The American Association of Feline Practitioners Releases New Educational Webinar on Feline Hypertension

Webinar is designed to help veterinary professionals diagnose and treat feline hypertension

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ (June 13, 2019) – The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has released a new educational webinar for veterinary professionals entitled Feline Hypertension: Essentials in Diagnosis and Management – catvets.com/webinars. The webinar and supplementary resources provide valuable continuing education (CE) to veterinary professionals on the causes and consequences of feline hypertension, as well as easy-to-access and apply best practices and protocols. During this webinar, which is RACE approved by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB), Kelly A. St. Denis, MSc, DVM, DABVP (Feline), and AAFP’s President-elect, reviews key topics in feline hypertension. Included in the presentation are the cause and effect of secondary hypertension, candidates for monitoring and screening, scientific equipment needed, best practices in measuring blood pressure, and standards of care. Additionally, the webinar discusses diagnosis, evaluation, case studies, therapeutic goals and treatment, as well as the benefits of a Cat Friendly Practice®.

Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, the feline hypertension webinar is unique with its accompanying digital resources, including a downloadable one-page tip sheet, The 10 Ps: Feline Blood Pressure Management and Treatment, which is designed to help veterinary teams understand the basics of treating hypertension in cats. Also included is social media post content that can be used by veterinary practices and an educational client website page. Blood pressure assessment is an integral part of a senior cat’s healthcare; however, many veterinary teams struggle with this procedure. The time required to take blood pressure in a cat may not be practical in the appointment setting, the cat may not be cooperative, and the team may not be comfortable with the equipment. Once obtained, understanding collected readings can be challenging. The information and tools offered in this webinar aid veterinary professionals’ understanding by providing invaluable education on the treatment and management of hypertension in cats.

The feline hypertension webinar can be found in the AAFP’s new eLearning Center, a webinar portal that includes a variety of feline-focused CE throughout the year. As an added value to membership, webinars are complimentary for AAFP members.

The education obtained through the webinar portal can be applied toward the CE requirements for the Cat Friendly Practice® Program – a program that reduces stress during the veterinary visit and equips veterinary teams with the support and resources needed to deliver elevated and quality care that incorporates the cat's perspective throughout the entire experience.

Veterinary professionals can learn more about the webinar and accompanying supplemental materials athttps://catvets.com/education/online/webinars/feline-hypertension.

Cat caregivers can learn more about hypertension at catfriendly.com/hypertension.

To learn more about the AAFP and membership benefits, visit catvets.com/join.

 
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Acknowledgments
The AAFP thanks Boehringer Ingelheim for their sponsorship of this webinar, and for their commitment to help the veterinary community improve the lives of cats.

Speaker Bio
Kelly St. Denis, MSc, DVM, DABVP (Feline)

Dr. St. Denis is currently a full-time clinician at the Charing Cross Cat Clinic in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics, and a Master of Science in Immunology. In 1999, she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Ontario Veterinary College.

In 2013, Dr. St. Denis became certified with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in the specialty of feline practice. She is an online consultant for the feline medicine boards on the Veterinary Information Network and the 2019 President-elect for the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Dr. St. Denis is proudly one of the 6 Canadian feline specialist members of Cat Healthy Canada.

The American Association of Feline Practitioners Releases Diabetes Educational Toolkit to the Veterinary Community

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ (May 22, 2019) – The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has released a Diabetes Educational Toolkit for veterinary professionals: catvets.com/diabetes. There are additional resources to help cat caregivers understand and manage their cat’s diabetes at catfriendly.com/diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus has become an increasingly common endocrine condition in cats. Management and treatment of feline diabetes is often perceived as a very complicated process as each cat requires an individualized plan, which includes frequent reassessment and adjustments to treatment as needed. Additionally, diabetic cats are often challenging to diagnose, treat, and monitor. Diabetes mellitus is not always a straightforward diagnosis.

This user-friendly Toolkit is a digital resource that puts the most relevant diagnostic and treatment information in the hands of veterinary professionals who are working with clients to make the best decisions for their cat. The Educational Toolkit is intended to be an implementation tool for veterinary professionals to access and gather information quickly. There is also a printable PDF version of each page to make the content easy-to-access in the practice. The entire Toolkit can also be downloaded and printed. Navigation on the website is simple and contains tabs to move directly to information focusing on diagnosis, treatment, remission strategy, troubleshooting, frequently asked questions, and client resources.

There are many misconceptions about treatments and responses when dealing with feline diabetes mellitus. Effective treatment is based on a combination of patient goals, finances, implementation of the treatment plan, and the patient’s response. A strong partnership between the veterinarian and the cat caregiver is key to achieving optimal results. It is very important to establish goals at the initiation of treatment and to maintain a frequent, open dialogue.

“We are excited to release this digital resource to the veterinary community in the hopes that we can help veterinary professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of their diabetic feline patients through providing easy-to-access information that can be implemented for each cat. The purpose is to create more informed veterinary teams as well as cat caregivers,” said Dr. Apryl Steele, President, AAFP Board of Directors. "This Diabetes Educational Toolkit is intended to be an on-the-ground tool for veterinary professionals to access and gather the most relevant information quickly."

Acknowledgments
The AAFP thanks Boehringer Ingelheim for their educational grant to develop this Toolkit, and for their commitment to help the veterinary community improve the lives of cats. The AAFP also thanks the independent panel for their hard work in developing this Educational Toolkit content – Audrey Cook, BVM&S, Msc VetEd, DACVIM-SAIM, DECVIM-CA, DABVP (Feline); Kelly St. Denis, DVM, DABVP (Feline); Sonnya Dennis, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline); and Elaine Wexler-Mitchell, DVM, DABVP (Feline), Chair.

WINN AND THE AAFP OFFER TWO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2019

Wyckoff, NJ, Hillsborough, NJ, January 30, 2019: Winn Feline Foundation (Winn) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) are pleased to announce two scholarships for third- or fourth-year veterinary students enrolled in accredited veterinary colleges or schools in the United States or Canada. The $2,500 awards are based upon academic achievement, financial need, leadership, and dedication to and excellence in the study of feline medicine, health, and welfare.

The Boards of Directors of both the AAFP and Winn are thrilled to offer these scholarships to support future veterinarians and continue to advance feline medicine. These two leading feline-dedicated organizations are offering one $2,500 scholarship for a veterinary student with an interest in feline practice and the second $2,500 scholarship for a veterinary student with an interest in clinical scientific research.

All applications will be reviewed, selected, and approved by the AAFP and Winn. In addition to a short application form, interested students will also be required to answer two essay questions asking for the applicant to explain his/her specific interest and background in feline health and welfare, and to describe plans for future participation in feline medicine. 

All completed applications with accompanying supplementary documents must be received no later than March 22, 2019. The winning recipient will be notified of their award on or before April 15, 2019.

Applications and instructions are available shortly on each organization’s websites:

www.winnfelinefoundation.org/partners/affiliations    

www.catvets.com/members/students/   

The AAFP has additional resources housed in the Student Center on their website, including their Toolkit for Veterinary Students (http://bit.ly/aafpstudenttoolkit). The toolkit contains materials for veterinary students to embrace a feline perspective and obtain further knowledge about the standards needed to elevate care for cats. Winn also has a number of various educational resources on their website and information regarding research grant awards.