Continuing Education

There are numerous myths surrounding canine aggression. Many veterinarians do not feel confident providing advice to owners about an aggressive dog. Without appropriate advice, owners may seek help from the internet or other sources that may be unreliable or not evidence based. As a result, animal welfare can be severely compromised, and human and animal safety can be at risk.

Lacerations are very common in horses. There are myriad ways to handle them and often we get stuck in our ways. This course aims to briefly review the basics but then expand to cover assessment, debridement, closure, stabilisation, monitoring, complications and managing expectations. The emphasis is on trying to push the boundaries to some degree on options so you feel confident to try some new things in handling this common injury in horses and achieve improved outcomes.

This course aims to help you get the best out of your histopathology submissions, including how to optimize your biopsies, fix them appropriately and avoid annoying artefacts which can lead to non-diagnostic samples. Practical advice on how to approach particularly challenging samples, such as limb amputations, spleens and large tumours, is covered. The course also provides critical information on to include on the submission form, how tumour margins are assessed, and an insight into what happens in a histology laboratory.

Neurology is often considered a challenging specialty. It is therefore often assumed that neurology cases can only be managed in specialty referral hospitals. In contrast to popular belief, many small animal neurology patients can however be successfully managed in a first opinion setting. Recognizing the neurological nature and characterizing the clinical problem are the most important aspects of clinical neurology. During this course we hope to break down some of the barriers associated with neurology. We will discuss the absolute minimum of neuro-anatomy you should know, how to perform a neuro-exam in practice, and how to recognize the most likely differential diagnoses without expensive and advanced diagnostics. The concept of problem-based clinical reasoning will be central in answering the most important clinical questions. This course is aimed at primary care veterinary clinicians that don’t feel comfortable assessing neurology patients in practice.

Many veterinarians, when confronted with an avian patient, feel out of their depth and uncomfortable – perhaps feeling that their level of knowledge about these unique patients somehow makes them unqualified to approach them with confidence. This course aims to not only provide veterinary staff with the information they need to work up an avian patient, but also to help them realise that it is simply an extension of the principles they have already been taught (and use every day) in the assessment of patients of (more orthodox) species. This course is aimed at graduate veterinarians, veterinary nurses and technicians, and veterinary students.

Confident you have a sound understanding of the differences between dogs and cats in their nutritional requirements? There is diminished awareness in the veterinary profession of the special nutritional characteristics of dogs and cats due to the widespread feeding of commercial foods to dogs and cats over the last four decades. Despite commercial foods having been formulated to meet the known nutrient requirements of dogs and cats which has ensured good nutritional health, there are still circumstances where malnutrition of these species can occur.

This TimeOnline Course is intended to provide participants with a set of skills to improve their capacity to conduct in- house cytopathology as an adjunct to canine and feline case management. You will be taken through a transitional and streamlined program starting with cytopathological specimen collection and preparation; how to establish a common sense approach to examining and interpreting cytopathological smears; and application of that approach to the diagnosis of common degenerative, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases affecting skin and lymph nodes. Join Dr Mark Krockenberger and Professor Emeritus Paul Canfield to gradually and surely build confidence and cytopathological experience so that you can more effectively reach a diagnosis and apply that to case management.

Are you looking to elevate your confidence and skills in avian veterinary care? Avian consultations can present unique challenges, often arriving as emergencies due to a lack of owner awareness about normal bird behavior and symptom recognition. Under the expert guidance of Alex Rosenwax, this course demystifies avian care, offering deep insights into bird husbandry, common illnesses, diagnostic techniques, and effective treatment options. Through Alex's expertise, you'll learn to approach avian cases with newfound confidence, significantly improving patient outcomes.

“When something is visualised, the truth of its occurrence or existence can no longer be doubted - Seeing is Believing”! This proverb has particular meaning when it comes point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS); diagnostic confidence increases in 89.2% of patients when general practitioners add bedside POCUS to patient evaluation! Recent surveys suggest 50-80% of veterinary clinics have an ultrasound machine. Unfortunately, despite POCUS revolutionising all facets of veterinary medicine, many ultrasound machines are underutilised in general small animal practice. This should not be the case! By asking clinically relevant, often binary yes/no questions, veterinary POCUS can be rapidly and efficiently learned and applied by anyone in almost any setting! So, dust off that ultrasound machine, go beyond looking for the urinary bladder to get a urine sample, and start using ultrasound to make a difference in in the daily assessment and management of your patients! Through practical, hands-on training using live dogs, participants will have the opportunity to learn and practice all of the common veterinary POCUS techniques currently used to assess the abdomen, pleural space, lung, and heart. Phantoms training models will also be used to demonstrate and practice ultrasound guided vascular access. This lab will focus on techniques developed by the instructors, designed to increase veterinary POCUS diagnostic accuracy, and help facilitate easier application into everyday veterinary practice. These are all techniques that can be performed by any practitioner and should be used in everyday practice! We will also briefly review basic ultrasound machine function and probe manipulations. One of two prerequisites must be met to enrol in this lab. Participants must complete VPOCUS: Practical Applications for GPs Distance Education or online lectures through Calgary.

This live and interactive session will provide valuable insights and practical tips for handling critical veterinary cases, leveraging Dr. Barfield’s extensive experience in the Emergency Room and ICU at the Royal Veterinary College, London. Dominic will help you develop an instinctive, first principles approach and provide you with some useful rules of thumb as well as giving you an idea of what to expect at our upcoming Paws Under Pressure Emergency Medicine Conference.

The human-animal bond has undergone significant evolution over the past few decades, a reality that veterinary professionals are particularly attuned to. Owners rely on us to provide the highest level of care throughout their pet’s life and facilitate exceptional end-of-life care when the time comes. Euthanasia, an invaluable tool within our profession, grants us the privilege of alleviating suffering. Despite the undeniable importance of this practice, our natural aversion to grief and death can impede our ability to provide the compassionate care that our owners and patients need. The aim of this talk is to provide you with a greater understanding of what owners need from us when they navigate their pet’s farewell. This talk will discuss the technical aspects of the euthanasia appointment, urging reconsideration of common approaches and protocols in practice. The use of pre-medication or sedation prior to euthanasia has significant benefits that go far beyond the avoidance of manual handling and stress. We will also explore the communication skills required to convey both empathy and reassurance during the appointment. By leaning into end-of-life care, and appreciating its significance to the families we serve, we can help provide an experience that celebrates the wonderful lives that our patients have lived.

Improve your diagnostic skills and avoid common mistakes in thoracic diagnosis. Thoracic radiography is one of the most useful clinical tests undertaken in clinical practice and yet one of the most frequently cited areas of confusion. This course aims to increase your ability to take optimal thoracic radiographs and to interpret them confidently. The modules focus on radiographic interpretation, with incorporation of complementary imaging modalities, particularly CT and sonography, to assist in explanations of the radiographic pathological patterns present.

Rabbit Anaesthesia: where everyone holds their breath waiting for it to be over - including the patient. Rabbits have a higher reported anaesthetic mortality rate than dogs and cats. There are a number of factors that influence this, including differences in behaviour, anatomy and physiology that need to be appreciated to prepare for a safe and successful anaesthetic in this species. They may also have underlying disease processes, that are undetected, as prey species are excellent at masking signs of illness. The aim of this webinar with Megan Walmsley is to arm nurses with the knowledge and skills to address some of the challenges in rabbit anaesthesia and the confidence to advocate for these patients.

Immune-mediated disease - When the immune system goes haywire.  Discover the intricacies of the immune system and its related diseases in our engaging online course, led by Dr. Tunbi Idowu. This course delves into the complex world of hypersensitivity reactions and their management, focusing on common immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory drugs used in veterinary practices. The course will focus on three of the most common immune mediated diseases which we see in practice, namely immune mediated Haemolytic Anaemia, Polyarthritis, and Thrombocytopaenia and aims to help you confidently work up these tricky cases. This course is designed to equip veterinarians with the skills and confidence to diagnose and treat complex immune-mediated diseases. Enroll now to enhance your expertise in veterinary immunology!

Exotics emergencies require special skills and knowledge. Whether you’re working in an emergency clinic or general practice, this course will develop the skills and confidence you need to deal with these often-challenging presentations. The aim of this course is to outline fundamental skills and understandings with which every clinician treating exotics should be familiar, with a focus on species commonly and legally kept in Australia including birds, small mammals and reptiles. The course will cover triage and basic supportive care as well as the hospitalisation needs of exotic patients. You couldn’t be in better hands as Izidora’s bio testifies.  As well as being a phenomenal educator, she has the singular distinction of being the only registered specialist in zoological medicine in both Australia and USA.

This small group workshop is designed to give you a basic understanding of small animal (dog and cat) echocardiography. Major topics will include ultrasound principles, normal cardiac anatomy and physiology. Also included will be techniques for achieving quality 2D and M-mode images and results, case presentations of important diseases and emergency cases, as well as plenty of opportunity for hands-on scanning of normal dogs. Individual coaching of how to obtain 2D and M-mode echocardiographic views and measurements (taught in the lectures) will be the main focus. Requirements: No prior experience or knowledge is required to participate in this workshop.

Led by experts Duana McBride and Ryan Ong, this course is thoughtfully designed to broaden your understanding and application of fluid therapy and expand your skills into critical care medicine. Fluid therapy is used daily in our practice. It is one of the cheapest treatments we offer, resulting in dramatic improvements in our patients. However, indications for fluid therapy use, other than rehydration, is often overlooked. As well as developing skills in critical care medicine, this course will help you develop an understanding of why electrolyte and acid-base balance is so important in our critical patients, and how we can manage these abnormalities with fluid therapy. In the final module, we will delve into transfusion medicine so you will be more confident in managing the next acutely anaemic patient. Whether you aim to refine your skills in critical care or elevate your expertise in fluid therapy, this course offers invaluable insights and practical knowledge directly applicable to your day-to-day veterinary practice.

Navigating the shift from routine veterinary consults to emergency cases demands a unique skill set. The upcoming conference, led by experienced expatriate Australian vets Kate Hopper and Dominic Barfield, and supported by local experts Merrin Hicks and Sam Long, promises to equip attendees with the skills for seamless transitions.

Chronic enteropathies are common diseases in dogs and cats where nutritional management, together with other therapies, is important for quality of life. There are many diets marketed for these conditions, that differ in strategies and other aspects. This presentation will present the different types of diets for intestinal disease, what makes them special, and give some tips on how to choose one.

Cats are known for keeping their cards close to their chest, and in the diagnosis of chronic enteropathies, this is no exception. These cases can be difficult to manage in both the diagnostics and treatment pathways. We will talk about the presentations of chronic enteropathies, what look-a-like conditions to rule out and when to consider diets, biopsies, and other interventions. You may be surprised how the diagnostic workup and treatment is easier than you think!

Are you over-referring? Complete this course to boost your confidence in managing those challenging neurological cases that are often passed on to specialists. Neurological cases can be intimidating and are frequently referred to specialists. This course aims to clarify the process of localisation and build your confidence in handling these complex cases.

Value-add to your services by using evidence-based approaches to cattle medicine and production problems that increase your client’s bottom line.

Gain the skills and in-depth knowledge required for those challenging cardiorespiratory patients with this course. Advance your diagnostic ability with a hands-on echocardiology workshop.

Develop a logical, problem-based approach to the investigation of pruritic skin cases. Skin problems are among the most common reason for presentation in everyday practice. The CVE Dermatology Distance Education program is a modular course that aims to provide you with the practical skills necessary to work-up and resolve these often recurrent cases with minimal frustration for both owner and clinician.   The Pruritic Skin Disease DE course will cover the various common causes of pruritus: including insect hypersensitivities, atopic and contact dermatitis as well as food allergies, Malassezia dermatitis and pruritic parasitic skin diseases.  The pathophysiology of pruritus, including neurogenic and psychogenic pruritus will be reviewed with an emphasis on current and upcoming treatment modalities.

An unwell cat poses unique challenges to the often time poor, small animal practitioner. They require refined, considered and focused care for the best outcomes. This newly updated course is designed to reinforce, deepen, and broaden your knowledge of feline medicine in a practical, interactive, and enjoyable way. Each module will focus on improving your clinical approach and provide you with key information and tips from our tutors. Your development will be supported by regular webinars, individual feedback from your tutors and an active forum. Immerse yourself in an approachable community for learning and advice all about cats, including valuable recommendations on how to make your practice more 'feline friendly'.