LAMS101-0112: Llamas and Alpacas - Medicine and Surgery

INSTRUCTOR(S): Ned Gentz, MS, DVM, DACZM and Ellen Wiedner, VMD, DACVIM (LAIM)
COURSE OPEN: January 29 - March 7, 2012
REAL TIME SESSIONS: Sundays, February 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2012; 9:30pm-11:30pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Practice Sessions: In order to prepare you for a successful experience in your CE course, we request you attend a practice session prior to the first Real Time Session. Times and dates will be listed in your course confirmation email. Expect to spend up to 1 hour at one of the 2-4 practice sessions held prior to the first Real Time Session.

Level and Prerequisites:
This basic course will be open to veterinarians interested in llama and alpaca medicine and surgery. Participants in this course should be familiar with llama and alpaca anatomy and physiology.
VIN CE course: Open to veterinarians. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinarians only.

Course Description:
Although not the cash cows they once were, llamas and alpacas remain popular companion animals. They are shown and are also used for packing. And although they tend to be lumped in with other small ruminants (which they are not), their biology and medicine are unique. This course is designed to make veterinarians confident in their dealings with llama and alpaca patients, and their owners.

This course consists of four (4) 2-hour Real Time Sessions, supplemental library materials, interactive message board discussions, and an end-of-course test. Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

Upon completion of this course, the participant should

• be more familiar with infectious and non-infectious disease problems in llamas and alpacas.
• be familiar with anesthetic protocols and common surgical problems encountered in llamas and alpacas.
• be familiar with drugs commonly used in llamas and alpacas.
• be familiar with reproductive issues commonly encountered in llamas and alpacas and the assessment of neonates.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.

Required textbook: There is no required textbook for this course.

Recommended textbook:

• Fowler ME. Medicine and Surgery of Camelids, 3rd ed. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell. 2010.

About the Instructors:
Ned Gentz, DVM, MS, ACZM received his veterinary degree from Colorado State University and completed an internship in zoo, wildlife, and exotic animal medicine at Kansas State University. Dr. Gentz serves as a Consultant in the Avian, Small/Exotic Mammals, Reptile/Amphibian and Ruminants folders on VIN. He was formerly Staff Veterinarian at Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, Director of Veterinary Services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and Clinical Instructor of Exotic Animal Medicine and Wildlife Health at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

VIN Consultant, Ellen Wiedner, VMD, DACVIM (LAIM), received her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed an internship at Cornell University and an internal medicine residency at Purdue University. Dr. Wiedner was the former Director Of Veterinary Care for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey from 2004 to 2011. She is currently a staff veterinarian at the Los Angeles Zoo.

Course Outline:
Week 1: (Real Time Session: February 5): Anatomy and Physiology and Basic Clinical Techniques
Content: Basic Anatomy and Physiology and Basic Clinical Techniques when working with Llamas and Alpacas

Week 2: (Real Time Session: February 12): Infectious/Noninfectious Disease and Parasitology
Content: Common infectious and noninfectious diseases and parasitology

Week 3: (Real Time Session: February 19): Nutrition , GI Disease, and Dental Disease
Content: Nutrition, GI Disease and Dental Disease of Llamas and Alpacas

Week 4: (Real Time Session: February 26): Anesthesia, Surgery, Pharmacology, Neonatology and Reproduction Content: Anesthesia, Surgery, Pharmacology, Neonatology and Reproduction of Llamas and Alpacas

CE CREDITS: 8

Tuition: Member $160 ($144 early bird special if enrolled by: January 22, 2012)
Non-Member $253 ($228 early bird special if enrolled by: January 22, 2012).

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close when the maximum number of participants is reached or at 5pm ET the day of the first Real Time Session unless otherwise noted. If the first Real Time Session is on a weekend, course enrollment will close on the Friday before the first Real Time Session.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

TO ENROLL:

1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
4. For further assistance call 1-800-700-INFO (4636) or email (VIN CE) CEonVIN@vin.com or (VSPN CE) VSPNCE@vspn.org. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

* Note: "This course is approved for 8 continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE approval; however participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education." Call VSPN/VIN CE at 1-800-700-4636 for further information. (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board).

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN/VSPN office 1-800-700-INFO (4636) to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.
* Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN/VSPN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).

* For more information on VIN's Upcoming CE Courses check the Course Catalog at https://www.vin.com/CE/Catalog.htm

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Coordinator

VIN CE Services: CEonVIN@vin.com
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881 or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01452226154
Andrea Pomposo (Andrea@vin.com); ext 126
Debbie Friedler (Debbie@vin.com); ext 756
Heather Schoffstall (Heather@vin.com); ext 116
Jennifer Boyle (JenniferB@vin.com); ext 169

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