Free Courses

 

VetMedTeam courses include free RACE and VHMA approved offerings. Some of the free courses are in cooperation with veterinary companies and organizations who value the veterinary practice team and understand the role education plays in the delivery of quality medicine.

These courses are open enrollment, meaning participants may enroll at any time. Upon submission of the enrollment, the participant is immediately added to the course. The course welcome email provides login and other important information.

To enroll, first log into VetMedTeam and then select your course(s). If you are not yet a member, your free membership may be submitted via the "Join Now" link in the upper right. If you are not sure if you are a member, just email us at the address below.

Webinars: Live webinars are open to all in the veterinary community; membership in VetMedTeam is not required to enroll.

To learn more about a group of offerings, or an individual course, including RACE credit status, click within the specific section below. If you have any questions please contact us at ce@vetmedteam.com.

 


 
  Infection Prevention Leader Certificate Program
Infectious Disease Control. The importance of strong prevention and cleaning protocols cannot be overstated. Virox® and NAVTA are pleased to offer this certificate program at no cost to members of the veterinary practice team.

The program consists of 4 individual RACE approved courses. Use the link to learn more about the program including links to the individual courses.

Infection Prevention Leader Certificate Program
 

 
  Treatment Advances for Canine Mast Cell Tumors
The diagnosis and treatment of canine mast cell tumors requires an awareness of the latest advancements. Dr. Sue Ettinger outlines the use of cytological grading and lymph node aspiration in the diagnosis process. To aid clinicians in providing effective treatment, the doctor will share her in-the-trenches experience with STELFONTA® (tigilanol tiglate injection). She will outline her tips regarding what makes a dog a suitable candidate and, just as importantly, what does not. Dr. Ettinger includes cases from her patients including tumor destruction and wound healing. Via this presentation, clinicians can gain confidence including STELFONTA® in their treatment toolbox.
Treatment Advances for Canine Mast Cell Tumors
 

 
  Controlled Substance Management in Veterinary Medicine
This free, RACE approved, course reviews controlled substances are a classification of medications that have a potential for emotional and/or physical abuse which necessitates the need for tighter regulations. However, which regulations apply to which medications, and how to comply, can get confusing.

This course covers not only federal regulations, but looks at topics that states may choose to modify to be more stringent. While there are regulations, there is not necessarily one correct way to comply. The course reviews various methods that could be used in different practice settings to comply with the requirements.

The course also examines DEA number regulations, storage and inventory management protocol considerations, ordering and transporting, prescribing vs. dispensing, diversion awareness, and practice protocol documentation.

Controlled Substance Management in Veterinary Medicine
 

 
  Care and Treatment of Canine Osteoarthritis
This free course looks at canine osteoarthritis, a condition that is encountered in everyday veterinary practice. The main goal of this course is to briefly review definitions, what dogs might be susceptible, triggering conditions, and, most importantly, choices that veterinarians can provide to clients to help improve patient outcomes. A simple approach to the diagnosis and treatment will be provided, with emphasis on integrative veterinary medicine.
Care and Treatment of Canine Osteoarthritis
 

 
  Integrating canine liquid biopsy testing into your practice
“Liquid biopsy”, using next-generation sequencing, offers veterinarians a new option for canine cancer testing using a simple blood draw. This course will review the clinical validation of the test in over 1,000 dogs. Strategies to incorporate this novel technology into routine clinical practice will be provided. Case studies are presented that describe real-world application. It also discusses how to interpret test results in the context of each patient’s unique clinical presentation. The course will also examine ways to explain this advanced genomic technology to pet parents.

This free RACE approved course utilizes the presentation archive from the April 26, 2022 webinar of the same name.

Integrating canine liquid biopsy testing into your practice
 

 
  Cancer in dogs: How and when is it detected and is there room for improvement?
Major veterinary medical organizations recognize the importance of early cancer detection in dogs. However, guidelines-driven screening protocols for early cancer detection are lacking and cancer is often detected at advanced stages. This course examines data from over 350 cancer-diagnosed dogs to establish how the presenting complaint came to attention and led to a definitive diagnosis of cancer in these patients. Additionally, the content presentation will review the typical age at which cancer is diagnosed in dogs from a cohort of over 3,000 cancer-diagnosed patients. Using this data, an “age to start cancer screening” can be recommended, based on an individual dog’s breed or weight. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of how blood-based liquid biopsy testing may offer a convenient, non-invasive, screening tool to aid in the earlier identification of cancer in dogs.

This free RACE approved course utilizes the recording from the July 20, 2022 webinar of the same name. Join Angela McCleary-Wheeler, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology) as she discusses cancer detection in dogs.

Cancer in dogs: How and when is it detected and is there room for improvement?
 

 
  Recent Advances in Veterinary Oncology: Updates Every General Practitioner Should Know
This course provides an overview of recent advances in oncology. It discusses novel treatments and a new early cancer detection test. A review of the mechanism of action, study results, and uses of an oral treatment for canine lymphoma (Laverdia) along with an injectable treatment for canine mast cell tumor (Stelfonta) will be discussed. The course also provides a basic overview of cancer biology and introduces the fundamentals of blood-based “liquid biopsy” testing for canine cancer detection using next-generation sequencing of cell-free DNA (OncoK9). A review of the peer-reviewed clinical validation study of this testing in over 1,000 dogs is included.

This free RACE approved course utilizes the recording from the September 20, 2022 webinar of the same name presented by Rachel Venable, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology).

Recent Advances in Veterinary Oncology: Updates Every General Practitioner Should Know
 

 
  Is it cancer? Use of a blood-based test as an aid-in-diagnosis for cancer detection in dogs
What do you do when a dog presents with an abdominal mass that you can’t access for FNA or biopsy? How about a case where cytology or histopathology is inconclusive, but you still suspect cancer? What about a situation where you recommend biopsy, but the owner objects because they feel it is too invasive?

When a dog is suspected of having cancer, the workup can take many forms and a variety of testing modalities may be needed to arrive at a definitive or presumptive diagnosis. This course will review a novel tool in the clinician’s toolbox – liquid biopsy. It is a test that evaluates a blood sample for the presence of circulating tumor DNA which indicates the current presence of cancer in the body. In addition, this course will examine the basic principles of liquid biopsy testing and how this technology may be useful as an aid-in-diagnosis. A series of illustrative case samples will be presented, demonstrating how liquid biopsy has been used in the evaluation of dogs with suspected cancer.

This free RACE approved course utilizes the recording from the December 13, 2022 webinar of the same name presented by Todd Cohen, DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine).

Is it cancer? Use of a blood-based test as an aid-in-diagnosis for cancer detection in dogs
 

 
  How the “blood test for cancer” performs in the real world: An analysis of 1,500 liquid biopsy cases
Blood-based liquid biopsy using next-generation sequencing (NGS) became clinically available in May 2021. Since that time, the test has been ordered for thousands of patients, primarily as a screening tool for dogs at higher risk of cancer as well as an aid in diagnosis for dogs for which there is a clinical suspicion of cancer.

This course reviews data from a recent publication in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) analyzing a cohort of 1,500 consecutive liquid biopsy tests received for commercial testing at one clinical laboratory. It includes a discussion of ordering patterns, positivity rates, and patient outcome data, along with how this data can be used to discuss liquid biopsy testing with clients. A series of interesting case studies are presented, exploring the use of this testing in a variety of clinical settings.

This free RACE approved course utilizes the recording from the April 20, 2023 webinar of the same name presented by Todd Cohen, DVM, DACVIM (Small Animal Internal Medicine).

How the “blood test for cancer” performs in the real world: An analysis of 1,500 liquid biopsy cases
 

 
  Ain't Doin' Right: Use of liquid biopsy in the workup of suspected cancer in the ADR dog
We are all too familiar with the dog that presents because “She’s not herself” or “He’s just off.” We even have a term: “ADR” (ain’t doin’ right) to describe these observations. Maybe she’s sleeping more than usual, or not finishing her meals, or not running to greet the family when they come home. We know to pay attention to subtle changes. However, these vague clinical signs can be challenging to work up and the differential list can be quite long. Cancer is almost always on the list for an older dog but arriving at a cancer diagnosis may require a variety of diagnostic tests or lengthy treatment trials over the course of months.

This course discusses how liquid biopsy can, within a matter of days, help move cancer up or down on the list of differential diagnoses and potentially shorten the path to diagnosis in the sick or ADR dog. It will review common clinical signs of cancer and, using real-world illustrative cases, demonstrate how the use of blood-based liquid biopsy testing early in the diagnostic workup has helped veterinarians and families avoid the “diagnostic odyssey” on the path to a definitive diagnosis.

This free RACE approved course utilizes the recording from the July 25, 2023 webinar of the same name presented by Chelsea Warren, DVM.

Ain't Doin' Right: Use of liquid biopsy in the workup of suspected cancer in the ADR dog
 

 
  Wound Bed Preparation
This free course introduces utilizing the TIME acronym to implement wound bed preparation into your veterinary practice’s wound management protocol. It looks at the types of tissue debridement and the importance of proper moisture balance.

Based on a webinar presentation previously offered by Innovacyn. RACE approved for both vets and techs.

Wound Bed Preparation
 

 
  Bacteriuria in Dogs and Cats
What is the clinical significance of bacteriuria in veterinary patients? How are appropriate antimicrobials selected for urinary tract infections (UTI). Protocols created to classify UTIs aid in diagnosis and treatment.

This free RACE approved course looks at the interpretation of culture and susceptibility along with antimicrobial selection. It also reviews follow-up for UTI patients. It is important for all medical members of a veterinary practice to be familiar with the UTI concepts examined in this course, either as an aid to diagnosis and treatment or to provide better nursing care and support.

Bacteriuria in Dogs and Cats
 

 
  Practical Applications of Probiotics in Veterinary Medicine
Probiotics are increasingly used in lieu of, or as a complement to, traditional therapies such as antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and surgery. They are often used to manage both self-limiting and life-threatening disorders. This is partially due to increased recognition of negative effects of current therapies and partially due to failure of currently available treatments to yield optimal patient outcomes. This free RACE approved course will present the evidence for, and against, probiotics for the management of common clinical disorders.
Practical Applications of Probiotics in Veterinary Medicine
 

 
  Nutrition for the Cancer Patient
Every year NAVTA publishes their annual convention issue, which contains one or more Free RACE approved (for technicians) CE articles. These CE opportunities are available at no charge and include a copy of the related article. The annual convention issues articles are free of charge to all including non-NAVTA members.

Malnutrition, cachexia, and frailty are common and unwelcome in canine and feline cancer patients. Appropriate and timely nutritional support can help slow the progression of the changes in appetite, body weight, muscling, activity, attitude, and cognitive function commonly seen in these patients. Feeding guidelines based on nutritional status, diet selection, appropriate supplements, tips, and suggestions to encourage cancer patients to eat are also discussed.

Nutrition for the Cancer Patient
 

 
  The journey to becoming a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS)
Every year NAVTA publishes their annual convention issue, which contains one or more Free RACE approved (for technicians) CE articles. These CE opportunities are available at no charge and include a copy of the related article. The annual convention issues articles are free of charge to all including non-NAVTA members.

Credentialed veterinary technicians can obtain a higher level of recognition for advanced knowledge and skills in specific discipline by becoming a veterinary technician specialist. Currently there are 16 different academies to pick from. Academies develop advanced pathways, which a candidate must follow and complete in order to be awarded the designation of VTS (Veterinary Technician Specialist) in their specific discipline. If you have always had a dream to become a specialist pick what you are passionate about and go for it. Becoming a VTS is hard work, but well worth it.

The journey to becoming a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS)
 

 
  Effective Nutritional Conversations with Pet Parents
Every year NAVTA publishes their annual convention issue, which contains one or more Free RACE approved (for technicians) CE articles. These CE opportunities are available at no charge and include a copy of the related article. The annual convention issues articles are free of charge to all including non-NAVTA members.

Every pet deserves and should receive an effective nutritional conversation on every visit. Having an effective nutritional conversation with the pet parent is vital to the success of nutritional management, especially when a diet change is recommended. This course will introduce the factors involved in guiding a pet parent through the transition to a new food. Follow up is imperative for success of a new food. Technicians can pay an integral role in helping pet parents successfully switch to a new food.

Effective Nutritional Conversations with Pet Parents
 

 
  Winning at weight loss - 5 tips for success
Every year NAVTA publishes their annual convention issue, which contains one or more Free RACE approved (for technicians) CE articles. These CE opportunities are available at no charge and include a copy of the related article. The annual convention issues articles are free of charge to all including non-NAVTA members.

Obese and overweight pets are commonly seen in practice but discussing this topic with owners and implementing effective weight loss strategies can be challenging. Here we present some tips for making weight loss plans more successful in your hospital! From identifying the disease to developing a weight loss program, these simple strategies can help make weight loss a positive and powerful tool for you, your clients, and your patients.

Winning at weight loss - 5 tips for success
 

 
  CSI: Case Study Investigation
Each free CSI: Case Study Investigation course tracks a patient from initial presentation to discharge and follow-up. Each case study provides participants with an interesting, realistic scenario. Through a series of questions set at important decision points, each course leads the participant through the case study with the goal being to assist the technician and veterinarian in applying the course information to their own patients.
CSI: Case Study Investigation
 

 
  Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs: Oh, My Aching Back
This free course utilizes the webinar archive from the live presentation.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is the most common spinal problem in dogs. This course discusses the anatomy and pathophysiology of type I and type II IVDD in the cervical and thoracolumbar regions as well as diagnostics and medical and surgical treatment options. Included are recommendations for obtaining diagnostic radiographs of each spinal region and advice on when to refer these patients. Acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion will be also be described.

Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs: Oh, My Aching Back
 

 
  What Every Practitioner Should Know About Shelter Medicine
Shelter medicine is a growing specialty within veterinary medicine. It is vital for veterinarians, and the entire practice team, to have an appreciation for shelter medicine as it has evolved and to understand the challenges facing modern shelter medicine.
What Every Practitioner Should Know About Shelter Medicine
 

 
  Implementing the AAHA-AVMA Preventive Healthcare Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
This free course is designed to help practices, and practice team members, become acquainted with the components of the guidelines and to help facilitate implementation. Practice team members will understand how implementation of these guidelines can help to increase the level of preventive care provided to patients, leading to a stronger practice and improved delivery of quality veterinary medicine.
Implementing the AAHA-AVMA Preventive Healthcare Guidelines for Dogs and Cats