Webinar Archive

This webinar will discuss what to do with the obstructed male cat, including emergency management, urinary catheterisation, coccygeal nerve blocks and other medical therapies in addition to weighing up the evidence.

Accurate diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease in cats is important, not to bring about a cure but to alleviate its consequences and preserve life expectancy. Good veterinary nursing is vital at each stage of patient care, so that consistent quality outcomes can be delivered to cats and their owners. This presentation will review pathophysiology, diagnosis and staging of chronic kidney disease as well as identifying its consequences and their management, from a nursing perspective.

Nutrition is an integral part of every day functioning in healthy patients, and it plays an even larger role in our critical patients. Nutrition is required for energy production, protein synthesis and repair of damaged tissue. This webinar will focus specifically on parenteral nutrition in small animal patients, including partial and total parenteral nutrition.

Thanks to better husbandry, balanced diets, leash laws, veterinary health and preventative care, companion animals are living longer. This means that we’re also seeing more senior animals with chronic conditions that impact quality of life. But management of senior pets, and end of life care, can be experienced as highly stressful for companion animal owners and members of the veterinary team. While curative treatment for these conditions is not always possible, palliative care is about managing symptoms and sequelae of disease to maintain quality of life. Given the range of conditions that companion animals may suffer at the end of their lives, this webinar does not provide specific palliative care regimes. Rather, it outlines the goals of palliative care, potential barriers to providing appropriate palliative care, communication and managing owner expectations, and proactive monitoring of quality of life. There is huge scope for veterinary teams to improve the welfare of animals while supporting owners.

Infection control is still in its infancy in veterinary medicine, but the field is advancing, as are expectations. Many risks to patients and personnel are inherent in any veterinary facility, but a practical infection control program can help reduce these risks. The epidemic of antimicrobial resistance is driving change in veterinary medicine because of increasing rates of antimicrobial resistant infections, the potential for veterinary clinics to disseminate resistant pathogens and potential health risks to veterinary personnel and owners. Every veterinary facility should have some form of infection control program. While this may sound daunting, a practical infection control program can be implemented by any veterinary clinic with little expertise, time commitment and cost. This webinar will outline a variety of concepts relating to implementation of a practical infection control program.

The evolution of veterinary dermatology and available pharmaceutical options for treatment of atopic dermatitis has changed significantly in the recent past. This lecture will review a wide array of treatment options both old and new for atopic dogs and cats including immunotherapy, antihistamines, fatty acids, steroids, Oclacitinib (Apoquel®), Cyclosporine (Atopica®), and lokivetmab (Cytopoint®). We will discuss how these therapies benefit the atopic patient and when each treatment is appropriate. Learn what side effects to beware of, how to better educate your clients, and when referral to a dermatologist is helpful.

Sterile inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system (CNS) of domestic carnivores are of utmost importance for the veterinary neurologist. There are indeed not uncommon conditions of the CNS of dogs mainly, they rarely affect cats on the other hand. They are overrepresented by a group CNS conditions grouped under the term meningo-encephalitides of unknown origin (MUO) and the well-known steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis. A little knowledge is necessary to appreciate that these conditions have specific epidemiological features with the MUOs affecting adult small breed dogs mainly, when the SRMA is mostly a disease of young large breed dogs. Despite these very distinguished characteristics, definitive diagnosis requires a systematic and rigorous approach. Mostly because, ultimately, these conditions call for immunomodulatory if not immunosuppressive treatments which carry significant side effects and can put the patient at risk. All the above make the overall management of these conditions complex, especially if one wants to give their patient a chance of a cure; which, contrary to belief, is very achievable.

Have you been frustrated by your cytology samples and getting the right cytologic diagnosis? Here is your opportunity to develop those skills. This webinar will outline the tips and tricks to getting a cytologic diagnosis. We will start with how to increase your chances of a diagnostic quality sample – covering sample collection and preparation. We follow with an outline of a systematic approach to evaluation of cytologic specimens – identifying inflammation versus neoplasia and criteria of malignancy, and categorization of neoplasia as epithelial, mesenchymal, round cell, and neuroendocrine. We will then explore some of the exceptions to our cytology rules and guidelines of when to seek out help from an expert. All complemented with lots of pictures of clinical cytology specimens.

The best option for both the pet, owner and surgeon is to get a fracture to heal well on the first attempt. Most complications are due to poor decision making rather than poor technique. This webinar will highlight the management and more importantly the avoidance of the most common types of fracture complications. Specific types and locations of fractures, which are associated with an increased risk of failure, will be discussed with strategies to avoid this occurring. The various implant systems (pins, ESF, plates and locking plates), available will also be described. The advantages and disadvantages of each implant system and the guidelines for application of each system will be highlighted. The relevance of how this relates to the risk of complications will discussed. Using a case-based approach from over 10 years of specialist orthopaedic practice, various types of complications will be demonstrated as well as strategies for revision surgery. By the end of this webinar the delegate will have a good understanding of why some complications occur and therefore how best to avoid them.

Dermatology Diagnostics for Veterinary Nurses and Technicians Do you ever wonder why vets do what they do when dealing with skin cases? Does it sometimes feel like we’re just stabbing in the dark hoping for an answer? Do you find that clients get frustrated with lack of progress? Do they bring their frustrations to you, but you don’t always know what to say? You are not alone! Dermatology and ear cases are the most common health problems presented to small animal practices, and they are frequently cited as the most common reasons that clients change veterinary practices. Dermatology cases can appear to be frustrating and complex, but in fact there are some very logical processes that need to be followed. In this webinar we’ll cover the steps that need to be taken to establish a diagnosis for the most common dermatology presentations. If you understand these steps, then you are equipped to effectively communicate these processes to your clients. We’ll also cover some of the specific diagnostic tests undertaken in the pursuit of a diagnosis in veterinary dermatology, and how nurses and technicians can play a pivotal role in this process.

Multi-drug resistant methicillin resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MDR MRSP) have been increasing in frequency since they were isolated in the late nineties. They have been more of an issue in Australia since 2013 and are now not uncommon, moreso in urban areas. Infections with MDR MRSP often do not respond to conventional antibiotics, and both recognition and treatment can be challenging. Since veterinary hospitals represent a significant risk factor for acquisition of methicillin-resistant staphylococci, it is up to the profession to try and prevent lateral spread of these bacteria between patients. This webinar will focus on both strategies applicable for this in the emergency medicine setting, and also the potential public health issues associated with MRS.

From acute presentation to chronic therapy, cats with respiratory disease have the potential to present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Familiarity with how to approach a dyspnoeic cat is invaluable in an emergency setting. Techniques that help a minimally invasive localisation of the problem can facilitate effective stabilization before stressful investigations are considered. This webinar will review how we recognise different patterns of dyspnoea, and will discuss some suggestions for immediate management. Past and recent literature highlighting tests which help to identify the cause of acute dyspnoea will be included. Finally inflammatory lower airway disease will be briefly reviewed, with a focus on atypical presentations and tips to safely investigate these feline patients.

The diagnosis and treatment of most cases of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs is straightforward and antimicrobial treatment is usually effective. However, some clinical cases are complicated by recurrence and the emergence of multi drug resistant (MDR) infections. Bacterial UTIs are a rare cause of lower urinary tract disease in cats. To minimize the emergence of MDR infection and to rationalize antimicrobial usage in the treatment of UTIs, guidelines have been developed (2011) and updated (2016). First line antibiotics for bacterial UTIs include amoxicillin and sulphonamde-trimethaprim. The current recommendation for treatment duration is 7 days but many clinicians believe shorter durations of treatment is likely to be effective.

This webinar will provide the background information needed to better understand why cannabis has such great potential in veterinary medicine. The presentation will begin with information about the regulatory issue around this plant, especially for veterinarians and pets, and then will go on to explain what is so special about this plant’s molecules, and how these phytochemical interact with a newly discovered system in all mammals, the endocannabinoid system. Recent published veterinary research will be discussed, and applications and administration details will be explained.

Radiographic positioning is essential for correct identification and diagnoses of lesions on radiographs. It is essential to understand how to acquire correctly positioned orthogonal radiographs and how positioning results in the projected image. The webinar will focus on how to position dogs and cats for the optimal radiograph of the thorax, abdomen and selected musculoskeletal anatomy. The webinar will expand on how to position these patients to minimise x-ray exposure to both the staff and patient, what to look for in a correctly positioned radiograph, tips on how to problem solve incorrectly positioned radiographs, and will introduce less new projections that may offer further diagnostic value to radiographs.

During this presentation you will learn how much information you can get from an endoscopy of the airways, the type of samples that can be collected and the treatments that can be done under endoscopic guidance such as airway stenting. Using endoscopic images, you will travel from the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, larynx to the trachea and down into the bronchi. Images of normal airways and varied pathological states will be shown. The benefits as well as potential complications of the most common procedures will be presented as we explore step-by-step the respiratory tract. Finally we will touch on what tests and treatment trials can be done before referring and discuss when it is time to refer. Any question on this interesting topic will be welcome.

This webinar covers the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal system and how application of this knowledge relates to disease, nutrition and nursing care. We discuss how treatments, including nutrition, relate to the physiology and the importance of this underpinning knowledge. We discuss how different nutrients in the diet effect the functioning of the gastrointestinal system. Nicola Ackerman relates the content of the webinar to a more Emergency Critical Care setting, for those animals that are presented with gastrointestinal issues, including pancreatitis, vomiting and diarrhoea, gastric dilations.

Dentistry composes a large part of daily small animal practice. Performing extractions is an important part of this. In this talk we will cover: Indications for tooth extraction, with some mention of possible alternatives Patient preparation, including positioning, analgesia and antibiotic use Armamentum and brief discussion of extraction technique Possible complications and how to avoid them.

Now that older cats are forming an increasing proportion of our caseload, it's more important than ever to provide 'gold standard' care. There are many common health conditions affecting older cats and preventative healthcare is vital to ensure prompt diagnosis and management of these. Subclinical illness is common but simple tests including detailed history and physical exam, weight assessment, free catch urinalysis, blood pressure assessment and blood tests can optimise early diagnosis. Care of the older cat can be a rewarding experience for cats, owners and veterinary professionals.

This webinar will look at the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis or patients with pericardial effusion. Topics for the lecture will include how to diagnose the cause of the pericardial effusion, how to perform a pericardiocentesis in practice, what medical therapies may be beneficial and when to administer and which may be detrimental. The prognosis for patients with pericardial effusion will also be discussed.

This webinar will focus on haemostasis, explaining the pathophysiology of both primary and secondary haemostasis, the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways and what happens when disorder occurs. The webinar will discuss the pathophysiology and treatment of haemostatic disorders such as Von Willebrand disease and Haemophilia, as well as rodenticide intoxication. Finally, there will be focus on some specific nursing considerations of patients affected by coagulation disorders.

Pain management for acute perioperative pain in cats and dogs, pathophysiology and practical use of analgesics in the perioperative setting using case examples.

Pain management for acute perioperative pain in cats and dogs, pathophysiology and practical use of analgesics in the perioperative setting using case examples.

Emergency and critical care medicine is an exciting and rapidly evolving area of veterinary medicine. It affords our most seriously ill and injured patients a chance at recovery. In order to achieve a good outcome, it is essential that these patients are closely monitored, and any necessary emergency procedures performed appropriately and in a timely fashion. This webinar will cover the practical aspects of placement of a variety of tubes and catheters that can be easily placed and used in a practice setting.

Advanced imaging is becoming more accessible to veterinarians, with either on-site or regional outpatient access. The use of these tests can greatly elevate the clinical practice and care provided to veterinary patients. The basic principles of how CT and MRI are used to produce diagnostic images will be reviewed. We will review general indications for using each modality. Limitations of these diagnostics will also be discussed.

Blood smear examination remains an integral part of the complete blood count (CBC) and is probably the most important aspect of a routine haematological examination. It has the potential to provide the most diagnostically useful information in comparison with any other routine test. Blood smear examination may provide knowledge of the presence of a left-shift, toxic change, atypical cell populations, diagnostic red cell changes etc, which would otherwise remain undetected by other means. It is hence important to maintain a good level of competence with blood smear examination, to compliment (and significantly enhance) the results obtained from automated cell counters. This seminar will review and discuss changes present in a selection of case studies, as an example of diseases that rely heavily on the blood smear examination for a diagnosis.

This webinar is aimed at helping nurses to understand CCD in greater depth and to feel confident in helping to identify cases that may present to them. Effective nurse-client communication is essential to ensure the disease is discovered early and discussed openly with the correct advice and guidance being given. We will look at the changes within the brain that are associated with the condition, and how these changes lead to specific behavioural concerns. We will discuss in detail each of the presenting signs typically associated with CCD. We will also explore the types of behavioural modification that can help reduce the impact of problems for the patient and improve the owner-pet relationship. Diagnostic methods and modalities used to diagnose and evaluate patients will be discussed together with current treatment options. This includes behavioural modification as mentioned, drug therapy, dietary modification and neutraceutical supplementation. The aim of this webinar is to equip nurses with the tools to advise and guide clients in providing optimum care for their dogs when diagnosed with CCD and to develop a thorough understanding of the condition.

This webinar will unwrap the secrets of bandaging by learning the physics and physiology associated with complications, and provide tips and tricks to avoid them!

Secondary bacterial and/or yeast infections are common complications of a variety of primary skin diseases in companion animals, including common allergic diseases. Although the importance of addressing secondary infections is recognised, many of the lesions they cause are non-specific and not readily distinguished from primary diseases. Accurate diagnosis of skin infections is reliant on diagnostic testing, and although skin cytology sampling is of greatest importance, superficial sampling techniques are a relatively recent introduction to clinical practice. Thus historically, there has been a tendency to treat skin infections in companion animals based on suspicious clinical lesions and/or odours, or to cover with antimicrobial therapy ‘just in case'. With the increasing development of antimicrobial resistance, questioning the appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy for every patient has become very important. Appropriate use of antimicrobials revolves around two important aspects. Firstly, to only use antibiotics and/or antifungals when they are clearly indicated, which is reliant on accurate diagnostic tools. Secondly, to make appropriate medication choices and direct optimal doses and durations of therapy. This webinar will cover the use of skin cytology for accurate recognition of secondary bacterial and yeast infections, together with evidence-based recommendations on optimal antimicrobial therapies, including topical versus systemic therapies, and challenges of MRSP infections.

This is a unique and less common disease in which the body’s own immune system turns on itself – in this case, components of the skin. We will discuss this disease in two broad categories, namely those diseases that are vesicular or pustular in nature and those diseases that are not characterised be vesicles or pustules. We will spend most of our discussion time on the most common aspects of this disease.

In this webinar we will review the RECOVER ( Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation) guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. In practice CPR is fortunately not often required but when it does occur it can be a stressful event for everyone involved. The aim of this seminar is to leave you feeling more confident when dealing with a situation when your patient has arrested. For the scope of this seminar we will focus on Basic Life Support. Advanced Life Support falls out of the scope of this webinar but will be briefly discussed. You will learn how to recognize and assess cardiopulmonary arrest and how to respond to this appropriately. The principles of Basic Life Support will be covered step by step, both in a single rescue situation and a team situation. This includes chest compressions and discussing chest compression points in different breeds and species, intubation and ventilation. These guidelines will help you deal with any CPR code in your practice.

All anaesthetics can be a challenge let alone, having the patient unstable to begin with. Tailoring the best anaesthetic plan to the individual requirements can be even more challenging. This lecture will cover topics that will assist you with the unstable patient, including history taking, how to stabilise the patient before inductions, what to expect, how to pick up on early changes and what we can do to make them more stable. Hemodynamically unstable patients are not necessarily sick patients, so with these patients we change the approach of the anaesthetic, so that we can hopefully avoid complications, however if we do see those complications, they may need different treatment to a healthy patient, so some handy hints will be given on what to think about before a treatment plan is chosen.

Gastrointestinal surgery can be a lifesaving procedure. It is one of the most common surgeries performed in an emergency setting and emergency surgeons should be competent and confident in opening and closing the stomach and intestines. This webinar covers surgical approaches to the stomach and intestinal tract with a focus on practical tips to give the participant confidence and reduce complications. Topic covered include basic anatomy, gastrotomy and enterotomy techniques, decision making and dealing with complications as well as basic post-operative care.

This webinar will include a discussion of the common causes of pruritus in our canine companions, a practical and achievable diagnostic workup of these patients, and management of the no 1 cause of pruritus – allergies!

Good theatre practice is one area of veterinary medicine that can be the responsibility of a nurse. It often requires one person to be in control to ensure the smooth running and maintenance of high standards. This webinar is going to cover the following areas; basic principles - theatre practice, theatre personnel - duties and preparation, theatre clothing - scrubbing, gloving and gowning, the surgical field - drapes and trolley organisation and assisting during a procedure - diathermy, contaminated surgeries, irrigation and suction.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat. It is a true one-health crisis, as human and veterinary healthcare face the same clinical problems, share closely related bacteria and use similar antibiotics. The resistance genes, moreover, are often identical. Inappropriate use of broad-spectrum systemic antibiotics is the single biggest factor selecting for resistance. Responsible use can reduce antibiotic use and the prevalence of resistance without affecting clinical outcomes. However, this requires that veterinarians and animal owners act together. We will look at some of the drivers behind antibiotic use and discuss how to address these. Common reasons for systemic antimicrobial use in dogs and cats include dermatitis, respiratory disease, urinary tract infections, and gastrointestinal problems. Most infections involve a dysbiosis of the resident microbiome rather than a primary infection. Failure to manage this appropriately drives repeated antibiotic use and selection for resistance. We’ll discuss how to reduce antibiotic use without compromising clinical outcomes using canine pyoderma as an example.

The most common canine orthopaedic disease, yet one of the most poorly understood. This webinar will bring into focus current understanding of disease aetiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment options and outcomes. Light will be shed on the diverse range of treatment options, with an evaluation of the evidence to support (or possibly refute) their use. Throughout the webinar, practical tips and tricks will be provided for incorporation into your practice to improve early detection and treatment.

This webinar will discuss the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in dogs. In particular current, evidence based medical practice for the use of specific antimicrobials for specific gastrointestinal infections including Helicobacter, Salmonella and Campylobacter infections. The webinar will also discuss the use of antimicrobials in specific situations such as Inflammatory bowel disease, Clostridium perfringens toxaemia and haemorrhagic gastro enteritis. Alternative treatments to anti microbials will also be discussed.

What is triaditis? Strictly spoken, it is the involvement of three organs = trias (liver, pancreas, intestines) in an inflammatory process. Cats with triaditis suffer from concurrent pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cholangitis. Unfortunately, it is not always as straight forward as this. Some cats show a combination of all three diseases some not. In some of them, there is purely immune-mediated disease, in some suppurative inflammation and bacterial infection complicates the disease process and challenges us with respect to treatment regimen. What causes triaditis? That is a million dollar question. Current theories involve dietary allergens that stimulate the immune system, hereditary factors, and the impact of bacterial infections that move from the intestines into the bile duct. Others believe that triaditis starts in the bile duct, with the inflammation then flaring up in the pancreas and intestines. Let’s have a closer look on how to diagnose triaditis and what to do about it therapeutically.

This webinar will focus on biochemistry and electrolyte analysis, with particular emphasis on interpretation in the Emergency and Critical Care setting. This webinar will be a clinical pathology focussed session, and will discuss the diagnosis, rather than the treatment of diseases. Aspects that will be discussed include the following: - The benefits and disadvantages of running an in-house serum biochemistry and electrolyte panel in the ECC setting - What tests make up a biochemistry and electrolyte panel, and the most common causes that lead to increases or decreases in these results - A basic overview of how we interpret patient results - What factors may affect results and why

What should I do about that ALT? What about the massively increased ALP in that old Labrador retriever? Elevated liver enzyme activity is one of the most common abnormalities seen on routine chemistries. Yet, many veterinarians feel a bit perplexed as to the most logical way to approach diagnosing a dog or cat with elevated liver enzymes (SAM-e and a recheck?). What are the most common causes of liver disease in dogs and cats? What’s a cost-effective way to approach diagnosing these cases? In this webinar we will look at how best to practically approach elevated liver enzymes on general chemistry. Our discussion will include toxicity, neoplasia, cholangitis complex, biliary diseases, chronic hepatitis, and some breed-specific hepatopathies. We will discuss various options for diagnostics including imaging and special chemistries as well as indications for when it’s critical to get that all-important liver biopsy!

The automatic cell blood count (CBC) should be always performed together with the microscopic blood smear evaluation. The combined interpretation of the hematological laboratory data results with the morphological appearance of cells can help to improve the diagnostic skills and shorten the differential list. This webinar is designed to provide insights about common morphological changes of erythrocytes, leucocytes and platelets combined with interpretation of cell blood count changes; e.g. anaemia, inflammatory leucogram, stress leucogram, thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia.

This webinar is designed to help vets see and treat pet chickens. It will provide information on basic husbandry, handling, how to examine, common diseases and approaches to treating. I will discuss some of the issues related to the legal obligations in treating back yard chickens.

Our understanding of allergic dermatitis in dogs has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. This presentation will highlight new information that changes the way we practice and will include insights on new definitions and clinical syndromes, pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis, a streamlined diagnostic approach and diagnostic criteria, new innovative treatments, and guidance for conducting food trials, amongst others.

Septic shock is one of the most challenging conditions we face, in which patient morbidity and mortality is high. But how can we improve management and outcome in these patients? How much fluids do we need to give? What antibiotics are the best? What is the best vasopressor and when to use this? This lecture will cover the new surviving sepsis human guidelines, and how to apply these guidelines to our critically ill veterinary patients to improve patient outcome.

Avian nursing can be a pretty daunting thing for most vet nurses. Firstly, we don’t learn much about them in the current training packages when obtaining our qualifications, something I am working very hard to change! After this, not many of us have had the opportunity to work in clinics who do see avian consultations, therefore the opportunity to learn nursing techniques is restricted. And finally, the things that holds most VN’s I know back from learning about them, is the big beak and the flapping – eeek! Understanding what to do with birds in the clinic (domestic or wildlife patients) does not need to be scary nor complex. This webinar aims to provide you with the core basics of nursing avians including concepts such as safe handling, anaesthesia induction & venous access for human euthanasia, housing, monitoring, identification, diet choice and of course, yours and your patients’ safety.

Mast cell tumours (MCT) and soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are some of the most common tumours encountered in small animal practice. Although surgical removal is often the most appropriate initial treatment, questions like whether or not to perform staging tests prior to surgery, identification of cases where surgery may not be recommended, treatment options for non-surgical cases, interpretation of prognostic factors and the best approach for follow up can be more challenging. In this webinar we will discuss initial diagnosis of canine MCT and STS, when and which staging tests are appropriate for different cases, interpretation of histopathology reports and grading schemes, and non-surgical treatment options. We will discuss in more depth the use of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as Palladia in canine MCT.

Blood gases and Acid/base interpretation is increasingly being used in not only large veterinary hospitals, but general practice on a day to day basis. The opportunity to have these results so quickly is good news for our patients in the emergency and critical care setting especially. As Veterinary Nurses, we are normally taking the samples from these patients and running the gases for the Vets. In this webinar, we will discuss the best ways of obtaining and handling these samples, step by step guide on interpreting the acid/base status and other important parameters to be aware of; so that you feel more confident to alert the clinicians when problems start to occur.

Abdominal surgery requires knowledge of appropriate anatomy and tissue handling, appropriate surgical training and guidance, surgical techniques, appropriate instrumentation and peri-operative management and care. Appropriate surgical training and guidance, in addition to up-to-date knowledge of anatomy, pathophysiology, and surgical methods, with close adherence to Halstead’s surgical methods, will all contribute to a successful surgical outcome.