Case management made easy – It can be simple if you know how!

This introductory session will give you a thorough overview on the problem oriented work-up of feline medicine cases. Based on several case examples we will learn how to approach problems relevant to felines in a structured manner that will help to ease the way through the jungle of clinical signs, laboratory findings and differential diagnoses.
Aims:
– Learn how to structure the diagnostic process in a way that will enable you to reach a diagnosis without taking too many detours
– Learn how to focus on results in order to quickly assess differentials
– Learn about having a plan b (and maybe c) in mind from the beginning and not to get lost if an expected result comes back negative
Preparation material:
• Introductory video on how to diagnotically proceed with medicine cases.
• Case material to prepare at home for further discussion during the live workshop
Live workshop:
The cases that have been prepared at home are being discussed. We are doing the further work-up together until the final diagnosis is reached, and the cross-check confirmes that all the patient`s problems can be explained by our diagnosis.

 

Feline endocrinology secrets unravelled – Part 1: Feline hyperthyroidism, feline hyperaldosteronism

One of the most important feline endocrinopathies undoubtedly is feline hyperthyroidism. Usually, it is not the diagnosis and management of hyperthyroidism itself that poses a problem, it is more about the co-morbiditis. Learn how to deal with concurrent chronic kidney disease, gain awareness about the fact that systemic hypertension often develops only after establishment of euthyroidism, discuss heart failure and the therapeutic consequenses in multimorbid cats and realize why producing hypothyroidism should be avoided by all means. And because it might look similar in the first place and diagnosis is not always straight forward we need to talk about feline hyperaldosteronism too.
What you will learn:
– A lot about feline hyperthyroidism and it`s co-morbidities (systemic hypertension, chronic kidney disease, heart failure)
– When to think of feline hyperaldosteronism and how to diagnose it
Preparation material:
• Reading material providing an overview about feline hyperthyrodism
• Reading material providing an overview about feline hyperaldosteronism
Live workshop:
Several cases will highlight the problems that may arise when dealing with feline hyperthyroidism and it`s co-morbidities. Some of them will be presented in a quizze format. Others will be discussed in more detail including gathering pros and cons within the group regarding different treatment options.

 

FIP – What`s new? What`s hot?

Since treatment options for feline infectious peritonitis have been introduced we certainly see and treat more feline patients with FIP. Even in countries where medication is not readily available. But what about the diagnosis? Is it that simple? How efficient are new PCR tests and how to interpret test results correctly? An additional challenge is that some cats present with atypical signs. There are FIP cases that might be missed. And then there are others that might look like FIP but aren`t. Let`s have a detailed look into this together.
What you will learn:
– How to diagnose FIP in a typical case with focus on serum protein electrophoresis, acute phase proteins and pcr testing
– Be aware of atypical FIP presentations and how to diagnose them
– An overview about treatment regimens, medical support and monitoring
Preparation material:
• Recent journal article on FIP diagnostic tools
• Recent journal article on atypical FIP
• Recent journal article on treatment outcome
Live workshop:
Cases with typical FIP, cases with atypical FIP and cases with „look-a-like“ but not FIP are presented and you are deciding which is which – based on the diagnostics you choose. After having identified the true FIP cases we will briefly talk about treatment, medical support and monitoring.

 

Talking about kidney disease

It is probably the most important disease in cats: chronic kidney disease? But is it always renal disease if you detect azotaemia on the blood work? And when can we classify a renal azotaemia as chronic kidney disease. How to differentiate from acute disease? And what about acute on chronic? Let`s find answers to all of these questions.
Aim:
– Be able to differentiate pre-renal, renal and postrenal azotaemia
– Learn how to find out whether it is acute or chronic kidney disease
– Take home some treatment guidelines for chronic kidney disease during different stages (early kidney disease, acute on chronic disease, advanced kidney disease)
Preparation material:
• Introductory video on how to differentiate pre-renal, renal and post-renal azotaemia
• Introductory video on how to differentiate acute from chronic disease
Live workshop:
Rico, Ruby, Wilma, Pim and some others will teach you how to differentiate pre-renal, renal and post-renal azotaemia and how to classify renal azotaemia as acute, chronic or acute on chronic. And once we have found out which of them have chronic kidney disease we need to talk about treatment options and the differences in the management of early vs advanced chronic kidney disease.

 

Feline endocrinology secrets unravelled – Part 2: D. mellitus, acromegaly, Cushing`s syndrome

Diagnosing diabetes mellitus is not causing a problem in most cases. It usually gets difficult if the treatment response is not exactly what we would have wished it to be. We will look into monitoring of diabetic patients and possible reasons for insufficient treatment response. The focus will be on potentially underlying endocrinopathies such as acromegaly and Cushing`s syndrome. However, new treatment options such as the SGLT-2 inhibitors will be discussed as well.
Preparation material:
• Short introduction on how to read glucose curves
• Short introduction on SGLT-2 inhibitors
Live workshop:
Several short cases are presented in a quizze format asking you to provide answers using the knowledge you gained about glucose curves and SGLT-2 inhibitors. As soon as we have solved the most important issues around these two topics a case with acromegaly and another one with Cushing`s syndrome need to be worked up more extensively by you and you need to decide on how to treat them.

 

Feline lower urinary tract disease – a never ending story…

A common presentation in daily praxis. The cat with idiopathic cystitis – or shall we better say „stress induced feline lower urinary tract syndrome“? Aren`t thea all stress-induced? Even those with crystalluria, urolthiasis and secondary bacterial infection? Let`s talk about the different presentations of FLUTD and how to deal with them.
Aims:
– Implement guidelines for a severly sick, hyperkalaemic, obstructed tom cat
– Find out about tips and tricks for catheterization
– Learn how to do a decompressive cystocentesis
– Become familiar with urinary sediment findings (focus: crystalluria)
– Develop guidlines fot the management of stress induced feline lower urinary tract syndrome
Preparation material:
• Reading material: Background information on FLUTD etiopathogenesis
• Reading material: Treating stress induced feline lower urinary tract syndrome + multimodal environmental modification
Live workshop:
One case that is severly hyperkalaemic – why catherization is not necessarily the first thing to do and what needs to be done.
One case that cannot be catheterized – how to proceed if it is getting difficult. Includes a cystocentesis workshop.
One case that has got urolithiasis – what to do. Includes a quiz on crystalluria and on radiographic detection of urolithiasis in more locations than just the urinary bladder
One case that is being presented with recurrent episodes – which measures do we need to focus on if it comes to prevention and stress management? Let`s bring our knowledge together.

 

The vomiting cat

There are so many differentials. How to work through them and find the diagnosis? Based on the very first session we will find a problem oriented structured approach to this. We will learn how to read laboratory results and ultrasound findings with a focus. The better we have done our homework the more information we will get from our diagnostic procedures.
Aims:
– Structured approach to the vomiting cat
– Using diagnostic tools wisely and with a focus
– What to read from blood, faeces and ultrasound
Preparation material:
• Introductory video on how to diagnotically proceed with medicine cases.
• Case material to prepare at home for further discussion during the live workshop
Live workshop:
The cases that have been prepared at home are being discussed. We are doing the further work-up together until the final diagnosis is reached. Includes an ultrasound quizze on the pancreas, gall bladder and intestines.