Cats, Cases, and Cutting-Edge Care: Cornell's Fred Scott Feline Symposium Returns This July

If feline medicine is your passion, one of the year's biggest educational events is just around the corner.

The Cornell Feline Health Center at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is hosting the 38th Annual Fred Scott Feline Symposium from July 24–26, 2026, bringing together some of the world's leading feline experts for three days of practical, evidence-based continuing education. Available both in person and virtually, the symposium is designed for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary students looking to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving world of feline medicine.

Attendees can earn up to 15½ hours of continuing education credit while exploring topics that range from infectious diseases and diagnostic pathology to diabetes management, emergency imaging, shelter medicine, endocrinology, and feline behavior.

Named in honor of the late Dr. Fred Scott, a pioneer whose work helped shape modern feline medicine, the symposium continues its long-standing tradition of combining world-class education with opportunities for collaboration among veterinary professionals dedicated to improving the lives of cats.

H5N1, Cancer Cytology, and Shelter Medicine Kick Off Day One

The symposium opens with an impressive lineup of sessions focused on some of the hottest topics in feline practice today.

Highlights include an update from the Cornell Feline Health Center Feline H5N1 Surveillance Consortium, where attendees will hear the latest developments in ongoing surveillance efforts and emerging research surrounding avian influenza in cats.

Clinical pathology takes center stage with sessions like Through the Eye of the Objective: It's Not Only About the Numbers, helping clinicians look beyond laboratory values to better interpret blood smears, while Fun with Cancer Cytology: The Usual and the Unusual explores practical approaches to diagnosing both common and uncommon feline cancers.

Shelter medicine experts will also discuss the evolution of high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN)programs and how modern techniques continue to improve feline welfare and access to care.

For veterinarians who enjoy solving diagnostic puzzles, Clawing for a Diagnosis: Interactive Feline Gross Pathologyoffers an engaging case-based experience using real pathology specimens to strengthen diagnostic reasoning.

Diabetes Takes Center Stage

Few areas of feline medicine have changed as dramatically in recent years as diabetes management, and Day Two is dedicated to helping clinicians stay current.

Sessions cover abdominal, thoracic, and musculoskeletal imaging for feline emergencies before diving into one of today's most exciting clinical topics:

• Is It Time to Discuss Feline Prediabetes?

• SGLT2 Inhibitor Use for Feline Diabetes (Parts I & II)

• Feline Diabetes Remission: The BIG Picture

With new therapeutic options changing how veterinarians approach diabetic cats, these lectures promise practical takeaways clinicians can immediately implement in practice.

Endocrinology and Behavior Wrap Up the Weekend

The symposium concludes with presentations exploring endocrine disorders and feline behavior.

Topics include adrenal gland disease, acromegaly-associated diabetes, and strategies for supporting newly adopted cats as they transition into their forever homes.

The behavioral sessions emphasize improving both feline welfare and the human-animal bond—an increasingly important aspect of companion animal practice.

A Faculty of Leaders in Feline Medicine

The speaker roster includes nationally recognized experts representing multiple specialties, including:

• Dr. Bruce Kornreich, Director of the Cornell Feline Health Center and cardiologist

• Dr. Erin Henry, Assistant Clinical Professor of Shelter Medicine

• Dr. Tracy Stokol, Professor of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences

• Dr. Thomas Schermerhorn of Kansas State University

• Dr. Gary Whittaker, James Law Professor of Virology

• Dr. Ryan Taylor, Assistant Clinical Professor

• Dr. Assaf Lerer, Assistant Clinical Professor

• Dr. Matthew Mason, Animal Trainer with Cornell's Duffield Institute for Animal Behavior

More Than Just Lectures

Beyond the classroom, attendees will have opportunities to participate in exclusive member programming, wellness activities, networking events, hospital tours, and guided visits through Cornell's radiation oncology facilities.

One of the weekend's standout social events will be the Cats, Wildlife and Us Dinner, hosted at the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, offering attendees a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues in an unforgettable setting.

"The Fred Scott Feline Symposium reflects the Cornell Feline Health Center's commitment to advancing feline medicine through education, research, and collaboration," said Dr. Bruce Kornreich, Director of the Cornell Feline Health Center. "By bringing together experts from across disciplines, we aim to provide veterinary professionals with practical knowledge they can immediately apply in clinical practice while fostering meaningful discussions about the future of feline healthcare."

Register Now

Whether you practice exclusively with cats or see feline patients as part of a mixed companion animal caseload, the Fred Scott Feline Symposium offers timely, clinically relevant education that can immediately enhance patient care.

Registration is now open for both in-person and virtual attendance.

For the complete agenda, speaker information, and registration details, visit www.cornellfelinesymposium.org.