Antimicrobial Stewardship in Clinical Practice

*previously scheduled 2/24/26

***Click Here to Register***

Speaker: Laurel Redding, VMD, PhD, DACVPM

Bio: Laurel E. Redding, VMD, PhD, DACVPM is a veterinary epidemiologist with expertise in the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of microbes at the human/animal interface. Her research seeks to understand how animal contact affects the health of the gut microbiome and epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in people, and to promote antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary medicine by identifying effective stewardship interventions and formulating guidelines for antimicrobial use.

She is an internationally recognized expert on the epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile infection, determinants of gut microbiota health, and patterns and drivers of antimicrobial use in multiple species of veterinary importance. She has an extensive publication record on these topics and has delivered many talks on related subjects to diverse groups, including researchers/universities, veterinary and human health stakeholders, and the lay public.

Dr. Redding’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. Her peer-reviewed scholarship has appeared in journals such as Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Open Forum for Infectious Diseases, PLOS One, Anaerobe, Zoonoses and Public Health, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, the Veterinary Record, and Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine.

She serves as the director of the Human-Animal Health Interface for the Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Safety at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She is a member of the Research Council at Penn Vet and of the Graduate Group in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and serves on the boards of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association, and Conference for Research Workers in Animal Disease.

Dr. Redding holds a V.M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and board certification from the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Common Urological Diseases:

Minimally Invasive Interventions and Novel Approaches

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Speaker: Dr. Joseph V. Bisignano, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM)

Sponsor:

SCVMA and Inland Valley Humane Society Present

Simple Ways to Help Your Patients with Cancer for the GP, Urgent Care, and Emergency Clinician

Wednesday March 4, 2026

Doors Open: 5:45pm

Lecture Starts: 6:30pm

Location:

Inland Valley Humane Society

500 Humane Way, Pomona, CA 91766

In the Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt Medical Center

For More Information and to RSVP

Please RSVP by 2/25/2026

Presented By:

Dr. Colleen Tansey, DVM, DACVIM (oncology)

Canine Cough Conundrum:

Getting a Handle on CIRDC

***Click Here to Register***

This program provides an overview of canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC), updates in treatment recommendations, and vaccination guidance. Diagnostic workup for CIRDC will be discussed through case examples as well as supportive care and antimicrobial treatment guidance. Social and host risk factors for CIRDC will be reviewed along with vaccine discrepancies and vaccine guidance for disease prevention.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize the pathogens included in CIRDC, common clinical symptoms, as well as both social and host risk factors.

2. Understand diagnostic limitations for CIRDC and treatment options including supportive care and antimicrobial use guidelines.

3. Learn about standardizing vaccine guidance (core vs. non-core) and major discrepancies in non-core vaccine rates even in similar populations and geographic regions.

Speaker: Dr. Chris George, DVM, Practice Limited to Internal Medicine

Bio: Dr. George is currently serving as a Medical Affairs Specialist at Elanco Animal Health. He grew up in Kansas City and after earning his DVM degree at Kansas State University, he completed a rotating internship at VCA Mission, followed by an internal medicine residency at Kansas State University. After residency, Dr. George moved to the Pacific Northwest where he built an internal medicine service at BluePearl Tacoma and practiced in the Tacoma and Olympia areas prior to joining Elanco. His professional interests include endocrinology, nephrology, and gastroenterology. When not working, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and hiking throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Sponsor:

Thriving in a Modern Veterinary Practice:

Filling Up Your Appointment Calendar

***Click Here to RSVP***

Are fewer appointments showing up on your practice calendar, even as the demand for high-quality veterinary care continues to grow?

Across practices today, whether solo-doctor clinics or multi-doctor hospitals, maintaining a full appointment book and consistent client engagement is one of the biggest operational challenges. In this session, we’ll explore practical ways to meet pet parents where they are by strengthening your digital presence, re-engaging lapsed clients, and building long-term loyalty with strategies grounded in real-world clinic experience.

You’ll learn how to apply vet-specific technology and data-driven communication tools to attract new pet parents, increase compliance, and lighten the administrative load so teams can focus more on delivering excellent care. Attendees will leave with a clear, actionable roadmap to fill schedules, boost client retention, and enhance the overall health of their practices, all aligned with the shared mission of advancing veterinary medicine and care in our communities.

Speaker: Melissa Tompkins-Lewis, BS, CVPM, PHRca, CCFP

Bio: Melissa started in the veterinary field in 2003 as a vet assistant/receptionist before becoming a practice manager in 2005 after graduating from Cal Poly Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in animal science. She earned her CVPM in 2011, and both her PHRca and CCFP in 2020.

In 2018 she was the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association’s Paraprofessional of the year and in 2015 she was nominated for DVM360’s Practice Manager of the Year.

After working as a full-time practice manager for over 13 years she opened her own consulting company South Coast Veterinary Management Solutions in 2018. She now has the opportunity
to help multiple hospitals all over the country.

She is a published author of multiple articles, and has also spoken at several annual conferences and symposiums. Melissa is highly active within the local veterinary community co-founding the North Orange County Veterinary Hospital manager group, the SoCal Veterinary Manager’s Network, and the Long Beach Area Veterinary Managers Group. She previously served on the SCVMA Board of
Trustees and on the CVPM Board for the VHMA.  She loves helping other managers and team members grow within the veterinary profession. She spends her free time running or walking in 5k’s and half marathons.  She also spends time with her friends and family.  She shares her home with her husband, stepson, and their furry babies.

Sponsor:

SCVMA and MiDog Present:

Barred Owls, Lemur Frogs, and Rabbits, Oh My!

Using Next-Generation Sequencing to Characterize the Health of Zoological Species at the Individual and Population Levels

In this webinar, Mark A. Mitchell, DVM, MS, PhD, DECZM (Herpetology), Professor of Epidemiology and Zoological Medicine at Louisiana State University and Director of the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana, explores how next-generation sequencing (NGS) can be applied to better characterize health in zoological species.

Using real-world examples ranging from barred owls and amphibians to mammals, Dr. Mitchell will discuss how genomic approaches support:

• Broad detection of infectious and microbial patterns
• Interpretation of health at both the individual and population levels
• Improved understanding of complex, multifactorial disease processes
• More informed clinical, surveillance, and conservation decisions

This session is designed for veterinarians, researchers, and animal health professionals working in zoo, wildlife, exotics, and conservation medicine who are interested in how advanced diagnostics can provide deeper biological insight where traditional methods fall short.

Free Webinar!

Approved for one hour California Statutory CEU

Tuesday, March 17, 2026
10:00 – 11:00 AM PT

**Click Here to Register**

 Presented By:

DR. Mark A. Mitchell, DVM, MS, PhD, DECZM (Herpetology) | Professor, Epidemiology and Zoological Medicine Director, Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana Louisiana State University Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Dr. Mark Mitchell is a Professor of Epidemiology and Zoological Medicine at Louisiana State University and serves as Director of the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana. He is a board-certified diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine (Herpetology) with extensive experience spanning wildlife, zoological, and exotic animal medicine. Dr. Mitchell’s work focuses on infectious disease, population health, and the application of advanced diagnostics in non-traditional species. He has led and collaborated on numerous clinical, field-based, and research initiatives involving avian, amphibian, reptile, and mammalian species, with an emphasis on translating complex biological data into actionable insight for conservation and clinical decision-making. Through his roles in academia and wildlife health, Dr. Mitchell brings a practical, systems-level perspective to understanding animal health at both the individual and population scale, making him a leading voice in modern zoological and conservation medicine. Dr. Mitchell has authored or co-authored 200+ peer-reviewed publications spanning wildlife health, and zoological medicine.

Sponsored By:

Recommended Approach to Older Dogs with Heart Murmurs when Echocardiography is not an Option

***Click Here to Register***

Learning Objectives:

• Understand when starting pimobendan is appropriate based on radiographic measurements of heart size (i.e., vertebral heart size or vertebral left atrial size) when echocardiography is not an option.
• Recognize when starting pimobendan can be considered, based on cutoffs of N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) if thoracic radiographs or echocardiography are not possible.
• Understand when starting furosemide is most appropriate for dogs that present with cough and a heart murmur.

Speaker: Dr. Lance Visser, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Cardiology)

Bio: Dr. Lance C. Visser is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He obtained a combined DVM/MS in 2010 from Michigan State University. He then completed a small animal rotating internship at North Carolina State University in 2011, followed by a combined residency/MS program in cardiology at The Ohio State University in 2014.
Dr. Visser is currently an associate professor of cardiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University. Before this, he was on the faculty at the University of California, Davis, for 7 years (from 2014 to 2021).
Dr. Visser is an award-winning educator and has a passion for helping veterinarians with the clinical management of patients with heart disease. He is frequently invited to speak locally, nationally, and internationally on a vast range of topics related to heart disease in animals. His primary research interest is improving the noninvasive assessment of cardiac structure and function in dogs and cats.

Sponsor:

SCVMA and Boehringer Ingelheim Present:

Paws-tioning Your Practice-

Utilizing Marketing and Technology to Exceed Client Expectations

STAND OUT IN AN EVER-SATURATED MARKETPLACE

Do you feel like you offer the same services as most veterinary practices? How are you marketing the differences in care between you and your competitor? Do you tell pet owners you’re a “state of the art veterinary clinic”? Guess what? So do your competitors! During this session, we will dive deep into HOW you can develop or enhance your brand and create awareness via social media channels, your website, and more. Leveraging the latest digital tools can help you better understand your practice’s performance and position you for new growth, whereas not staying current on technology can make you blend into a crowded industry. In this session, get a sneak peek at the newest tech, strategies to help you compete with online retailers, and clear tips on how to improve client experience and retention by meeting the modern, evolving demands of today’s pet owner. You won’t want to miss this one!

Learning Objectives:

• Identify necessary objectives to strengthen your overall branding.
• Effectively analyze competitor online communication efforts.
• Follow guidelines to improve results from digital marketing in a way that is unique to your individual marketplace.
• Describe the practice mission statement and culture in a way that engages pet owners.
• Review and prioritize strategic options for increasing new client acquisition, conversion, and retention using digital marketing.
• Understand how to read and demonstrate client retention results and impact to your overall business.
• Successfully integrate technology tools into the client experience to increase client retention and avoid the appeal of major retailers.
• Evaluate the impact of income loss to online pharmacies and learn how to integrate and apply techniques to achieve better compliance with these clients.

**Click Here to Register**

Sunday March 29, 2026 

Provided FREE for SCVMA Members!

10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Doors Open at 9:15 for Registration and Breakfast
**Breakfast Included**

3 hours of CA Statutorily Approved CE

Presented By:

Eric Garcia, IT & Digital Marketing Consultant- Simply Done Tech Solutions

Bio: IT expert. Digital marketer. Industry thought leader. When it comes to helping veterinary practices streamline their technology and attract and retain clients, Eric Garcia has a proven track record of educating the industry and producing results. Mr. Garcia is an internationally recognized IT and digital strategist working exclusively within the field of veterinary medicine. His work has been recognized throughout the industry.
Mr. Garcia was voted VMX 2020 Speaker of the Year by conference attendees. He speaks regularly at conferences all throughout the world.

Sponsored By:

Titer Testing in Practice:

Understanding Immunity and Guiding Vaccination Protocols

***Click Here to Register***

This webinar will review the clinical use of antibody titer testing for core vaccines in dogs and cats. Key immunologic principles, duration of immunity, and titer testing for CPV, CDV, CAV, and FPV will be discussed, along with how titers can be incorporated into vaccination protocols. Special populations, including puppies and kittens, vaccine-risk patients, and senior pets, will be highlighted. The session will also compare laboratory and in-house titer testing methods and conclude with practical answers to common clinical questions.

Speaker: Dr. Noga Schiller, DVM

Bio: Dr. Noga Schiller is a Companion Animal Veterinarian and Medical Advisor specializing in immunity, infectious diseases, and diagnostics. At Biogal Labs, she develops scientific content, supports diagnostic innovation, and presents to veterinary and industry audiences, bridging science and everyday clinical practice to improve animal health.

Sponsor:

SCVMA and UC Irvine Present:

13th Annual Conti Symposium

DVM Program

Current Concepts and Controversies on Wound Management

Sunday June 7th, 2026

UC Irvine, Student Center
311 W Peltason Dr, Irvine, CA 92697

More Information Coming Soon!

SCVMA and UC Irvine Present:

13th Annual Conti Symposium

Technician Program

Current Concepts and Controversies on Wound Management

Sunday June 7th, 2026

UC Irvine, Student Center
311 W Peltason Dr, Irvine, CA 92697

More Information Coming Soon!