25 May
09:00 Start of the Conference
18:00 End of the Conference
25 MAY
1st International Conference on Animal Hospice and Palliative Care for the General Practitioner
Room Auditorium
25 May
08:00
Registration
25 May
09:00
Pain Management and Palliative Strategies for Dyspnea
Heart failure and advanced neoplasia are two common causes of dyspnea in the hospice patient. Breathlessness vastly decreased quality of life and is a major life-limiting factor for patients with either disease. Because of this, the caregiver team needs to be aware of ways to alleviate this distressing symptom. This hour will discuss both the pathophysiology of breathlessness in heart failure and neoplasia as well as the palliative management options we can implement to improve the quality of life in our terminal patients.
Shea Cox
DVM
Dr. Shea Cox is a global leader and subject matter expert in veterinary hospice and palliative care. With a focus on technology, innovation and education, her efforts are changing the end-of-life landscape in veterinary medicine, and as a Telehealth advocate, she is working to change the laws around how veterinarians can use Telemedicine to care for their patients at end of life.
In addition to launching the first hospice and palliative care service integrated within a specialty hospital setting in 2012, she was the first to launch a nationwide Telehealth platform dedicated to quality of life and end-of-life support in 2017.
In 2020, PetHospice was acquired by BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospitals, a Mars Petcare company. Dr. Cox and her team will lead the expansion of hospice, palliative care and end-of-life services nationwide.
Other professional endeavors include:
- Worked as a Registered Nurse in home health and hospice care for nearly a decade
- International lecturer
- Developed a 100-hr program to certify veterinarians and technicians in hospice and palliative care
- Authored 12 textbook chapters relating to hospice care
- Served as a hospice consultant (VIN) to over 65,000 veterinarians worldwide
- Co-authored the American Animal Hospital Association End of Life Guidelines
- Co-authored the AAHA/AVMA Telehealth Guidelines for Small Animal Practice
- Past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care
25 May
09:45
Pain Management and Palliative Strategies for Feline and Canine OA/DJD
This lecture will highlight the concepts that are crucial to reducing feline pain and inflammation that is associated with osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease — a comorbidity that is present in every geriatric hospice patient. While we do not have any new chronic pain drugs, there is an increased understanding of how the existing pain drugs can be used in care, and we will discuss the techniques, doses, and indications for the treatment of this form of chronic pain.
Tammy Grubb
BS, DVM, MS, Dipl ACVA, PhD
Dr. Grubb’s research interests include cardiovascular and respiratory physiology and the effects on anesthetic drugs on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Dr. Grubb is also very active in the relief of animal pain through the development of new analgesic drugs and through the education of colleagues, students and pet owners regarding treatment options for animals.
10:30 Coffee break and Exhibition
25 May
11:00
Comorbidity and Polypharmacy Considerations in the Hospice Patient
Hospice patients are often burdened with multiple disease processes as well as the need to take multiple medications in order to manage those diseases. This makes this patient population particularly vulnerable to adverse side effects. Polypharmacy and comorbidities can lead to both drug-drug and drug-disease interactions. This lecture will provide discussion of the most common comorbidities and the most commonly used medications with a focus on the prevention of medication-related problems that may be encountered as a result of their use.
Federico Corletto
DVM, PhD, CertVA, Dipl ECVAA, MRCVS
Freddie is Head of the Anaesthesia and Analgesia Service. He graduated from Padova, Italy, and trained as a veterinary anaesthetist in the UK. He achieved European Specialist status in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia in 2003. Anaesthesia, perioperative care, and analgesia have been his main interests since he was a veterinary student. He is particularly interested in the physiology and pharmacology of anaesthetics, sedative and cardiovascular drugs. After working as an Anaesthesia Lecturer in Padova he took up a post as a Clinical Anaesthetist in the UK and then spent 3 years working on a research project based at the University Division of Anaesthetics at Addenbrookes Hospital, This led to a PhD and he continues to collaborate in this project. He joined DWR in 2008 and has built an Anaesthesia Service to support the other Specialist disciplines. Freddie has developed clinical and research projects, many of which have resulted in peer reviewed publications. He contributes actively to continuing education in the UK and overseas; and is author of a handbook of small animal anaesthesia. Freddie has served as an officer of the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia for many years and is currently its President.
25 May
11:45
Approaches and Tools to Help Clients Know “When it’s Time”
“When will I know it’s time?” This is a question that is posed to every veterinary staff member by a client. Answering this question can be difficult, and it should entail more of a conversation beyond, “You’ll just know” or “When he stops eating and enjoying things in life.” Helping your clients navigate these difficult decisions is one of the most important things you can do as a veterinary professional, and this hour will give you the tools and resources how.
Shea Cox
DVM
Dr. Shea Cox is a global leader and subject matter expert in veterinary hospice and palliative care. With a focus on technology, innovation and education, her efforts are changing the end-of-life landscape in veterinary medicine, and as a Telehealth advocate, she is working to change the laws around how veterinarians can use Telemedicine to care for their patients at end of life.
In addition to launching the first hospice and palliative care service integrated within a specialty hospital setting in 2012, she was the first to launch a nationwide Telehealth platform dedicated to quality of life and end-of-life support in 2017.
In 2020, PetHospice was acquired by BluePearl Specialty + Emergency Pet Hospitals, a Mars Petcare company. Dr. Cox and her team will lead the expansion of hospice, palliative care and end-of-life services nationwide.
Other professional endeavors include:
- Worked as a Registered Nurse in home health and hospice care for nearly a decade
- International lecturer
- Developed a 100-hr program to certify veterinarians and technicians in hospice and palliative care
- Authored 12 textbook chapters relating to hospice care
- Served as a hospice consultant (VIN) to over 65,000 veterinarians worldwide
- Co-authored the American Animal Hospital Association End of Life Guidelines
- Co-authored the AAHA/AVMA Telehealth Guidelines for Small Animal Practice
- Past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care
12:30 Discussion
13:00 Lunch break and Exhibition
25 May
14:00
Euthanasia: Caregiver and Pet Considerations
There are numerous caregiver considerations that affect exactly why and how we perform euthanasia. In this hour, we will discover how to partner and guide caregivers through such a difficult, emotional time with focus on keeping the pet patient safe and supported throughout.
Learning Objectives for this hour
- Apply client communication techniques for increased clarity
- Better assist clients preparing for the euthanasia experience
- Offer more empathy and support for the bereaved
Kathleen Cooney
DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP
Kathleen Cooney has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. She is well-known for her work in companion animal euthanasia and has authored two books on the subject. Dr. Cooney has collaborated in euthanasia training for the AVMA, AAHA, IAAHPC, HABRI, the Fear Free program, and is Founder and Director of Education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). The core certificate program is Dr. Cooney's design and is based around the The 14 Essential Components of Companion Animal Euthanasia. She is a strong advocate for best practices in all aspects of end-of-life care and speaks nationally and internationally on such topics. Dr. Cooney is also the founder of Cooney Animal Hospice Consulting and past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) and remains active in their organization, including design of their Animal Hospice and Palliative Care Certification Program, launched in 2016. In 2019, she received training to become a Certified Compassion Fatigue Provider.
25 May
14:45
Euthanasia: Pre-euthanasia Sedation/Anesthesia Protocols
The use of pre-euthanasia sedation or anesthesia to relax companion animals is becoming more and more common. Veterinary teams around the world are seeing the benefits of providing a more peaceful and anxiety-free experience. We will examine pros and cons to their use and review protocols that can be immediately implemented in practice.
Learning Objectives for this hour.
- Determine when to reach for a sedative protocol versus an anesthetic
- Explain expected physical changes to clients
- Quickly modify protocols to meet the patient’s unique needs
Kathleen Cooney
DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP
Kathleen Cooney has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. She is well-known for her work in companion animal euthanasia and has authored two books on the subject. Dr. Cooney has collaborated in euthanasia training for the AVMA, AAHA, IAAHPC, HABRI, the Fear Free program, and is Founder and Director of Education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). The core certificate program is Dr. Cooney's design and is based around the The 14 Essential Components of Companion Animal Euthanasia. She is a strong advocate for best practices in all aspects of end-of-life care and speaks nationally and internationally on such topics. Dr. Cooney is also the founder of Cooney Animal Hospice Consulting and past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) and remains active in their organization, including design of their Animal Hospice and Palliative Care Certification Program, launched in 2016. In 2019, she received training to become a Certified Compassion Fatigue Provider.
15:30 Coffee break and Exhibition
25 May
16:00
Euthanasia Techniques
Euthanasia requires more skill than just giving an injection. There are 5 common injection sites for use in most companion animals; IV, IC, IP, IR, IH. The goal is to reach for the best one given the situation. Our goal during this hour is to review these 5 injection types and have a bit of time to review inhalation of anesthetics and physical methods, should the need ever arise.
Learning Objectives for this hour
- Effectively administer euthanasia solution using each technique
- Make better decisions towards technique selection
- Administer inhaled anesthetics or direct physical methods if necessary
Kathleen Cooney
DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP
Kathleen Cooney has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. She is well-known for her work in companion animal euthanasia and has authored two books on the subject. Dr. Cooney has collaborated in euthanasia training for the AVMA, AAHA, IAAHPC, HABRI, the Fear Free program, and is Founder and Director of Education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). The core certificate program is Dr. Cooney's design and is based around the The 14 Essential Components of Companion Animal Euthanasia. She is a strong advocate for best practices in all aspects of end-of-life care and speaks nationally and internationally on such topics. Dr. Cooney is also the founder of Cooney Animal Hospice Consulting and past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) and remains active in their organization, including design of their Animal Hospice and Palliative Care Certification Program, launched in 2016. In 2019, she received training to become a Certified Compassion Fatigue Provider.
25 May
16:45
Euthanasia: Challenging Situations
Even the best taught, most prepared practitioner is going to come across a challenging euthanasia from time to time. While we want everything to go perfectly smooth, truth is things must go wrong every once and a while. It’s how we handle these challenging situations that makes the difference between a terrible experience and a beautiful one. We will talk openly during this hour about unexpected results, special circumstances, and challenges of all kinds.
Learning Objectives for this hour
- Breathe easier knowing they are not alone. Everyone faces difficult cases
- Troubleshoot quickly to provide a peaceful passing
- Better explain to clients why the challenge/issue occurred
Kathleen Cooney
DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP
Kathleen Cooney has been practicing advanced end-of-life care since 2006. She is well-known for her work in companion animal euthanasia and has authored two books on the subject. Dr. Cooney has collaborated in euthanasia training for the AVMA, AAHA, IAAHPC, HABRI, the Fear Free program, and is Founder and Director of Education for the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA). The core certificate program is Dr. Cooney's design and is based around the The 14 Essential Components of Companion Animal Euthanasia. She is a strong advocate for best practices in all aspects of end-of-life care and speaks nationally and internationally on such topics. Dr. Cooney is also the founder of Cooney Animal Hospice Consulting and past President of the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) and remains active in their organization, including design of their Animal Hospice and Palliative Care Certification Program, launched in 2016. In 2019, she received training to become a Certified Compassion Fatigue Provider.
