An Update on Vector-Borne Diseases of Dogs and Cats

The last 12 months have seen refinements in the management of tick paralysis, and release of new options for tick prevention for pets. I will take the audience through the Guide to Diagnosis, Management, Treatment and Prevention of Tick Paralysis which was authored by the Australian Paralysis Tick Advisory Panel in 2016. This document was a collaborative effort of veterinarians in general and specialist practice, academia and industry which provides a consensus for current treatment of dogs and cats with tick paralysis. I have also been involved in a large- scale study of tick paralysis management of cats, and have already changed some of the ways I approach these patients. I will share some of the insights with the audience, as well as revising the big picture of what we are trying to achieve in tick paralysis management.

A clinical case-based education session by Michelle Evason on the topic of GI parasites of dogs and cats and their zoonotic/One Health aspects, along with antimicrobial stewardship implications.

Tick and toad patients are the bread and butter of emergency practice in South-East QLD. They can seem routine because most do well with treatment straight from a clinical protocol. The worst 5% are the opposite. These patients epitomise the term ‘critical’. They present multiple challenges to the emergency vet, and treatment needs to be individually tailored. In this webinar I’ll talk about some of my sickest patients, how we managed them, where I think we could have done better, and what I’m planning next time. Absolutely critical toad patients make up about 1% of the presentations, and in tick paralysis it’s about 10%. There’s just not enough cases for clinical studies to be valuable, so collaboration is the first step in improving current standards of treatment. I hope this webinar is valuable for all of us.