Dr. Brian Speer is the owner and director of The Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, California. Dr. Speer is past-president of the Association of Avian Veterinarians and a consultant for the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). He is certified through American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and through the European College of Zoological Medicine in their respective avian specialties. He is co-author of The Large Macaws (1995) and Birds for Dummies (1999), editor of Current Veterinary Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery (2015) and Birds for Dummies second edition (2021), and co-editor of Current Veterinary Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery Volume 2 (2025).
10:15 AM–11:15 AM
How and Why to Apply Behavioral Science to Avian Health Care Every Day
A solid understanding of standardized methods for identification, description, and evaluation of behavioral problems remains inconsistent for most veterinarians caring for birds in general practice. This lecture uses critical application principles of applied behavioral analysis to deliver practical methods with which behavioral science can be applied in daily practice, which will augment ethical healthcare delivery.
11:25 AM–12:25 PM
Surgery of the Respiratory System of Birds
This lecture will present the relevant anatomy of the respiratory tract of birds, from the nares to their air sacs, and relevant surgical procedures that can be potentially indicated and performed in practice.
1:55 PM–2:55 PM
Diagnosis and Management of Common Forms of Abdominal Disease in Chickens
The backyard chicken is an exceedingly common patient that is presented for veterinary health care essentially worldwide. This lecture will delve into the means by which birds with distended abdomens can be diagnostically worked up, and will focus on some of the more common reproductive tract surgical procedures that may be indicated.
3:05 PM–4:05 PM
Management Strategies for Beak Keratin Overgrowth Problems in Birds
Many deformities of the beak involve keratin growth-associated problems. In this lecture, foundation of the relevant anatomy and prokinetic function of the psittacine beak is provided. Differential diagnostic considerations for keratin deformities when they are encountered are presented, as well as relevant diagnostic procedures. Beak-shaping procedural concepts will be presented, in addition to relevant patient follow-up considerations.
4:15 PM–5:30 PM
The Coelomic Cavities of Birds and Their Interactions with the Respiratory System
The anatomy of the unique coelomic cavities of avian species and their interrelationship with the respiratory system has been well described for years. Unfortunately, there has been a trend towards reductive and simplistic approach to describing this anatomy in clinical settings over the past 20 years, leading to numerous problems. This lecture reviews the most current knowledge regarding the eight coelomic cavities of birds, the detailed interrelationships that these cavities have with the respiratory system, and the clinical significance of these structures.
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