Canine Pheochromocytoma

image of Online Vet Training instructor Yi Cui Yi Cui, DVM, Dip ECVIM-ca
Available on April 14, 2026
Course includes:
icon of dog
Duration: 1 hour

Diagnosis and Management

This webinar is available from April 15 2026.

This webinar focuses on pheochromocytoma, a rare but potentially life-threatening neuroendocrine tumor arising from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. The session explains the pathophysiology of catecholamine production and how excessive secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine leads to a wide range of often episodic and nonspecific clinical signs. Because of its variable presentation, pheochromocytoma is often referred to as a “great pretender” in veterinary medicine.

Participants will learn how to recognize the cardiovascular, neurological, and systemic manifestations associated with the disease, including hypertension, tachyarrhythmias, collapse, weakness, and behavioral changes. The webinar also provides a structured diagnostic approach, covering laboratory findings, blood pressure assessment, imaging techniques such as abdominal ultrasound and CT, and the interpretation of hormonal testing including plasma free normetanephrines and urine normetanephrine-to-creatinine ratios.

In addition, the session reviews therapeutic strategies, including pre-operative stabilization, medical management with alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockers, and surgical treatment of adrenal tumors. Potential perioperative complications and prognosis are discussed, and clinical case material is used to illustrate practical decision-making in dogs suspected of having pheochromocytoma.

image of Online Vet Training instructor Yi Cui Yi Cui, DVM, Dip ECVIM-ca

Yi completed her veterinary studies and internship in 2013 at the University of Ghent and obtained her specialization in Internal Medicine in 2019 in Giessen (Germany). She then worked as a clinical supervisor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Giessen.

Yi built an extensive academic career in various university hospitals. She had the opportunity to work with renowned professors in her field at the universities of Ghent, Utrecht and Bern, each time in the role of specialist in Internal Medicine. In 2022, she worked for a year at the largest private veterinary clinic in Hong Kong, where she became acquainted with the ins and outs of practice outside the university.

Exploring new environments, learning from and working with different experts and experiencing new cultures was always central and essential to her personal growth. That is why she decided to explore the world, together with her partner, their adorable cat Nidalee and adventurous dog Harper, bit by bit, country by country. Yi has been working online since 2023, as a consultant for primary care veterinarians on challenging cases and as a lecturer for various courses in her field. She also remains practically active through locums in clinics around the world. She supplements this with volunteer work at various local animal shelters.


Yi schloss 2013 ihr Studium der Tiermedizin sowie ihr Internship an der Universität Gent ab und erlangte 2019 ihre Spezialisierung in der Inneren Medizin in Gießen (Deutschland). Anschließend arbeitete sie als klinische Supervisorin in der Abteilung für Innere Medizin an der Universität Gießen.

Yi baute eine umfangreiche akademische Laufbahn an verschiedenen Universitätskliniken auf. Sie hatte die Möglichkeit, mit renommierten Professorinnen und Professoren ihres Fachgebiets an den Universitäten Gent, Utrecht und Bern zusammenzuarbeiten, jeweils in der Funktion als Spezialistin für Innere Medizin. Im Jahr 2022 arbeitete sie ein Jahr lang in der größten privaten Tierklinik in Hongkong, wo sie wertvolle Einblicke in die Arbeit außerhalb des universitären Umfelds gewann.

Das Erkunden neuer Umgebungen, das Lernen von und Arbeiten mit unterschiedlichen Expertinnen und Experten sowie das Erleben neuer Kulturen waren stets zentrale Elemente ihrer persönlichen Entwicklung. Aus diesem Grund entschied sie sich, gemeinsam mit ihrem Partner, ihrer Katze Nidalee und ihrem abenteuerlustigen Hund Harper die Welt Schritt für Schritt, Land für Land, zu bereisen. Seit 2023 arbeitet Yi online als Beraterin für Erstlinien-Tierärztinnen und -Tierärzte bei komplexen Fällen sowie als Referentin für verschiedene Fortbildungen in ihrem Fachgebiet. Zudem bleibt sie durch Vertretungstätigkeiten in Tierkliniken weltweit praktisch tätig und ergänzt dies durch ehrenamtliche Arbeit in lokalen Tierschutzorganisationen.

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