2023
Jonathan Pucket, DVM, MS, DACVO: Diary of a dried cornea
Jonathan Pucket, DVM, MS, DACVO: Ocular manifestations of systemic disease
Melissa Kubai, DVM, MS, DACVO: What’s Cooking in the Cornea? Avoiding a Corneal Catastrophe.
Melissa Kubai, DVM, MS, DACVO: Feline Ophthalmology 101
Sarah Czerwinski, DVM, DACVO: Improving Outcomes for Common Ophthalmic Surgery
Sarah Czerwinski, DVM, DACVO: Navigating Topical Ophthalmic Pharmacy
Ellen B. Belknap, DVM, MS, DACVO, DACVIM: What goes up, must come down....A closer look at glaucoma.
Ellen B. Belknap, DVM, MS, DACVO, DACVIM: Geriatrics and the Eye
Jonathan Pucket, DVM, MS, DACVO
Diary of a dried cornea
This course will highlight the various tear film deficiencies in small animals as well as how to diagnose and treat the conditions.
Ocular manifestations of systemic disease
This session will cover various systemic illnesses and how they can manifest in the eyes as well as available diagnostics and treatment.
About Dr. Pucket
Dr. Pucket attended veterinary school at Oklahoma State University where he developed his passion for ophthalmology. After completing a three-year comparative ophthalmology residency and Masters degree program at Kansas State University, he returned to Oklahoma State University and served on the ophthalmology faculty for six years. Currently he practices at a private specialty practice in Tulsa, OK and when not working he enjoys watching his kids play baseball and any outdoor sport.
Melissa Kubai, DVM, MS, DACVO
What’s Cooking in the Cornea? Avoiding a Corneal Catastrophe.
This will be an interactive case-based discussion of common corneal ulcers seen in general practice along with diagnostic and treatment recommendations.
Feline Ophthalmology 101
This will be a discussion of common feline ophthalmic diseases along with diagnostic and treatment recommendations.
About Dr. Kubai
Dr. Kubai was born and raised in Wisconsin. She attended undergraduate at Ripon College, where she majored in Biology and German and participated in varsity college soccer. She attended veterinary school at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she began to develop a love of ophthalmology and was fortunate to participate in ophthalmology research while at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Kubai completed a small animal rotating internship at Michigan Veterinary Specialist, followed by an ophthalmology specialty internship at Louisiana State University and completed her 3-year comparative ophthalmology residency at University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana. After completing her residency, she worked at a private specialty practice in Tucson, AZ for 7 years. Dr. Kubai joined the ophthalmology service at Iowa State University in April 2021 and has been happy to get back to her Midwest roots and has enjoyed providing mentorship to veterinary students, interns, and residents. Dr. Kubai has strong research interest in optics and corneal surface diseases across all species. She is particularly passionate in developing better ways to treat corneal ulcers to minimize corneal fibrosis. When not looking through as slit lamp biomicroscope, Dr. Kubai is an avid cyclist, participates in triathlons, enjoys a multitude of water sports (swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc.) along with hiking and backpacking. She also loves gardening and confesses that she has a slight obsession with orchids.
Sarah Czerwinski, DVM, DACVO
Improving Outcomes for Common Ophthalmic Surgery
The delicate nature and small size of the ocular and periocular tissues present additional surgical challenges. For all surgeries except enucleation, precise technique is critical for maintaining ocular health. This lecture will discuss patient preparation, lighting and magnification, equipment and supplies, and post-operative care to enhance commonly performed adnexal surgery.
Navigating Topical Ophthalmic Pharmacy
The vast number of topical ophthalmic medications available either commercially or from compounding pharmacies makes it impractical, even for veterinary ophthalmologists, to carry all of these medications. However, it is important to have certain medications available for patients with emergent or commonly occurring ocular conditions. This lecture will discuss the basics of ocular pharmacology and provide suggestions for stocking your clinic’s pharmacy.
About Dr. Czerwinski
Dr. Czerwinski received her veterinary degree from the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Canada. Following an internship in equine medicine and surgery, and an equine internal medicine fellowship, she completed a residency in comparative ophthalmology at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. After her residency, Dr. Czerwinski practiced at a private small animal ophthalmology clinic, and then spent several years as faculty in ophthalmology at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. She is passionate about teaching, and during that time started an equine ophthalmology rotation for the large animal students and house officers, authored an ibook about cornea ulceration for veterinary students, and organized an ophthalmology continuing education event with lectures and wet labs for regional veterinarians. She recently started a mobile ophthalmology practice, and also provides locum tenens coverage in both academia and private practice. Her clinical interests include adnexal and corneal surgery.
Ellen B. Belknap, DVM, MS, DACVO, DACVIM
What goes up, must come down....A closer look at glaucoma.
Will discuss pathophysiology, diagnostics, treatment options, and prognosis.
Geriatrics and the Eye.
Will discuss common conditions observed in our small animal eye population as they age.
About Dr. Belknap
A graduate of UGA, followed by residency in Large Animal Internal Medicine at Michigan State University, taught at Colorado State University for 6 years, then at Auburn, residency in Ophthalmology initially at AU, but completed at Ohio State University. Practiced at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital, Akron OH for 10 years, and currently with Blue Pearl Veterinary Specialists in Lawrenceville, GA.
When not at work, she spends time with her husband David playing tennis, hiking, gardening, hardscaping, and spending time at Lake Keowee, South Carolina. Although they spend time with their four adult sons, most often they are being entertained by Rocksey (Labrador) and Maggie (matronly Brittany Spaniel).