Small Animal Clinical Nutrition Symposium

Program Schedule

8:25-8:30 a.m. | Welcome message

8:30-9:20 a.m. | Dermatology Diagnostics: Pitfalls and Pearls (1CE)

This presentation focuses on dermatologic diagnostics in veterinary medicine, highlighting both common pitfalls and practical pearls for improving accuracy and efficiency. Attendees will learn best practices for performing essential tests such as skin scrapes, cytology, dermatophyte culture, diascopy, and biopsies, as well as when to use advanced diagnostics like diet trials and allergy testing. The goal is to help clinicians avoid missteps, interpret findings correctly and apply proven techniques to achieve better outcomes in everyday dermatology cases.

9:30-10:20 a.m. | Introduction to the Dermatologic Emergency: Differentiating the Routine from the Extreme (1CE)

Dermatologic emergencies are real, but rare. This lecture briefly reviews common diseases that can present as emergencies and builds on this knowledge to review true emergencies including cutaneous adverse drug reactions, erythema multiforme sterile neutrophilic dermatitis and eosinophilic dermatitis with edema. Clinical cutaneous patterns of emergent diseases will be contrasted with patterns for common non-life threatening skin disorders. Diagnostics and treatment options for emergent diseases will be provided.

10:40-11:30 a.m. | Pediatric Dermatology (1CE)

Dermatologic disease doesn’t wait until adulthood. Skin disease is common in puppies and kittens. This presentation reviews clinical manifestations of common dermatologic conditions in puppies in kittens including: fleas, mites, dermatophytosis, and early onset allergy. Diagnostics used to differentiate these conditions will be highlighted. Then, more uncommon skin diseases of young companion animals including immune mediated diseases and genetic/congenital conditions will be identified. When applicable, breed and species predisposition will be noted.

12:00-1:00 p.m. | Lunch

1:00-1:50 p.m. | When the Skin Speaks: Uncovering Disease through Dermatological Changes (1CE)

The skin is the largest organ of the body and the first thing you see when your patient walks in the door. In some cases, it may serve as a sentinel for disease by being the first or only indicator of a systemic disorder. Because the skin functions as an external defense barrier, changes can reflect its inability to maintain this defense, either due to specific skin factors or disease in various organ systems. Broadly, cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease can be categorized into endocrine, immune-mediated, paraneoplastic, metabolic and nutritional causes. However, for ease of creating a more targeted list, differentials can be grouped by visual skin changes.

2:00-2:20 p.m. | Break

2:20-3:10 p.m. | Hill’s Clinical Nutrition: Beyond the Bowl: Unmasking Skin Disease Through A Nutritionist's Perspective (1CE)

The skin is a mirror of internal health, and its foundation is built on diet. This talk explores the foundational role of key nutrients in maintaining the skin barrier and immune function, delivered from the perspective of a veterinarian residency-trained in small animal clinical nutrition. We will also provide a forward-looking view into how emerging technology is being utilized to quickly map an animal's prior exposure to dietary components, which can help improve diagnostic efficiency in food-responsive skin issues.

3:20-3:45 p.m. | Afternoon session Q&A