Webinar Archive

Passive Range of Motion (PROM) has long been used as ‘Physiotherapy’ or ‘Rehabilitation’, often being performed by Vet Nurses in the Vet clinic. This presentation provides up to date science on PROM, its uses, benefits, risks and contra-indications. Discussion will also include the difference between active ROM, passive ROM and stretching and how you choose which one to perform on any given patient. Specific clinical examples will be provided and protocols for use in the clinic and for patients home instructions. These include: orthopedic surgery such as Cruciate and Patella Surgery, Elbow Surgery, Femoral Head and Neck Excision surgery, Spinal surgery & other neurologically affected patients, management of senior pets.

Emergency patients present with many different painful conditions. It is no longer enough to think about analgesia later: treating pain is a vital part of the emergency treatment of these animals. Untreated pain can contribute to shock and worsen the consequences of trauma. This webinar will cover the mechanism of action of opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and other medications that can be used as additional or adjunctive analgesics. By understanding how the various analgesics available to us act, we can choose the most appropriate course of treatment and also minimise adverse effects. The use of multimodal analgesia, constant rate infusions and take home medications will also be covered. The webinar focuses on the treatment of cats and dogs presenting with urgent analgesia needs; other species such as rabbits are not covered.

Laryngeal paralysis (LP) is a common and important presentation in the dog; despite this, the condition is often mis -diagnosed and few veterinarians feel confident enough to attempt the corrective surgery. The major reasons for this appear to be: - Lack of familiarity with the functional anatomy of the larynx, - A view that the remedial surgery is too complex to undertake and carries a high incidence of complications. This webinar will use the medium of 3-D videos to: - explain the mysteries of laryngeal functional anatomy, - present a safe and simple surgery for the management of LP, - highlight the reasons that other techniques often result in a high incidence of complications.

In this webinar we will discuss some of the underlying principles of why we vaccinate that underpin our preventative healthcare strategy for most of our patients. How do we select the most appropriate vaccine protocol for a particular patient? How frequently should we booster vaccine? Should we titre test? How do we fit modified vaccination protocols into a preventative medicine strategy if client perceptions of preventative medicine programs are limited to, “I’m just here for the needles.” There is no one-size-fits-most answer to any of these questions, but by the end of the webinar, we hope you feel equipped to answer client and colleague questions about why we do what we do.

Anaphylaxis is a common and potentially life-threatening emergency room presentation for dogs and less commonly cats. Prompt recognition and appropriate management are required to ensure a good outcome. Hymenoptera envenomation is the most common presumed cause of anaphylaxis dogs in Australia, however a stinger isn’t always located. Anaphylaxis can be associated with a variety of systemic manifestations; dermatologic signs are expected such that their absence can make diagnosis of anaphylaxis difficult. Less common signs are cardiovascular collapse, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms. This webinar will review the pathophysiology of anaphylaxis, diagnosis, including the use of abdominal ultrasound, and the evidence for various treatment approaches. Specifically we will review the use of adrenaline for anaphylaxis, evidence for and against antihistamines and glucocorticoids, as well as treatment of associated coagulopathy. The webinar will conclude with a discussion of how to prevent future anaphylaxis episodes in at risk patients with desensitisation immunotherapy.

A new puppy or kitten has many ‘firsts’. Their first vet visit, groom, play session, illness. Some of these things are fun, positive and safe, while others can be frightening and painful. Our role is to ensure we create positive, safe and Stress Free ‘firsts’ to help develop happy, confident pets. This Stress Free Pets continuing education webinar will look at how we can use Stress Free Pets approaches to the many ‘firsts’ we see in clinic including the all-important first vet visit, and discussions on how Stress Free can assist in puppy school.

I love it when I get to treat a DKA patient. This is a condition that is easy to diagnose, and even though it is acutely life threatening, if we manage these patients correctly, the prognosis for discharge is good. The response of our treatment is rapidly visible: correction of severe hypovolaemia, acid-base and electrolyte abnormalities make these patients feel better within hours. This webinar will use case-based teaching with a focus on the diagnosis and treatment of DKA. Pathophysiology will also be discussed as an understanding the pathophysiology goes a long way to increasing our understanding of how to manage these patients. As not all of you are lucky enough to have 24-hour facilities, protocols for both 24-hour facilities and limits-hour practices will be discussed. By the end of this seminar you will feel confident in your diagnosis and management decisions for these very complex but very rewarding patients.

There are ever increasing numbers/proportions of samples that are being sent to external pathology laboratories requesting non-interpreted profiles. The generated results must then be interpreted (and acted upon) by the veterinary clinician and consequently, clinicians MUST have a thorough understanding of both how ‘abnormal’ results can occur, whilst simultaneously assessing the relevance of both normal and abnormal test results. It is important to maintain a reasonable level of scepticism about any laboratory results that do not fit with the patient and clinical picture: Do not just believe all the numbers. Unexpected results are not uncommon and may necessitate clinical re-evaluation. Alternatively, unexpected results may be erroneous or misleading. Trends over several serial samples may be more informative than single results. Every test result needs to be evaluated carefully. Negative and positive predictive values should be considered for each result and clinical setting.

Coughing is a relatively uncommon presentation in cats, but can be misinterpreted by owners, and can be challenging to diagnose. Asthma and chronic bronchitis are common causes of cough and these conditions are not often cured but can be well managed. Nurses play a key role in the diagnosis and management of these conditions, supporting clients and improving compliance to medications. This webinar discusses how a diagnosis is made, and how nurses and technicians can help, particularly when it comes to training a cat to tolerate inhaled medications.

Feline heartworm disease, caused by Dirofilaria immitis worms, is a good example of where a cat is definitely not a small dog. Infection in dogs tends to be better tolerated, the adult worms are more likely to reach patency and diagnosis and treatment are (relatively) easier than in cats. The reasons for these differences, what can be done to ensure cats avoid this infection and measures to take when cats have the infection will be explored in this webinar. The webinar will also provide an update on heartworm infection in the US, where resistance to heartworm preventives is evolving while researchers seek to understand the factors that led to the genesis of resistance and new solutions, whilst heartworm infection continues to spread. The implications that climate change may have on the epidemiology of heartworm disease will be explored.

Cancer can do anything..... Paraneoplastic syndrome are symptoms that occur at sites distant from a tumour or its metastasis. During this seminar, we will explore the categories of paraneoplastic syndromes and explain the mechanisms of those where it is elucidated. We will look at the comparative aspect of paraneoplastic syndrome in human medicine.

In this webinar we will discuss canine glaucoma – discovering that it is not a simple disease but a complex problem with many potential causes which will have an impact on our approach to treatment. So, we will look at examples of acute and chronic glaucoma in the dog and reflect on the primary and secondary aetiologies before considering how best to approach management. An understanding of the mechanisms for the production, flow and drainage of aqueous from the eye is necessary to fully appreciate these different types of glaucoma. Illustrations of the different clinical presentations will be included together with mention of the breed predispositions to glaucoma which we encounter. We will concentrate on medical management and how to assess response to treatment but will briefly mention the surgical options available. By the end of the webinar you should be more confident in diagnosing the condition and understand what you need to do for the patient.

Although sodium disturbances are very common in clinical veterinary patient, its management has been considered a challenge and misconceptions regarding treatment of dysnatremias are very common. This webinar is designed as a step-by-step guide to help the busy veterinary practitioner with management of patients with hyper or hyponatremia. It covers the basis of sodium physiology and applied physiology, include water balance regulation and various hormonal systems involved. The seminar focuses on 4 clinical scenarios with chronic hyponatremia, acute hyponatremia, chronic hypernatremia and acute hypernatremia. The attendee will gain understanding on which fluid to choose, how to create it, how much to give and how fast. The consequences of mismanagement of sodium disturbances will be covered as well.

Dogs are popular pets. Yet many pet owners are not aware that their beloved pet is stressed. Yet stress in dogs is common: Do you know what is meant by stress? Do you know why dogs get stressed? What are the common triggers that stress dogs? Can you recognize stress? But more importantly- do you know what to do about managing stress in dogs? This webinar will cover all these issues and help you better manage the physical and mental health of your canine patients. Afterall the welfare of your patients is paramount.

The VNs role in the prevention of hospital acquired infections A HAI is classified as an infection that occurs: • up to 48 hours after hospital admission • up to 3 days after discharge • up to 30 days after an operation • in a healthcare setting when the patient was admitted for reasons other than an infection Causes of HAIs Bacteria, fungus, and viruses can cause HAIs. In human medicine bacteria alone cause about 90% of cases. Patients who are immunocompromised are at increased risk of contracting an infection during hospitalisation. These microorganisms spread mainly through person-to-patient contact from unclean hands; medical and hospital equipment. HAIs also increase with excessive or incorrect selection of antibiotics, which can lead to emergence of antibiotic resistance bacteria. The most common types of HAIs are: • Surgical site infections • Intravenous catheter and arterial line associated infections • Catheter-associated urinary tract infections • Pneumonia Preventing nosocomial infections A 70% decrease in HAI can be seen when a team is taking steps in prevention and veterinary nurses are well positioned to be at the forefront of infection control within the veterinary practice. In this session we will focus on specific areas where veterinary nurses can have a real impact. General recommendations could include: • Correct kennel selection (is isolation/barrier nursing needed) • Focus on exceptional 5-point hand hygiene • The availability and correct use of personal protective equipment • Correct cleaning of clinical environments • Correct ventilation • The use of strict aseptic techniques (IV catheter care, blood sampling, urinary catheter care etc.) • Removal of unnecessary indwelling devices as soon as no longer required • Provision of high-quality nursing care.

Behaviour patients may suffer relapses. Many clients and clinicians are not prepared for when a stable behaviour patient starts to regress in their behaviour. Relapses happen because mental health problems are a chronic condition occurring in a complex organ system. Relapses may happen with life changes but may also occur due to medication becoming ineffective or the condition changing. Clients are often frustrated by relapses and need to understand that they are possible and can be navigated. Managing a patient may involve just tweaking doses of medications but sometimes bigger changes are needed. Deciding what to do and when may be the difference between a small blip and a patient suffering a crippling relapse. This webinar will discuss why relapses occur, strategies for management and helping clients help their pets through these.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a complicated and potentially life threatening form of diabetes mellitus that requires emergency care. It is characterised by hyperglycaemia, hyperketonaemia and a metabolic acidosis with significant fluid and electrolyte imbalances. As the patient is unable to transport glucose into cells, the liver synthesizes ketones as emergency energy sources. These ketone bodies when metabolised produce anions of a moderately strong acid. The accumulation of these ketobodies results in metabolic acidosis. Common symptoms include polydipsia and polyuria, dehydration, anorexia, reduced mentation, vomiting and weight loss. Fluid therapy and the correction of the electrolyte abnormalities are the most important components of treatment of DKA with approximately 70% of dogs and cats surviving to discharge after hospitalisation. It should be noted that these patients can experience reoccurring episodes of DKA in the future. Nurses and technicians are integral in the treatment, monitoring and recovery of these patients.

Have you ever tried to perform an orthopaedic examination on a dog only to find that they won’t react to any kind of manipulation? Or that you find the opposite and they react to every manipulation that you perform? How do you interpret what is truely painful and what is just annoying? There are loads of reasons why orthopaedic examinations can be challenging to perform and to interpret. This webinar will give you a tool box full of helpful and practical tips and tricks that you can implement immediately when you perform your next orthopaedic examination.

Arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in cats most frequently occurs when a thrombus that develops within the left atrium embolizes a remote site. The most common site is the aortic trifurcation, resulting in abrupt occlusion of blood supply to the hind limbs and ischemia of a large muscle mass. In most cases ATE is a devastating complication of serious underlying heart disease. In this webinar I will discuss the most important aspects of ATE (diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, prevention) in a case-based and evidence-based approach.

Allergies in dogs are a frequent problem. This will be a practical, entertaining and informative webinar that will highlight the clinical presentations and the role of allergy testing for the veterinarian in small animal practice.

Sepsis is a disease process that can result from any source of infection in our small animal veterinary patients. These patients can quickly become challenging to monitor and require significant care from the entire veterinary team. This webinar will discuss the physiology of sepsis and how it can manifest in vital signs, strategies for treating sepsis in cats and dogs, and how good nursing care can make the difference in these patients. Case studies will be utilized to bring the information into practical and useful take-home points.

This webinar will present the approach to the neurological patient and this inevitably includes performing a full neurological examination. Although this often appears as a daunting task, it is quicker than we think and we do perform many parts of this examination during our daily consults. We will therefore try to review the key steps of the examination, what information they bring and how to exploit the information to localise the origin of the problem. The key questions we will address are: (i) has my patient got a neurological condition? And if so (ii) where is the lesion? The key steps to answer these two questions involve: (i) distant examination; (iii) examination of the postural reactions; (iii) testing spinal reflexes; (iv) testing cranial nerves. Once this is done, I will show how to combine the information to localise the lesion. Rather than insisting on the anatomy, I will give you tips and my take on this examination.

Sue has had a long term interest in avian and reptile medicine as well as clinical pathology and understands the challenges that these species can present in general practice. Achieving good diagnostic samples can be challenging in some species, whether limited by size or demeanour of patient or by the limitations of running samples on commonly available analysers. In this seminar, Sue will present an approach to the individual sick patient including suitable sites and volumes of sample collection, manual and automatic analysis methods, and a guide to interpretation of results. The fundamentals of faecal evaluation, haematology and biochemistry will be discussed including common issues with sample collection, dealing with small samples, artefacts and the challenge of identifying suitable reference intervals.

Dogs with pancreatitis present with non-specific abdominal signs and we have a range of tests that are variably accurate. We will review the strengths and weaknesses of the tools we have available to make the diagnosis. In addition we will discuss current treatment recommendations.

Identification and treatment of toxin exposure should occur as soon as possible to increase survival rates. This webinar will provide an in-depth look at the pathophysiology, clinical symptoms and nursing techniques required for three common household toxins to include; metaldehyde (snail/slug bait), rodenticides (rat bait) and the lily plant. With case studies and multiple choice questions, this webinar will prepare the attendee with the skill set to treat patients with toxin exposure, effectively. A comprehensive consideration of bodily systems and disease processes such as the coagulation cascade, disseminated intravascular coagulation and acute renal failure, will assist the attendee in understanding these three toxins and their treatment.

Cancer frequently affects our veterinary patients and in recent years chemotherapy has become more commonly utilised treatment. General practices are increasingly prescribing and administering chemotherapy drugs. Chemotherapy drugs are toxic to cells (cytotoxic) interfering with the normal cell life cycle which results in cell death. Cancer cells are targeted by these drugs however they are not specific for cancer cells and healthy tissue can be affected. Chemotherapy drugs are also carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic and abortifacient. It is important that these drugs are handled safely. Personnel handling of chemotherapeutic drugs have been found to have increased risks of infertility, early pregnancy loss or urinary excretion of these drugs. This webinar will discuss the safety precautions necessary for handling chemotherapy agents and will focus on the recent consensus guidelines produced by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) in January 2018 to raise awareness of risks and how we can reduce the exposure within clinics. If time permits, common side effects (neutropaenia, thorombocytopaenia and gastrointestinal side effects) caused by chemotherapy will be explained as well as precautions for handling such patients.

Introduction on how to recognise, diagnose, manage and understand the common conditions in clinical practice that lead to rabbit gastrointestinal stasis syndrome.

This webinar will review an array of URT abnormalities in horses highlighting differences which can dramatically impact case treatment options and prognosis. New developments in treatment options focused on the URT will be presented and discussed. There have recently been some significant exciting additions to the field of equine URT surgery. These include standing laryngoplasty procedures that have been a massive change in laryngoplasty technique. Also, extremely exciting new treatment options for coughing horses post laryngoplasty of artyenoidectomy. Finally, standing arytenoidectomy surgery offers a third useful addition to the URT surgery tool box. A variety of images and videos of pre-operative diagnosis highlighting pre-operative considerations and further images / videos of surgical procedures will lead into several focused-on results that can be expected / achieved. Join Ben for an interesting ride through the URT of horses and how you can maximise treatment outcomes.

This webinar will review an array of URT abnormalities in horses highlighting differences which can dramatically impact case treatment options and prognosis. New developments in treatment options focused on the URT will be presented and discussed. There have recently been some significant exciting additions to the field of equine URT surgery. These include standing laryngoplasty procedures that have been a massive change in laryngoplasty technique. Also, extremely exciting new treatment options for coughing horses post laryngoplasty of artyenoidectomy. Finally, standing arytenoidectomy surgery offers a third useful addition to the URT surgery tool box. A variety of images and videos of pre-operative diagnosis highlighting pre-operative considerations and further images / videos of surgical procedures will lead into several focused-on results that can be expected / achieved. Join Ben for an interesting ride through the URT of horses and how you can maximise treatment outcomes.

Cats are popular pets. Yet many pet owners are not aware that their beloved pet is stressed. Yet stress in cats is common- but Do you know what is meant by stress? Do you know why cats get stressed? What are the common triggers that stress cats? Can you recognize stress? But more importantly- do you know what to do about managing stress in cats? This webinar will cover all these issues and help you better manage the physical and mental health of your feline patients. Afterall the welfare of your patients is paramount.

When most Veterinary Nurses decide to enter the profession they probably don’t think they will be doing much maths, but it is an important skill we use as nurses on a daily basis. Vets will often rely on the nurses to calculate drug volumes to give to a patient, so it is imperative this is done correctly. This webinar will look at calculating drug dose rates including different units of measure and changing one unit to another. We will also look at how to calculate a CRI and concentration of the drugs added to the IV bag. There will be lots of examples and workings to help you along the way.

Australians are high consumers of antibiotics with approximately one in every two Australians collecting at least one antibiotic prescription each year. Most antibiotics for human consumption are prescribed in primary care. Australian GPs overprescribe antibiotics, especially for acute self-limiting respiratory tract infections. Given that unnecessary use drives antibiotic resistance, it is important to reduce the volume prescribed in primary care. “Delayed prescribing” or “wait and see prescribing” is a strategy that has been shown to reduce antibiotic use compared to immediate antibiotic prescribing, with similar patient satisfaction. In this webinar we present the evidence for delayed prescribing and discuss the different strategies that have been trialled. We draw upon examples from human general practice and invite participants to share and inspire delayed prescribing techniques in the care for companion animals.

Understanding why dogs can be aggressive is very important if we are to live with dogs in harmony. Aggression is a common issue in dogs and knowing how to not only recognise when aggression may be normal and when it is not and what to do about it is important, especially when people are involved.

Tumors are quite frequent in companion animals, with malignant forms representing 56% of all the tumors in dogs and 80% in cats. Predicting the survival time and treatment response for malignant tumors is necessary to evaluate the best care options for the animal. Histological tumor grading helps veterinarians to define the prognosis, but each tumor has its own grading system with different prognosis, in terms of survival rate, metastatic rate, recurrence incidence. It could be not so easy to get your bearings in the pathologic words of gradings. The goal of this seminar is to be able to correlate the validated prognosis to each tumor grading we will see. We will rapidly review what tumor grading is and how it is evaluated. Then we will spend some time to review some of the most important tumor gradings (mammary tumors, mast cell tumors, melanomas, soft tissue sarcomas) and the correlated and validated prognostic factors. At the end of the seminar you will be able to clearly understand your pathologist’s report based on the grading system, and to use it to give an appropriate prognosis to the owners.

This webinar will highlight important concepts in the diagnosis of haemostatic and coagulation disorders in small animals. The webinar will begin with a review of haemostasis and coagulation physiology. Following this, we will cover the steps required to diagnose some of the more common hereditary and acquired coagulopathic conditions that can lead to clinical complications in veterinary care. Case examples will be provided. At the end of the webinar, participants should have a greater understanding of the haemostatic and coagulation system, and how to diagnose related disorders more confidently in small animal practice.

Pain management in dogs and cats has undergone a dramatic evolution in the past decade. As pets live longer, with advances in veterinary medicine chronic pain is becoming an increasingly common presentation. However, our ability to recognise and treat it is still in its infancy. Pain is said to be chronic if it persists beyond the normal healing time of about three months. It is a complex phenomenon and may not be easy to treat, especially with analgesia alone. The role of physiotherapy in managing chronic pain is challenging. Physiotherapy aims to restore function and movement and therefore assist with pain management whilst treating the patient as a whole system rather than a localised painful focus. Owner involvement is key to assessment and treatment. This approach must always be multimodal incorporating several specialists to bring the best benefits. Australian physiotherapists are highly skilled practitioners who use scientific evidence based research to manage and improve pain. They are the musculoskeletal experts, however they also treat neuropathic pain and neurological conditions. In this webinar we will discuss the signs of chronic pain in small animals, discuss a multi-disciplinary holistic approach to management including therapeutic modalities, manual therapies, exercise therapy and the psychosocial aspects of pain management.

Symmetric Dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a renal biomarker, that is an accurate marker of Glomerular Filtration Rate. The webinar will discuss existing options for evaluating kidney function, and how IDEXX SDMA can be used alongside these tests, highlighting the differences between SDMA and creatinine as biomarkers. There will be discussion of the International Renal Interest Society kidney disease staging scheme, and how this is influenced by SDMA. The effect of pre-renal and post renal disease on SDMA will also be addressed. The approach to patients with an increased SDMA will also be addressed, with a clear plan described. The value of SDMA in other diseases, such as feline hyperthyroidism will also be addressed. Case examples will be utilised to demonstrate the clinical utility of SDMA.

The mouth is grossly contaminated, and dental procedures are one of the most common indications for invasive procedures (dental scaling or oral surgery such as extraction of teeth). Just on this basis, it would seem appropriate to treat dental procedure patient with an antibiotic. In fact, an antibiotic is not indicated in most dental patients, because the procedure removes the area of infection, and oral tissues heal very rapidly. There are indications for use of an antibiotic, based on the severity of the oral disease undergoing treatment, the type of procedure, and presence of coexisting systemic abnormalities such as cardiac or renal disease. This webinar will describe how to decide which patients need or do not need an antibiotic at the time of the dental procedure. For patients in which administration of an antibiotic is indicated, other decisions needing to be made include which antibiotic to use, timing of the start of the antibiotic treatment and duration of the antibiotic treatment.

There are many faces of canine lymphoma, and outcomes and treatments are not all the same. This webinar covers when to use molecular diagnostic tests in those tricky cases, and how to manage the different versions of canine lymphoma appropriately for the best possible outcome.

Some people say that everything in dermatology looks the same; just hair loss and red or black skin. This is far from the case. If you can separate primary lesions from secondary changes you are well on your way to formulate a good diagnostic and treatment plan for your patients. The diagnosis and treatment of skin disease in animals is protocol based and it's foundation is the presentling primary lesion picture. It is vital for accurate histopathological diagnosis that the pathologist is given an accurate description of the lesions. In addition, when requesting advice from a veterinary dermatologist, the key is to be able to describe in mutually understandable terms what is happening. In this presentation, Dr's Rob Hilton and Judith Nimmo will co-present the common primary and secondary lesions seen in our small animal patients and discuss their clinical and histological appearance and some of the more common diseases associated with the lesions

This webinar will provide the audience with a comprehensive review of dogs that present with a GDV. The webinar will cover common and uncommon patient presentations, new strategies for patient resuscitation including the effects of crystalloids and colloids, monitoring fluid responsiveness, avoiding fluid overload, and when to intervene with vasoactive drugs. The use of biomarkers to guide therapy and improve prognostication will be discussed. Following stabilization safe anesthetic strategies will be presented to help minimize anesthetic complications. Then we will discuss surgical aspects including assessing gastric viability, when to perform splenectomy and post-operative patient care. In addition common complications will be discussed including how to prevent these complications from occurring and how to treat these complications effectively.

Blood transfusions are life-saving treatments for dogs and cats that experience clinically significant bleeding or anemia. This webinar will review procedures for collecting blood from donors, blood typing and crossmatching, different blood products, practical aspects of administering transfusions, and monitoring to detect transfusion reactions.

I’m sure we’ve all felt frustrated at some point in our careers when one of our patient’s is in pain and yet, for whatever reason, analgesia is withheld. Perhaps you’re working in a practice with very limited resources, or with colleagues who have very different views to yours. Or perhaps you don’t have the confidence to ‘speak up’ if your patient is painful. Being able to confidently recognise a painful cat or dog is an incredibly important skill and being able to objectively score pain is fundamental in ensuring appropriate analgesia is given, and the patient’s experience is a positive one when they are in the clinic with us. This webinar aims to demonstrate the ways in which the veterinary team can recognise pain behaviours in dogs and cats, remove the emotional and subjective component when assessing pain, and actually give the pain a score that is scientifically validated.

The Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Small Animal Fatalities (Brodbelt 2008) has shown how general anaesthesia in rabbits carries a higher risk of mortality compared to cats and dogs. The morbidity rate was determined as 1 in 72. This alarming finding may be explained by peculiar anatomic, physiologic and behavioral characteristics of rabbits, but also by the relative lack of familiarity and experience of veterinary surgeons when dealing with this species. This webinar highlights the most common complications during the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative period in pet rabbits. The approach to rabbit anaesthesia should aim to improve safety when treating these patients. Simple things such as appropriate housing, minimal stress when handling, preoxygenation before anaesthesia induction, intravenous access, choice of the correct equipment, of appropriate drugs and provision of adequate analgesia can make a huge difference in the patient care provided.

Indiscriminate use of antimicrobials is an international concern in health sciences and veterinarians have a responsibility to adhere to appropriate practice. The risk of surgical site infection (SSI) in small animal surgery poses a challenge in some situations and perioperative antimicrobials play a role in reducing this risk. Considerations for antimicrobial use in small animal surgery will be discussed, examining NRC surgery classification and SSI risk, and presenting discussion on drug selection and duration of administration. Evidence-based literature and reference to prescribing guidelines will be included.

Dog bite injuries are all too common in veterinary practice. These are potentially very challenging injuries to manage. Sometimes what you see is what you get, other times the external wounds are just the tip of the iceberg. Occasionally what starts out as a simple wound can progress and result in large areas of skin necrosis. In this webinar Dr. Simcock will review options for investigation and management of these potentially difficult injuries. From diagnostic options through to reconstructive surgical treatments this webinar you will give you a toolbox full of tips and tricks to help you with your decision making and treatment options next time you encounter one of these injuries.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a very common debilitating disease of dogs and cats. Whilst a renal therapeutic diet remains the mainstay of treatment and has been for a long time, significant developments have occurred in the areas of diagnostics and treatment. This webinar will help provide a clear outline on the latest updates on the diagnosis and management of your CKD patients in general practice.

Surgical skin preparation has long started many a debate over the correct method and solutions. In this webinar, we'll explore what the current literature is recommending and how we can adapt human hospital standards to our much hairier veterinary patients. Inadequate practices can increase the risk of surgical site infections and incorrect use of antiseptics can contribute to the wider issue of growing antimicrobial resistance. Instigating change can be difficult but taking an evidence-based approach can help introduce new skin preparation protocols.

Feline pruritus can be very challenging to manage, due to the potential for severe self trauma, and challenges of medicating many cats. Accurate diagnosis is always the first important step, and in this webinar we will cover practical tips when to consider infectious causes such as dermatoyphtosis or Demodex gatoi, how and when to use elimination diet trials, when to consider flea allergy, and the value of allergy testing (serum & intradermal). Step two is focusing on treatment, and along with updates on current treatment options, guidelines will be given on how to make wise treatment choices for each patient, and how to manage severely pruritic presentations while completing diagnostic trials.