This session will be case-based using problem orientated medicine to create differential diagnosis lists and develop diagnostic plans to enable delegates to confidentially approach anaemic cases in a logical and structured manner in the practice setting.

 Topics that will be covered are:

1. The importance of identifying whether an anaemia is regenerative or non-regenerative and how to do it
2. The possible differential diagnoses for regenerative and non-regenerative patients
3. Developing a logical clinical approach to enable an accurate diagnosis to be achieved
4. The treatment options available for different forms of anaemia

This course will be delivered online via teams from 1-5pm.

This session will be case-based using problem orientated medicine to create differential diagnosis lists and develop diagnostic plans to enable delegates to confidentially approach patients with less common endocrine cases in a logical and structured manner in the practice setting.

 Topics that will be covered are:

1. The clinical approach and differential diagnoses for patients with PUPD
2. The clinical approach and differential diagnoses for patients with hypercalcaemia
3. The clinical approach and differential diagnoses for patients with potassium abnormalities
4. The clinical approach and differential diagnoses for patients with diabetic ketoacidosis

This course will be delivered online via teams from 1-5pm.

This one day blended theory and practical course will review the routine and emergency presentations of BOAS, a condition that is increasingly managed in first opinion practice with a huge welfare impact. Objectively determining the severity of the disease to then make appropriate interventions or advise referral with confidence can be challenging for vets and owners, so this will be explored with worked examples. We will then perform modified folding flap palatoplasty, alarplasty combined with alar wing resection and tonsillectomy. The risks of investigating and treating these conditions can be high and temporary tracheostomy and review of complications will also be a focus for the course.

Topics to be covered 

• Routine and emergency presentation BOAS 
• Complications arising from BOAS surgery 
• Surgical procedures for BOAS 
• Emergency temp trach and postop management 

This course is suitable for :

• Veterinary surgeons keen to develop their recognition of clinical BOAS and determine surgical versus non-surgical candidates 
• Veterinary surgeons wishing to become confident in URT diversion for airway occlusion of the larynx  
• Veterinary surgeons performing BOAS surgery or refining their current procedural practice  

How a systematic approach to assessment reduces the stress of these emergencies. An interactive discussion using case-based examples to discuss the use of a systematic and standardized approach to these cases. This will include discussion of Triage in the broad sense of multi-trauma/disease situations followed by assessment of the individual animal.

Delegates will be invited to produce their own algorithm to allow rapid data gathering in the emergency. This process will highlight how approaching stressful situations in a systematic manner will reduce the risk of stress or panic adversely affecting this process.

This course is suitable to all delegates in primary care practice where emergencies are seen. A prior knowledge of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) techniques will be beneficial but not essential.

This course is designed to teach you the technical aspects of common abdominal procedures encountered in general practice. There will be some background theory, but the majority of this will focus on how to perform surgery using one cadaver per two delegates. The course leads will be demonstrating each procedure using a live video feed and additional material will also be provided to guide delegates in a step-by-step way to enable them to confidently complete each surgical procedure.

An interactive discussion of evidence behind CPR, with a focus on the RECOVER guidelines and how to apply these within primary care practice.

Delegates will then practice these skills in a simulation learning environment using dummies and interactive monitoring. Delegates will undertake both team member and ‘leader’ roles during these simulations

Topics to be covered:

- The evidence-base behind CPR in Veterinary

- Practical guidelines on how to implement effective CPR in primary care practice

- The physical requirements of performing effective CPR

This course is suitable for both MRCVS and RVN

Dental and oral diseases are extremely common in small animal practice and are potentially severely painful. In this 1.5 day course Professor Smithson draws on evidence and his experience in both human and veterinary dentistry, to provide a clear, logical approach for dental and oral cases encountered in practice.  

 This highly practical course is essential for all general practitioners – improve your approach and make dentistry a pleasure!  

 Both practical course days devoted to interactive and wet-lab sessions 

• Pre-course webinars illuminate the subject & build understanding 

This course will enable those post-grads with a keen interest in small animal medicine to understand and develop their problem-based approach to challenging cases in primary care practice.

The subject (medicine) benefits from a systemic and thorough approach and this course is designed to demonstrate the fundamental aspects that underpin this approach.

The course will use a variety of interactive case-based studies to demonstrate the method being presented. This will facilitate the development of those key skills used by specialists in small animal internal medicine.

The course will be complimented by additional case-based courses in due course to compliment and reinforce these new skills.

The main objective is to make medicine more rewarding in primary care practice by helping delegates develop a more thorough approach to cases that would almost always be referred.

Dental and oral disease in feline patients is very common and treatment can be challenging.  

 In this course Professor Smithson draws on evidence, and his experience from both human and veterinary dentistry, to provide clear guidance on case approach, diagnosis and treatment for feline dental patients in practice.  

 This highly practical course is essential for all general practitioners providing feline dentistry – elevate your approach and improve dentistry for both yourself and patients! 

• Practical course day devoted to interactive & wet-lab sessions.  
• Pre-course webinars illuminate the subject & build understanding.  

This intermediate level course is a highly practical course based on common orthopaedic conditions of the hindlimb. 

Practical / dissection time will be maximised, and theoretical “teaching” time will be minimised. 

Topics to be covered can be adjusted to suit the delegates learning requirements, depending on class size, disparity of requirements and delegate requests. This will be determined by completion of a pre-course questionnaire and used to define leaning objectives specifically tailored to the delegates.   

Topics to be covered:

- Surgical approach to the feline hip 

- Surgical approach to the feline ilial wing & ilial body 

- Surgical approach to the femur 

- Hip: capital physeal fracture repair, hip luxation stabilisation, femoral head and neck excision arthroplasty 

- Ilial body fracture repair 

- Sacroiliac fracture luxation 

- Femoral diaphyseal fracture repair 

- Distal femoral metaphyseal (supracondylar) fracture repair 

This course is designed to teach you the technical aspects of common head and neck procedures encountered in general practice.  There will be some background theory, but the majority of this course will focus on how to perform each surgery using one cadaver per two delegates.   The course leads will be demonstrating each procedure using live video feed and additional material will also be provided to guide delegates in a step-by-step way to enable them to confidently complete each surgical procedure.

An interactive discussion of point of care ultrasound, with a focus on the application of both abdominal and thoracic focused assessment using sonography for trauma as well as lung ultrasound. This will focus on the application of POCUS in all emergency cases, not just those involving trauma, to allow detailed assessment of the cardio-respiratory system.

Delegates will then have the opportunity to practice obtaining these skills on live animals and develop a systematic approach allowing for rapid assessment of future cases.

Topics to be covered:

- Application of POCUS in the emergency patient using a standardised approach.

- Utility of POCUS in monitoring or carrying out procedures in critical patients.

- The practical application of POCUS

This highly interactive and practical two-day course will focus on how to get the most out of an abdominal ultrasound examination (including small abdominal structures).  Presentations on each body system will consider imaging techniques, normal findings and common pathological changes.  These are followed by practical scanning sessions supported by experienced tutors.   Delegates will have the chance to use a range of ultrasound machines and get plenty of opportunity to practice their technique on a live dogs.  

The course is designed to introduce the subject of palliative medicine based on evidence from both human and veterinary fields. The participants will gain insight into all the basic aspects of palliative medicine (including crisis plans, hospice care, and euthanasia). There will be time for ethical care discussions and the development of practical skills i.e. how to introduce palliative medicine to the practice, as well as making a financial argument for providing palliative medicine.

Topics to be covered:

•  Introduction to palliative medicine. The concept of hospice care. Palliative vs. Curative medicine (they should co-exist).
• Developing a palliative plan. Concept of the crisis plan. Practical approach palliative care.
• Building trust and developing serious disease communication skills.
• Hospice vs. euthanasia.

This course is suitable for: veterinary surgeons, including new graduates, veterinary nurses who would be a part of the palliative medicine team with a vet in the practice.

The course will be run on teams from 1pm to 5pm.

This practical two–day hands-on course will focus on the techniques of both flexible and rigid endoscopy in the dog. The course will provide an overview of selecting and handling endoscopes and cover the techniques used in endoscopy of the upper and lower intestinal tract, the respiratory tract and lower urinary tract. The delegates will enjoy the opportunity to perform endoscopy in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science’s wet lab and enjoy extensive hands-on opportunities over the two days. 

This highly interactive and practical one-day course will focus on how to get the most out of ultrasound machines, and how to image the major abdominal organs and the heart.  Presentations on each body system will consider imaging techniques, normal findings and a brief overview of common pathological changes.  These are followed by practical scanning sessions supported by experienced tutors.  Delegates will have the chance to use a range of ultrasound machines and get plenty of opportunity to practice their technique on live dogs.

If the thought of an eye consult fills you with fear, this day is for you! This highly interactive day will help to build your confidence and develop a logical,  problem-solving approach to common ophthalmic presentations.  The course will include top tips to improve your ophthalmic examination, dealing with ophthalmic emergencies and a case-based approach to corneal ulcers and other common ophthalmic presentations.

This practical one day course will focus on the generation and interpretation of basic cardiac ultrasound images in the dog. The course will provide an overview of the equipment and facilities needed and cover the techniques used in the generation and interpretation of right parasternal long and short axis echocardiographic images.  The delegates will enjoy the opportunity to carry our echocardiography in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science's teaching laboratory with a significant proportion of the time dedicated to "hands-on" echo.

How to Approach and Manage Patients with Chronic Gastrointestinal Upset

This session will be case-based using problem orientated medicine to create differential diagnosis lists and develop diagnostic plans to enable delegates to confidentially approach patients with, or suspected to have, chronic gastrointestinal disease in a logical and structured manner in the practice setting.

 Topics that will be covered are:

1. How to approach patients with chronic vomiting and/or diarrhoea
2. The possible differential diagnoses for patients with chronic gastrointestinal upset
3. Developing a logical clinical approach to enable an accurate diagnosis to be achieved
4. The treatment options available for different forms of gastrointestinal disease.                        

 This course will be delivered online via teams from 1-5pm.

Overview: This one-day course is designed to introduce the discipline of rigid endoscopy into your small animal general practice. The course will provide an overview of the specialty, including information regarding what equipment and instrumentation is required and how this can be used to expand and advance your current diagnostic capabilities. 

 This hands-on, wet-lab cadaveric course will be highly practical and will have a low delegate to demonstrator ratio making it the ideal opportunity to learn and practise the different diagnostic and therapeutic uses of the rigid endoscopy in small animal practice.  

 Topics to be covered:  

• Equipment and instrumentation 
• Rhinoscopy 
• Urethrovaginocystoscopy 
• Otoscopy 
• Rhinoscopy 
• Laparoscopy
• Thoracoscopy 

Overview:

This highly practical one-day course will focus on the surgical management of laryngeal paralysis in the dog and cat. The course will be very practical in nature and will take place in the wet lab of the centre. All surgical procedures will be demonstrated before delegates are given the opportunity to perform each procedure for themselves. Where appropriate the course will also include a number of explanatory seminars/tutorials.

Topics to be covered:

 Diagnosis of laryngeal paralysis

• Surgical anatomy of the larynx
• Surgical management of idiopathic laryngeal paralysis
• Comparison of the disease and its management between the dog and cat

Overview:

This highly practical one-day course will focus on the surgical management of urethral obstruction in the cat. The course will be very practical in nature and will take place in the wet lab of the centre. All surgical procedures will be demonstrated before delegates are given the opportunity to perform each procedure for themselves. Where appropriate the course will also include explanatory seminars/tutorials.

Topics to be covered:

 Surgical anatomy urogenital tract in the male cat

• Diagnosis and emergency management options for urethral obstruction in cats
• How to place a tube cystostomy
• When and how to perform a perineal urethrostomy

How to Approach, Diagnose and Manage Patients with Hepatobiliary Disease

This session will be case-based using problem orientated medicine to create differential diagnosis lists and develop diagnostic plans to enable delegates to confidentially approach patients with, or suspected to have, hepatobiliary disease in a logical and structured manner in the practice setting.

 Topics that will be covered are:

1. The importance of identifying when hepatobiliary disease is and is not present
2. The possible differential diagnoses for elevations in serum hepatobiliary markers
3. Developing a logical clinical approach to enable an accurate diagnosis to be achieved
4. The treatment options available for different forms of hepatobiliary disease

This course will be delivered online via teams from 1-5pm.