Small Animal Medicine

This 100% online CPD mini-module has been developed and aimed towards the more experienced veterinary surgeon. The module content has been developed by veterinary specialists at the forefront of current veterinary research.

The module will provide you with 25 hours of designation specific CPD. Over four weeks we will cover a different weekly topic in an area in which there may have been changes, advances or controversy in recent years.

The course is taught and tutored by Liverpool and other external veterinary specialists, following a similar format to the University of Liverpool’s CertAVP modules.  With online lectures, discussion boards and weekly MCQ tests designed to help support your learning, this short Small Animal Medicine mini-module will provide a fun and interactive way to ensure you keep up to date in your area of interest.

 

Course content: 

 

Week 1: 24th February 2025 - ‘Imaging of respiratory disease’ with Frederike Schiborra

This week we will take a look at respiratory diseases and their appearance on imaging. We will focus on radiology as this is the most ubiquitous modality, but also talk a little about CT. Knowing which modality to choose is essential to get the best out of your diagnostics.

There will be cases you can work on during the week and we will discuss these during a wrap-up zoom meeting at the end of the week. 

 

Frederike Schiborra, D.med.vet, Dip ECVDI, MRCVS

Frederike graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Germany in 2005. She subsequently completed her thesis in a collaborative project with the Trauma Department of the Hanover Medical School. Afterwards she worked for 8 years in small animal practice in Germany and the UK and obtained a CertAVP(SAM). Between 2015 and 2018 she completed her residency in small animal diagnostic imaging at the University of Liverpool's Small Animal Teaching Hospital.

Frederike remained at the University as a lecturer and gained her diploma in small animal diagnostic imaging (DipECVDI) in 2018 before moving into a senior lecturer position in 2019. She leads small animal clinical skills teaching and teaches undergraduates on the BVSc course in diagnostic imaging as well as postgraduate CPD courses. Since August 2023, she has been the head of the Small Animal Diagnostic Imaging service at the Small Animal Teaching Hospital.

 

Week 2: 3rd March 2025 - ‘Pancreatic and biliary diseases of dogs and cats’ with Susanna Spence and Mary Trehy

This mini-module will focus on the identification and management of biliary and pancreatic diseases in dogs and cats. These can be challenging cases to manage as non-specific clinical signs, discordant test results, and the frequent need for detailed abdominal imaging and/or more invasive diagnostics can make it difficult to reach a confident diagnosis. With a thorough and logical approach, however, they can become rewarding patients to treat.

The four sessions will explore biliary disease in dogs, hepatobiliary disease in cats, and pancreatic disorders in both dogs and cats. Each session will incorporate recent updates from the veterinary literature as well as clinical cases to consolidate the key learning points.

 

Susanna Spence BVMS DipECVIM-CA MRCVS, RCVS and European Veterinary Specialist in Internal Medicine

Susanna graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2012, before working in a small animal practice in Lancashire for two years. She then returned to Glasgow in 2014 to complete a rotating internship before starting her Internal Medicine Residency. Susanna achieved her European diploma in Small Animal Internal Medicine in March 2019. After achieving her diploma she moved to Surrey to start working at North Downs Specialist Referrals where she was for 5 years, before starting at London Vet Specialists in summer 2024.

Although Susanna enjoys all areas of Internal Medicine, her particular area of interest is endocrinology and she is soon to complete a Masters in canine hypoadrenocorticism.

 

Mary Trehy BSc BVetMed DipECVIM MRCVS, RCVS and European Veterinary Specialist in Internal Medicine

Mary graduated from the Royal Veterinary College, London, in 2009. After completing an internship at a Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, she worked in general practice in the same area. Mary completed a three year residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Liverpool and joined North Downs Specialist Referrals in April 2014.

She gained her European Specialist Diploma in 2015. Mary enjoys all aspects of canine and feline Internal Medicine, but is particularly interested in haematology, nephrology, endoscopy and endocrinology.

 

Week 3: 10th March 2025 - Break Week

 

Week 4: 17th March 2025 - ‘Diabetes Mellitus: Old and new’ with Ellie Mardell

Numerically the second most important endocrine disease of domestic cats, diabetes mellitus is a more complex condition than first meets the glucometer. This enhances the depth of interest that the disorder offers us, but from a practical point of view, it can lead to frustration and despondency when faced with a feline patient that is not stabilising as we might expect.

Fortunately, extensive research has developed our awareness of how possible disease associations, such as hypersomatotropism, hyperadrenocorticism, and pancreatitis, may influence presentation and subsequent treatment. Additionally, we have a greater understanding of the impact of pathophysiological mechanisms such as glucose toxicity and obesity-related insulin resistance. This has both refined our use of exogenous insulin, and more recently prompted studies confirming the efficacy of a new drug class, the SGLT-2 inhibitors, now licenced for use in diabetic cats. This treatment works in a completely different way to exogenous insulin, and a sound appreciation of the mechanism of action, expected effects, and potential for unique adverse events, is necessary for confidence prior to reaching for these drugs. We will explore the theory and the practical aspects of treatment of cats with SGLT-2 inhibitors, and also review the aims of treatment, and the management strategies relevant to insulin administration, for those cats that have an absolute requirement for, or continue to benefit from, insulin injections.

Additionally, we now have at our disposal options for enhanced monitoring capabilities in diabetic patients; these lectures will include a review of the literature that examines the reliability of different versions of continuous glucose monitoring.

This is an exciting time in the field of feline diabetes mellitus research, which has a gratifyingly direct impact on our day to day practice with clinical patients. I hope you will enjoy an in-depth look into this highly relevant topic.

 

Ellie Mardell MA VetMB DSAM (Fel) MRCVS (RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine)

Ellie qualified from Cambridge University in 1999.  After three years in general small animal practice she completed a residency in feline medicine at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, where she gained the RCVS Certificate in Small Animal Medicine.

Ellie then spent a year at Bristol University as a clinician in canine, feline and emergency medicine.  Following this, she has worked in private referral practice in the North West and joined ChesterGates in March 2009, where she is currently a consultant in Canine and Feline Internal Medicine.  Ellie gained the RCVS Diploma in Feline Medicine in 2008, one of only a few people in the UK to hold this qualification.  She has a particular interest in Haematology and Respiratory disease in both cats and dogs, and also in feline endocrinology and urinary tract disorders. 

Ellie is both a popular lecturer and the author of numerous papers. She was external examiner for the University of Liverpool for four years until 2016 and currently contributes to the University’s CertAVP feline and small animal medicine modules.

 

Week 5: 24th March 2025 - Diagnostic Detectives: Searching for Clues from your Laboratory Tests

Haematology and biochemistry are valuable tools for working up our cases, but are you getting the most out of that long list of numerical results? What exactly is a reference range? How far out of reference range is truly abnormal? When is normal really not normal? How do sample collection, handling, storage, transport, and processing affect results? And what about all those newer tests: FGF, BHB, AGP, CRP? Are they game-changers? We will investigate all these questions, and more, as we do a deep dive into haematology and biochemistry in this mini module. Please bring lots of questions and cases to discuss!

 

Kathy Lunn BVMS MS PhD FHEA DACVIM MRCVS, American Board-Certified Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine

After qualifying at Glasgow Univeristy, Kathy spent most of her career in the United States, apart from 3 years at Cambridge University, where she realised that Internal Medicine was the perfect fit for her. She received her master’s and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and also completed a residency there, becoming board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1999. She has worked in private referral practice in Wisconsin, as well as in academic veterinary medicine at UW-Madison, Colorado State University, and North Carolina State University. As well as clinical work, her career has included research, teaching, and mentoring, and while at NC State University she was director of the Small Animal Internal Medicine residency program. Kathy's clinical interests are wide, but she particularly enjoys investigating and managing endocrine and metabolic diseases.

 

Start date: 24th February 2025

Cost: £420