Course Description

Tuition: drip.vet $70.00, VIN member -- click --

Presented by Brennen McKenzie, VMD

This course is intended to introduce the small animal clinician to the principles and practice of canine and feline gerontology (both species will be discussed, but the body of information is considerably greater for dogs, and the course will reflect that). We begin with the fundamentals of aging, including the core mechanisms and the clinical phenotype of aging in dogs and cats. After developing our understanding of aging as the most important modifiable risk factor for the three Ds of geriatrics -- disability, disease, and death — we shift to building a systematic approach to the assessment and management of geriatric canine and feline patients. We review the most important diseases and clinical problems of senior dogs and cats and introduce evidence-based resources, such as formal assessment tools and clinical practice guidelines, to support the diagnosis, assessment, monitoring, and treatment of these conditions.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to

• Understand the fundamental principles of canine and feline geroscience (the main mechanisms and phenotype of aging in dogs and cats).
• Understand the utility of approaching aging as a modifiable risk factor for multiple age-associated diseases and clinical conditions.
• Develop a systematic, evidence-based approach to the assessment and management of diseases and clinical problems in geriatric dogs and cats.
• Practice the use of evidence-based resources, such as assessment tools and clinical practice guidelines.