The focus of this series is the geriatric feline patient. After many years, these cats have become much loved members of the family. As veterinarians we have a responsibility to proactively seek and treat any conditions that may compromise length and/or quality of life. After this course, rather than dreading the consultation with the strongly bonded owner of an ancient frail feline, you can instead approach each case armed with knowledge of the various geriatric disease and how they interact, allowing you to construct a diagnostic plan, and tailor an individualised treatment strategy, suitable for each patient’s needs. Topics covered will include; chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, hypertension and its causes, osteoarthritis, cognitive dysfunction syndrome, urinary tract infection, vaccination in later life, central disease, inflammatory and neoplastic abdominal disease.

• Join Ellie Mardell VetMB, MA, CertSAM, DSAM(Feline), MRCVS for three 2-hour online sessions
• Comprehensive notes to downloaded
• Self-assessment quizzes to ‘release’ your 8 hours CPD certification (don’t worry, you can take them more than once if you don’t quite hit the mark first time)
• A whole year’s access to recorded sessions for reviewing key points
• Superb value for money – learn without travelling
• Watch the recordings on your iPad!
• This Mini Series was originally broadcast in April 2018!

Programme

Old or ill? Improving quality of life in geriatric felines

We will review the role of preventive medicine clinics for geriatric cats, discussing a range of diseases including the “big 3” chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus, as well as the spectrum of presentation of conditions that may be under-recognised such as hypertension, cognitive dysfunction syndrome and osteoarthritis.

What you’ll learn:

• A better appreciation of the various conditions that may occur in elderly cats
• Inspiration for preventative medicine clinics for geriatric pets
• How to best tailor investigations to the individual

Decreasing odds? Management of co-morbid conditions in geriatric cats

Through the use of case examples, we will evaluate how various geriatric diseases and their treatments may interact in a single patient, and how we can safely step outside of our comfort zone in selecting therapeutic options to effectively manage co-morbid conditions while preserving both quality and length of life. Featured cases will introduce patients with any combination of hyperthyroidism, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, and osteoarthritis.

What you’ll learn:

• How to best tailor treatment to the individual
• The ways in which disease conditions influence each other
• When to consider drug interactions and contra-indications

Fading away…. Investigation of weight loss in elderly cats

In this final session we turn our focus to what can be a frustrating presentation in feline medicine; the patient with weight loss. We will take a step-wise approach to investigations, firstly, aiming to achieve a diagnosis in the less straight forward presentations of hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease, and then moving onto a wide variety of other causes including, pancreatic and intestinal disease, and neoplastic conditions. Supportive care of the anorexic patient will be discussed.

What you’ll learn:

• A logical diagnostic approach to the feline patient presenting with weight loss
• Top tips for diagnosing the geriatric diseases in their early stages or when signs are subtle or atypical
• When and how to consider nutritional support in an inappetent patient