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Course Overview

In this module, we will review the signs and risk factors associated with infectious diseases in dogs and cats. We will cover how to minimize disease risk when training pets as well as how to properly disinfect and manage the training environment.

This module has been approved for 1.5 RACE CEU and 1 CEU from CCPDT, IAABC and KPA.

The one-hour course is only for trainers with renewal credits and costs 1 credit.

Lesson One: Common infectious diseases of dogs and cats

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Recognize possible signs for various types of infectious diseases in dogs and cats
  • List common modes of transmission

Lesson Two: Minimizing disease risk when training

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Identify ways of minimizing the spread of disease in the training setting
  • Recognize the components of a clean environment and how to achieve it
  • Identify when to liaise with veterinary professionals over preventative health concerns

Postcards from the Cat: Highlights of Feline Communication & Natural Behavior

Learn about the facets of feline communication and behavior, as it relates to working and living with this truly fascinating species.

Dr. Marie Hopfensperger is one of two board-certified veterinary behaviorists in the state of Michigan. She graduated with honors from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University in 2009. She was a small animal primary care veterinarian in northern Michigan before returning to academia to pursue her passion for behavior. She completed a non-traditional residency, spending time at North Carolina State University and Michigan State University. She has taught primary care and behavior medicine at Michigan State since 2013. Her areas of interest are behavioral medication, aggression, and feline inappropriate urination. Her household includes a human son, two cats, two dogs, two parakeets, and a rabbit, most of whom were adopted from area shelters.

Take a Penny, Leave a Penny: Sharing Best Practices from 2018

As a Fear Free Certified Practice, you are already doing so many great things to safeguard the emotional wellbeing of your patients, clients, and care team. What better way to ring in the new year than to hear and see what unique and creative hacks your Fear Free Certified Practices colleagues have come up with? You don’t have to do anything! Just sit back, relax, enjoy, and be inspired!

Communicating Fear Free to Pet Owners: Why It Matters

If you’re not sure what “Clients are made aware of Fear Free tools and techniques” means or not sure why it matters, then join Practice Certification Manager, Dr. Rachel Abrams for a down-n-dirty discussion of what this looks like and why it made its way into the Practice Certification standards.

Every pet’s final visit to the veterinarian should be as Fear Free as the first. In this one-hour module, you will learn how to utilize pre-planning to create a meaningful and low-stress experience for pet and owner. It will cover uses of pre-euthanasia sedation and anesthesia to give the pet a gentle euthanasia and the benefits and downsides of different euthanasia techniques. Also explored will be the dangers of compassion fatigue and how to prevent or alleviate it.

This course was written by Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, founder of the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy.

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New Ways to Do Old Things in General and Emergency Practice

Most dogs, cats, and pet owners don’t like visiting the veterinary hospital. Their experience is far from spa-tacular! From vaccinations to X-rays, healthcare providers and pet owners are desperate for gentler, more enjoyable ways to perform common procedures. In this webinar, Jonathan Bloom, DVM, goes beyond theory and philosophy and explores innovative Fear Free-based techniques used in practice to create the best experience imaginable for pets, pet owners, and healthcare providers. Sponsored by Elanco.

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From Pit Bulls To Pugs: State Farm Is A Good Neighbor

Learn now to educate adults and children about responsible pet ownership, the importance of being kind to animals, the benefits of volunteerism, why State Farm doesn’t judge dogs on the basis of breed when issuing its policies, and the 25-year history of the State Farm Arson Dog Program, one of the only accelerant detection canine training programs in North America. Sponsored by State Farm.

The Science for Pheromone Therapy: Show Me the Evidence

In this webinar, Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB, DECAWBM (CA) discusses what pheromones are and how they work, as well as evidence of efficacy for use in home and in the veterinary clinic. Sponsored by our friends at Ceva.

Additional references available here.