VetMedTeam - Leading Veterinary Medicine into a New Era!

MANAGING CANINE PAIN

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Course Description

MerialEDU is a series of courses designed to help empower the veterinary healthcare team by providing quality, RACE approved, continuing education in a variety of topics.

The Managing Canine Pain course is free to all VetMedTeamers. It is provided through the generous support of Merial, one of the forward thinking companies that believe the education of staff members is vital to delivering quality medical care to all patients.

VetMedTeam has approved this topic because we think it contains educational material of interest to the entire practice team. We hope that you will take advantage of this free course. We think that you will find online education through VetMedTeam.com to be fun and informative.

This course would not be available without the support of the course underwriter, Merial. We encourage all VetMedTeamers to let this company know that their support is appreciated. Courses will be added to the Merial EDU section of our catalog as they become available, so check back from time to time.

Learning Objectives

After completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Understand the basic terminology and physiology related to companion animal pain
Understand the ethical and philosophical framework within which the veterinary practice team deals with companion animal pain
Understand the major conditions associated with chronic pain in dogs
Understand the ways the veterinary practice team can assess chronic pain
Understand the limitations inherent in trying to assess chronic pain
Understand the framework for instituting and implementing a chronic pain-management program in veterinary practice
Understand the basics of the analgesics used to treat common conditions that are responsible for chronic pain in dogs
Understand how nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work and the basic differences among types of NSAIDs
Understand the basic pros, cons, and debate surrounding the use of complementary and/or alternative approaches to chronic pain

Course Content

Chapter One - Overview of Pain Terminology, Pain Physiology, and Animal Pain
1. Pre-Test
2. Introduction
3. Pain: Definition, Terminology, and Basic Physiology
4. Types of Pain
5. Chronic Pain
6. Signs of Pain
7. Consequences of Pain
8. Animal Pain and the Veterinary Community
9. Chapter Highlights
10. References
11. Chapter 1 Pre-Test Answers
Chapter Two - Pain Management and the Veterinary Practice
1. Pre-Test
2. The Ethical and Philosophical Framework for Treating Animal Pain
3. Pain Control Can Add Value to the Practice
4. Integrating Pain Control
5. Surveys on Pain Management Offer Insights
6. The Owner’s Role in Managing Chronic Pain
7. Chapter Highlights
8. References
9. Chapter 2 Pre-Test Answers
Chapter Three - Overview of Conditions Associated with Chronic Pain in Dogs
1. Pre-Test
2. Leading Causes of Chronic Pain
3. Osteoarthritis
4. The Mechanics of Osteoarthritis
5. Sites and Signs of Canine Osteoarthritis
6. Canine Hip Dysplasia
7. Elbow Dysplasia
8. Patellar Luxation
9. Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease
10. Cancer
11. Central Neuropathic Pain
12. Otitis Media
13. Dental/Oral Pain
14. Other Conditions
15. Chapter Highlights
16. References
17. Chapter 3 Pre-Test Answers
Chapter Four - Assessing Chronic Canine Pain
1. Pre-Test
2. Assessing and Managing Chronic Canine Pain in Clinical Practice
3. Other Obstacles to Assessing Chronic Pain
4. Instituting a Pain Management Program
5. Chapter Highlights
6. References
7. Chapter 4 Pre-Test Answers
Chapter Five - Overview of Managing Chronic Canine Pain
1. Pre-Test
2. Overview of Analgesics Used in Managing Chronic Pain
3. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
4. How NSAIDs Work
5. Managing the Chronically Painful Dog with NSAIDs
6. Other Management Options for Chronic Pain
7. Alternative and/or Complementary Treatments: A Place in the Pain-Management Toolbox?
8. Managing Canine Osteoarthritis Pain
9. Managing Cancer Pain
10. Managing Otitis Media Pain
11. Course Wrap-Up
12. Chapter Highlights
13. References
14. Chapter 5 Pre-Test Answers

Required Materials

No additional materials required - all course content is online.

Testimonials

... Everything presented was beneficial. Since there has been a lot more research since I went to tech school, there was a lot of information in this course that wasn't even mentioned in tech school. I have a much better understanding of OA now than I did before I took this course. Everything presented was interesting and will be benieficial to my work.

... We already have a pain management protocol in place at my hospital. This gave me reassurance that we are doing a good job with our use of several different drugs for pain management.However, there are some additional things I want to add to our protocols and continue to learn.

... good spectrum of pain management in canines. It's good to learn about alternatives to discuss with your dvm's. If not change at least discussion re: current pain management protocols at work.

... The entire course was great. It is wonderful that Merial offers this through the vetmedteam. I like the straight forward details of the course without too much un-useful information (no fluff). This is my second free online course; this one was particurally good. THANKS and keep them coming PLEASE

...I liked the glossary and the discussion about NSAIDs (COX 1 and COX 2 inhibitors)and opiates. I also liked the idea about making the whole staff more aware of the signs of pain in animals and the idea of using a pain scale to rate the amount of pain an animal is in even though it can only be subjective.

Student Login Requirements

VetMedTeam courses are asynchronous - they do not contain real time components. Students log in while a course is in session at times convenient to personal schedules.

Course Completion Requirements

Students must complete all 5 course examinations with a score of 80% or better.
Students are required to complete the course survey

Recommended Student Criteria

This course is appropriate for all members of the veterinary practice team. The average student spends 3 to 5 hours to complete all the mandatory requirements.

Continuing Education Credits

*Approved for 5 RACE credits for technicians and veterinarians*.

Course Writer

Katherine Moldave, MBA, copartner in AlcheraBio (www.alcherabio.com). AlcheraBio is a multidisciplinary consultancy focused on animal health/veterinary drug development and commercialization.

Course Instructor

Mary Ellen Goldberg, BS, CVT, VMT, LAAS, SRA

Mary Ellen has worked in various aspects of veterinary medicine from small animal and equine to mixed practice, coccidiosis research for a pharmaceutical company, and laboratory animal medicine since 1976.

She became intensely involved in anesthesia and analgesia work when she was at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Division of Animal Resources. Mary Ellen was a member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and advised researchers and their staff on anesthesia and analgesia for their experimental procedures for over 8 years. She is still a consultant for VCU, writing Guidelines and SOPs for the animal research community.

Mary Ellen became a Surgical Research Anesthetist, certified through the Academy of Surgical Research, in 2007. The SRA certification is oriented towards the person (physician, veterinarian, dentist, nurse, veterinary technician, veterinary nurse or pharmacist) working as an anesthetist who also has responsibilities as part of the surgical team that include aseptic preparation, and peri-operative care for surgical patients.

In 2003 she began teaching here at VetMedteam. Mary Ellen is the instructor for Basic Principles of Anesthesia, Advanced Concepts of Veterinary Anesthesia, Advanced Concepts of Pain Management: Companion Animal and Managing Canine Pain. Teaching is one of her loves. To quote Mary Ellen " It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."

Mary Ellen is the Executive Secretary of IVAPM (International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management). In addition, she is on the Examination Committee charged with writing and developing the credentialing examination for certification as a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP). She is also on the Credentialing Committee, handling the review of the applications and the case studies that must be submitted for CVPP and is the only veterinary technician on this committee.

Since becoming the Executive Secretary of IVAPM, she has become a member of the American Academy of Pain Management (Human), the American Society of Pain Educators, and the International Association for the Study of Pain and the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (European Academy). This has taken her passion to a new level.

In 2009, she became a Faculty member for the Mannheimer Foundation, Inc. Mary Ellen instructs veterinary residents in Laboratory Animal Medicine from various Veterinary Colleges in Primate Anesthesia and Analgesia.

Hobbies and other activities include anything about the BEACH! She became a certified Florida Master Naturalist through the University of Florida in December 2007. Mary Ellen enjoy working out, needlework, cooking, baking and caring for family, which includes 3 grown sons.

Open Enrollment

This course provides open enrollment. Students may enroll at any time and are instantly added to the course and sent the course welcome email. After reading the information provided in the welcome email, students may begin the course.

Upon submission of the final completion requirement the student will automatically be marked as completed and the course completion email will be sent out. The student will have immediate access to the certificate.

Pricing

Course Price: FREE

Quantity:

* Course meets the requirements for indicated hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB's 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. (AAVSB means American Association of Veterinary State Boards)

++ This course has been submitted (but not yet approved) for the indicated hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB's 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. Contact CE@VetMedTeam.com for further information.

More information regarding RACE may be found at www.aavsb.org. In addition you can obtain the contact information for your state to determine if they accept RACE online credits. Online courses are a great way to help meet continuing education goals!