Carolyn is the manager of the BJ Hughes Centre for Clinical Learning at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). She is a graduate of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (now Saskatchewan Polytechnic). She has also achieved the Veterinary Technician Specialty in Anesthesia and Analgesia and the RECOVER program. She sits on the board and committees for several organizations, including the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association, Registered Veterinary Technologists and Technicians of Canada, Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the International Veterinary Nurse and Technician Association. She is an active member of the Saskatchewan Association of Veterinary Technologists, Academy of Veterinary Technicians in Anesthesia and Analgesia, the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America and the International Veterinary Nurse and Technician Association. Personally, she enjoys country life with her husband and 3 grown children, along with a variety of 4 legged family members.

Effective Pain Management – Peri and Post-Operative
November 25, 2020 7:00pm CST
The presentation will discuss a balanced, multi-modal approach to anesthesia and analgesia, which has become the standard for quality patient care. The lecture will review available drugs and their appropriate application as well as techniques and practical tips to help manage the anesthesia patient. The discussion will include practical treatment options and combinations of techniques for patient care and aid in pain management (pre- and post-operative) with the use of inexpensive and versatile analgesic tools. Participants will also learn how the veterinary team members can effectively make that difference for optimal patient benefit.

Dr. Jen Loewen is an assistant professor of small animal emergency medicine and critical care at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Loewen grew up in Winnipeg, before earning her veterinary degree at the WCVM in 2014.

Following graduation, she completed a small animal rotating internship at Iowa State University and a residency in small animal emergency and critical care at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Loewen obtained her board certification from the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care in 2018. Her research interests include fluid management and simulation teaching.

DKA Management
December 3, 2020 7:00pm CST
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a complication of diabetes mellitus. When treating a patient with DKA, there are several things to keep in mind including, what caused the DKA, what electrolytes do we need to monitor/manage during treatment and insulin therapy. This webinar will discuss differentials and initial tests to suggest when diagnosing a DKA, limitations of some of our bedside tests, electrolyte therapy as well as insulin protocols. 

 Transfusion Medicine
February 4, 2021 7:00pm CST
Giving a transfusion to a veterinary patient could be a lifesaving procedure; however, if it is not something that you are used to performing, it can be overwhelming. This webinar will discuss some tips if you are collecting your own product, things to keep in mind when selecting which product to give to your patient and what to monitor for during the transfusion.

 Toxicities
April 1, 2020 7:00pm CST
Dogs and cats love to get into things they should not, whether it is their own medication, an owner’s medication or things around the house or yard. Depending on what the item is, we may treat the patient with supportive care or there may be a specific antidote. This webinar will review the general approach that should be taken when treating all toxicities as well as highlight the treatment of a few specific toxins.

Melissa was born and raised in southern Ontario and moved to Alberta to attend college. After graduating from the Olds College Technologist program in 2004, she worked in both a private and specialty/referral practice setting in Calgary.

In 2010, Melissa moved to Saskatchewan and began working for the University of Saskatchewan’s Veterinary Medical Centre. She obtained her Veterinary Technician Specialist certification in emergency and critical care in 2011 and in internal medicine-oncology in 2018. In her spare time, she enjoys reading historical fiction and traveling.

Expanding your RVT Career – The Journey to Earning a VTS
December 29, 2020 7:00pm CST
The role of the RVT is expanding, one area in which RVT’s can further their career is by obtaining a Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS). The goal of this lecture is to breakdown the VTS journey from start to finish and provide guidance to those interested in pursuing a specialty. We will discuss the role of a VTS within the profession, the process of certification and the requirements to maintain your designation. I will share my own journey to earning a VTS and provide some fundamental tips for successfully acquiring your VTS.

Lumps and Bumps – Locate and Investigate!
March 4, 2021 7:00pm CST
This lecture will discuss the importance of peripheral mass assessment, diagnostic testing, and the common types of skin tumors in the dog and cat. The focus will encompass the role RVTs can play and how we can greatly affect the quality of care provided.

Palliative Medicine – It’s Not the End!
April 22, 2021 7:00pm CST
Palliative and hospice care is an emerging area of veterinary medicine in which the RVT can play a leading role. Traditionally, we think of palliative care as referring to imminent death but there is much more that encompasses this process. In this lecture, we will define the concepts of palliative versus hospice care, quality of life parameters and supportive care options. Lastly, we will discuss the end of life process and ways of fostering compassion and empathy to benefit the patient, client, and veterinary team.

Shock Attack – The Team Fights Back!
May 27, 2021 7:00pm CST
Patients present in shock for various reasons and a timely diagnosis and treatment implementation is vital for patient survival. This lecture will discuss the pathophysiology of shock, the common types of shock, clinical presentation, treatment options and the RVT’s critical nursing role.

Dr. Liz Andree is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Veterinarian through the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care. She has been a small animal veterinarian since 2013 and has always been drawn to compassionate end-of-life care.

Recently, Dr. Liz opened up her own end-of-life veterinary service in Winnipeg, Sunset Veterinary Care. Through her services, she is able to assist families during some of the most difficult times of being pet-caregivers, all in the comfort of their homes. Dr. Liz shares her home with her husband, their young son, and their three dogs – Jack, Rigbee & Hot Rod.

An Introduction to Animal Hospice and Palliative Care and your Role
December 10, 2020 7:00pm CST
Animal hospice and palliative care is a relatively new focus of veterinary medicine. We will discuss the main philosophies and considerations of hospice, palliative care and how you fit into the team.

An Introduction to Quality-of-Life Scales and Pain Scales
February 24, 2021 7:00pm CST
We will continue to explore the role of the veterinary technologist in end-of-life care by looking at various tools to use when speaking with clients. Veterinary technologists are often the main communicator with families, especially when helping families determine if they need to schedule an appointment or when delivering follow-up care. Various scales exist to help veterinary professionals bring up difficult topics with families and help to demonstrate the level of pain or suffering our patients may be experiencing.

After Lynnsey graduated from Lakeland College in 2006 bright eyed and eager to jump into the wonderful world of being an RVT, she realized that there was a huge lack of knowledge, compassion and patience with pets who were stressed and anxious while in veterinary care. She began to study different methods of training, handling, reading body language, decreasing stress in our pets and instantly fell in love with all things animal behaviour. Lynnsey is Low Stress Handling Silver Certified, has her Fear Free Professional Level Three certification and in 2018 she became the first VTS-Behaviour in Canada. She is currently president-elect of the AVBT, has published articles in various vet tech publications, and loves to share her passion with other technicians in the field. She works at Forest Grove Veterinary Clinic in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, as well as doing referral cases for other clinics across the province to help pets with behavioural problems. She and her husband live in Saskatoon with their two very energetic dogs, and geriatric kitty. When she is not working, Lynnsey is a foster mom the most precious little boy, loves to have a book in her hand, or playing her guitar around a campfire.

Handling pets’ stress and anxiety during COVID
January 19, 2021 7:00pm CST
Our lives have all been flipped upside down with this pandemic and our pets are no exception! Everything from pet parents being home more frequently, changes in schedules, and having to visit the veterinarian without their people all leads to an increase in Fear Anxiety and Stress. This session will aim to address concerns that pet owners have with their pets at home, how we can help our patients cope with schedule changes, and how we can alleviate the extra stress of the parentless veterinary visit.

How to socialize through social distancing
March 25, 2021 7:00pm CST
There has been a huge increase of people getting puppies during the pandemic. What are the long-term complications that come along with these pandemic puppies? We have all seen dogs in practice who have not had adequate socialization, and these new furry family members are facing an uphill battle to be socialized when we need to socially distance. This session will cover how to create a COVID friendly socialization club for puppies in your practices, as well as tips and tricks to pass on to owners to help them socialize and create schedules for their pups that will extend far beyond this pandemic!

Helping your patients to cooperate with their visits
May 19, 2021 7:00pm CST
No one loves going to the doctor, but we do it because we know that it is important. For us, appointments are not as painful, because we follow directions and cooperate with our physicians, which helps to expedite the process and allow us to have a say in our health care. What if we taught our patients to do the same? In teaching our patients to cooperate and participate in their veterinary care, we open up new opportunities for them to be comfortable with the exams and treatments that they need. This session will cover how to help pet parents to teach their pets to cooperate in veterinary care, as well as how to set up a program in your clinic for you to teach cooperative veterinary care as an additional source of revenue for the clinic. 

Dr. Virani graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1997. Since that time, she has worked in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she lived previously for 7 years. As a small animal practitioner, she has been able to combine her passion for learning, working with animals and helping others. Dr. Virani has a special interest in Internal Medicine and is committed to working with other veterinarians and staff to make a positive impact on the lives of pets and their owners. She is an active member of the community, has volunteered and worked with a number of animal shelters, rescue organizations, therapy groups and bird and wildlife societies. In her spare time, she loves to hike with her two dogs, do yoga, photography and art. She currently lives in Vancouver with her two kids and her husband. Dr. Virani joined IDEXX in 2020 as a Professional Services Veterinarian for Western Canada in order to pursue her dedication for ongoing education and fulfill her desire to help her veterinary colleagues provide the best standard of care for their patients.

The ABCs of CBC: What, When, and Why
January 28, 2021 7:00pm CST
The complete blood count (CBC) is one of the most sensitive means of determining deviation from health in the patient as well as characterizing severity of abnormalities in the clinically obvious sick patient. This discussion on what is included in the CBC; when and why a CBC should be performed; and information about the red blood cells (erythrogram), white blood cells (leukogram), and platelets (thrombogram) to assure complete understanding, which is essential to maximize the value of the CBC.

“Urine Luck”: There Is an Easy Button for the Difficult Urine Sediment Analysis
February 16, 2021 7:00pm CST
Performing a complete urinalysis as part of the minimum database is important in healthy and sick patients. A technical and medical review of urine sediment analysis using manual and automated microscopy will be discussed. Case examples will illustrate the value of performing complete urinalysis in an objective, consistent, and timely manner.

SDMA: Fundamentals to Expanded Clinical Utility
March 16, 2021 7:00pm CST
This presentation focuses first on the fundamentals of SDMA, including physiology, methodology, and comparison to current kidney biomarkers. Second, we discuss SDMA’s expanded clinical utility in the contexts of preventive care, preanesthetic testing, and sick-patient care. We focus specifically on SDMA as a marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to assess kidney function, considering application to diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and prognosis.

Get the Scoop on Poop: Fecal Diagnostics, Details, and Data
April 13, 2021 7:00pm CST
This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of fecal diagnostics for intestinal parasites including Giardia and a review of study data. Cover the newest fecal antigen testing for nematodes to aid in the diagnosis of roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm infections in dogs and cats and review data on how to double the detection of intestinal parasite infections by combining traditional fecal ova and parasite (O&P) testing with fecal antigen testing. We will discuss testing recommendations by third party resources including CAPC and discuss zoonosis and our role in One Health.