Dr. Soren R. Boysen, DVM, DACVECC
Dr. Serge Chalhoub, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM (SAIM)

Ever struggle with determining the cause of dyspnea in a cat that's too unstable to take radiographs (cardiac, respiratory, pleural effusion)? It can cause so much anxiety, but this shouldn't be the case! Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to the rescue!

With the availability of less expensive, high resolution portable and handheld ultrasound machines, the pressure and expectation to perform sonography in general practice is rapidly increasing. However, performing extensive formal sonographic exams can be intimidating, and the frustration of not being able to identify all internal organs and pathology, lack of experience and training opportunities deter many practitioners from performing ultrasound in everyday practice.

Focused patient-side ultrasound exams performed by non-specialists have been defined and successfully applied in both human and veterinary medicine, referred to as POCUS. There are three core POCUS skills every practitioner should be able to perform in everyday practice: abdominal POCUS, pleura and lung POCUS and cardiac POCUS.

Through a practical case-based approach, and an engaging and interactive banter-filled lecture, Drs. Søren Boysen and Serge Chalhoub will introduce you to how POCUS can help you in everyday practice, specifically in this example of a dyspneic unstable feline patient.