination is a valuable diagnostic tool for a wide-range of systemic disorders and is frequently underused by clinicians for this purpose. Ocular lesions are commonly observed with a variety of systemic diseases. Common and clinically-important ocular lesions associate with systemic endocrine, metabolic, hematologic, and infectious diseases will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
1) To understand the different ocular manifestations associated with the following clinicopathologic abnormalities: hyperglycemia, hypocalcemia, hyperlipidemia, and hyperbilirubinemia.|
2) To be familiar with systemic vascular disorders that can produce ocular manifestation.
3) To discuss the major infectious diseases associated with ocular manifestations in dogs and cats, including basic pathophysiology and clinical ocular lesions.

 

LARGE ANIMAL TRACK – BOVINE/DAIRY – Saturday, 9:00 – 4:45 6 CE Credits 

Dr. Amelia Woolums is the Mikell and Mary Cheek Hall Davis Endowed Professor of Beef Cattle Health and Reproduction in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University. Dr. Woolums received her DVM in 1988 from Purdue University. She completed her large animal medicine residency at the University of Saskatchewan, and a PhD at the University of California at Davis, where she studied the immune response of cattle to BRSV vaccination. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists. At Mississippi State University Dr. Woolums has teaching and service duties, and she conducts research on BRD prevention and vaccination and immunity in cattle and calves.

Course Description:
  • The amazing immune response: review and update (1.5 hours): Review of the innate and adaptive immune responses, and the aspects of each that are critical for protection from infection by viruses, bacteria, and parasites in cattle and other species.
  • Vaccination and immunity in calves (1.5 hours): Update on unique aspects of the immune response in calves, passive immunity from colostrum intake, and discussion of the results of field trials testing the benefits and limits of young calf vaccination.
  • Vaccination to control bovine respiratory disease: what's the latest? (1.5 hours): A review of current information regarding the efficacy of vaccination to control respiratory disease in cattle, with discussion of case examples.
  • Respiratory disease in recently weaned beef calves: new developments (45 minutes): While immunodeficiency due to stress is commonly blamed for respiratory disease in recently weaned beef calves, recent findings suggesting a role for other mechanisms will be discussed.
  • Antimicrobial resistance in bovine respiratory disease (45 minutes): Historically antimicrobial resistance did not appear to be a problem in bacteria that contribute to BRD, but evidence that things are changing will be presented.
 

Sunday, February 2 

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT TRACK: Patient Advocacy Toolkit with William Cornwall, PetsApp

William Cornwall has connected businesses with SaaS solutions both within and outside the Veterinary Sector for the last 5 years. Since 2022 William has over 30k conversations with Veterinary Clinics and attended Veterinary events across the UK promoting PetsApp: a client engagement platform enabling veterinary clinics to offer text chat, video consultations, digital payments and wellness plans to their pet owners. William has a BA (hons) in Business & Management (with professional practice).   
   
Program Description: 
                                                                                                                                    
Your Complete Patient Advocacy Toolkit                     
We all want the best for our patients. However, finding the time to advocate for everything they could possibly need in a brief consultation can be beyond challenging. That’s assuming the pet owner agrees with each of the recommendations and sticks to the plan. And we all know what happens when we assume… This can put a lot of pressure on already stretched veterinary teams, leading to suboptimal outcomes all round. We need a better way of doing things. We need new tools. In fact, we need a complete patient advocacy toolkit.
In this session, Will takes you through the essential components that should make up your patient advocacy toolkit. Covering familiar concepts like concordance and compliance, whilst also exploring Wellness Plans, Loyalty Plans, the use of Artificial Intelligence, and much, much more!
  • Consider changing consumer demand, market dynamics and their impact on the traditional Veterinary Clinic
  • Apply value frameworks to your business to identify growth areas
  • Build your patient advocacy toolkit to protect your business against digital disruptors, delight your clients and support your staff

 

LARGE ANIMAL TRACK - EQUINE - DENTISTRY INCLUDING WET LAB with Dr. Amelie McAndrews, DVM, DAVDC-Eq
Limited to 15 registrants. 
LECTURE ONLY - 4 CE Hours - unlimited

Dr. McAndrews is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2009. After an internship and time as an equine general practitioner, she founded her dentistry exclusive practice, Garden State Equine Veterinary Dentistry, in 2015. Her practice is based in New Jersey. She completed a residency in equine dentistry and oral surgery and became board certified in 2022. Besides managing her own practice, she is a clinical associate at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, where she manages the dentistry caseload.   

Course Description:

Lectures (50 min each):
Making sense of the horse’s mouth: an anatomy and oral exam review

  • Objectives of this presentation are a review of equine dental related anatomy, how to do a five point oral exam and common oral exam findings.

Equine dental radiology: obtaining and interpreting diagnostic digital radiographs

  • This presentation will cover how to obtain high quality equine dental radiographs, radiographic anatomy, and interpretation of equine dental radiographs.

Something doesn’t look right, now what: approaches to common dental pathology

  • This presentation will cover common dental pathologies that equine general practitioners will find and how to treat them.

Equine dental case studies: when things go as planned (and when they don’t)

  • This presentation will cover common, more complex dentistry cases equine general practitioners may encounter. It will also cover how to determine which tooth extraction cases may be successfully completed on the farm versus when referral may be necessary.

Dry lab (with skulls, oral endoscopy, and digital radiograph) (110 min)

  • Refining your equine dentistry diagnostic capabilities: the oral exam and obtaining dental radiographs
  • In this lab with skulls, we will review how to utilize a dental mirror and oral endoscope in the equine oral exam and will practice obtaining diagnostic equine dental radiographs.

 


Registration Fees
Lunch, 2 breaks, coffee all day

One Day - Either
Saturday or Sunday
6 CE Hours
(Equine with wet lab)		 Register by 1/17   Register 
1/18- 1/30
Members $250 $275
LIfetime Members
Recent Grad Members		 $200 $225
Non-member Veterinarians $350 $375
Non-veterinarians $200 $225
Retired Members
(use discount code)		 $200 $225
Printed Speaker Notes $15 $15

 

 

Register Both Saturday and
Sunday 12 CE Hours
(Equine with wet lab)		 Register by 1/17 Register 
1/18-30
Members $450 $495
Lifetime Members
Recent Grad Members		 $360 $405
Non-member Veterinarians $630 $655
Non-veterinarians $360 $405
Retired Members
(use discount code)		 $360 $405
Printed Speaker Notes $30 $30

 

One Day - Sunday -
Equine Lecture Only - 4 CE Hours
 Register by 1/17   Register 
1/18- 1/30
Members $210 $235
LIfetime Members
Recent Grad Members		 $160 $185
Non-member Veterinarians $235 $260
Non-veterinarians $160 $185
Retired Members
(use discount code)		 $160 $185
Printed Speaker Notes $15 $15



Both Saturday and Sunday 
(Equine Lecture Only - 10 CE Hours)		 Register by 1/17   Register 
1/18- 1/30
Members $415 $440
LIfetime Members
Recent Grad Members		 $320 $345
Non-member Veterinarians $525 $550
Non-veterinarians $320 $345
Retired Members
(use discount code)		 $320 $345
Printed Speaker Notes $15 $15

 

Accommodations

The VVMA has a block of rooms at The DoubleTree by Hilton at a special rate of $149. The DoubleTree is PET FRIENDLY, has free parking, and is within easy driving distance (less than 10 minutes) of downtown Burlington shops and restaurants. This reduced rate is available on a limited number of rooms and the deadline for reservations expires on January 16, 2025. The link to reserve a room is https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/vvmawintermeeting2025/.  The special rate is good for 2 days prior to and 2 days after the conference. Reservations can be made by calling their Central Reservations line at 802-865-6600 and mentioning the VVMA to get the special rate. You can also make your reservations online.

Refund Policy

By January 20, a full refund minus a $25 per person processing fee. After January 20, a 50% refund. No refunds will be given after January 30. No credits will be given for future registrations however if you are feeling ill on the day of our in-person conference, we will do our best to change your registration to on-demand.

CE Certificates

Certificates confirming your participation in the CE program will be provided in a digital format and will be emailed to you the week after the conference concludes. If you need a paper copy, please let us know and we will include it in your registration packet on site.
 
Questions? Call VVMA Executive Director Linda Waite-Simpson at 802-878-6888 or email [email protected].
 

We look forward to seeing you at our Winter Conference!