Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in Dogs and Cats

Despite CPR not being a procedure we perform very frequently, it was only a few weeks ago that myself and a team of dedicated vets and nurses performed CPR on an already sick dog. We managed to successfully resuscitate this patient but sadly went on to lose him several hours later. Last week’s webinar presented by Fiona Strachan BVMS CertVA MRCVS stated this was always going to be the most likely outcome in any patient which is not anaesthetised and undergoes cardiopulmonary arrest and CPR.

Canine Elbow Dysplasia

As a last minute stand in, Ben Walton did a great job presenting an in-depth veterinary webinar organised by The Webinar Vet discussing elbow dysplasia in the dog. Indeed to present the amount of information at the level delivered was quite a feat especially within the space of an hour and at such short notice.

Cancers of the Head & Neck

Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biological cancers which originate in the lip, oral cavity, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx and larynx. Unfortunately, in man, 90% of head and neck cancers are aggressive squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Dogs and cats, however, have a much greater variety of cancers affecting the head and neck, but many can still be aggressive and very difficult to treat.

Biting the Hand That Feeds: Causes for owner directed aggression in dogs

Sezan Oxgunay Bsc(hons), Msc, CCAB  from the Dog’s Trust led last week’s excellent webinar on owner directed aggression in dogs and was quick to state that a fifty minute CPD session was too short a time to go into any great depth on this vast subject area. Sezan explained the main aim of this webinar was to deliver enough knowledge to enable first opinion vets to offer basic advice within a consult to keep both the owner and pet safe whilst the necessary time is taken to seek more indepth advice from a behaviourist.

Biliary Tract Abnormalitiesin Dogs and Cats: Not as rare as most clinicians think!

Last week’s webinar led by Professor Mike Willard made it abundantly clear that cats and dogs with biliary tract abnormalities will not be handing their diagnosis to the often frustrated vet on a plate. Instead, they like to make it as challenging as possible often presenting with vague clinical signs whilst delivering several red herrings along the way which could easily lead most vets up the proverbial garden path. Professor Willard not only offered these warnings in last week’s webinar, he also advised on how to spot the pitfalls which could so easily send vets in the wrong direction and how to get back on the right track to a correct diagnosis.

Beginner's Guide To Blood Gas Analysis

The words acid-base and anion gap have been wandering aimlessly around my head since my college days without any particular purpose, probably because I never really grasped their meaning or relevance to real life cases. Last week’s veterinary webinar organised by ‘The Webinar Vet’ proved a revelation being the first time  I actually fully understood blood gas analysis with Tobias Grave TA,GPCert(SAP)DipACVECC, MRCVS from Vets Now Glasgow Referrals explaining it concepts in a practical and relevant way.

Are You Obeying The Law?

It’s not often I’m surprised, but last week’s veterinary webinar organised by ‘The Webinar Vet’ genuinely surprised me. I’ll be honest, the thought of sitting down and participating in a veterinary webinar covering the safe and VMR (Veterinary Medicine Regulations) compliant dispensing in 2013 didn’t thrill me, but I knew it was important to ensure I was up to speed.

A Practitioner’s Guide To Canine Lymphoma

Lymphoma (LSA) is a relatively common disease entity in veterinary medicine.  Most small animal practitioners will encounter LSA in their practice, and will be asked to provide information and treatment recommendations for pets with this condition.

Approach to Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Gastrointestinal bleeding would be hard to miss in its most dramatic form with voluminous hematemesis being a clear give away sign. The majority of our patients, however, do not present this way and may only show vague non specific clinical signs. Last week’s webinar led by Jonathan Lidbury BVMS MRCVS PhD DCVIM DECVIM-CA demonstrated...

An Update On Controlled Drugs

Despite understanding the importance of our responsibility towards the use of controlled drugs, a webinar discussing this specific topic was always unlikely to enthuse me. However after watching last Thursday’s Platinum Member’s webinar, Pam Mosedale turned what could have been an exceedingly dry subject into an interesting and practical update on the supply and storage of control drugs (CDs) which would benefit the entire practice team.

Anaesthesia in Reptiles

Performing anaesthesia in reptiles is an area I’ve had little experience as a small animal practitioner apart from once attempting to perform a chamber induction in a tortoise which seemed to take an alarmingly long time. Most owners phoning the practice regarding their exotic pet are actively encouraged by the well trained receptionists to seek advice at a more ‘specialist’ exotic practice.

c-section

Anaesthesia for Caesarean Sections in Dogs and Cats

Caesarean section is usually performed as an emergency procedure, so getting to grips with both the anaesthesia and analgesia for this event is essential to ensure the best possible outcome for both mother and her offspring. Sheilah Robertson led last week’s webinar discussing this particular topic and talked us through how to devise an anaesthetic management plan...