PVM Continuing Education for Equine Enthusiasts and Veterinary Nurses Meets with Strong Demand

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Equine enthusiasts were fascinated by the demonstration of the high speed equine treadmill at the Donald J. McCrosky Equine Sports Medicine Center. — Equine enthusiasts were fascinated by the demonstration of the high speed equine treadmill at the Donald J. McCrosky Equine Sports Medicine Center during the Equine Wellness Forum.

Lifelong Learning programs that focused on the needs of equine industry professionals and veterinary nurses attracted strong attendance at two programs held during the first part of 2024. Equine enthusiasts turned out in force for the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Wellness Forum. The all-day program on Saturday, February 10, attracted 155 attendees from across Indiana and five other states. The following month, some 175 registrants attended the college’s Veterinary Nursing Symposium. Held Sunday, March 24, the one-day event featured an extensive program covering diverse topics relevant to veterinary nurses working in both large and small animal practices.

The annual Veterinary Nursing Symposium is designed to provide veterinary nurses, veterinary assistants, and veterinary nursing students practical insights applicable to their clinical roles. Participants were eligible for up to seven hours of continuing education (CE) units.

Dr. Aimee Brooks, Purdue clinical associate professor of small animal emergency and critical care, spoke about Abdominal Point-Of-Care Ultrasound at the Veterinary Nursing Symposium.

After hearing a welcome and opening remarks by Dr. Chad Brown (PU DVM 2001), Purdue Veterinary Nursing Programs director, symposium participants had the opportunity to choose between sessions offered in large animal and small animal tracks. Symposium speakers included Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty and staff as well as other veterinary professionals. Outside speakers included Jamie Guiberson, CVT, VTS-EVN, a veterinary emergency and critical care nurse at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center, and Heidi Lescun, BS, RVT, a service technician/sales associate for Vetamac, which provides anesthesia service and sales.

Small animal presentations offered at the symposium covered the topics of ultrasound, critical thinking, heart and hormones, anesthesia, radiation, and canine lymphoma. Large animal sessions included equine medicine, colic care, podiatry, care of the equine neonate, and dentistry. In addition, the event gave participants the opportunity to develop their professional networks as they interacted with one another as well as exhibitors who set up interactive displays. Special thanks go to the symposium sponsors: Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, Emergency Veterinary Care Centers (EVCC), Noah’s Animal Hospital, Alliance Animal Health, Vetamac, and Boehringer-Ingelheim.

Purdue Veterinary Technologist Kim Sederquist, RVT, VTS (cardiology), gave sessions entitled “Heart and Hormones” and “Bradycardia.”

The Equine Wellness Forum is designed to inform horse owners and equine industry professionals about horse health issues ranging from basic preventative healthcare to the latest medical advancements. In addition to talks on a variety of topics, the program also featured three live demonstrations that included the college’s high-speed equine treadmill and sessions on saddle fitting and trailer safety.

Presentations were given by equine specialists on the college’s faculty as well as several outside speakers. The forum began with a welcome and introductory remarks by the head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Dr. Catherine Scott-Moncrieff. The program was moderated by Dr. Tim Lescun, professor of large animal surgery.

Other speakers and their topics included:

Dr. Kelsey Dawson, a sports psychologist for Purdue Counseling & Sports Psychology Services, who spoke about the basics of sports performance skills, such as breathing techniques and meditation. Attendees also had the opportunity to engage in activities allowing them to practice the learned skill.
Dr. Michelle Tucker, assistant professor of large animal surgery, discussed the most common communicable diseases of show horses, and how to prevent them. Her presentation included background about the pathogens, how they are transmitted, and general disease-specific strategies to prevent bringing any infectious diseases home from shows or events where horses are mixing.
Dr. Sarah Waxman, a clinical assistant professor who works with the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital’s Equine Field Service, explained Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, describing when it is used and basic techniques for moving and lifting horses.
Dr. Erin Wilson, (PU DVM 2008), a nutrition consultant for Cargill Animal Nutrition and a Purdue alumna, spoke on the topic of the nutritional management of senior horses, beginning with senior horse identification and demographics. Special nutritional and management considerations of senior horses were discussed, including dental issues, impaired nutrient absorption, environmental and herd stress, and common concurrent diseases.

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear one of the last presentations by Dr. Janice Kritchevsky during her long tenure as professor of large animal internal medicine. Now professor emeritus, following her retirement June 30, Dr. Kritchevsky used her Equine Wellness Forum talk to provide guidance on how to best care for a senior horse. Diseases that are common in aged horses such as equine asthma, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and chronic lameness also were discussed.

A number of exhibitors set-up interactive displays for Veterinary Nursing Symposium attendees.

Five Purdue veterinary students in the college’s Equine Club assisted with the demonstrations and gave tours of the David and Bonnie Brunner Equine Hospital at the end of the day. The forum attracted horse enthusiasts with a variety of interests and backgrounds, including racing, jumping, showmanship, dressage, Western, English, and trail riding. Also represented among the attendees were mounted police.

Dates already are set for next year’s programs. The Equine Wellness Forum will be held at Lynn Hall Saturday, February 8, and the Veterinary Nursing Symposium is scheduled for Sunday March 30, 2025.