Feline Chronic Kidney Disease: The Veterinary Technician’s Role in Early Detection, Gentle Care, and Long-Term Management
About This Event
Course Description: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common and complex chronic conditions affecting cats. Often clinically silent in its early stages, CKD may go unrecognized until advanced disease is present. Successful long-term management requires frequent monitoring, careful patient handling, and strong communication with caregivers, all of which veterinary technicians play a critical role in. This one-hour webinar will focus on the veterinary technician’s contribution to early detection and compassionate, low-stress care for cats with CKD. Topics will include recognizing subtle clinical changes, best practices for assessing body weight and blood pressure, fear-free sample collection techniques, and practical approaches to hydration and nutritional support. The session will also address caregiver burden, polypharmacy, and technician-led communication strategies that support adherence and quality of life. Emphasis will be placed on practical, clinic-ready strategies technicians can implement immediately in daily practice. Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Recognize early and subtle clinical signs of chronic kidney disease in cats through routine patient assessment and trend analysis Apply fear-free handling techniques to improve patient welfare, data quality, and long-term monitoring compliance in cats with CKD Explain key pillars of modern CKD management, including hydration strategies, nutritional considerations, and management of common complications Communicate effectively with caregivers to reduce burden, support adherence, and promote quality of life for cats with chronic kidney disease
About the Speaker
Dr. Autumn Harris is a board-certified veterinary internist and nephrologist at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine’s Small Animal Hospital. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Mississippi State University in 2012, followed by a one-year rotating internship at Kansas State University. Dr. Harris then completed an internal medicine residency and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in nephrology at the University of Florida, where she subsequently served as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine for six years. Dr. Harris later completed a nephrology–urology residency at NC State through the American College of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology and is board-certified in both small animal internal medicine and nephrology–urology. She provides care for a wide range of species with kidney and urinary tract disease and has a particular passion for improving the quality of life of dogs and cats with chronic kidney disease. Her clinical research focuses on advancing the understanding of kidney failure in companion animals, with special emphasis on acid–base balance and its role in optimizing medical management for pets with chronic kidney disease.