Companion Animal Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Control
2026 - 2027 Seminar Series
Please use this page to register to join all three of the fall 2026 CAAMS seminars! Note, this option is only available to ISCAID members.
September 28, 2026; 1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern
Antimicrobial stewardship in the management of otitis
Otitis is one of the top indications for antimicrobial prescribing in companion animal practice, and clinical management of otitis externa and media presents multiple opportunities for antimicrobial stewardship. This seminar will explore these opportunities, including diagnostic methods such as cytological assessment and bacterial culture with antimicrobial susceptibility testing, as well as the therapeutic approach – targeted antimicrobial selection, management of inflammation, identification/control of underlying causes, and treatment duration. Non-antibiotic approaches to the management of otitis externa, such as topical antiseptics/corticosteroids, ear cleansing, and antimicrobial peptides, will be discussed. Challenges to antimicrobial stewardship in clinical practice and knowledge gaps for further research will also be presented.
Presented by: Christine Cain, DVM, DACVD
Dr. Christine Cain is an associate professor of dermatology and allergy at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from The Ohio State University, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2006, followed by a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. She then completed a residency in dermatology and allergy at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine and achieved board certification from the American College of Veterinary Dermatology in 2010. Her clinical and research interests include infectious disease, particularly staphylococcal infections (epidemiology, clinical management, and antimicrobial stewardship), and immune-mediated disease. She was a co-author for the antimicrobial use guidelines for canine pyoderma by the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.
October 26, 2026; 1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern
Old Habits Die Hard: Top 5 Antimicrobial Use Dogmas to Erase from Your Mind
Have you ever questioned what you were taught regarding antimicrobial prescribing? While intentions may be good, we have all at some point inherited prescribing practices that are not evidence-based. In this session, the speaker will highlight common prescribing myths and arm you with the evidence needed to convince yourself and colleagues to change course.
Presented by: Ian DeStefano, DVM, DACVECC
Dr. DeStefano is an Assistant Clinical Professor of emergency and critical care at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Dr. DeStefano received his veterinary degree from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, then completed a rotating small animal internship. He worked for several years as an emergency clinician at a busy private practice before pursuing residency training in emergency and critical care at Tufts. He co-chairs the hospital Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship Team (ICAST) at Tufts and has great interest in many aspects of infectious disease, including antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control.
December 14, 2026; 1:00 - 2:00 pm Eastern
From Infection to Microbial Dysbiosis: Rethinking our approach to Antimicrobial Stewardship
Our understanding of the role of microbes in health and disease is evolving from a traditional focus on individual pathogens toward recognition of complex microbial communities and dysbiosis. This session will explore how rich and diverse microbiomes are essential for health, how antimicrobials and other factors trigger dysbiosis, and how this is associated with inflammatory and other conditions. We will consider how shifting from an “infection” to a “dysbiosis” mindset changes diagnostic and treatment decisions. This is especially important in reducing antimicrobial use, improving antimicrobial stewardship and preserving healthy microbiomes while maintaining effective patient care.
Presented by: Tim Nuttall, BVSc, BSc, CertVD, CBiol, MIBiol, PhD, MRCVS
Dr. Tim Nuttall graduated from the University of Bristol in 1992 and originally joined the Dick Vet in 1995 to train in dermatology and study for a PhD on canine atopic dermatitis. He joined the University of Liverpool in 2001, developing a dermatology clinic that now sees over 1000 cases each year. In August 2013 he returned to the Dick Vet as Head of Dermatology. The clinic sees a wide range of skin problems in dogs, cats, exotic species, horses and farm animals. Facilities and expertise include CO2 and Ho:YAG lasers, video-otoscopy, allergy testing and allergen specific immunotherapy, and managing antimicrobial resistant infections.
Tim has written over 100 clinical and scientific publications, co-authored A Colour Handbook of Skin Diseases of the Dog and Cat, and presented over 150 lectures throughout the world. In addition, Tim has served on RCVS, BSAVA, ESVD and DEFRA scientific committees, the International Committee on Atopic Diseases in Animals, is a scientific advisor to the Bella Moss Foundation and is on the editorial board of Veterinary Dermatology. He has served on the Controlling Antimicrobial Resistance in Scotland (CARS) Steering Group and is a member of the Scottish Veterinary Antimicrobial Prescribing Group and Scottish Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Group. He also had an active research program, studying antimicrobial resistance, skin infections and the genetics of canine atopic dermatitis. In 2014 he received the BSAVA Woodrow Award for outstanding contributions to veterinary medicine.