Title: “Shockingly Subtle: Recognizing and Managing Shock in Small Animal Patients”

Synopsis: Shock is one of the most common and most misunderstood emergencies in small animal medicine. While the textbook signs of “cold, pale, and weak pulses” are classic, many patients, especially feline patients, present with far more subtle or even paradoxical findings. This lecture will provide a practical, systems-based approach to recognizing, classifying, and treating shock in both dogs and cats. Attendees will learn how to use simple clinical tools—heart rate, pulse quality, mentation, lactate, and blood pressure trends—to identify the type and severity of shock, initiate and guide goal-directed resuscitation, and avoid common pitfalls. Emphasis will be placed on what can be done in a general practice setting before referral or intensive care, including fluid strategies, use of vasopressors, monitoring endpoints, and when to suspect occult causes such as sepsis or cardiogenic disease. This case-based discussion will demystify shock recognition and management, bridging pathophysiology and real-world decision making in the general practice to improve survival outcomes in unstable patients.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize early and late clinical signs of the three major types of shock, hypovolemic, distributive, and cardiogenic, in dogs and cats.
2. Differentiate compensated vs decompensated shock and understand the pathophysiologic progression that makes timing of intervention critical.
3. Formulate an initial stabilization plan, including evidence-based choices for fluid therapy, oxygen support, and adjunctive therapies.
4. Select key diagnostic and monitoring parameters to guide ongoing therapy and identify response to treatment.
5. Identify red flags and referral thresholds – when continued management in general practice is appropriate and when advanced critical care is indicated.

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