Dr. Tanja Nuhsbaum: “Ocular Adnexal Pearls”

Dr. Rachel Allbaugh: “Feline Ophthalmology – Practical tips for diagnosing and treating common cat conditions”

Dr. Lucien Vallone: “Smartphone Ophthalmology”

Dr. Lucien Vallone: “Dry Eye is Everywhere! You Just Need to Know Where to Look.”

Dr. Braidee Foote: “Corneal ulcers - Why is it not healing”

Dr. Kristina Vygantas: “Fundus Exam: A review of Techniques and Common Diagnoses”

Dr. Seth Eaton: "Untangling Uveitis: Dealing with Intraocular Inflammation"

Dr. Seth Eaton: "Glaucoma: When the Pressure Is Too Much to Bear"

Tanja Nuhsbaum, DVM, MS, DACVO

“Ocular Adnexal Pearls”

This course will review pathology and treatment of common ocular adnexal diseases in veterinary medicine. The focus will be to provide medical and surgical treatment options for veterinary patients in general practice.

About Dr. Nuhsbaum

Dr. Tanja Nuhsbaum is board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists. She earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, followed by eight years of education to complete her veterinary degree and residency at Colorado State University, in 2001. She worked within a multi-specialty group for the next 19 years. In 2020, world events and ensuing pressure at home shifted her career trajectory to repeat on-line classroom learning for third graders. She now consults for Antech Diagnostics Specialty Services (yes, they have an ophthalmology division) and works part-time in private practice at VRCC, in Denver, Colorado. She balances her professional career with time for her family, friends, pets and most non-motorized, outdoor activities, including biking, hiking, paddleboarding,camping and back-country skiing.

Rachel Allbaugh, DVM, MS, DACVO

“Feline Ophthalmology – Practical tips for diagnosing and treating common cat conditions”

Diagnosis and management of feline ophthalmic issues will be addressed. Topics include conjunctivitis, ulcers, corneal sequestra, eosinophilic keratitis, uveitis, iris melanoma, glaucoma, and hypertensive retinopathy. Pictures and brief discussion will also highlight a few less common but unique feline ocular conditions.

About Dr. ALLBAUGH

Dr. Allbaugh is originally from Iowa and received her DVM degree from Iowa State University in 2004. She completed a veterinary ophthalmology residency at Kansas State University and was on faculty from 2008-2011. In 2011 Dr. Allbaugh returned to Iowa and is currently an Associate Professor at Iowa State University. Dr. Allbaugh’s passion for veterinary ophthalmology began with her childhood cat's nearly blinding eye disease. Since that time, she has been devoted to the field, enjoying clinical practice, teaching, and research. Dr. Allbaugh also helps to serve the profession through active participation in numerous professional organizations. In her free time, Dr. Allbaugh loves spending time with her family and friends, as well as riding her horses, playing sports, hiking, and any other outdoor activity.

Lucien V. Vallone DVM, DACVO

“Smartphone Ophthalmology”

This is a topic that often generates excitement from lecture attendees due to its simplicity and simultaneous positive impact to general practitioners in practice. Smartphones are now capable of obtaining ocular images that are comparable to ‘gold standard’ imaging modalities. Better yet, these smartphone images are easily shared. We will explore how smartphone imaging can markedly improve your ophthalmic examination, medical record, as well as your ability to consult/refer to local specialists in your area.

“Dry Eye is Everywhere! You Just Need to Know Where to Look.”

Have you encountered the following scenario? A canine patient presents to your practice with a red, painful eye. Your diagnostic tests (Schirmer Tear Test, Fluorescein Stain, and Tonometry) are all normal. Often this clinical picture is representative of various forms of (potentially unidentified) dry eye. This lecture will take a new approach towards these frustrating cases and provide tools for identifying simple patterns of ocular inflammation that will help you confirm a diagnosis of dry eye and select appropriate therapies.

About Dr. Vallone

Dr. Lucien Vallone is a veterinary ophthalmologist, Clinical Associate Professor, and Ophthalmology Service Chief at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where he has served as a faculty member since 2015.  He is a 2011 graduate of Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine and subsequently received internship and comparative ophthalmology residency training at Cornell University Hospital for Animals (2012-2015).  Dr. Vallone is currently studying the educational and clinical applications of smartphone ophthalmoscopy within veterinary training programs and veterinary practices, respectively.

Braidee C. Foote, DVM, DACVO

“Corneal ulcers - why is it not healing”

About Dr. Foote

Braidee C. Foote, DVM DACVO is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology in Small Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Tennessee. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California-Davis. She completed rotating internships in small animal and large animal before pursuing specialty internships in both small animal (BluePearl, Tampa, FL) and large animal ophthalmology (New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania). Dr. Foote continued her education with a comparative ophthalmology residency at Iowa State University. Her special clinical interests include corneal diseases and all aspects of large animal ophthalmology (including horses, ruminants, and camelids). Her research interests include ophthalmologic side effects of clinical therapies, innovative surgical techniques, and surgical outcomes. 

Kristina R. Vygantas, DVM, DACVO

“Fundus Exam: A review of Techniques and Common Diagnoses”

About Dr. Vygantas

Dr. Vygantas graduated from the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 1997. After completing her rotating internship and Residency in Comparative Ophthalmology at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, she became a member of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in 2001.  Dr. Vygantas has served on the ACVO’s Genetics committee, to support the work of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animal on continually improving the CAER (Companion Animal Eye Registry) exam.  She has also served on the ACVO Exam Committee, helping develop and administer the certifying exam for new Diplomates joining the College. Since board certification, Dr. Vygantas has been in private practice, most recently in Robbinsville, New Jersey at NorthStar VETS.

Seth Eaton, VMD, DACVO

"Untangling Uveitis: Dealing with Intraocular Inflammation"

By its simplest definition, uveitis in any species is inflammation of the eye’s vascular tunic.  However, the presenting complaints associated with uveitis and the corresponding clinical findings can sometimes be ambiguous and non-specific, complicating confident diagnosis.  By taking an organized approach to examination, drafting an ocular problem list, and using thoughtful interpretation, the small animal clinician can simplify their path to an accurate clinical diagnosis and successful treatment.  Determination of an etiologic cause for uveitis also presents a frequent clinical dilemma given the long list of possible causes and the non-specific patterns of inflammation associated with each.  The most important aspect of determining a diagnostic plan and treatment plan for a patient with uveitis is careful consideration of species, age, exposure risk factors, all in tandem with careful and thorough communication with the animal’s owner. This lecture seeks to outline a streamlined and practical approach to diagnosis and treatment of uveitis in dogs and cats.


"Glaucoma: When the Pressure Is Too Much to Bear"

Glaucoma is one of the most frustrating ophthalmic diseases to manage and treat in veterinary ophthalmology. Regardless of the underlying cause, elevated intraocular pressure risks pain for affected animals as well as the inevitable development of vision loss in most affected eyes.  Some of the same challenges that we face when managing animals with this disease are shared by physicians when managing patients with various forms of glaucoma; and the drugs available for treating affected animals are essentially the same as those available to humans. However, despite the parallel paths by which glaucoma treatments have been applied over time in both humans and animals, the long-term prognosis for comfort and maintenance of vision in animals remains poorer than in human patients.  There are a number of physiological and pharmacological factors that may explain this discrepancy, factors that may also help to identify novel approaches and therapeutics for treatment of glaucoma in animals. This lecture seeks to provide the small animal practitioner with a practical comparative perspective on current standards and best practices for glaucoma treatment in dogs and cats, with an emphasis on efficacy and future directions for therapy.

About Dr. Eaton

Seth Eaton is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. A native Philadelphian, Seth Eaton received his veterinary degree with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. After internships in General Medicine/Surgery and Ophthalmology at the Animal Medical Center in New York City, he completed his residency in comparative ophthalmology at the University of California—Davis. He has been a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists since 2009. His clinical and research interests include ocular pharmacology and toxicology, melanocytic ocular diseases and comparative ocular oncology, and glaucoma. His research has been published in Veterinary Ophthalmology, Scientific Reports, the Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (JOPT), JAVMA, and Equine Veterinary Journal. In addition to authoring several textbook chapters, he is also a contributor for the 6th edition of Gelatt’s Veterinary Ophthalmology.