AABP Meeting Sessions

AABP Annual Conference Sessions

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AASRP

Title	Date
Pain management in sheep and goats: Applications and techniques Joseph Smith In this presentation, veterinary professionals will review the analgesic agents and mechanisms of action for small ruminants. Multiple drug classes with be evaluated with respect to use for various painful applications. Additionally, techniques of pain management will be reviewed including local anesthesia/analgesia, regional anesthesia/analgesia, multimodal therapy, and acupuncture. Finally, issues regarding the regulatory aspects of the extralabel management of pain in small ruminants will be discussed.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 8:00:00 AM
Approved Methods for Small Ruminant Humane Euthanasia Ryan Breuer Small ruminants continue to maintain their importance as both food and fiber animal species. Their role as companion animals has also increased in popularity. Keeping these purposes/utilities in-mind, the discussion regarding humane euthanasia procedures can be a very difficult, albeit educational, decisions for the client. As veterinarians, we have an ethical duty to ensure a safe and painless death for our patients, thus the value of being well trained and knowledgeable in the various available methods of humane euthanasia. Humane euthanasia procedures also provide the opportunity to advise the client on relevant aspects of proper carcass disposal, depending on the method of euthanasia chosen.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 9:00:00 AM
Knowing the Players- The GI Nematodes and What's Out There for Treatment Michael E. Pesato This presentation will discuss the major gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants. It will introduce what makes these parasites so pathogenic and discuss clinical signs. It will also introduce the major products available for treatment of gastrointestinal nematodes. These major treatments will be highlighted by covering aspects such as dosage, route, specific label information, and safety precautions.	Friday, September 13, 2024 8:00:00 AM
Updates in Whitetail Deer Practice Douglas Wagner the lecture will focus on changes that have occurred in the Whitetail Deer industry in the past 20 years, Lecture will include recommendations on use of controlled drugs in Whitetail Deer chemical immobilization.	Friday, September 13, 2024 8:45:00 AM
Cerebrospinal Fluid Collection and Interpretation Meredyth Jones In this session, we will cover the indications for cerebrospinal fluid analysis and the diseases for which it is most useful. I will provide equipment needs and the step-by-step process for obtaining cerebrospinal fluid in the small ruminant patient. Then, we will discuss interpretation of CSF analysis and how that can be used to diagnose specific neurologic conditions.	Friday, September 13, 2024 9:30:00 AM
Play the Game: Discussing Anthelmintic Resistance and Alternative Parasite Control Options Michael E. Pesato This presentation will discuss how gastrointestinal nematodes have developed resistance to most available anthelmintics. It will highlight characteristics of the nematodes that have allowed resistance to develop rapidly over the last few decades. Management strategies and alternative methods for parasite control will also be introduced. At the conclusion of this presentation, practitioners should better understand anthelmintic resistance and feel better equipped to help curb its effects!	Friday, September 13, 2024 10:45:00 AM
Small Ruminant Abortion- Recognizing it, Managing it, and What to Do Next! Clare Scully Overview of abortion in the female small ruminant for the general practitioner. We will discuss the different diseases that cause abortion in the ewe and doe. This talk should help you recognize the signs associated with and suggest tools for diagnosing causes of abortion in the small ruminant. We will discuss ways to prevent abortion and to address the causes that are known to be zoonotic.	Friday, September 13, 2024 11:30:00 AM
Small Ruminant Practice Management in 2024 - Utilization of Modern Modalities Evelyn MacKay This presentation will focus on ways to integrate modern tools for practice success of small ruminant and mixed animal practitioners. Topics included are payment methods, scheduling, record keeping, social media presence, medical technology and client communication.	Friday, September 13, 2024 1:45:00 PM
Attracting and Retaining Small Ruminant Clientele Kay Marinac-Prudente This presentation will discuss the basics of growing your business into the small ruminant world from the perspective of the cattle veterinarian. We will talk what tools and equipment may be needed, some very basic health topics, and what the small ruminant client is looking for in a vet (and what they are not!).	Friday, September 13, 2024 2:30:00 PM
''Using Social Media to Keep Your Practice Relevant!" Jon Higgins To review methods of engaging clients, veterinary students, and colleagues with Social Media to keep them abreast of new practice news, best and timely practice for herds and flocks and build awareness in your community.	Friday, September 13, 2024 3:00:00 PM

Beef

Title	Date
Thoughts and Recommendations on Metaphylaxis in Commercial Feedyard Settings with an Emphasis on Drug Selection and Post-Metaphylaxis Intervals Josh Szasz To familiarize people with the science and evidence behind extended post-metaphylactic intervals for different drugs	Friday, September 13, 2024 1:45:00 PM
Feedlot Pen Floor Design, Management and Production Implications Eric Behlke This presentation will highlight some of the different feedlot pen floor designs. The advantaged and disadvantages of the different pen floors will be discussed. This presentation will include data for veterinary and production outcomes that have been observed in the different production scenarios.	Friday, September 13, 2024 2:30:00 PM
FARAD: Current Updates and Future Directions Danielle Mzyk The overarching goal of FARAD (Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank) is to provide current and accurate scientific information to veterinarians thereby ensuring animal‐derived human foods are devoid of unsafe chemical residues, including drugs, pesticides, natural toxins and environmental contaminants. This session will review current research priorities and discuss new and future developments in residue avoidance for bovine practitioners.	Friday, September 13, 2024 3:15:00 PM
Relevance: Consideration for Evolving and Adapting Beef Veterinary Practice Models Dale M. Grotelueschen Changes in the beef industry are immense. At the same time, traditional production practices remain in common use. Generational change has brought with it contrasting values and points of view that are impacting veterinary businesses. These are multifaceted issues requiring attention at various levels in the system. Adapting beef veterinary practice models may be a strong point of leverage.	Friday, September 13, 2024 4:15:00 PM
Current and Emerging Diagnostic Approaches to Infectious Diseases of Cattle Dustin Loy The objective of this presentation is to describe current and emerging diagnostic methods for infectious diseases of cattle. New methods and technologies such as real time PCR, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and next generation sequencing will be discussed. Applications of these new technologies will be reviewed including syndromic panels, pathogen typing, antimicrobial resistance testing, and pathogen discovery.	Friday, September 13, 2024 5:15:00 PM
Resilience and Sustainability in Beef Production Systems Jason Sawyer The problem of 'sustainability' has become a common part of the public conversation. In this session, we will discuss a framework for sustainability as a forecasting problem, and the opportunities that managers and professionals have to enhance the likelihood of sustaining the output from these systems. Resilience is the property of a system to withstand or adapt to disruption. We will also consider the relationships among resilience and sustianability in the context of beef systems, and key leverage points where resilience can have the greatest impact on sustaining beef production. Both managers and professionals contribute to these outcomes, and identifying leverage points increases value for both.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 8:00:00 AM
Why is there a persistently increasing gap in the availability of livestock veterinarians in the rural U.S.? Ben Turner Veterinary shortages in rural United States represent a major challenge for all stakeholders in the cattle industry, particularly those on the production side. Poor accessibility to veterinary services leads to animal health problems and decreased productivity and ultimately impacts producers' bottom line due to the multiple complications this entails. This presentation demonstrates a Systems Thinking approach to investigate and discuss how interactions among systems have created the veterinary shortage. A vital aspect of the analysis conducted was the identification of stakeholders, mental models, endogenous and exogenous variables, and leverage points where long-lasting interventions could be formulated. Through the Systems Thinking process, flaws in the system were identified in a manner that can explain the underlying causes why current policies aimed at fixing the issue do not seem to be effective. A Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) was utilized to visualize the relationships between the cattle industry, the veterinary labor market, and the education system, which intends to prepare upcoming generations of veterinarians. Some insights discussed from this model illuminate how multiple interconnected conditions lead to the perceived disproportionate growth of veterinary school graduates opting to work with small companion animals rather than livestock, the need for more qualitative metrics to determine shortage areas, and why some existing interventions are less effective than desired. The role of mental models was also captured to describe the reasoning behind the decisions, policies, and attitudes different stakeholders (students, veterinaries, ranchers, policymakers) in the system possess and which influence behaviors over time.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 8:45:00 AM
“Wait, I’m the professor now?” Brittany Berry This session will cover the strategic integration of distributive model veterinary students into your practice. Main topics for discussion will cover logistics of hosting students, day to day scheduling tips and clinical teaching. Attendees will be provided resources to take back into their clinics and implement immediately.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 9:30:00 AM
Challenging the Way We've Always Done Things: Managing Chronic Pens, Fitness to Transport and Other Welfare-type Issues on the Feedlot Mariana Maupome During my career as a feedlot consultant, I have had the opportunity to observe many chronic and hospital pens of large commercial feedlots in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. There are three major welfare issues that are related to this specific type of housing. They are (1) problems with basic husbandry; keeping cattle comfortable and clean, (2) lack of continuous monitoring, and (3) issues associated with cattle density. Fortunately, there are easily implemented solutions for most of these problems. This talk will cover the animal welfare issues associated with these types of housing and will identify critical points where welfare indicators should be evaluated with numerical scoring.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 10:30:00 AM
Novel immunological approaches to improve cattle health Amelia R. Woolums New developments in science are making it possible to identify little known immune pathways that appear to influence whether high-risk cattle develop disease. Additionally, advancements in RNA technology are supporting the development of new approaches to preventing or treating disease in cattle, especially at mucosal surfaces. Examples of recent discoveries based on these approaches will be presented, with discussion of their implications for cattle health.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 2:00:00 PM
Management of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Beef Stocker Calves: An Overview of the Current Evidence Brent C. Credille This session covers the physiologic, immunologic, and metabolic of high-risk beef stocker calves and how deviations in homeostasis increase the risk of BRD in this population of animals. Management of BRD risk through judicious use of antimicrobials and vaccination is the focus, with some discussion on use of immunomodulators to follow. Important concepts related to clinical pharmacology of antimicrobial agents, antimicrobial susceptiblity testing, and multi-drug antimicrobial resistance in common BRD pathogens will be reviewed.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 3:00:00 PM
Challenging the Way We've Always Done Things: Nutrition Guidance for Small Farms that Actually Works for Practitioners W. Mark Hilton The goal is for practitioners to help identify producers that truly want help with their beef business and then to work together to make a plan for optimizing nutrition in their herd. We will explore how to initiate a nutrition discussion. Then we will discuss how to improve the nutrition of the herd while reducing the overall cost and how to get paid for your advice.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 4:15:00 PM
Mountainview Veterinary Services: Mixed Animal Practice Synergy Isaiah Smith The goal of this session is to provide an overview of a thriving mixed animal veterinary practice in rural West Virginia and to describe the realities of veterinary practice, while encouraging and engaging practitioners who are on the front lines of veterinary medicine.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 5:15:00 PM

Clinical Skills

Title	Date
How to Succeed with Ventral Midline C-sections for the Bovine Patient Keelan Yoder Dr. Yoder will review midline cesarean section in the bovine. talk will include discussions of case selection, anesthesia, surgical technique and after care.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 1:30:00 PM
Crash Course in Pet Pig Medicine for the Large Animal Practitioner Christopher Burrows This session is a jumping-off point for the large animal practitioner who wants to make the leap to seeing pet pigs. We will discuss common ailments affecting pet pigs. Topics covered, include chemical and physical restraint, lameness, podiatry, pain management, gastrointestinal issues, sedation and anesthesia, and routine surgical procedures.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 2:15:00 PM
Practical Application of Fecal Testing for Internal Parasites Adriano Vatta The presentation will cover fecal testing for internal parasites and discuss when to use each of the following: a McMaster, a Mini FLOTAC, and a centrifugation-flotation test. The use of a Baermann sedimentation for lungworms and a sedimentation test for flukes will also be covered. The application of the tests for use in fecal egg count reduction testing for anthelmintic resistance will be considered.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 3:00:00 PM
Bull BSEs: Evaluating for Success Jennifer Koziol Discuss tips for successful evaluation of bulls including sample collection, preparing slides and identifying common defects.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:00:00 PM
Surgical Placement of Rumen Cannula N. Kent Ames Objectives Rumen Cannulation Upon completion of the rumen cannulation presentation the participant will be able to; select the ideal surgical candidate, obtain a suitable cannula, describe the anesthesia and surgical technique, discuss the post operative care and analgesia, list common complications.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:45:00 PM
On-Farm Facilitated Ankylosis in Cattle and Other Hoof-related Lameness Treatment Methods Patrick M.R. Comyn This presentation will cover chemical facilitated digital ankylosis in cattle. In addition to this Dr. Comyn will cover other hoof related lameness therapeutics and emphasize the importance of appropriate equipment to address bovine lameness an a safe and effective manner.	Friday, September 13, 2024 8:00:00 AM
What do you mean it's not foot rot? Managing septic joints in ruminants Alexis JENNINGS This session focuses on management of septic joints in ruminants. The first part will focus on identifying septic joints and common causes. The remainder of the presentation will focus on treatment options for septic joints with real life case examples.	Friday, September 13, 2024 8:45:00 AM
Firearm Safety as a Veterinary Practitioner Clinton Roof This session covers basic firearm safety and maintenance. Firearms or captive-bolts are routinely utilized for on-farm euthanasia. As the AVMA and AABP support the use of firearms as a humane method of euthanasia in livestock, it is important to understand basic safety and use to keep ourselves, technical help, as well as farm workers safe when being used.	Friday, September 13, 2024 9:30:00 AM

Dairy

Title	Date
Does Transportation of Young Dairy Calves Impact their Health and Welfare? New Insights and a Bumpy Road Forward Dave Renaud The objective of this presentation is for veterinarians to understand several challenges associated with long-distance transportation of young dairy calves. Through this presentation, audience members will understand that long-distance transport increases the risk of diarrhea and respiratory disease likely as a result of an increased mobilization of body fat stores.	Friday, September 13, 2024 1:45:00 PM
Newest Data on Post Day 1 Colostrum Feeding Travis White This session will go over the latest data from completed university trials, on farm data as well as a large calf ranch trial that was performed as it pertains to extended feeding of colostrum. Health outcomes, ADG results, and ROI will be presented as well.	Friday, September 13, 2024 2:30:00 PM
Welfare and the Parlor: Strategies to extended low stress handling to milking fresh heifers Brandon Treichler One of the greatest animal handling challenges on any dairy is milking our fresh first lactation animals, and it is often a very stressful experience for both the cattle and milking technicians alike. While the industry has focused on training employees on good stockmanship practices as well as what stockmanship practices to avoid, it has not taken a holistic view of the challenges faced by both our cattle and our people nor has it addressed how to truly mitigate them. In this session we will take an in depth look at those challenges, and look at management and facility strategies that can alter the situations we place our cattle and our people regularly.	Friday, September 13, 2024 3:15:00 PM
Machine Learning/AI/Data Analysis - what is necessary to make a DVM spend time with data analysis today? Dorte Dopfer Food animal practices are increasingly involved in receiving and processing data streams to derive evidence-based decisions for their consultancy work. Precision medicine and artificial intelligence-enhanced tools for the generation of data, and the analysis of data are here to stay. While DVM's are food animal disease and production experts, they are often not trained to analyze such complex data streams. The talk will focus on AI-enhanced and multiple machine learning tools available to food animal practice. Deriving decisions and analysis from data streams is more than 'hiring some computer scientist' to do it.	Friday, September 13, 2024 4:15:00 PM
New Concepts in Colostrum Feeding for Dairy Calves Donald Sockett This session will provide information on the limitations of Brix refractometry when used in a model to estimate colostral immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration. The %Brix scores for colostral IgG concentrations of 25, 50,75 and 100 g/L will be provided. Complications and examples of feeding large volumes of colostrum to newborn calves will be described. The rationale for feeding smaller volumes of colostrum with an IgG concentration of 75 g/L or higher to newborn calves will be discussed.	Friday, September 13, 2024 5:15:00 PM
Protecting the Herd through Biosecurity Danelle A. Bickett-Weddle This session will describe practical methods to protect the herd - cattle and those that care for them - from disease exposure. Attendees will learn best practices for preventing exposure to endemic and emerging diseases as well as tips to educate and effectively communicate with clients and staff on effective steps.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 8:00:00 AM
Challenging the Norm - lameness on Dairy and beef cattle operations with particular focus on digital dermatitis Dörte Döpfer The talk will focus on infectious causes of lameness, particularly digital dermatitis (DD) in dairy and beef cattle. In order to prevent and control DD more efficiently, the implemented preventive measures have to be customized to the dynamics of the disease at population level. Different farm dynamics in response to topical treatments and footbathing will be discussed using multiple virtual farm visits, and approaches to prevention and control will be proposed.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 8:45:00 AM
Cow Comfort through Novel Barn Design Courtney Halbach It is widely accepted that cow comfort leads to improved health, longevity, profitability, and productivity of the herd. This session will cover the essentials of dairy cattle barn design with a primary focus on optimizing cow comfort through maximizing lying time. The latest research and clinical experience on the importance of resting surface, freestall design, ventilation, and heat abatement for improved lying times will be presented.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 9:30:00 AM
Challenging the Norm - Cull Rates and Farm Economics Albert DeVries Cow culling and replacement rates are primarily the result of active economic decision making. The goal is typically to maximize profit per slot per day. Many factors play a role, including performance and health differences among cows as well as external factors such as heifer replacement prices and genetic progress. This makes making the best decision sometimes challenging. The presentation will outline an economic framework that includes all major factors, and perhaps challenge some norms. The presentation includes practical examples and rules of thumb for good economic decision making on culling and replacement.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 10:30:00 AM
Challenging the Norm: What’s the Perfect Time to Start Inseminating Dairy Heifers? Rita Couto Serrenho Raising replacement heifers represents a major cost on a dairy farm. The ideal time to inseminate a heifer is a balance between reproductive biology, growth, and economics. While getting heifers pregnant sooner may reduce raising costs, it may compromise their future productive performance. On the contrary, if we wait too long, we might miss the opportunity to save on raising costs and maximize performance in the upcoming lactations. An overview of the existing evidence and areas of opportunity will be presented during this session.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 2:00:00 PM
Challenging the Norm: Herd Check... For Calves? Brandon Debbink This presentation addresses areas and topics that practitioners should focus on at a routine basis with clientele, such as nutrition, colostrum management, housing, sanitation, etc. Routine thoracic ultrasonography of wet calves is a technical veterinary skill that can be offered to set the precedent of scheduled dialogue between practitioner and client. A brief overview of general weak points in a calf rearing program will be discussed to aid in identifying opportunities for consultation. Examples of data reporting, analysis, and utilization will be given as starting points to establishing a calf herd health program.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 3:00:00 PM
Why is Important to Keep Dry Cows and Youngstock Cool During Hot Summers: From Epigenetics to Economics Jimena Laporta In this section, we will discuss the basic concepts of heat stress physiology in dairy cattle and examine the effects of heat stress on non-lactating cows and young stock (heifers and pre-weaned calves). Currently, the industry does not prioritize these animals for cooling. We will present phenotypic and molecular evidence linking heat stress to long-term productivity outcomes. Lastly, based on this information, we will analyze the potential economic benefits of implementing colling management decisions.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 4:15:00 PM
How to Successfully Implement Mechanical Cooling for Dry Cows, Heifers and Preweaning Calves Jimena Laporta In this section, we will cover basic concepts of heat abatement methods for cattle. Specifically, we will focus on the effectiveness of these methods on cooling mature, non-lactating cows, pregnant growing heifers, and pre-weaned calves. We will also examine and discuss the effectiveness of different cooling strategies based on different climates. Additionally, we will provide examples that illustrate the link between implementing these cooling methods and improving animal health and performance.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 5:15:00 PM

General

Title	Date
Benefits of Animal-based Diets Shawn Baker	Thursday, September 12, 2024 10:30:00 AM

Students

Title	Date
Improving animal health and welfare through industry education and quality assurance programs Julia Herman Producer education is a valuable tool for veterinarians in all sectors of the cattle industry. Industry programs focusing on quality assurance and protocols in areas of animal care and worker safety are integrated into veterinary medicine and the livestock industry already. Learn about these cattle care standards that affect animal health and welfare and how veterinarians can integrate the programs into their practice. Standards from AABP, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, and Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) will be reviewed.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 8:00:00 AM
Spanglish 101 Katie Dotterer We've all either used or come across "Spanglish"; a mix of Spanish and English somewhere in our lives. Learn the simplicity of the Spanish language and nuances to English and why it's crucial and helpful in agriculture. We'll also learn a quick Spanish lesson that's interactive and sure to help your communication skills!	Saturday, September 14, 2024 8:45:00 AM
Reaching Across the Cultural Border Katie Dotterer Sharing both alarming and heartwarming personal stories from my 15+ years of experience working with native Spanish speakers in Ag, as a dairy farmer and Spanish/English educator, this talk highlights cultural awareness and steps we can take to embrace differences and be respectful of others. I also cover simple Spanish phrases and demonstrate the differences between the Spanish and English languages. The United States has the 2nd largest Spanish-speaking population in the world. Even though eighty percent of our agricultural workforce speak Spanish, ignorance and arrogance are still prevalent against the Hispanic community and we have the power to change that.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 9:30:00 AM
Chop, Chop! Tips for Performing a Speedy Field Necropsy Elizabeth Homerosky In this session, we will discuss tools and time-saving techniques that will help you master the art of performing bovine necropsies in a field setting. We will also review images of interesting gross lesions and disease patterns that can be used to guide you toward the correct diagnosis.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 10:30:00 AM
Back to the Basics- Let's Talk Vaccines! Michael E. Pesato The objective of this presentation is to discuss vaccination options for beef and dairy cattle. The discussion will focus on major pathogens of importance in the beef and dairy industry. It will also cover available vaccine options, types of vaccines, overall efficacy of the vaccines, and recommended vaccination schedules. After this presentation is complete, attendees should recognize the importance of vaccination and viable options for the beef and dairy industry.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 2:00:00 PM
Divide & Conquer - mastering the art of delegation Lauren Stefaniuk The objective of this presentation is to present veterinarian's with a comprehensive guide on how to better collaborate with Certified Veterinary Technician's (CVT's). This talk will review how vets can increase efficiency and decrease burnout by proper delegation of tasks, as well as increase job satisfaction and subsequent longevity for their CVTs. I will also present a recent study on how delegation of tasks to CVT's can increase practice profitability. Lastly, we'll take a look at how vets can empower their CVT's to get more involved in the large animal side of the practice through exposure, accommodation, training, and trusting.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 3:00:00 PM
Picking your first practice Jonathan Leicht The objective of this presentation is to help students identify key features they can be looking for when choosing their first practice. Items to be discussed will include wages, team culture, career growth and challenge, mentorship, opportunity to buy-in, geography among other items. Students will be provided metrics on what a successful practice looks like in 2024 and trends as well as favorable trends in the industry.	Saturday, September 14, 2024 4:15:00 PM
Lead From The Space Betsy Charles I will get this done in the next few days!!	Saturday, September 14, 2024 5:15:00 PM

VPS

Title	Date
Why They Do What They Do, Why We Know What We Know! Bill Ormston There are 4 levels of education. The attendee will look into chich level they are at and why. Dr. O looks at innate intelligence and how it works with the laws of nature. He will look at some history of Animal Chiropractic to help the attendee understand why more people don’t use chiropractic.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 1:30:00 PM
Adding a New Service Hannah Rodriguez The objective of this presentation is to guide practice owners in the decision-making process of when and how to offer a new service. The presentation will cover practical tips for everyday practitioners looking to expand services offered to clientele. A variety of tips will be discussed with a focus on creating a partial budget and managing expectations.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 2:15:00 PM
2023 Large Animal Veterinary Wellbeing Research: The reality might be more positive than the perception Taylor Tillery Wellbeing, Burnout and mental health have long been concerns in the veterinary profession. But how do large animal practitioner's compare and contrast to the US general population and to mixed animal, companion animal, equine colleagues? At Merck Animal Health we just conducted our 4th biennial Veterinary and Veterinary Team wellbeing study. In it we analyzed many variables via single and multiple regression analysis to determine association . We will discuss our findings. Specifically what the data shows with regards to large animal and mixed animal practitioners. Additionally we will review based on the findings several suggested individual and employer based solutions of which could help with wellbeing, decrease burnout and improve mental health for large animal veterinary professionals. Finally we will provide a list of resources to help practitioners and their teams.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 3:00:00 PM
When to Add an Associate Alexandru Pop This session will guide veterinary practitioners in understanding the opportune moment to strategically integrate an associate into their large animal practice. By examining key factors such as case load, client demand, and practice goals, attendees will gain valuable insights into the decision-making process. Additionally, the presentation aims to equip participants with practical strategies for seamless integration, ensuring a smooth transition that positively impacts patient care, client satisfaction, and the overall success of the practice. Through real-world examples and actionable advice, this presentation strives to empower practitioners to make informed decisions that contribute to the sustained growth and excellence of their large animal veterinary practices.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:00:00 PM
Microaggressions and Microinterventions: Responding to Bias Richard Barajas What are microaggressions and why do they matter? In this session you will learn about 3 types of common microaggressions, why microaggressions are important to address in your organization/practice and specific microinterventions you can personally undertake to reduce their occurrence and impact and mitigate bias.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:45:00 PM
Taking Care of Your Physical Health Keely Shine This session covers the critical importance of prioritizing physical health among food animal veterinarians. Addressing the unique challenges and demands of the profession, the presentation with underscore the significance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle, incorporating regular exercise, proper nutrition, and stress management techniques. By highlighting the direct correlation between personal well-being and professional performance, attendees will gain valuable insight into fostering longevity, resilience, and optimal productivity in their veterinary careers, ultimately contributing to the overall well-being of both practitioners and the animals they serve.	Friday, September 13, 2024 8:00:00 AM
When Heads Collide: Negotiating Conflict in the Workplace Bethany Schilling 1. Recognize the role of awareness in enhancing relationships and managing conflict. Distinguish observations from evaluations. 2. Identify thoughts, feelings, and needs related to a conflict. 3. Practice connection tools and guidelines for making a request. 4. Apply the AIR communication model as a tool to promote and enhance relationships and manage conflict.	Friday, September 13, 2024 8:45:00 AM
Making Emergencies Suck Less Joe M. Hillhouse With this presentation, attendees will be exposed to some successful ideas and methods that can ease the pain of after-hours duties.	Friday, September 13, 2024 9:30:00 AM
Navigating Marketing and Sales Strategies in Veterinary Practice Karla Lewis Embark on a journey toward growth in your veterinary practice excellence with our presentation, "Navigating Marketing and Sales Strategies in Veterinary Practice.' In this insightful session, we will guide veterinarians through the intricacies of strategic marketing and sales techniques that get results. Explore proven strategies for attracting and retaining clients, as well as enhancing overall practice visibility. We'll delve into the challenges and opportunities demonstrating how strategic marketing and sales efforts can elevate your practice to new heights. Our presentation will provide practical insights and actionable takeaways, empowering you to implement targeted strategies that resonate with your current and future clients. Join us for an interactive session as we navigate the path to success, uncovering the secrets to thriving in the evolving landscape of veterinary practice through innovative marketing and sales strategies.	Friday, September 13, 2024 10:45:00 AM
Alternative Compensation Models Robert F. Ceglowski This session covers alternative compensation models. It will provide a brief overview of different compensation models and go further in-depth on the retainer model. Barriers to implementation of the retainer model will be discussed and potential approaches to getting around these barriers will be reviewed.	Friday, September 13, 2024 11:30:00 AM

Welfare

Title	Date
Current Trends and New Developments in Assessing and Managing Pain in Cattle Hans Coetzee This session will provide an update on the current trends in assessing and managing pain in cattle. The results of recent practitioner and producer surveys will be shared in the context of how these provide opportunities for veterinarians to initiate conversations about implementing pain management protocols on farms. New developments in the on-farm assessment and management of pain in livestock production systems will also be introduced.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 1:30:00 PM
Enriching the Lives of Dairy Cattle with Opportunities to Express Adaptive Behaviors Jennifer Van Os In this session, we will review frameworks for the scientific study of dairy cattle welfare, including the importance of providing appropriate outlets for animals to express adaptive behaviors. We will examine examples of methodologies and specific research studies to evaluate which resources or behaviors are preferred by or highly valued by cattle. We will discuss both experimental and practical ways to implement different enrichment opportunities on dairy farms or calf ranches.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 2:15:00 PM
The Cow-calf Separation Debate: Implications for Bovine Practitioners Sabine Mann This session covers the topic of cow-calf separation in dairy cattle. It will provide insight into the available and ongoing research on implications of cow-calf contact systems with a particular focus on the possible role of the bovine practitioner in the current debate. The presentation will specifically review effects of prolonged contact of the cow-calf pair on health, behavior, and production effects.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 3:00:00 PM
Innovative Approaches to Castration Pain Management Eduarda Bortoluzzi Livestock animals are submitted to painful management procedures that compromise their welfare in early stages of life. Innovative products are being tested at Kansas State University to aid pain mitigation and reduction of stress.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:00:00 PM
Speaking Up about Animal Welfare On-farm Marissa Hake Veterinarians are boots on the ground when it comes to real-life animal welfare situations and should feel empowered to speak up. As food animal veterinarians our responsibilities go beyond just providing a service to our clients, as we have an obligation to advocate for the cattle in our care. We never want to find ourselves in a situation where we've become complacent or have clients say "well Doc was here and saw it, they didn't say anything, so it must be ok". We will discuss where you can find resources and how to approach these challenging conversations in partnership with your clients.	Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:45:00 PM