Editor’s Note: Since this article was published, the ColiCare program has been upgraded to provide up to $15,000 in colic surgery reimbursement. Click here to learn more.
Held in the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado, this year’s American Association of Equine Practitioners 65th Annual Convention & Tradeshow stood out for a number of reasons.
5,443 . . . Total Attendees
The 2019 attendance was higher than last year’s meeting in San Francisco (5,156 registered) and the 2017 meeting in San Antonio (5,344 registered) Did your veterinarian attend? From right to left: Dr. Gray, Viviane Pilicy (SmartPak ColiCare & Marketing Coordinator), and two happy veterinary attendees.
340 . . . Exhibitors
Of all the vendors in the trade show, Dr. Gray’s favorite was The Parasight System™ because of the lifesize poop emoji in their booth.
317 . . . Veterinary Students
From hands-on labs to case study competition presentations, and from Lunch & Learn with the experts to Career Night, 317 vet students from around the world took a break from classes and rotations to become more familiar with the products and services they’ll be using and recommending once they graduate.
137.5 . . . Hours of CE
Over the course of four days, veterinarians listened to presentations and participated in round tables on a wide variety of topics. Dr. Gray made it to these sessions:
• Developments in Endocrine and Metabolic Conditions in Horses
• Three-Dimensional Kinematic Motion Analysis of Shivers in Horses: A Pilot Study
• Equine Abuse and Neglect
10 . . . .SmartPak Prizes
To celebrate the increase in ColiCare reimbursement to $10,000, we gave away 10 ColiCare jackets each day to 10 lucky veterinarians whose names were pulled out of a bag. It drew quite a crowd!
Plans are already underway to attend next year’s AAEP Annual Convention will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada!
Lydia F. Gray, DVM, MA SmartPak Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director Dr. Lydia Gray has earned a Bachelor of Science in agriculture, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and a Master of Arts focusing on interpersonal and organizational communication. After “retiring” from private practice, she put her experience and education to work as the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s first-ever Director of Owner Education. Dr. Gray continues to provide health and nutrition information to horse owners through her position at SmartPak, through publication in more than a dozen general and trade publications, and through presentations around the country. She is the very proud owner of a Trakehner named Newman that she actively competes with in dressage and combined driving. In addition to memberships in the USDF and USEF, Dr. Gray is also a member of the Illinois Dressage and Combined Training Association (IDCTA). She is a USDF “L” Program Graduate and is currently working on her Bronze Medal. Find Dr. Gray on Google+
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