Respiratory distress is one of the most alarming presentations in veterinary medicine, and one of the most urgent to assess accurately. In this immersive, video-rich session, you'll be guided through the nuanced clinical signs that help localise the source of dyspnoea, using real patient footage and practical insights. This talk will equip you with the tools to distinguish between the various causes of respiratory compromise, as well as recognise extra-respiratory conditions that mimic dyspnoea. You'll also gain strategies for low-stress patient handling and learn how to tailor your stabilisation plan and diagnostic work-up based on anatomical localisation.
Recorded 8 October 2025
Speaker:
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.
