2026 Conference Program

Friday, April 25
Breakfast:
Time	Vet I Sable A/B	Vet II Sable C/D	Vet III Halifax B/C
8:30 - 10:00	Dr. Petra Černá Cat-atrophy No More? Updates on FIP	Dr. Patty Lathan Addisons, The Great Pretender	Dr. Joe Bruner The Nose Knows: Chronic Inflammatory Rhinitis
BREAK 10:00 - 10:30
10:30 - noon	Dr. Petra Černá When Cats Run Hot: Uncovering the Mystery of Feline Fever	Dr. Patty Lathan Cushing The Limits! Hyperadrenocorticism	Dr. Joe Bruner Breathe Easy, Pulmonary Airway Disease in Dogs
LUNCH 12:00 - 1:30
1:30 - 3:00	Dr. Petra Černá Filtering the Facts of Chronic Kidney Disease	Dr. Julia Miller Allergy Testing for Creatures Great and Small	Dr. Kate Myrna Corneal Ulcers, Melting and Non-Healing
BREAK 3:00 - 3:30
3:30 - 5:00	Dr. Petra Černá It's Coming Out Both Ends: Approach to Vomiting & Diarrhea in Cats	Dr. Julia Miller Spray, Slather, Dab or Dip? Topical Mgmt. of Allergies	Dr. Kate Myrna The Fire Within: Tackling Uveitis
5:00-6:00	Reception: Exhibitor's Hall Prize Draws: Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel weekend for two and a $500 gift card from APVC.

Friday cont'd...

Time	Tech I Halifax A	Tech II Compass Rm.	Bus. Managers Annapolis
8:30-10:15 (Tech) 8:30-9:45 (Mgr.)	Tabitha Kucera The Art of Handling: Building Trust & Reducing Stress	Tami Lind What Comes First? How to Triage	Heather Prendergast Getting the Team Aligned to Lift the Practice
BREAK 10:15-10:45 (Tech) 9:45-10:15 (Mgr.)
10:45-noon (Tech) 10:15-noon (Mgr.)	Tabitha Kucera Stress Free Starts Here! Practical Tools for a Calmer Clinic	Tami Lind Stabilize, Support, Save: Critical Nursing Care	Heather Prendergast The Power of Whole Team Utilization
LUNCH 12:00 - 1:30
1:30 - 3:15 (Tech) 1:30-2:45 (Mgr.)	Tabitha Kucera Fearful Felines and Fidos. Defensive Handling Techniques for Fear Aggressive Pets	Mary Berg The Oral Exam. Common Pathology	Heather Prendergast Giving In Receiving Feedback: We All Need It
BREAK 3:15 - 3:45 (Tech) 2:45 - 3:15 (Mgr.)
3:45 - 5:00 (Tech) 3:15 - 5:00 (Mgr.)	Tabitha Kucera Snacks, Sniffs & Snuggles: The Power of Distractions	Mary Berg Nerve Blocks and Home Care Q&A	Heather Prendergast Developing Mentorship Programs for New Grads (Techs and DVMs) that work
5:00-6:00	Reception: Exhibitor's Hall Prize Draws: Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel weekend for two and a $500 gift card from APVC.

Saturday, April 18
Yoga: 6:45 am - Sable rooms (mats will be provided).		5K Fun Run: starts 6:50 am -Meet outside of the Sable rooms, 1st floor near water entrance. Snacks and refreshments will be provided and there is no charge for these events. Sign up at the Registration desk at any time. Participating prizes will be drawn.

Breakfast:
Time	Vet I Sable A/B	Vet II Sable C/D	Vet III Halifax B/C
8:30-10:00	Dr. Petra Černá Feline Liver Dx & Mgmt. of Inappetence in Cats	Dr. Patty Lathan Revved Up: Making Sense of Hyperthyroidism	Dr. Joe Bruner Wheezers and Sneezers - Antitussives & Bronchodilators
BREAK 10:00 - 10:30
10:30-noon	Dr. Petra Černá When Three Organs Collide: Feline Triaditis	Dr. Patty Lathan Talk Sweet To Me: Diabetes Mellitus Updates	Dr. Joe Bruner Advances in Corticosteroids, It's Not Just for Old Vets
LUNCH 12:00 - 1:30
1:30-3:00	Dr. Petra Černá Too Much of a Good Thing, Feline Hypercalcemia	Dr. Julia Miller Listen Up! Preventing Chronic Otitis Externa	Dr. Kate Myrna Seeing Red & Cracking the Case on Red Eye
BREAK 3:00-3:30
3:30-5:00	Dr. Petra Černá From Crystals to Crisis: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Dx	Dr. Julia Miller How to Treat Pus Filled Ears	Dr. Kate Myrna Weird Non-Ulcerated Corneas (Incl. Dry Eye)
5:00-6:00	Reception: Exhibitor's Hall Prize Draws: Various industry draws and a $500 Visa gift card from APVC.

Saturday cont'd...

Time	Tech I Halifax A	Tech II Compass Rm.	Support Staff Acadia	Bus. Managers Annapolis
8:30-10:15 (Tech) 8:30-9:45 (Mgr./SS)	Tabitha Kucera It Doesn't Have to Hurt. Recognizing Pain in Cats	Tami Lind All Bleeding Stops Eventually	Heather Prendergast Worth Every Penny: Building Value Before Asking for a Raise	Kerry Plemmons Leadership: Building the Capacity of the Next Generation
BREAK 10:15-10:45 (Tech) 9:45-10:15 (Mgr./SS)
10:45-noon (Tech) 10:15-noon (Mgr./SS)	Tabitha Kucera From Mess to Success. Managing and Preventing House Soiling	Tami Lind Ninth Life on the Line: Critically Ill Feline	Heather Prendergast Lead Without the Title: Stepping Up Your Game	Kerry Plemmons Leadership: Becoming a Multiplier of Talent
LUNCH 12:00 - 1:30
1:30 - 3:15 (Tech/SS) 1:30-2:45 (Mgr.)	Mary Berg Complete Oral Health Assessment and Treatment	Tami Lind Little Lives, Big Challenges. Neonatal Critical Care	Tabitha Kucera Unraveling the Truth Behind Cat Behaviour Myths	Kerry Plemmons Creating a Collaborative Customer Service Culture
BREAK 3:15-3:45 (Tech/SS) 2:45-3:15 (Mgr.)
3:45 - 5:00 (Tech/SS) 3:15-5:00 (Mgr.)	Mary Berg Dental Radiology	Tami Lind Turn Down the Heat: Fever versus Hyperthermia	Tabitha Kucera Muzzles Unleashed: From Sigma to Safety	Kerry Plemmons Designing the Future of Your Practice: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design Thinking
5:00-6:00	Reception: Exhibitor's Hall Prize Draws: Various industry draws and a $500 Visa gift card from APVC.

Sunday, April 27
Breakfast:
Time	Vet I Sable A/B	Vet II Sable C/D	Vet III Halifax B/C
8:30 - 10:00	Dr. Joe Bruner When Upchuck Won't Give Up: Approaches to Protracted Vomiting	Dr. Kate Myrna Out in a Blink: Enucleation Tips & Tricks	Dr. Julia Miller Scratching Below the Surface: Confidently Diagnosing Allergies
BREAK 10:00 - 10:30
10:30 - noon	Dr. Joe Bruner What's New? Updates in Internal Medicine	Dr. Kate Myrna Feline Eyes in Focus	Dr. Julia Miller Prevention of Pyoderma: Skin in the Game
LUNCH 12:00 - 1:00
1:00 - 2:30	Dr. Joe Bruner Fun Ways to Deal With Medical Oddities	Dr. Patty Lathan The Highs and Lows of it: Hypercalcemia and Hypothyroidism	Dr. Julia Miller Don't Dread the Diet Trial: Food Allergies
2:30-3:00	Closing Awards and Draws (Halifax Ballrooms A/B/C) Prize Draws: APVC prizes, Visa gift cards ($1000, $750 and a $500) and an Apple iPad.

Sunday cont'd...

Time	Tech I Halifax A	Support Staff Acadia	Bus. Managers Annapolis
8:30-10:00	Mary Berg Gaining Dental Compliance, What Works!	Heather Prendergast From Grumpy to Grateful: Transforming the Client Journey	Kerry Plemmons Management Operating Systems
BREAK 10:00-10:30
10:30-noon	Mary Berg Feline Dentistry. Cat's Don't Read the Textbook	Heather Prendergast The Communication Bridge: Building Trust from First Call to Check Out	Kerry Plemmons Implement Execute and Create Stickwithitness
LUNCH 12:00-1:00
1:00-2:30	Tabitha Kucera Behavioural First Aid, Triage for Common Behavioural Issues in Clinic	Heather Prendergast Calm in the Storm: Confident Conversations that Build Client Loyalty	Kerry Plemmons Money Matters: A Veterinary Manager's Guide to Financial Fitness
2:30-3:00	Closing Awards and Draws (Halifax Ballrooms ABC) Prize Draws: APVC prizes, Visa gift cards ($1000, $750 and a $500) and an Apple iPad.

Exhibitor's Schedule:
Friday: 9:45 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:45 am – 6:00 pm

Student Sponsorship:

Wifi Sponsors:
Friday, Saturday & Sunday:

Charging Station Sponsors:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday:

Lanyards and Bags
Lanyards:

Bags:

Save the date for APVC 2027
April 16-18, 2027

APVC Committee on Arrangements:
Courtney Sherlock
PO Box 310, Eastern Passage, NS B3G 1M6
Email: courtney.sherlock@apvc.ca

Last update: October 15, 2025

ATLANTIC PROVINCES VETERINARY CONFERENCE