Continuing Education

Digital Radiography - optimising your ability to use digital radiographs in practice. Digital radiographs are now widespread in veterinary practice but the transition to digital does not always mean better image quality. This short course will help you understand what your digital system is and will review simple radiographic principles to improve your image quality. You will learn how to share your digital images for a second opinion and develop a better understanding of how to get the sharpest lung detail, the best abdominal contrast and the crispest trabecular bone detail.

Arrhythmias can produce a broad range of clinical signs, from the barely perceptible to cardiovascular collapse. In the diagnostic work-up of arrhythmias, electrocardiography is the key element. If you’re like most vets, reading ECGs is probably a little bit of a nightmare! This course will help you develop a step by step guide to the interpretation of ECGs, starting with grasping the concepts of electrocardiography, and the normal ECG.  Using ample case-based material, we will cover the most common ECG abnormalities in dogs and cats and review basic treatment strategies to help you provide better diagnostic and treatment options for your patients and clients.

The field of equine endocrinology is currently undergoing a period of rapid development of our understanding of several common equine endocrinopathies encountered in equine clinical practice. This course focuses on a revision of the underlying pathophysiology of key equine endocrinopathies, and a review of the most recent literature on the diagnosis and management of these conditions.

Tracheal collapse is a condition primarily affecting older toy and miniature breeds of dogs. The condition is characterized by progressive weakening of the cartilaginous tracheal rings resulting in collapse of the trachea.  Tracheal collapse may be congenital, however is more commonly acquired. Tracheal collapse may affect the extra-thoracic or intra-thoracic trachea and is a dynamic and progressive condition.  In this informative and engaging lecture Philip Moses examines the aetiology, diagnosis and treatment options, both medical and surgical, for this debilitating and very common condition.   With over 20 years’ experience treating airway disorders in dogs Philip is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading authorities on surgical management of airway disease in dogs and cats.

We routinely recommend and perform biochemistry panels in dogs. But what do elevations in liver enzymes mean for your patient – especially when they’re unexpected? Elizabeth Jenkins will help you understand how to interpret these variations.

What is aggression and when is it normal? Darwin first made the case for the existence of emotion in non-human animals - but how effective are we within the veterinary profession at understanding emotion in our patients? What are the quantifiable changes that take place in an emotional state? Webinar presenter Dr Sally Nixon joins us to take a look at the neurophysiology of emotion and will then apply that to aggression. Just about all of us have been faced with the challenge trying to help an aggressive patient; within this fascinating live webinar Sally will clarify exactly what aggression is, when it’s normal and when and how to intervene.

Dental health is an important issue for all members of the veterinary practice. As nurses, you are at the forefront of communicating with owners about their pet’s health and need a solid understand of dental disease to be able to off er appropriate recommendations. This course will empower you to apply these skills confidently and competently.

Nurses love surgery! This practical course will have you confidently preparing patients for surgery and eff iciently packing instruments in time for the next procedure. Scrubbing into surgery can be daunting, but we will review what is involved.

Learn about protocols that are easy to follow, new improved treatment and monitoring tools such as insulin dosing pens and continuous subcutaneous glucose monitors, and tips on how to take the stress out of the management of diabetic dogs and cats with concurrent illnesses.  Veterinary nurses/technicians with a special interest in the topic are welcome to enrol in this course. Please be aware that the course is designed for qualified veterinarians and you should consider this in light of your knowledge and experience before you register.

Would oleander by any other name kill as quickly? You betcha! There are lots of plants out there that can cause morbidity and mortality in livestock. Some of these plants are known nasties, while others – such as summer or winter crops – are just good plants gone bad.