Fever is an adaptive response to inflammation within the body, and is a marker of disease rather than a cause of disease. It is a clinical sign that should prompt an investigation for its underlying cause. In this webinar, I will discuss how and why fever occurs, which disease processes should be considered as an underlying cause of fever, and which diagnostic tests should be considered during a work-up for fever, in light of different clinical signs and patient signalments.
Recording from 11 May 2023
Speaker:
Melissa Claus
Melissa Claus, DVM, Diplomate ACVECC
I’ve been involved in the veterinary industry for most of my life, first as a vet nurse and later as a veterinarian. I became a boarded specialist in Emergency and Critical Care in 2010. Shortly thereafter, I left the United States for Australia to begin a career in academia at Murdoch University to fulfill my passion for teaching veterinary students, nurses, residents, and interns. Since 2020, I have been a part time teleconsultant for VetCT, where I am part of a global support network of specialists who provide clinical guidance to veterinarians with challenging cases. In 2022, I left academia and joined a private practice specialty hospital in Perth, Australia, where I have been building a brand new small animal ECC service. My primary research interests are circulatory shock and transfusion medicine. Other interests include fluid balance, electrolytes, acid-base, pulmonary physiology, physiology of fever, and extracorporeal therapies.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and 3 kiddos, and small menagerie of 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 rabbit, 1 goat, and 6 chooks.
