Bites Beyond the Bowl:

A Practical Guide to Feeding Tubes

***Click Here to Register***

This webinar will provide a practical, clinically focused overview of feeding tube use in dogs and cats, including indications, tube selection, and key considerations for each option. We will also review diet selection for enteral feeding, highlighting commonly used nutritional strategies for specific disease conditions. Attendees will gain actionable guidance to support confident decision-making and optimize patient care in cases requiring nutritional support.

Speaker:  Kimberly Oram, BS, RVT, VTS (Nutrition)

Bio: Kimberly Oram, BS, RVT, VTS (Nutrition), earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, followed by her veterinary technician licensure. She has experience in internal medicine, oncology, and clinical nutrition, and achieved her VTS (Nutrition) in June 2025. Kimberly is passionate about providing practical, evidence-based nutrition education for veterinary teams and pet owners

Sponsor:

The GI Microbiome:

What’s Bugging Your Patients

***Click Here to RSVP***

*Note date change- this meeting will be held a week later than normal*

Speaker: Alexandria Maiello, DVM

Bio: Prior to joining the Nutramax Laboratories team of Field Services Veterinarians in December of 2024, Dr. Alex Maiello spent 7 years honing her skills as a mixed General Practitioner and Emergency Care veterinarian, with experiences from large corporate hospitals to being the Medical Director of a private practice. A graduate of Auburn university College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Maiello enjoyed many aspects of both primary care and emergency care, but quickly learned that emergency cases were her preferred and in 2022 she made the switch to practicing primarily emergency medicine as a per diem veterinarian. During this transition, Dr. Maiello was able to gain experience in entrepreneurship while she developed her veterinary relief and mobile veterinary care brand, Helpful Veterinary Services. In the couple of years before joining Nutramax Labs, Dr. Maiello focused on providing personal, compassionate, end-of-life care with Helpful Veterinary Services. In her free time, Dr. Maiello enjoys being physically active outdoors, forever learning, reading, building deep and meaningful friendships, and experiencing whatever the world has to offer her.

Sponsor:

SCVMA and VCA OCVS Present

Anaphylaxis:

To Epi or Not to Epi

This lecture will discuss the diagnosis and treatment of anaphylaxis.

Wednesday July 22, 2026

Dinner Included!

Dinner Served: 6:30pm

Lecture Starts: 7:00pm

Location:

VCA OCVS

3021 Edinger Ave, Tustin, CA 92780

For More Information and to RSVP **Click Here**

Presented By:

Leyla Fatourechi DVM, DACVECC

Bio: Dr. Fatourechi is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care. Dr. Fatourechi attended the University of California at Berkeley for her undergraduate studies, then attended the University of Minnesota for veterinary school, where she graduated with honors. She completed her residency in Emergency and Critical Care at the Animal Emergency Referral Center in 2013.

Dr. Fatourechi has a special interest in trauma and respiratory critical care including mechanical ventilation. She enjoys working with our clients and patients. When she is not at work, Dr. Fatourechi enjoys exercise and spending time with her family.

Weight Cannot Wait!

***Click Here to RSVP***

**see RSVP link for parking information- click show more**

Learn about the pet obesity epidemic and why this is harmful to the health and longevity of our pets. Attendees will learn how to score body fat index (BFI) using the BFI chart and how to determine ideal body weight. Attendees will be guided through a calculation of resting energy requirements (RER) and how to incorporate life stage factors in order to create diet plans. Attendees will also learn about how to discuss weight with clients.

Speaker: Anna Biesbrock, DVM, MS

Bio: Dr. Anna Biesbrock (Dr. Bees) is a veterinarian, scientist, and educator dedicated to advancing preventative medicine, public health, nutrition. and mental health awareness within the veterinary profession. A UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine graduate, Dr. Bees is currently a regional veterinarian for Hill’s based out of the greater Los Angeles area.

Sponsors:

Practical Poultry Pearls for Busy Veterinarians

***Click Here to Register***

This webinar provides a practical introduction to backyard poultry for veterinarians who do not routinely work with poultry. Attendees will review key considerations when evaluating backyard flocks and receive guidance on what to ask clients, what to watch for, and where to turn for reliable information.

Speaker:  Valerie C. Marcano DVM, PhD, DACPV

Bio: Dr. Valerie Marcano is a veterinarian-scientist, speaker, and poultry health consultant. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program and a diplomat of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. Dr. Marcano has experience in research, diagnostics, government, industry, and clinical service, and provides education on backyard poultry medicine, disease prevention, diagnostic strategies, and veterinary access through ValCri Consulting.

 Neurologic Manifestations of Systemic Disease:

A Case-Based Discussion

***Click Here to RSVP***

Please RSVP by July 31st

**Our sponsor pays per RSVP. If your plans change, please be sure to update your RSVP accordingly so our sponsor will not be charged unnecessarily. If you need assistance prior to the meeting, please contact Teri Fisher at teri.fisher@vca.com

Neurologic signs are not always caused by primary neurologic disease. Many systemic disorders can present with weakness, gait abnormalities, seizures, collapse, or other neurologic deficits, often creating diagnostic challenges and delaying recognition of the primary underlying condition. This case-based lecture will review several systemic diseases in cats and dogs that commonly manifest with neurologic signs. Emphasis will be placed on recognizing characteristic clinical presentations, understanding the pathophysiologic mechanisms linking systemic disease to neurologic dysfunction, and identifying key diagnostic and treatment strategies. Attendees will gain practical tools for incorporating systemic differentials into their neurologic evaluations, improving diagnostic efficiency, facilitating earlier intervention, and optimizing patient outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize common neurologic presentations of selected systemic diseases in dogs and cats.
• Understand the underlying mechanisms by which systemic disorders produce neurologic dysfunction.
• Develop practical diagnostic approaches for differentiating primary neurologic disease from systemic disease with secondary neurologic manifestations.
• Review current treatment strategies and prognostic considerations for the systemic diseases discussed.

Speaker: Dr. Erica Burkland, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology)

Bio: Dr. Erica Burkland, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology) is a board-certified veterinary neurologist based in Los Angeles. She earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. She then completed a rotating internship at The Animal Medical Center in New York City, a neurology internship at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, and a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery at Mississippi State University. Although Dr. Burkland enjoys all aspects of neurology, her primary interest lies in neurosurgery, and she is proficient in a wide variety of spinal and intracranial surgical procedures. Dr. Burkland earned her ACVIM Neurosurgery Certificate of Training in 2022. Dr. Burkland has contributed to published research on discospondylitis, CNS blastomycosis, and epilepsy and lectures internationally.

Sponsors:

SCVMA and VCA OCVS Present

Updates in Dystocia Management:

When & How to Intervene

Objectives of the talk:
1. Physiology of Parturition
2. Pathophysiology of Dystocia
3. Medical Intervention
4. Surgical Intervention

Wednesday August 12, 2026

Dinner Included!

Dinner Served: 6:30pm

Lecture Starts: 7:00pm

Location:

VCA OCVS

3021 Edinger Ave, Tustin, CA 92780

For More Information and to RSVP **Click Here**

Presented By:

Ava Song, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA

Bio: Dr. Ava Song is a graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia, where she obtained the Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2016. Her love of small animal surgery continued with the training by completing a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at the University of Tennessee, followed by a specialty internship in surgery at Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Florida. Dr. Song then joined University of Illinois in 2018 for another specialty internship in surgery and stayed on to complete her Master’s degree and residency in Small Animal Surgery. While at the University of Illinois, her Master’s research focused on CT volumetric analysis of tongue size and tongue fat in different canine brachycephalic breeds.

While enjoying all aspects of surgery, Dr. Song has particular passion in soft tissue surgery, especially cardio-thoracic surgery, oncological surgery, and urogenital surgery. She enjoys the hands-on nature of surgery and endeavors to provide excellent patient care. She is excited to return to sunny California where she spent most of her life before veterinary school. When not practicing, she enjoys watching movies, taking care of her plants, spending time with her lovely cat Laon, and going out for good food. She also enjoys hiking and camping.

The Great Pet Food Label Mystery

**Click Here to RSVP**

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the regulatory requirements governing commercial pet food labels.
• Describe the required components of a pet food label.
• Differentiate between regulated labeling terminology and common marketing claims.
• Develop effective communication strategies to educate clients on interpreting pet food labels.

Speaker: Dr. Jose De Jesus Ruiz Romero, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)

Sponsor:

The Complete Plan for the Periodontal Patient: COHAT

*Click Here to RSVP*

Performing a complete oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) entails much more than removing plaque and calculus from the teeth. A thorough dental prophylaxis consists of educating the client, an oral examination, charting disease process, pathology and anomalies, radiographs, both supra and subgingival plaque and calculus removal, hand scaling, polishing, irrigation and home care instructions.

Location:

Zoom- Online and Interactive

Speaker: Mary L. Berg, BS, RVT, LATG, VTS (Dentistry)

Bio: Mary received her VTS (Dentistry) in 2006, recertifying in 2025. Her background includes veterinary dental research, practice management, and work as a dental technician in general practice. She’s currently an adjunct at two veterinary technology programs and the president and founder of Beyond the Crown Veterinary Education, teaching dentistry to veterinary teams using practical, easy-to-master methods. Mary was named the VMX Speaker of the Year in 2024, the NAVTA Veterinary Technician of the Year in 2020, won AVDT’s Excellence in Dentistry Education in 2019, and was named a Fellow in Veterinary Education in 2025. Mary is a textbook author, speaker, and wet lab instructor at numerous state and national conferences. She lives on a small farm near Lawrence, KS, with her husband, two cats, a terrier named Gypsy, and a few goats.

Pet Travel Compliance for Veterinary Practices

***Click Here to Register***

Even non-travel-focused veterinary practices have a stake in pet travel documentation, as pet travel is a fast-growing market ($2B in 2023 → projected $4.6B by 2032) with pets accompanying ~25% of senior and 40%+ of middle-aged travelers.

• We’ll challenge you to see if your hospital’s rabies certificates are compliant for pet travel purposes. What’s missing from your certificates and why does it matter? Garbage in equals garbage out when it comes to pet data information from your medical records.

• We’ll discuss CDC rabies re-entry rules (updated June 2024, transition ended July 31, 2025), covering the three gatekeeping questions, low- vs. high-risk country requirements, the 28-day waiting period, microchip-before-vaccine sequencing, and the USDA-endorsed Certification + CDC Dog Import Form

• Can we reframe pet travel as a wellness and profit-center opportunity? Wellness screenings, microchip protocols, parasite prevention, post-travel checkups, and incorporating tools like Passpaw for VEHCS-integrated certificate workflows.

Speaker:  Leslie Boudreau, RVTg, BS, CVPM, SPHR, PHRca

Bio: Leslie has been a Veterinary Technologist and Hospital Administrator in Southern California for over 35 years. She earned her A.S. in Veterinary Technology from Mt. San Antonio College and her BASVT in Veterinary Technology – Hospital Management, from St. Petersburg College, Florida. In 2011, she became a CVPM (Certified Veterinary Practice Manager). Leslie holds three human resources certifications: PHR (Professional in Human Resources), PHRca (California specific Certification), and SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources). She is also pursuing her MBA in Human Resources Management.

Speaker:  Maria Morgan MBA, CVPM

Bio: Maria is the owner of Passpaw which is a cloud-based platform that makes international and Hawaiian pet travel simple for USDA accredited veterinarians and their teams. The platform takes the stress out of health certificates by guiding you through every step—from educating clients and tracking requirements to validating documents and creating certificates automatically. It’s designed to save time, reduce errors, and make the whole experience easier for both your team and your clients. With Passpaw, you can spend less time on paperwork and more time caring for pets and the people who love them.

Veterinary Team Members Seminar

Educational Event for Veterinary Teams!

Join us for an exciting educational experience just for veterinary team members!  This event features dynamic sessions on topics of pet nutrition, burnout, and regulatory information you need to know as a team member!

Whether you’re on the floor or at the front desk, there’s something here to support your growth, confidence, and care. Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and elevate your impact!

For all non-DVM team members including, but not limited to:

CSRs, Veterinary Assistants, RVTs, CVPMs

***Limited to 35 Attendees***

Sunday, September 20, 2026

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Doors Open at 8:30 for Registration and Breakfast
**Breakfast and Lunch Included**

Orange County Veterinary Assistant School

12752 Garden Grove Blvd

Ste 250

Garden Grove, CA 92843

**Click Here to Register**

Approved for 5 hours of California Statutorily Approved CEU

FREE for SCVMA members

**$50.00 cancellation fee to anyone who fails to cancel before 9/13/26 or no shows to the event**

More Information Coming Soon!