Dr. Olivia Petritz completed her undergraduate and veterinary degree at Purdue University in Indiana. Following graduation, she completed both a small animal internship and an exotics/zoo internship in specialty private practices. Dr. Petritz completed an ACZM residency at UC Davis in companion exotics and zoo medicine, and achieved board certification in November of 2013. She then founded an exotics service at a specialty hospital in Los Angeles and worked there for three years prior to starting as an assistant professor at North Carolina State University in 2017. Her research interests include avian therapeutics and imaging of exotic pet species.
8:00 AM–9:15 AM
Small Mammal ER Cases with Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM
Many common emergency disease presentations of exotic small mammals (ferrets, rabbits, rodents) can be quite different than those seen in domestic dogs and cats. These include, but are not limited to, hypoglycemic ferrets, hyporexic rabbits, and dyspneic rodents. In this presentation, typical exotic small mammal emergencies will be reviewed using a case-based format, including a recent literature review for each emergency presentation.
9:25 AM–10:25 AM
Current Updates on Rabbit Abscesses
All rabbit teeth lack anatomic roots; therefore, the term “tooth-root abscess” is not applicable for use in this species. Instead, rabbit odontogenic abscesses are more accurately referred to as apical or periapical abscesses. While this may seem like a subtle difference, the clinical implications and treatment of true tooth root abscess in dogs and cats versus a periapical abscess in a rabbit are dramatically different. This session will review the etiology of dental disease and odontogenic abscesses, clinical presentation, diagnostics, and current recommended treatments of this frequent problem in rabbits.
11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Small Mammal Radiology and Case Review
Whole body radiography is an important part of the diagnostic work up for rabbits and rodents, similar to other domestic mammals. This session will increase your knowledge of this area via a review of normal anatomy and common sedation protocols to facilitate proper radiographic positioning, with a focus on rabbits and guinea pigs. In addition, a series of radiographic cases in these species will be reviewed.
4:15 PM–5:30 PM
Clinical Reasoning Skills in Small Mammal Medicine: A Case-Based Approach with Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM
Clinical reasoning can be broadly divided into two categories: non-analytical (quick, subconscious, and commonly referred to as pattern recognition) and analytical (slow and deliberate). Naturally, there are drawbacks to each approach, and when these processes fail, diagnostic biases and errors can result. Clinical reasoning is challenging in zoological companion animal medicine due to the breadth and, at times, paucity of knowledge in this growing field. In this presentation, a case-based approach will be used to apply these concepts to common clinical presentations with unexpected outcomes specifically for small mammals.
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