Mobility Matters: Keeping Pets with Joint Disease Moving
0.5 CE Credit Hour / Veterinarians & Veterinary Technicians
Overview:
Mobility is powerful and helps to promote a healthy and happy patient - in both body & mind. Joint health is fundamental to moving in comfort as well as maintaining the patient’s quality of life. However, we know that joint disease affects 20% of adult dogs in the U.S., up to 80% of dogs eight years or older, and 90% of cats 12 years and older. It can be challenging to manage due to the difficulty in recognizing signs early and the inevitable progressive pathology seen in joint disease. This presentation will discuss the stages of osteoarthritis and the importance of identifying mobility issues in cats and dogs. We will also review modalities to support the joint, especially the role of specific nutrients, and the resultant benefits to help manage mobility in dogs & cats and their improvement in day-to-day quality of life.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Demonstrate understanding of mobility in patients
- Categorize the stages of osteoarthritis
- Identify OA in feline patients
- Describe the joint cycle of support in mobility
- Identify the nutrients responsible for aiding in the management of mobility issues
Kara M. Burns, MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition)
Kara Burns is a licensed veterinary technician with a master’s degree in physiology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology. She began her career in human medicine working as an emergency psychologist and as a poison specialist dealing with human and animal poisonings.
Burns is the Founder and Past President of the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians. She teaches nutrition courses around the world. She is also an independent nutritional and well-being consultant, the Director of Veterinary Nurse Development for WellHaven Pet Health and is the Editor in Chief of Today’s Veterinary Nurse.
As a member of many national, international, and state associations, she also holds positions on many boards in the profession: American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition executive board; Western Veterinary Conference Technician Education Manager; NAVTA Past President; EveryCat Health Foundation (formerly Winn Feline Foundation); and the first technician to be President of the Pet Nutrition Alliance, to name a few.
Burns has authored many articles, textbooks, and textbook chapters and is an internationally invited speaker, focusing on topics of nutrition, leadership, and technician utilization.
Burns was recently named the The Bridge Club 2024 Industry ICON Award recipient – the first veterinary technician to be recognized as The Bridge Club ICON. She has been featured on the cover of the Veterinary Technician Journal and the NAVTA Journal and most recently has been featured in PetVet Magazine. She was named the North American Veterinary Conference Technician Speaker of the Year in 2013, 2016, and in 2021. She was granted an honorary VTS (Internal Medicine) in 2011. She was also granted an honorary VTS (Dentistry) in 2012. She is the 2010 NAVTA Veterinary Technician of the Year, as well as the 2011 Dr. Franklin Loew Lecturer.
This program has been approved for 0.5 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.
This activity is sponsored by YuMove.
