Primary care veterinarians commonly encounter patients that present vague signs of illness.
For example, the initial signs of sepsis may include lethargy and decreased appetite, both of which can have many causes in dogs and cats. Veterinarians must determine whether to treat animals symptomatically as outpatients or perform rapid, point-of-care testing (POCT) to investigate the severity and etiology of illness, and subsequently recommend hospitalization.
POCT can aid veterinarians by providing preliminary diagnostics to complement their physical examination findings. This webinar will review the key physical examination, POCT,
and diagnostic abnormalities that will aid the veterinarian in making a timely and accurate diagnosis for each patient.
Learning Objectives
- Review the signs of sepsis in small animals
- Describe the role of POCT in determining illness severity and whether
hospitalization is necessary
- Understand the abnormalities that veterinarians must consider when diagnosing sepsis
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Featured Speaker:
Deborah Silverstein, DVM, BS DACVECC
Associate Professor, CE
Department of Clinical Studies
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care |
Deborah Silverstein, DVM, is an associate professor of critical care at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her DVM from the University of Georgia, where she also completed a rotating small animal internship before her residency in small animal emergency and critical care at the University of California, Davis. Her research interests include the diagnosis and treatment of various shock states, including sepsis, and changes in the microcirculation of critically ill patients. She co-edited the textbook Small Animal Critical Care Medicine and just finished serving as the vice president and scientific chair of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC). |
