The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine

Continuing Education

Team Management of Behavior Problems in Companion Animals

October 4–5, 2008

The purpose of this course is to provide information on current approaches to diagnosing, treating, and managing behavior problems in companion animals.

Online registration

Save time and effort — register online today!

Get the paper registration form here [PDF], or download the conference registration brochure as a PDF.

Registration Fees:

Veterinarian $300.00

Veterinary Technicians or Assistants $265.00

Course fee includes continental breakfast, refreshment breaks, lunch, and instructional materials.

This course will provide 15.0 hours of Continuing Education Credit. Full attendance is required to receive total CE credits.

Course Cancellation Policy

Full refunds are available for cancellations made by 5 p.m. ET, Sept. 26, 2008. No refunds will be issued thereafter. If a course is cancelled for any reason, the College of Veterinary Medicine will not be responsible for any charges related to travel.

Summary

This conference approaches the diagnosis and treatment of behavior problems in companion animals with the assumption that the veterinarian and the veterinary technician will work as a team to maximize the chances for successful rehabilitation.

After an introduction to ethics, learning, and social organization and communication in the dog and cat, parallel coursework is offered. One, designed for veterinarians, will emphasize diagnostics, treatment protocols, prescribing medications, and the role of diet in behavior.

The other, designed for technicians, will emphasize day-to-day management and implementation of behavior modification programs, monitoring a patient’s progress, and client communication.

Instructors:

Dr. Crowell-Davis, DVM, PhD, is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. She is Director of the Animal Behavior Service at UGA and has 27 years of experience in veterinary behavior.

Dr. Sabrina Poggiagliolmi, DVM is a third year resident in Veterinary Behavior at the University of Georgia. She completed her veterinary degree at the University of Milan, Italy, in 1994.

Melissa Whitmire, BS, RVT completed her BS in Psychology at the University of Georgia and her technician training at Athens Area Technical Institute. Ms. Whitmire is a special services technician for the Behavior Service at UGAVTH.

Location

All sessions are held at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Please use the ramp entrance to the main Vet Med building. Follow the directions here or contact Melissa Kilpatrick at melissak@uga.edu.

Classes in Room H-237 are geared primarily toward veterinarians and classes in Room H-203 are geared toward veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants. However, all conferees may attend whichever class they prefer.

Hotel Accommodations

Blocks of rooms have been reserved at two local hotels:

Holiday Inn
197 East Broad St., Athens, GA 30603
Phone: 706.549.4433
Located adjacent to campus, about 1 mile from the CVM
Room block code: VSA.
Block of rooms will be held until September 19, 2008.
Rate: $89
Georgia Center for Continuing Education Center & Hotel
Phone: 706.542.2134 or 888.295.8894
Located on-campus, about 2 blocks from the CVM
Room block code: Vet Med.
Block of rooms will be held until September 19, 2008.
Rates: $89 for one bed; $99 for two beds.

Program

Saturday, October 4, 2008
student lobby
8:00-8:30 Registration and continental breakfast

room H-237
8:30-9:00 Diagnosis and Treatment of Behavior Problems in Animals: History, ethics and legal issues (Crowell-Davis)
9:00-10:00 Principles of Animal Learning (Crowell-Davis)
10:00-10:15 Refreshment break
10:15-11:00 Social Organization and Communication in the Cat (Crowell-Davis)
11:00-11:45 Social Organization and Communication in the Dog (Poggiagliolmi)
11:45-12:30 Lunch

room H-237–split session
12:30-1:00 Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols for Phobias (Crowell-Davis)
1:00-2:00 Psychopharmacology: Serotonin and Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (Crowell-Davis)
2:00-3:00 Serotonin Syndrome and Other Drug Problems (Poggiagliolmi)
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-4:00 Psychopharmacology: Benzodiazepines (Crowell-Davis)
4:00-5:00 Differential Diagnosis of Human-Directed Aggression in Dogs (Crowell-Davis)

room H-203–split session
12:30-1:00 History and Follow-Up (Whitmire)
1:00-2:00 Training Theory and Ethical Considerations (Whitmire)
2:00-3:00 Separation Anxiety and Stormphobia (Whitmire)
3:00-2:15 Break
3:15-4:00 Lab-Fitting Training Equipment (Whitmire and Poggiagliolmi)
4:00-5:00 Lab: Introduction to Clicker Training (Whitmire and Poggiagliolmi)

Sunday, October 5, 2008
student lobby
8:00-8:30 Continental breakfast

room H-237–split session
8:30-9:30 Cognitive Dysfunction (Poggiagliolmi)
9:30-10:30 Diet and Behavior (Poggiagliolmi)
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:30 Treatment and Safety Issues of Human-Directed Aggression in the Dog (Crowell-Davis)
11:30-12:15 Interdog Aggression (Crowell-Davis)
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 Diagnosis and Treatment of Human-Directed Aggression in the Cat (Crowell-Davis)
2:30-3:00 Intercat Aggression (Crowell-Davis)
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-4:45 Compulsive Disorder (Crowell-Davis)

room H-203–split session
8:30-9:30 Feline Inappropriate Elimination (Whitmire)
9:30-10:30 Intraspecies Aggression (Whitmire)
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:30 Topics in Environmental Management (Poggiagliolmi)
11:30-12:15 Monitoring the Patient on Psychoactive Medication (Poggiagliolmi)
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 Human-directed Aggression (Whitmire)
2:30-3:00 Techniques for Handling the Fearful Patient (Poggiagliolmi)
3:00-3:15 Break
3:15-4:45 Discussion and Lab: Training Techniques (Whitmire and Poggiagliolmi)

Contacts

For further information about this and other continuing education opportunities, contact:

Melissa Kilpatrick, Continuing Education: 706.542.1451 or melissak@uga.edu

This page was last updated August 6, 2008.