Ahead of the 2026 AVMA Convention, dvm360 editors reviewed the program to identify sessions addressing some of the profession’s biggest challenges and emerging areas of interest, from economic pressures and workforce issues to infectious disease preparedness, policy, translational research, and clinical advances. This guide highlights notable sessions across practice areas, including some that may be easy to overlook amid a packed conference schedule.

The biggest issues shaping veterinary medicine

When Cost Shapes Care: What Veterinarians Are Experiencing Across America

Robyn Ann Jaynes, DVM & Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS
Saturday, July 11

Affordability challenges are affecting how veterinary professionals approach treatment recommendations and client conversations. This session provides data on how financial limitations are influencing care decisions nationwide and explores the practical challenges of implementing spectrum-of-care approaches in everyday practice.

Why it’s worth watching:
As veterinary professionals continue navigating the tension between medical recommendations and clients’ financial realities, understanding how affordability affects care delivery is increasingly important.

Pets, Poverty and Access to Care

Jon M. Geller, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline) Emeritus, MPH
Saturday, July 11
This session examines how socioeconomic factors influence access to companion animal care and the human-animal bond. Drawing from original research on pet owners with limited financial resources, the presentation explores how cost of care, housing instability, and other structural barriers affect veterinary care decisions while discussing spectrum-of-care strategies and approaches to improving access.

Why it’s worth watching: Access to veterinary care is shaped by economic realities, community resources, and the challenges pet owners face when seeking treatment, making this session an important discussion on the systemic barriers affecting care delivery and potential paths forward.

Is Pet Ownership a Luxury? Socioeconomic Status, Access to Care, and the Human-Animal Bond

George Edward Robinson, DVM, MSPH
Saturday, July 11

This session explores the relationship between socioeconomic status, veterinary care access, and the human-animal bond. It examines how financial circumstances can influence pet ownership experiences and access to veterinary services.

Why it’s worth watching:
The human-animal bond exists across socioeconomic backgrounds, and this session examines how veterinary teams can better support pet owners facing barriers to care.

One Health, emerging threats & preparedness

Overview of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in Domestic Cats in the United States, 2024-2025

Allison K. Joyce, MSc; Lizette O. Durand, VMD, PhD, DACVPM; Jamie L. Middleton, DVM, MPH
Saturday, July 11

This panel will review the detection, investigation, and management of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) infections in domestic cats. Speakers will discuss clinical signs veterinarians should recognize, diagnostic and epidemiological considerations, appropriate personal protective equipment, occupational exposure risks, and findings from investigations and surveys involving veterinary professionals.

Why it’s worth watching:
H5N1 infections in cats have raised growing concerns for veterinary teams, with severe and often fatal disease reported in affected cats and cases linked to exposures from infected wildlife, raw milk, raw meat, and contaminated raw pet food products.

Taking the Fight to New World Screwworm: The Role of Veterinary Professionals

Amber Headen, DVM; Colin Albert Basler, DVM, et al.
Sunday, July 12

This session will provide an overview of the coordinated federal response to New World screwworm (NWS), including efforts by the USDA, CDC, and FDA to strengthen detection, preparedness, and response. Speakers will discuss clinical signs of NWS myiasis in animals, reporting requirements, surveillance efforts, treatment and prevention options, and the role veterinary professionals play in early detection of this reportable foreign animal disease.

Why it’s worth watching:
NWS recently returned to the US for the first time since the 1960s. With at least 32 confirmed NWS myiasis cases reported in US animals, including two dogs, veterinarians should be prepared to recognize, report, and respond to a disease with implications for animal health, public health, and agriculture.

Silent Spreaders: Preparing Veterinary Teams for the Next Superbug

Christy A. King, DVM, MPH
Sunday, July 12

This session will examine carbapenem-resistant organisms (CROs), multidrug-resistant pathogens that pose challenges for diagnosis, treatment, and infection control in veterinary settings. Speakers will discuss how to recognize CRO infections, implement infection prevention and control strategies, develop response plans, and apply lessons from real-world cases involving limited treatment options.

Why it’s worth watching:
As antimicrobial resistance continues to evolve, veterinary hospitals need strategies to identify and contain emerging threats before they spread.

Clinical sessions with practical takeaways

Uses and Mis-uses of NT-proBNP as a Screening Test for Feline Cardiomyopathies

Will P. Rausch, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology)
Friday, July 10

This session will explore the role of NT-proBNP as a screening tool for feline heart disease, including its appropriate uses, limitations, and how it can be interpreted alongside other clinical findings. Speakers will discuss strategies for using biomarkers to support more informed decisions when evaluating cats at risk for cardiomyopathies.

Why it’s worth watching:
Feline heart disease is challenging to detect, with many cases going largely unnoticed until cats present with advanced disease or congestive heart failure, making this session relevant for learning how to strategically to improve screening and decision-making in feline patients.

How to Place Peripheral & Central Lines

Amy Newfield, CVT, MS, VTS (ECC)

Sunday, July 12

This session provides a practical review of peripheral and central catheter placement techniques, including how to place intravenous catheters, select appropriate central line options, and maintain vascular access devices. The presentation will also cover taping methods and current best practices for catheter care.

Why it’s worth watching:
Procedural skills sessions can provide immediate takeaways for veterinary technicians, nurses, and clinicians managing complex cases.

Beating the Heat: Saving Dogs from Heat Stroke

Erik Zager, DVM, DACVECC
Saturday, July 11

This session will examine heat stroke as a systemic, life-threatening emergency that can lead to multi-organ dysfunction and failure. Speakers will review the pathophysiology of heat stroke, clinical signs, diagnostic findings, treatment strategies, cooling methods, supportive care, and prognostic indicators to help veterinary teams recognize and manage affected patients.

Why it’s worth watching:
Heat stroke cases increase during the summer months, with reports showing a 279% rise in cases across North America during warmer periods, making this session relevant for veterinarians with patients presenting with this life-threatening emergency.

Research, innovation & easy-to-miss sessions

Rodent Cancer Research: Trends, Therapies, and Translational Breakthroughs

Carolyn Malinowski, MS, DVM, DACLAM, CMAR, CPIA

Friday, July 10

This session will explore the role of animal models in advancing cancer research, from understanding disease biology to developing new treatment approaches. Speakers will discuss current trends in oncology research, the use of animal models in the bench-to-bedside process, and emerging cancer therapies being investigated to improve outcomes for both animal and human patients.

Why it’s worth watching:
Translational research continues to create connections between veterinary oncology, biomedical research, and human health.

Reflecting and Looking Forward: Where Will the Future of Anthrozoology and Animal Assisted Interventions Take Us?

Aubrey Fine, EdD
Sunday, July 12

This session will explore the evolution and future of anthrozoology—the interdisciplinary study of relationships between humans and animals—and animal-assisted interventions, which involve the intentional inclusion of animals to support human health, well-being, education, or social outcomes. Speakers will discuss how these fields have developed over the past 50 years, including key milestones, ongoing challenges, and the role of research, education, policy, and professional standards in shaping their future. The session will also highlight opportunities for veterinarians and other professionals to advance evidence-based practices that strengthen the human-animal bond while prioritizing animal welfare.

Why it’s worth watching:
An easy-to-miss session that examines a broader question: how veterinary professionals contribute to the human-animal bond beyond traditional clinical care.

A Guinea Pig, A Goose, and A Gecko Walk Into a Shelter: Preparing for Exotic Companion Species in Shelter Medicine

Andrea M Winkel, DVM, MPH Alicia R McLaughlin, DVM, DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal), CertAqV Jennifer C Bennett, DVM, MS, CAWA

Saturday, July 11

This session will explore the challenges of caring for exotic companion species in animal shelter settings, including small mammals, birds, and reptiles that may require specialized husbandry, nutrition, and medical care. Speakers will discuss strategies for improving shelter preparedness, from intake and housing to triage and treatment, while sharing practical approaches for meeting the welfare needs of exotic animals within shelter resource limitations. The session will also highlight opportunities for collaboration between shelters and private practices to strengthen care for these often-overlooked species.

Why it’s worth watching:
As more exotic companion animals enter shelters and humane organizations, veterinary teams need practical tools to recognize their unique welfare needs and provide appropriate care to species beyond dogs and cats.

Policy, legal & profession-wide challenges

Veterinary Voices in Policy Spaces: From Rural Large Animal Clinics to Capitol Hill

Dilara Kiran, DVM, MS

Sunday, July 12

This session will explore the relationship between veterinary medicine and public policy, examining how decisions at the local, state, and federal levels influence issues such as practice regulations, agricultural programs, workforce challenges, and student debt. Speakers will discuss opportunities for veterinarians to engage in advocacy, provide resources for getting involved, and share strategies for turning professional expertise and community concerns into meaningful policy action.

Why it’s worth watching:
Policy decisions can shape the future of veterinary medicine, from how care is delivered to how the profession addresses workforce and access challenges, making engagement an important professional skill.

The Incredi-Laws: 2026 Super Legal Topics You Should Know

Priscilla E. Bowens, DVM, MPH, JD & Karla Rodgers, BS, MS, SHRM-CP, PHR, CDP, CCMA

Sunday, July 12

This session will provide an overview of recent federal and state legal developments affecting veterinary medicine, including changes related to telehealth, mid-level practitioners, employment law, non-compete agreements, artificial intelligence, animal rights, and other emerging issues. Speakers will discuss how evolving regulations and legal trends may influence practice operations, workforce management, and decision-making, while using case studies to help attendees apply these concepts in real-world settings.

Why it’s worth watching:
The legal landscape surrounding veterinary medicine continues to change, creating new challenges and considerations for practice leaders and veterinary teams. This session can help attendees stay informed on key legal trends, understand how they may affect daily practice decisions, and gain strategies for navigating workforce and management issues in an evolving regulatory environment.

An Essential Economic Update for Veterinary Leaders

Katelyn McCullock, MS & Chris Doherty, DVM
Sunday, July 12

This session provides an overview of the economic trends shaping veterinary practices, including workforce demographics, market conditions, and key indicators of the profession’s financial health. Drawing from recent AVMA research, including the Pet Demographics Survey, Graduating Senior Survey, Census of Veterinarians, and Practice Owner Survey, the presentation examines how economic data can inform practice management and strategic decision-making.

Why it’s worth watching:
Economic pressures continue to influence how veterinary practices operate, making this session a valuable look at the data leaders need to navigate workforce trends, market shifts, and future planning.