Feline Medicine 2010

with Carolyn O'Brien, Sarah Caney, Richard Malik, Andy Sparkes

Enrolment

Cats are becoming increasingly popular pets and the provision of veterinary services specifically aimed at these patients is in high demand. This course is designed for those veterinarians who have a special interest in all things feline and want to further develop their understanding of why cats are not just small dogs. This extensive course was written by Andy Sparkes, Richard Malik, and Carolyn O’Brien and will be co-tutored in 2010 by Sarah Caney as well. Andy, Richard, Carolyn and Sarah will share knowledge gained through years of experience and review the current literature to bring you up to date with the latest developments in this fascinating field. Feline diseases can be challenging to both diagnose and treat. This course will improve your skills and confidence in dealing with these often enigmatic patients.

Key benefits

• review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of common feline disease
• expand your knowledge of unusual feline conditions
• get practical advice that will increase your confidence in handling feline patients
• review important developments in feline medicine
• understand key differences when dealing with certain disease conditions in cats versus dogs

Tutors

Dr Carolyn O'Brien
BVSc (Hons) MVetClinStud FACVS (Feline Medicine)

Carolyn O'Brien is a registered specialist in feline medicine. She graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1994 and worked in private practice both in Melbourne and the United Kingdom for the first five years of her veterinary career. Carolyn then commenced a residency in small animal medicine at the University of Sydney in 2000. She concurrently completed a Masters in veterinary clinical studies in the epidemiology and treatment of cryptococcosis in cats and dogs. After her residency she stayed on at the University of Sydney as a senior registrar for a year and then moved to the Veterinary Specialist Centre in North Ryde, where she spent six months as an emergency and critical care veterinarian. Carolyn gained her fellowship qualifications in 2004 and was previously a senior registrar in small animal medicine at the University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinic and Hospital. She loves all areas of feline medicine, but is particularly interested in the critical care of feline patients, infectious diseases and cardiology. Carolyn has recently commenced a PhD investigating mycobacterial diseases.

Prof Richard Malik
DVSc DipVetAn MVetClinStud PhD FACVSc FASM

Richard graduated from the University of Sydney in January 1981. He completed a PhD in the Department of Pharmacology at the John Curtin School of Medical Research(ANU). Richard then moved to the Neurobiology Research Centre at the University of Sydney. In 1987 he returned to the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences as its first Resident in Small Animal Medicine and remained in the vet school in varying capacities for 16 years. Richard is currently the Valentine Charlton Specialist at the Centre for Veterinary Education. Richard passed his FACVSc in Medicine of Cats in 1991 and is a registered specialist in feline medicine and small animal medicine. Although interested in all facets of small animal medicine, he is particularly interested in infectious diseases, neurology, cardiology and genetically transmitted diseases. Recently he has become interested in the best way to feed cats for health and longevity and toxicological disorders of cats, especially permethrin toxicity. Richard has wide research interests, including mycobacterial infections and fungal disease(especially cryptococcosis). He is also interested in diseases of wildlife.

Dr Sarah Caney
BVSc PhD DSAM (Feline) MRCVS

Sarah is a 1993 graduate of the University of Bristol where she also did her residency in feline medicine and PhD. She is an RCVS specialist in feline medicine and currently is doing a range of freelance work which includes private first opinion and referral feline medicine, clinical trials, writing books and articles and consultancy work. Sarah is especially interested in the care of geriatric cats. Sarah's books Caring for a Cat with Kidney Failure and Caring for a Blind Cat are published in paperback and electronic formats, and are available from her website Cat Professional Ltd. (See Sarah's page in our Publications section.) She has also co-written a book on feline medicine with Andy Sparkes (Self Assessment Colour Review in Feline Medicine, published by Manson). Sarah works closely with the United Kingdom cat charity, the Feline Advisory Bureau and is the secretary of the European Society of Feline Medicine.

Dr Andy Sparkes
BVetMed PhD DipECVIM MRCVS

Andy Sparkes graduated from the Royal Veterinary College (University of London) in 1983, and after a period of four years in general practice joined the staff of the University of Bristol as an intern in feline medicine in 1987. Following completion of the internship in 1988, Andy was appointed to a two-year clinical/paraclinical position at the University (Solvay-Duphar Feline Fellow), and then went on to a research appointment from 1990 to 1993, which led to the successful completion of a PhD (awarded in 1993). In that year Andy was appointed as a lecturer in feline medicine in the Department of Clinical Veterinary Science at the University of Bristol, a position funded by the Feline Advisory Bureau (a UK-based charity dedicated to promoting the health and welfare of cats). In 1999 he was promoted to senior lecturer in feline medicine and then in the summer of 2000 Andy moved to the Animal Health Trust near Newmarket in the UK to take up a position as the head of their feline unit with responsibilities for clinical referral work and clinical research. Andy has published widely in the field of feline medicine, and is diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. He is a recognised specialist in feline medicine (by the RCVS) and is also currently editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, an international journal launched by WB Saunders in 1999.

Enquiries

Please contact the course coordinator.