At the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association Conference last month, four OSU professors were invited to give presentations. Dr. Erica McKenzie talked about the use of a high-speed treadmill to assess a horse’s tolerance for exercise and Dr. John Schlipf addressed the role of practitioners in making referrals. But on Friday, March 16th it was all about puppies and kittens.
The auditorium at the LaSells Stewart Center was packed for first-day presentations on young companion animals. The popularity of the topic may be due to a lack of readily available information on their care. “Puppies and kittens have different chemical and metabolic needs but it is hard to find good literature on them,” says Dr. Christiane Loehr. Her presentation on postmortem exams of young companion animals, complete with graphic illustrations, drew a big crowd despite being scheduled just before dinner.
Loehr appreciates the OVMA’s effort to include clinical and anatomical pathology in this year’s program. “People use it but don’t think about it very much,” she says. “We need good communication between the submitter and the pathologist. It helps everyone when they are well-informed.”
