Home Hacks to Care for Senior Pets
1.0 CE Credit Hour / Veterinarians & Veterinary Technicians
Overview:
Veterinarians have a variety of tools to keep puppies and kittens healthy as they grow, and we are well prepared to help our patients as they approach their senior years. The care and management of a senior pet, however, is very different for both the patient and the owners alike. As pets reach advanced ages and enter into this last life stage, owners are faced with a myriad of physical and emotional concerns (for both the pet and themselves). There is so much more that can be done within the veterinary profession to keep the patient safe, comfortable and help owners deal with their delicate, aging family members and the toll that it can take on them.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the difference between senior and geriatric
- Illustrate ways to care for the geriatric pet in the home
- Develop ways to educate pet owners on their geriatric pets
Mary Gardner, DVM
Dr. Mary Gardner, Co-Founder and CIO of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice & In-Home Euthanasia. There is nothing better to Dr. Gardner than a dog with a grey muzzled dog or skinny old cat! Her professional goal is to increase awareness and medical care for the geriatric veterinary patient and to help make the final life stage to be as peaceful as possible, surrounded with dignity and support for all involved. Dr. Mary Gardner didn’t grow up hoping to become a veterinarian. After graduating from the University of Miami, she began working as a trainer for an enterprise-wide order management software. After learning the intricacies of the software and the variety of ways different businesses used it, she moved into a Business Architect role where she led the design of new software initiatives. Her innate talent for understanding logistics in a client-centric organization developed a unique skill set for a veterinarian. After 10 years in software she found herself longing for something different and more meaningful – the path she selected was to become a veterinarian. She completed her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 from the University of Florida. She worked in general medicine at a veterinary clinic in south Florida for two years before discovering her niche in end-of-life care. Dr. Gardner is a published author for many articles and a textbook, speaks all around the world on geriatrics and end of life care and was voted 2020 VMX Small Animal Speaker of the year!
Moderator: Adam Christman, DVM, MBA
Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, is the chief veterinary officer for dvm360®—an MJH Life Sciences Company™—who oversees content strategy and development and is the brand voice and personality for dvm360®’s multimedia channels. As a charismatic leader, he brings wit, humor, and authenticity to animal health care as the host of dvm360 Live!™ a new web-based talk show, The Vet Blast Podcast, continuing education webinars, and live media broadcasts.
Christman has also been in private practice and shelter medicine for 18 years and is currently a member and Treasurer of the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association. He received his DVM degree from Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and his MBA from Aspen University.
Christman is a national thought leader, speaker and author on practice management, social media, and rehabilitation, and co-authored, Honey, Have You Squeezed the Dachshund? A Pet Owner’s Guide for Owners Who Are Terrified of IVDD—a book on dogs with disabilities. He has been featured in multiple publications and appeared on various multimedia shows throughout the country sharing his expertise and passion on all things veterinary medicine.
As an avid social media influencer for animal health care, he has over 800K followers on TikTok and 53K followers on Instagram. He loves to engage with fellow pet parents and veterinary professionals across social media. Christman is an advocate of Pride VMC and Pawsibilities. He is also the proud dog dad to 4 dachshunds and believes no one should be deprived of the incredible human-animal bond.
This program has been approved for 1.0 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.
This activity is sponsored by Nationwide.
