companion animal programme

Tuesday 23 June 2026

7amRegistration opens
Level 3
8amWelcome | Rob Mills (NZVA President)
Theatre A 
Level 5
8.10amPlenary: Learning through times of disruption: navigating AI | Sir Ashley Bloomfield
Theatre A 
Level 5
9amMorning tea
Exhibition Hall 
Level 3
9.30amCats and extreme conformation - learning from the dog conformation crisis | Dan O’Neill
Theatre A 
Level 5
10.30amCat friendly handling | Rachel Korman
Theatre A 
Level 5
12pmLunchExhibition Hall 
Level 3
1pmTo be confirmed | Rachel Korman
Theatre A 
Level 5
2pmTo be confirmed | Rachel Korman
Theatre A 
Level 5
3pmAfternoon teaExhibition Hall 
Level 3
3.30pmDifferentiating feline low-grade Alimentary Lymphoma from chronic inflammatory enteropathy | Susan Piripi
Feline low-grade alimentaryl lymphoma (LGAL) and chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE, IBD) are both common disorders that present a large overlap in clinical and pathological findings. Nonetheless, a diagnosis helps guide the best and safest treatment choices and improves clinical outcomes. While histology is generally considered to be the primary diagnostic tool to investigate these differential diagnoses, some cases are still challenging, particularly where chronic inflammatory disease may be transitional to LGAL. A diagnosis in equivocal cases may be supported by immunohistochemistry and PARR testing, but ultimately results must be interpreted in tight of all available clinical and diagnostic information. 
Theatre A 
Level 5
4.30pmTreating FIP: what every Vet needs to know now | Ryan Cattin
Feline infectious peritonitis has gone from fatal to treatable, and New Zealand veterinarians now have legal access to highly effective antivirals. This talk provides a practical, evidence-based update for general practitioners, drawing on recent New Zealand research and real-world case experience. Topics include diagnosis, antiviral selection, dosing strategies, monitoring response, relapse management, and emerging data on shorter treatment courses. Attendees will leave with clear, practical guidance they can apply immediately in first-opinion practice. 
Theatre A 
Level 5
5.30pmHappy hourExhibition Hall 
Level 3
7pmNZVA Special Interest Branch Dinners and NZVNA Dinner


Wednesday 24 June 2026

7amRegistration opens
Level 3
8amPlenary: Thriving and striving at work - the ultimate win win | Charlotte Cantley
Theatre A Level 5
8.45amNZVA AGMTheatre A Level 5
9.30amMorning tea
Exhibition Hall 
Level 3
10amArtificial intelligence - how to embrace it | Brendan Hickman, Ryan Cattin and Seton Butler
Shared talk with Veterinary Business and Veterinary Nursing - Companion Animal streams
Theatre A  Level 5
12.30pmLunchExhibition Hall 
Level 3
1.30pmManagement of inappetent cat | Rachel Korman
Theatre A 
Level 5
2.30pmTo be confirmed | Purina
Theatre A Level 5
3.30pmAfternoon teaExhibition Hall 
Level 3
4pmWhen things go wrong: M&M rounds and beyond | Tanya Page and Damian Chase
Errors are an inevitable part of veterinary practice. What matters most is how we respond. This session explores practical steps to take when things go wrong in your clinic. We’ll discuss how Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) rounds provide a structured, blame-free way to review cases and learn from adverse events and near misses. Rather than focusing on individual fault, we look at systems and simple changes that enhance patient safety and clinical outcomes. In addition, the session highlights other tools that strengthen clinical standards. Through real case studies, we’ll explore practical lessons and identify steps we can all take to improve.
Theatre A Level 5
5.45pmNZVA AwardsTheatre A Level 5
6.30pmNetworking dinnerExhibition Hall 
Level 3

Thursday 25 June 2026

7amRegistration opens
Level 3
8amLower urinary tract rupture in small animals following blunt trauma | Grégoire Bonnel
The presentation will give an overview of knowledges about rupture of the urinary tract following blunt trauma in dogs and cats. It will then detail a study reporting the prevalence of low urinary tract rupture and examining its association with various parameters in a cohort of 585 dogs and cats with a history of vehicular trauma or fall from a height.
Theatre A
Level 5
8.30amThe dowling spay retractor: making bitch spays quicker, less stressful...almost fun | Oliver Walkinton
On a recent trip to Tonga with South Pacific Animal Welfare (SPAW), I was introduced by a colleague to the Dowling Spay Retractor and was suitably impressed with this simple yet effective piece of equipment. It makes bitch spays quicker, less stressful, and potentially associated with fewer complications. On returning to New Zealand, I was surprised to find that the majority of other veterinarians had not heard of this tool. I am keen to increase awareness of this inexpensive, reusable instrument, which has been widely used overseas since 2004.
Theatre A 
Level 5
9amVeterinary medicines - lab to label | Mike Gieseg and Natalie Lloyd
In this talk, we will review the pathway of veterinary medicine registration and consider what happens after registration in pharmacovigilance. Companies wishing to register an ACVM submit dossiers that provide data to show reliable chemistry and manufacturing, efficacy, safety and residues. MPI approval is risk-based, where the risks are balanced against the benefits of registration for a particular ACVM. The registrant must report all notified adverse events that occur following use of the ACVM. Adverse events are categorised based on the event and the information provided. This information is regularly reported to the regulator and contributes to label changes.
Theatre A 
Level 5
10amMorning tea
Exhibition Hall 
Level 3
10.30amOlder cats, wiser choices: Anaesthetic management of the geriatric cat | Joana Chagas
Geriatric cats frequently require anaesthesia in the presence of age-related physiological changes and concurrent disease, increasing anaesthetic risk. This lecture reviews the principles of anaesthetic management in the geriatric feline patient, with emphasis on informed decision-making and risk mitigation. Topics include pre-anaesthetic assessment, the effects of aging on cardiovascular, renal, and respiratory function, and their implications for drug selection and dosing. Peri-anaesthetic monitoring, maintenance, and common complications are discussed.
Theatre A 
Level 5
11.30amReading the feline face - pain assessment and analgesic strategies in cats | Joana Chagas
Cats are masters at masking pain, making recognition and effective management particularly challenging in clinical practice. This lecture explores the unique ways cats express discomfort and the practical strategies clinicians can use to identify and manage pain more effectively. We discuss feline-specific pain behaviors, validated pain assessment tools, and common pitfalls in interpretation, as well evidence-based analgesic options, multimodal pain management, and individualized treatment planning across a range of clinical scenarios. Emphasis is placed on translating theory into practical approaches, with the goal of improving patient welfare, clinical outcomes, and the veterinary team’s confidence in managing feline pain.
Theatre A 
Level 5
12.30pmLunchExhibition Hall 
Level 3
1.30pmFeline ageing: what does the science say? | Nathalie Dowgray
Ageing biology is a growing scientific field and companion animals are not being left behind. This session will cover the latest findings from the world of feline ageing and the clinical implications of these findings. 
Theatre A 
Level 5
2.30pmFrom papers to practice; what should senior clinics for cats look like?  | Nathalie Dowgray
Who should we include? How often should we see then? Do I need to collect a urine sample? Taking the science out of the journals and into the clinic answering your questions about how your senor clinics should be run! 
Theatre A
Level 5
3.30pmAfternoon teaExhibition Hall 
Level 3
4pmClinical conundrums | Pru Galloway
This is a case based presentation, including tips for managing tricky feline cases. 
Theatre A 
Level 5

Combined session with another stream.

This programme was correct at the time of publication. Speakers and titles are subject to change.