AABP Meeting Sessions

AABP Annual Conference Sessions

To expand each session and view the presentation descriptions, click the arrow next to each session.

Beef

Title	Date
Cattle Health Through the Cowboy: The Importance of Relationships and Education Paige Schmidt As animal health professionals, veterinarians play a critical role in training and guiding cattle caretakers to ensure work is performed safely, efficiently, and effectively. This session will discuss key components of modern beef production systems to help veterinarians better understand both its strengths and limitations. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for building strong, respectful relations with cattle crews and personnel, including effective communication and practical training. By investing in education and fostering trust with those responsible for daily animal care, veterinarians can improve cattle health, enhance animal welfare, and achieve herd-level goals more consistently. Strong relationships and well-trained personnel are essential not only for day-to-day livestock care, but for the long-term success and sustainability of the beef industry.	Friday, August 28, 2026 1:45:00 PM
Another one bites the dust - late day feedlot mortalities Miles Theurer Feedyard health issues continue to become more challenging especially as days on feed and out weights are increased. This session will provide insight on late-day death loss in feedyard cattle.	Friday, August 28, 2026 2:30:00 PM
The Intersection of Consulting, Managing, and Owning Cattle Production Operations Eric Behlke Many veterinarians navigate the complex intersection of acting as a consultant, manager, owner, and sometimes occupying all three roles simultaneously for cattle production operations. Understanding the role of each within modern bovine enterprises, and how those roles align to enhance day-to-day operations can be leveraged to ultimately benefit the long-term success of cattle production operations. Once the roles have been fully defined, they can intersect to provide an ultimate focus on animal health and production outcomes. This integrated approach relies on real-time data collection and monitoring of outcome variables, a consultant seamlessly integrated within the management team, and a well defined structure of decision making within the enterprise.	Friday, August 28, 2026 3:15:00 PM
Beef Cows Get That Too! Johne's, BLV, and More. Meredyth Jones Cook This session will review diseases commonly considered "dairy" diseases but are also commonly seen in beef cattle. We will review these diseases - Johne's, BLV, hairy heel wart and others and how to manage these in the beef cow/calf sector.	Friday, August 28, 2026 4:15:00 PM
Theileria and Anaplasmosis: A practitioner's perspective of initial exposure in a naive population and current management. Dan Goehl To present from a practitioner point of view the significance of Theileria and Anaplasmosis in general practice. This session covers clinical assessment and development of an effective treatment plan including efforts to differentiate the two infections. Will also look at some of the obstacles of initial exposure to a naïve population.	Friday, August 28, 2026 5:15:00 PM
A Practitioner's Perspective of Theileria and Anaplasmosis in Practice Dan Goehl This session covers clinical assessment and development of an effective treatment plan for Theileria and Anaplasmosis. The session will look at differentiating the two diseases and dealing with the exposure of naive animals.	Friday, August 28, 2026 5:15:00 PM
Keep calm and carry on - the latest research on mBAS Jessica Sperber This session examines the biological basis, research evidence, and practical application of the maternal bovine appeasing substance (mBAS) as a tool for mitigating stress in beef cattle during high-risk production phases such as weaning, transport, and feedlot processing. Key preconditioning, receiving, and feedlot studies are reviewed to illustrate when performance, health, or efficiency benefits are most likely to occur, along with a discussion of cost-benefit considerations and limitations. The goal is to equip attendees with a data-driven framework to determine when application of mBAS may complement existing health and management programs—and when expectations should be tempered based on cattle type and stress load.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 8:00:00 AM
How now, pregnant cow? Tips for preparing replacement heifers for life in the herd Elizabeth Homerosky This session focuses on methods to reduce your producers’ #1 non-cash cost (cow depreciation!) and increase the overall profitability of their operations. We will review practical, evidence-based strategies to help your clients achieve 85% conception rate in 30 days, improve momentum, and promote longevity in their cow herds. We will also discuss strategic implant strategies in heifer calves.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 8:45:00 AM
Antimicrobial monitoring: Practical tips for beef cattle veterinarians John Groves Is our current beef production model too reliant on high rates of antimicrobial use? While initial decisions to use these drugs are often driven by immediate disease management and animal welfare, a deeper look reveals they are shaped by complex adaptive systems involving many stakeholders. To truly understand and manage the fundamental drivers of antimicrobial use, we need to equip field veterinarians with accessible and practical monitoring and feedback metrics. This vital next step toward designing usage policies that align with prudent use and stewardship goals will be focus of my presentation.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 9:30:00 AM
Strategies for building an efficient cow herd David Lalman This presentation will examine current industry trends related to cow productivity, cost, and post-weaning profitability in the beef cattle industry. We will explore interactions between the nutritional environment and genetic potential, with particular emphasis on whether commonly used growth, carcass weight, and feed intake EPDs accurately predict performance—specifically the ability to gain and maintain body condition—when cattle are managed in a year-round, forage-based production system. Finally, we will address the biological and economic tradeoffs between maternal traits and post-weaning efficiency.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 10:30:00 AM
Practices that support excellent respiratory health Amelia R. Woolums The objective of this presentation is to review the evidence for practices related to decreased occurrence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in feedlot and stocker cattle, focusing especially on the relationships between cattle characeristics, receiving practices, and health > 45 days after receiving. The influence of transport, nutrition, vaccination, and metaphylaxis will be considered. New information regarding the pathology of BRD that occurs in cattle > 45 days on feed will be discussed.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 2:00:00 PM
Bovine heart disease: practical insights from feedyard data Brad White Congestive heart failure (CHF) and related cardiac diseases are increasingly recognized contributors to feedyard mortality; however, overlapping clinical syndromes make accurate diagnosis challenging. This presentation synthesizes findings from large retrospective feedyard datasets, detailed postmortem examinations, harvest-based heart scoring, and cardiac and hepatic histopathology to improve understanding of heart disease in feedyard cattle. Practical implications for veterinarians include refining case definitions, identifying relevant risk factors, recognizing concurrent cardiopulmonary pathology, and applying postmortem data to inform management decisions, client communication, and future risk mitigation strategies.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 3:00:00 PM
Beef on Dairy - health protocols, facilities, calf range stage of production Miles Theurer Beef-dairy crosses are increasingly utilized in the beef supply chain. These crosses aim to combine the superior growth, feed efficiency, and carcass quality traits of beef breeds with the robustness and availability of the dairy cow population. This session will provide overview of beef-dairy crosses from calf ranch and managing through the feedyard.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 3:45:00 PM
Practices to develop excellent vaccination protocols Amelia R. Woolums The objective of this presentation is to review the factors that influence the value of a vaccination protocol for a cattle operation. The presentation will briefly review factors that should be considered in vaccine protocol development, including the quality of evidence for vaccine efficacy and efficiency, balancing benefits and harms, and values and preferences of the producer and the veterinarian. The application of these concepts in practical examples will be discussed.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 4:45:00 PM

Clinical Skills

Title	Date
The humbling OB cases: Looking at dystocias from the bright side with excitement and opportunity Caitlin Wiley This session will cover topics of dystocia management. OB cases are often the least favorite calls to go on for many practitioners. Setting yourself up for success before hand with proper equipment and mindset can help make them less terrible. This session will include discussion of basic equipment to have on hand, suggestions on techniques along with simple tips to hopefully help the attendees when they return to practice. There will pointers for helping correct calf position and posture along with brief discussion on fetotomies.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 1:30:00 PM
Lung Ultrasound in Feedlot Cattle Luis Feitoza Lung ultrasound is a practical and easy-to-use, chute-side tool in feedlot cattle, thanks to portable machines and quick scan times that fit well into routine handling. It allows us to see lung disease directly, rather than relying only on clinical signs, which can improve treatment and management decisions. The main challenges are that it requires training, but when used appropriately, lung ultrasound is a useful, real-world addition to feedlot respiratory health programs.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 2:15:00 PM
The Eyes Have It: Surgery of the Eye Meredyth Jones Cook This session will use photos and videos demonstrating anesthetic and surgical procedures for eyes. Clinical skills and their indications will be presented: Third Eyelid Resection, Third Eyelid Flap, H-Plasty, and Exenteration. Other considerations for diseases like ocular squamous cell carcinoma and pinkeye are also discussed.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 3:00:00 PM
Field Surgery topics in calves and Field Surgery Topics in Cows Matt Miesner I will use some case examples of problems presented and follow with management based on personal and consultation experiences backed with scientific literature where available.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 4:00:00 PM
Field Cow Surgery Matt Miesner I will present a couple of case examples and work through them discussing preparation, restraint and the procedure itself.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 4:45:00 PM
Medical Ultrasound - Ultrasounds Are Not Just for the Rectum! Meredyth Jones Cook This seminar will teach veterinarians practical medical ultrasound techniques for ruminants through guided walkthroughs with real ultrasound images and video demonstrations. They will learn to confidently identify and interpret ultrasound findings across multiple organ systems, including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, reticulum (including hardware disease diagnosis), and pelvic organs.	Friday, August 28, 2026 8:00:00 AM
Euthanasia: Intrathecal Lidocaine and Poll Shot Methods Renee Dewell This presentation will focus on describing two euthanasia methods: administration of intrathecal lidocaine and use of a poll-shot approach for firearm or penetrating captive bolt. We will discuss the pros and cons of each method compared to other more common methods such as pentobarbital or frontal shot approach. Practical application of methods will be covered so that attendees can readily apply the procedures in their practice.	Friday, August 28, 2026 8:45:00 AM
Blow Holes and Blow Outs! Strategies for performing a rumenostomy and rectal prolapse amputation Elizabeth Homerosky This session will review indications for performing a rumenostomy and rectal prolapse amputation along with practical tips to improve your surgical technique and ensure a successful outcome for both surgeon and patient in a field setting. Ancillary therapy and expected outcomes for each procedure will also be discussed.	Friday, August 28, 2026 9:30:00 AM

Dairy

Title	Date
Management of Recycled Bedding Systems to Enhance Udder Health Sandra Godden The selection and management of specific bedding materials can have important impacts on cow comfort, udder health, milk quality and milk production. In this session, we will discuss the pros, cons, goals, and management options, including newer technologies, for recycled sand and recycled manure solids bedding systems.	Friday, August 28, 2026 1:45:00 PM
Contagious Mastitis: Manage It Before It Manages You Justine Britten This talk will touch on all 4 of the major contagious mastitis pathogens: Mycoplasma, Staph aureus, Strep ag and Prototheca. The content will focus primarily on data and examples from real world experience but will also touch on how this information does or does not align with what is known from reference literature. This talk is intended to be practical and applicable in nature to practicing veterinarians.	Friday, August 28, 2026 2:30:00 PM
Turning Data Into Decisions: Advancing Mastitis Lab Excellence Justine Britten This session will focus on the different diagnostic scopes and service levels that can be offered by a mastitis laboratory. Included in the material will be advantages and disadvantages of these different scopes, such changes in Sensitivity and Specificity of detection, cost, labor and applicability of the information. This talk is intended to give veterinarians realistic ideas and guidelines for what they can achieve and manage in their own practices. The material will include specific techniques that can impact detection (negatively or positively) and key tips for best practices.	Friday, August 28, 2026 3:15:00 PM
Veterinarians & Farm Succession Planning: You're More Integral Than you Think! Will McKinley Though bovine vets are supposed to be focused on the cow, frequently their time on-farm is spent as counselor to dairy and beef farmers struggling with the myriad of challenges that go into farm succession planning. Farmers are frequently uncomfortable dealing with lawyers, but they have a close relationship with their veterinarian, and turn to them for advice. This presentation is intended to arm practitioners with practical guidance on the ins-and-outs of farm succession planning, not so that they can give future legal advice to their clients, but instead, can better talk with their farmers on these issues and ensure that the farmer knows when it is time to talk to legal and tax professionals.	Friday, August 28, 2026 4:15:00 PM
Laura Solano	Friday, August 28, 2026 5:15:00 PM
Getting them off on the right hoof: Colostrum management for dairy calves Sandra Godden Colostrum management is arguably a cornerstone for any successful calf rearing program. In this session, after a quick review of the basics (the 3 Qs), we'll discuss recent advances to further up your clients' colostrum game. This will include a discussion of monitoring goals, factors associated with colostrum yields from cows, the importance of feeding clean colostrum, and benefits of extended feeding, including both preventive and possible therapeutic applications for post day-1 supplementation of the milk diet with transition milk or colostrum supplements.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 8:00:00 AM
Getting Off the Right Hoof: Building Strong Immunity With Colostrum—Not Antibiotics Lautaro Rostoll-Cangiano 1. Explain how colostrum influences early immune programming in dairy calves beyond passive IgG transfer. 2. Describe how early-life antibiotic exposure—such as neomycin—disrupts gut microbiome development and immune maturation. 3. Evaluate the long-term health and productivity consequences of early feeding decisions, including colostrum quality, timing, and the unnecessary use of antibiotics. 4. Apply evidence-based messaging to communicate with producers about the risks of early antibiotic use and the benefits of optimized colostrum management. 5. Integrate research-based recommendations into practical on-farm protocols to improve calf immunity, reduce disease susceptibility, and support antimicrobial stewardship.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 8:45:00 AM
Managing inflammation in early lactation Jessica McArt Postpartum inflammation is a normal aspect of early lactation physiology, but when excessive, it can become a key instigator of disease and impaired performance. This session will explore the timing and magnitude of inflammatory activation in fresh cows, including evidence that elevations in acute-phase proteins are linked to reduced dry matter intake, depressed rumination, increased risk of metabolic disorders, and long-term productivity losses. We will discuss how inflammation interacts with other physiological stressors and cover practical strategies for prevention and intervention aimed at improving health and performance during this critical window.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 9:30:00 AM
Saccromyces- Not just foo foo dust Matthew C. Dodd Saccromyces have been used as feed additives in many species including ruminants and humans. We will take a trip through the research to evaluate groups of cattle that can been benefitted by efficiency and health of this yeast. We can look at modes of action as to how this little yeast is affecting both the rumen and innate immune system. Hold on as we take this journey.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 10:30:00 AM
Got calcium? Optimizing transition rations for early lactation success Jessica McArt Managing calcium dynamics during the transition period is critical for preventing dyscalcemia and its cascade of health and production challenges. This session will break down the mechanisms of action behind the three most common prefresh calcium management strategies—DCAD diets, zeolite-based approaches, and “no intervention” alternatives. We’ll highlight bottlenecks that compromise ration effectiveness and discuss how proactive monitoring can keep cows on track. Attendees will leave with actionable steps to strengthen their role as preventative consultants, ensuring transition diets deliver the support fresh cows need for optimal health and performance.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 2:00:00 PM
Pairing Chemical Pregnancy Testing with Your Arm David T. Brennan This talk will discuss the logistics involved with starting to offer chemical pregnancy testing at a veterinary practice. It will include the lab setup, conversations with clients to sell the service and how it can successfully be integrated with standard palpation	Saturday, August 29, 2026 3:00:00 PM
Improving Efficiency Through Monitoring Technology and Data Insights Luis Mendonca Dr. Mendonça will discuss how monitoring technology can be utilized to optimize reproductive performance and monitor health of dairy cows. Dr. Mendonça will highlight the possibility of utilizing monitoring data to reveal hidden opportunities and assess heat stress levels in order to improve overall herd performance. In addition, Dr. Mendonça will talk about how consultants can utilize data insights originated from monitoring technology to maximize overall efficiency.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 3:45:00 PM
Virtual Fresh Pen: Consulting From a Distance Eric Rooker As large animal practices shrink in number and territories grow it can be increasingly difficult to set up routine fresh pen herd check. These pens that may have been checked once a week or once every other week in the past have slowly been phased out due to staffing and time issues. However, the need for oversight into the fresh pen is still there. To facilitate these audits from afar we can use modern technologies such as activity systems, rumination monitoring, temperature trends and digital records to virtually consult. Improving oversight, husbandry, creating billables such as additional surgeries and expanding our consulting opportunities.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 4:45:00 PM

General

Title	Date
Flourishing Veterinary Medicine: A Game of Dollars and Sense Eric Rooker In a world of ever-increasing salaries as well as general compensation why do we continue to see so much dissatisfaction and burnout? Theoretically, our new doctors and support staff should be happier and healthier than ever. Yet that is not the case. So what are we missing? We will discuss the psychological implications of this new trend and their well understood shortcomings as researched by our peers in psychology. By the end of our discussion we hope to challenge both owner and associate/staff preconceptions of compensation and open dialog about what it will take to create a flourishing veterinary medical field.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 10:30:00 AM

Title

Date

Flourishing Veterinary Medicine: A Game of Dollars and Sense

Eric Rooker
In a world of ever-increasing salaries as well as general compensation why do we continue to see so much dissatisfaction and burnout? Theoretically, our new doctors and support staff should be happier and healthier than ever. Yet that is not the case. So what are we missing? We will discuss the psychological implications of this new trend and their well understood shortcomings as researched by our peers in psychology. By the end of our discussion we hope to challenge both owner and associate/staff preconceptions of compensation and open dialog about what it will take to create a flourishing veterinary medical field.

Thursday, August 27, 2026
10:30:00 AM

Joint Beef/Dairy

Title	Date
Everybody Hurts - Assessing Pain in Animals Eduarda Bortoluzzi Painful husbandry procedures are routinely applied to food-producing animals, often with limited or no use of analgesic strategies. With repeated exposure, veterinarians and animal caretakers may become desensitized to these interventions, which can contribute to the misinterpretation of maintenance behaviors—such as standing, feeding, or ruminating—as an indication that animals are not experiencing pain. Importantly, the persistence of these behaviors does not necessarily reflect an absence of nociception or distress. A broad spectrum of animal-based welfare indicators, including alterations in posture, vocalizations, facial expressions, avoidance responses, and outcomes from preference or motivation tests, has been established by animal welfare scientists to more accurately detect pain-associated states. Greater integration of these behavioral and welfare assessments into routine veterinary practice can facilitate earlier recognition of negative affective states and promote a transition from reactive pain mitigation to proactive pain prevention in livestock management.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 1:30:00 PM
On the Mooove: Advancing Best Practices in Bovine Transportation Brett Boyum This session will review some of the lessons we've learned regarding dairy and beef transportation. We'll highlight some of the strategies we're doing to enhance transportation events and share some of our transportation research and experience.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 2:15:00 PM
Make it Rain - Alternative Revenue Streams for Cattle Veterinarians Benjamin Bennett My objective is to give large animal veterinarians an idea of non-veterinary revenue streams that are available to us. Mostly through working with other companies that pay a percentage based commission on successful referrals.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 3:00:00 PM
Liver and Learn - Biopsy and Interpretation Scott Fritz This session reviews practical methods for performing liver biopsies in cattle and outlines a systematic approach to interpreting test results. Key mineral values, normal reference ranges, and expected animal-to-animal variation, and appropriate timing of sample collection are discussed to guide decisions on when testing is warranted and how many animals should be sampled. Recommendations for responding to abnormal findings, including ration evaluation and targeted adjustments to supplementation, are provided along with considerations for incorporating biopsy results into herd-level management.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 4:00:00 PM
Taking Care of the Cows and the People Jill Lehman Every veterinary practice has two herds: • The animals you treat. • The people who care for them. When you tend to both with equal intention, your practice will thrive. The Story of Maple Creek Veterinary — A Practice with Good Medicine but a Tired Herd In this session, attendees will learn about the clinic's people and culture, what the practice owner realized, how they went about solving it, and the outcomes that transpired. Attendees will receive insights likely mirroring some of their current people/cultural challenges, and receive actionable insights to help them make changes that improve the wellbeing of both the cows and their people.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 4:45:00 PM

Mixed Animal

Title	Date
Practical Field Procedures for Small Ruminants Clare Scully The objective of this presentation is to introduce and explain essential field procedures used in the handling, examination, and basic management of small ruminants. It aims to equip learners with practical knowledge and confidence to perform routine tasks such as restraint, health assessment, treatment administration, preventive care, and common surgeries in field conditions. By emphasizing animal welfare, safety, and efficiency, the presentation seeks to bridge theoretical knowledge with real-world application, preparing participants for effective decision making and responsible care of small ruminants in field settings.	Friday, August 28, 2026 8:00:00 AM
Christopher Burrows	Friday, August 28, 2026 8:45:00 AM
Oberlin McDaniel	Friday, August 28, 2026 9:30:00 AM
Field Management of Urolithiasis in Small Ruminants Clare Scully The objective of this presentation is to describe practical field procedures used in the diagnosis and management of urolithiasis in small ruminants, with emphasis on timely intervention to relieve urinary obstruction and preserve animal welfare. The presentation will focus on hands-on techniques commonly performed in field settings, including amputation of the urethral process and percutaneous tube cystostomy, outlining their indications, procedural steps, and post-operative care. By integrating clinical decision-making with practical skills, this presentation aims to prepare participants to confidently manage urolithiasis cases in small ruminants under field conditions while minimizing complications and improving outcomes.	Friday, August 28, 2026 10:45:00 AM
A Practical Guide to the Equine Colic Workup Callie Fogle Attendees will be able to: differentiate between critical and less critical but useful components of the colic exam discuss newer field diagnostic tests for colic; describe strengths and weaknesses of each differentiate exam and diagnostic findings that should get more attention identify lesion categories for early decision making	Friday, August 28, 2026 11:30:00 AM
Equine laceration repair: Case Discussions Callie Fogle Attendees will be able to: Identify lacerations amenable to repair Describe features of lacerations that may result in dehiscence List 5 approaches that can be used for tension relief List 5 reasons for a non healing wound after repair	Friday, August 28, 2026 1:45:00 PM
Jocelyn Romano	Friday, August 28, 2026 2:30:00 PM
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome - A pain in your gut? Julie Settlage This session will cover the importance of accurate diagnosis of Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, treatment plans, including medications and management factors, and strategies to optimize prevention.	Friday, August 28, 2026 3:15:00 PM
Better Steps, Better Diagnosis, Better Treatment: Practical Equine Lameness Tips for Mixed-Animal Veterinarians Julie Settlage The attendees of this presentation will learn top tips for equine lameness in the following areas: * How to utilize Sleip to catch lameness earlier * What block and how * Intra articular therapy * Systemic therapy The goal is the mixed animal practitioner will leave with applicable skills to enhance their equine practice.	Friday, August 28, 2026 4:15:00 PM
The 5 components of an Equine Oral Exam Jessica Hunt This presentation provides an overview of the five key components of a comprehensive equine oral examination, emphasizing their importance in maintaining overall dental health and performance. It covers the systematic evaluation of the external head, lips, oral soft tissues, gingiva, and teeth. The presentation explains what a normal, healthy mouth should look like, common abnormalities found in each component, and how these issues can impact an equine’s comfort, behavior, and ability to eat and perform. By outlining a clear, step-by-step approach, this presentation helps audiences understand how thorough oral exams support early detection, proper treatment planning, and long-term equine well-being.	Friday, August 28, 2026 5:15:00 PM

Students

Title	Date
Show Up. Own Up. Build Up. - Foundational Leadership Anyone Can Practice Chad Brown You don’t need a title, a certain personality, or a perfect career plan to lead in veterinary medicine. This talk breaks leadership down into three simple habits: showing up when it’s hard, owning your decisions and mistakes, and using whatever role you’re in to make the people around you better. Practiced consistently, these everyday behaviors earn trust with clients, respect from colleagues, and confidence in yourself—starting right where you are and carrying forward into whatever comes next.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 8:00:00 AM
Managing Perfectionism: Good Enough is Under-rated M. Jane Jenkins Perfectionism is often misunderstood as a strength—an indicator of high standards, motivation, productivity, and excellence. In reality, perfectionism reflects a rigid striving for flawlessness accompanied by intense self-criticism and fear of failure, which undermines productivity, creativity, and well-being. Rather than enhancing performance, perfectionism frequently leads to burnout, anxiety, depression, feelings of shame, and procrastination. Misunderstood as a failure of motivation or time management, procrastination is, in fact, a protective response to fear of making mistakes, being evaluated, or falling short of unrealistic rigid standards. Procrastination delays action by rejecting “good enough,” even though good enough is often what makes progress possible. This presentation will explore perfectionism through a psychological and neurobiological lens, examining its developmental and etiological roots, distinct types, relationship to procrastination, patterns of brain activation that reinforce perfectionistic behavior, and evidence-based interventions aimed at supporting healthier striving and more sustainable performance. The objective of this presentation is to expose perfectionism’s flaws and to introduce “good enough” as an often undervalued consideration that frequently represents high-quality thoughtful work completed within realistic human limits – something perfectionism actively undermines.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 8:45:00 AM
The Courage to Cut New Paths: Starting Before You're Certain Kayla Clark This session explores how veterinary students and new graduates can approach new or unfamiliar surgeries with courage before confidence. It emphasizes that fear and doubt are natural parts of professional growth and that deliberate action, supported by preparation, mentorship, and teamwork, can help overcome the fear of attempting a new surgery. Using personal surgical case examples, I will share how I approach new or challenging procedures through intentional preparation, honest communication with producers, careful case planning, and trust in foundational skills to safely navigate uncertainty. Attendees will gain practical strategies for adapting during surgical cases, building confidence through experience, and moving forward even when confidence is still developing.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 9:30:00 AM
Mike D. Apley	Saturday, August 29, 2026 10:30:00 AM
Mike D. Apley	Saturday, August 29, 2026 2:00:00 PM
Dairy Records: Leveraging herd data to better advise your clients Robert A. Lynch Analyzing herd records can help you gain insight on herd performance opportunities and inform you of emerging issues prior to farm visits, thus increasing the value you bring to your clients. This session will cover strategies for getting started in record analysis, common pitfalls to avoid, and tips to make this effort beneficial to you and your clients.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 3:00:00 PM
Offering Nutrition Services and Ration Balancing as a Service David T. Brennan The objective is to communicate the opportunity veterinarians have to provide nutrition services and ration balancing as a service. Veterinary students are poorly prepared to trouble shoot ration based problems on a dairy farm of any size. I feel veterinarians can easily start offering nutrition services and eventually balance rations right out of veterinary school. I plan to expose veterinarians to nutrition services they can immediately start offering and walk through how they can use them to successfully consult on a dairy farm	Saturday, August 29, 2026 3:45:00 PM
''What is on President Hilton's Mind?''. W. Mark Hilton I have three goals every day. Learn something, have fun and help someone. I know I will achieve all three (and I hope you do too!) when we come together and I discover what is on your mind, and hopefully provide some sage advice. I don't profess to have "seen it all", though, after a career in private practice, academia, and industry spanning 42 years, I have seen a lot. Come with questions and let's have fun learning together.	Saturday, August 29, 2026 4:45:00 PM

VPS

Title	Date
If you build it, they will buy: cultivating the next generation of practice owners Gabe E. Middleton This session will discuss identifying the next generation of practice owners, developing a plan to value a practice, and creating a chain of events that are necessary to lead to selling a practice or bringing on a new owner.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 1:30:00 PM
Flexible scheduling: Guidelines for navigating the demands of rural practice Todd Gunderson The objective of this session will be to explore concepts and strategies for navigating the challenges of rural/large animal practice through flexibility in scheduling, the practice of veterinary medicine, and business management. Key concepts will include identifying core values that guide your life and your business so that practitioners can determine which activities are essential to honoring those values. This session will cover topics such as setting clear boundaries between work and personal life, recognizing the need to say no to non-essentials in the present in order to say yes to essentials in the future, as well as clearly defining activities that require the physical presence of a veterinarian versus those that can be delegated. Through the application of these principles, participants will gain greater insight and clarity on when good become the enemy to great, and when great becomes the enemy of good enough.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 2:15:00 PM
Build It and They Will Haul It Robert T Jackman The goal of this project was to develop and sustain veterinary services to provide better service and reach more food animal producers in our county and surrounding counties. The overarching aim is to improve productivity and profitability for food animal producers in the region. The two key objectives to achieve this are: • enable Jackman’s Animal Clinic to broaden the services it offers to food animal producers, increase its efficiency, and further its reach. • provide more consistent experiential learning opportunities to a wider range of high school, college, and veterinary students as well as help educate food animal producers to better care for the animals in their charge. We were limited in what we could accept as haul-in clients and had an increasing number of clients requesting this, so we built a facility to enable us to handle these requests. The clinic addition has allowed us to provide service to clients who wish to bring everything from a load of steers from the stockyard for vaccinations, to the seedstock producer who wants to flush embryos. There is a growing number of clients who have the ability and want to bring an animal to the clinic for care. This is particularly true of small ruminant emergencies as well as cattle dystocia’s or lameness exams. Few clients have the facilities for holding a mature bull for a reproductive exam or a lameness issue. Currently we must send clients with cattle hoof issues two hours to Purdue University or Ohio State University for care. One of the new free services we offer with this facility is beef weigh-in days for 4-H fair entrees for every county in the region. Beef 4-H fair entrees must register and weigh-in every spring for every county. These weigh-ins are held in late winter and are held outside at county fairgrounds. With our facility we can provide an inside experience, working with multiple counties over multiple weekends so there is more flexibility for 4-H students and staff. We will also have a veterinarian on site to discuss any questions the students might have and talk with them about health care, vaccinations, and feeding requirements.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 3:00:00 PM
Stop Giving It Away: Building a Sustainable Model for Remote Consultation Alexandru Pop The objective of this presentation is to help veterinary professionals understand how to implement charging for remote consultation services in a way that reflects the true value of their time, expertise, and clinical responsibility. Attendees will review common scenarios where remote consultation occurs, explore ethical considerations, and learn practical strategies for structuring fees, setting boundaries, and communicating expectations with clients. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with actionable tools to implement or refine a sustainable, transparent approach to billing for remote veterinary care without compromising client relationships or quality of service.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 4:00:00 PM
Let's talk about A.I. No, not that one... the other A.I. Petra Harms This seminar will serve to orient practitioners in their position in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence technology in veterinary medicine. It will open with a brief introduction to what AI technology is and how it works, its strengths and weaknesses. It will continue by outlining its uses in veterinary medicine as they apply specifically to bovine practitioners, using specific case examples and published studies. It will discuss the veterinarian's position as liability-holder in the use of AI technology in practice, and conclude by illustrating ways in which a practicing vet can become involved in using or applying AI technology in practice.	Thursday, August 27, 2026 4:45:00 PM
Employment Trends and Factors in Hiring and Retaining Veterinarians in Rural Practice Lauren Christensen This presentation will review current research to better understand the need for veterinarians in rural areas, identify specific skillsets needed by veterinarians upon graduation, and strategies to recruit and retain veterinarians in rural practice. This will help veterinarians in rural areas who are seeking to hire veterinarian(s) to offer desirable factors to attract and retain a new hire; provide a list of skillsets needed by newly graduated veterinarians in order to ensure those skills are taught in vet school and increase opportunities for skill development prior to graduation; and allow for stakeholders to better understand the veterinary needs landscape in rural areas.	Friday, August 28, 2026 8:00:00 AM
The Hidden P&L of Work-Life Balance Alexandru Pop The objective of this presentation is to examine how work-life balance decisions directly impact the financial performance and long term sustainability of veterinary practices. Attendees will explore the measurable costs of burnout, turnover, reduced productivity, and coverage inefficiencies, as well as the financial benefits associated with retention, operational efficiency, and sustainable scheduling models. By the end of this session, participants will be able to evaluate work–life balance initiatives through a financial lens and apply practical strategies that protect both team wellbeing and practice profitability.	Friday, August 28, 2026 8:45:00 AM
Estate and contingency planning for veterinary practices Brian Reed Estate and contingency planning are important topics for both individuals as well as veterinary practices to consider. This presentation will review important components of this including leadership transition, documentation and agreements, orderly transfer of assets to the benefit of both the business and the surviving family members and how to have the hard discussions required to do this planning effectively.	Friday, August 28, 2026 9:30:00 AM
Everyone loves a baby....right Keelan Yoder This session with discuss how to equip your practice to meet the needs of growing families and clinical demands. We will review strategy for budgeting, scheduling, and employee retention.	Friday, August 28, 2026 10:45:00 AM
If you build it, they will stay - retention of large animal veterinarians Gabe E. Middleton This session will discuss methods to attract and retain talented large animal veterinarians. The presentation will touch on making practices attractive to students, presenting a strong employment offer, and mentorship and team-building strategies to keep veterinarians engaged in large animal practice.	Friday, August 28, 2026 11:30:00 AM

AABP Annual Conference Sessions

Beef

Cattle Health Through the Cowboy: The Importance of Relationships and Education

Another one bites the dust - late day feedlot mortalities

The Intersection of Consulting, Managing, and Owning Cattle Production Operations

Beef Cows Get That Too! Johne's, BLV, and More.

Theileria and Anaplasmosis: A practitioner's perspective of initial exposure in a naive population and current management.

A Practitioner's Perspective of Theileria and Anaplasmosis in Practice

Keep calm and carry on - the latest research on mBAS

How now, pregnant cow? Tips for preparing replacement heifers for life in the herd

Antimicrobial monitoring: Practical tips for beef cattle veterinarians

Strategies for building an efficient cow herd

Practices that support excellent respiratory health

Bovine heart disease: practical insights from feedyard data

Beef on Dairy - health protocols, facilities, calf range stage of production

Practices to develop excellent vaccination protocols

Clinical Skills

The humbling OB cases: Looking at dystocias from the bright side with excitement and opportunity

Lung Ultrasound in Feedlot Cattle

The Eyes Have It: Surgery of the Eye

Field Surgery topics in calves and Field Surgery Topics in Cows

Field Cow Surgery

Medical Ultrasound - Ultrasounds Are Not Just for the Rectum!

Euthanasia: Intrathecal Lidocaine and Poll Shot Methods

Blow Holes and Blow Outs! Strategies for performing a rumenostomy and rectal prolapse amputation

Dairy

Management of Recycled Bedding Systems to Enhance Udder Health

Contagious Mastitis: Manage It Before It Manages You

Turning Data Into Decisions: Advancing Mastitis Lab Excellence

Veterinarians & Farm Succession Planning: You're More Integral Than you Think!

Getting them off on the right hoof: Colostrum management for dairy calves

Getting Off the Right Hoof: Building Strong Immunity With Colostrum—Not Antibiotics

Managing inflammation in early lactation

Saccromyces- Not just foo foo dust

Got calcium? Optimizing transition rations for early lactation success

Pairing Chemical Pregnancy Testing with Your Arm

Improving Efficiency Through Monitoring Technology and Data Insights

Virtual Fresh Pen: Consulting From a Distance

General

Flourishing Veterinary Medicine: A Game of Dollars and Sense

Joint Beef/Dairy

Everybody Hurts - Assessing Pain in Animals

On the Mooove: Advancing Best Practices in Bovine Transportation

Make it Rain - Alternative Revenue Streams for Cattle Veterinarians

Liver and Learn - Biopsy and Interpretation

Taking Care of the Cows and the People

Mixed Animal

Practical Field Procedures for Small Ruminants

Field Management of Urolithiasis in Small Ruminants

A Practical Guide to the Equine Colic Workup

Equine laceration repair: Case Discussions

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome - A pain in your gut?

Better Steps, Better Diagnosis, Better Treatment: Practical Equine Lameness Tips for Mixed-Animal Veterinarians

The 5 components of an Equine Oral Exam

Students

Show Up. Own Up. Build Up. - Foundational Leadership Anyone Can Practice

Managing Perfectionism: Good Enough is Under-rated

The Courage to Cut New Paths: Starting Before You're Certain

Dairy Records: Leveraging herd data to better advise your clients

Offering Nutrition Services and Ration Balancing as a Service

''What is on President Hilton's Mind?''.

VPS

If you build it, they will buy: cultivating the next generation of practice owners

Flexible scheduling: Guidelines for navigating the demands of rural practice

Build It and They Will Haul It

Stop Giving It Away: Building a Sustainable Model for Remote Consultation

Let's talk about A.I. No, not that one... the *other* A.I.

Employment Trends and Factors in Hiring and Retaining Veterinarians in Rural Practice

The Hidden P&L of Work-Life Balance

Estate and contingency planning for veterinary practices

Everyone loves a baby....right

If you build it, they will stay - retention of large animal veterinarians

Let's talk about A.I. No, not that one... the other A.I.