The Webinar Gazette - August 2021 by thewebinarvet

AUG US T 2 0 2 1

The

Webinar Gazette

WHAT’S INSIDE: CPD’er of the Month

Speaker of the Month

Updates from the Vet EX

Five Webinar Articles

David’s Review

Vet Trust awards – Survey

Introduction from

Anthony Chadwick It’s hard to believe we are in August already. The year has gone quickly. I was hoping to be in France at the end of July for some R& R but also to see my daughter. It was not meant to be. It’s over 18 months since I saw her. I suspect a lot of people are in a similar situation and it is tough I know. Let’s hope that by being sensible we get out of this awful situation ASAP!

I’m also proud of the regenerative work we are doing to aid the world and also the veterinary profession. I was chatting to Craig Bennett, who is CEO of The Wildlife Trusts. He said that the job of veterinary practice is to be a leader in the community showing good practice on the environment. How many of your practices want to be carbon neutral in the next three years?

In happier news, I was made up that Norbert, our Hungarian developer based in the North West, has created an amazing integration with the RCVS 1CPD app. This will save you hours and here is a video I created earlier! This helps to augment our practice management tool which practice managers can use to encourage vets and nurses to keep up with their CE. If they are not doing well, this could be a sign that things are getting to them and a chat might be beneficial.

A green member of Investors in the Environment? Have planted 100 trees as part of the Queen’s canopy?

https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/ the-webinar-vet-refer-a-friend-signup/?utm_ source=newsletter&utm_medium=acintro&utm_campaign=refer-a-friend I do hope that despite everything you manage to get some time to relax in the summer period. As you know, I have taken over Simply Locums to try to help solve the recruitment gap. We are all part of the solution. If you are not working and want some shifts, please feel free to email me and let’s see if we can get you helping in stretched practices.

Had your carbon calculated? So far since 1st April we have planted 704 trees due to our membership offer. Ecoffset are also working out our carbon use. Of course, we help take many miles off the roads these last 11 years as pioneers of webinar and online education. Please help us to plant more trees this year by recommending our membership to your colleagues!

To your CPD success,

Anthony

https://youtu.be/bz179YkMcoI

CPD’er of the month

Q&A with Shai Belhassen

The webinar I enjoyed most recently is “emergency diagnostics one drop of blood”. In fact, after watching this webinar we decided as a team to change our emergency protocols and to get epoc machine and we learned how to deal with our emergency clients much effectively and how to involve much more our great team of talented nurses in first triaging these patients and how to provide first aid when you need to prioritise our panties. And this is the big home message I took this month (together with new techniques to remove liner foreign body from cat, how to deal with hypertensive cat correctly, how to treat feline pancreatitis and reassessed my knowledge on Cushing syndrome, and many more..) I am looking forward to see webinars about small animals reproduction, paediatric medicine and many subjects in internal medicine. In fact, at the moment I’m learning for my certificate in internal medicine of small animals and have lots of knowledge to share. In addition, I love teaching and simplify heavy topics and I would be more than happy to know if you are looking for speakers to deliver webinars on various topics in yours website? I’m very interested! :)

Speaker of the month

Georgia Woods-Lee RVN, CertCFVHNut, VTS (Nutrition)

Georgia Woods-Lee qualified as a Veterinary Nurse in 2004 from Myerscough College, Preston UK. After working in Cheshire as firstly a dedicated emergency and critical care nurse, Georgia then gained the position of Head nurse and clinical coach, developing successful obesity care and other nursing clinics. In June 2015, Georgia took the position of ROYAL CANIN® Weight Management Clinic Nurse at the University of Liverpool, Small Animal Teaching Hospital. Here she is now dealing exclusively with obesity care and nutrition.

In addition to the day to day running of the clinic, Georgia also assists with the research the clinic undertakes and has provided education to vets and nurses throughout many countries on the topics of obesity care and nutrition. Georgia gained her Certificate in Canine and Feline Veterinary Health Nutrition in 2017 and the American Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) in nutrition award in 2019. https://www.thewebinarvet.com/shop/ sotm-august2021 Discount Code: SOTMAugust

Updates from

the Vet Exhibition

Co-organized by ESVD-ECVD-ISVD, the online congress dates will remain 16-18 September 2021 but will be virtual. Due to the ongoing epidemic situation with COVID-19, the organizing committee has made the difficult decision to cancel the traditional format of the 32nd European Veterinary Dermatology Congress, planned to take place in Porto, and organize the congress online.

REGISTRATIONS ARE OPEN! Have you seen the updated environment? THE Vet Exhibition has just finalised another monthly refresh which includes branding for the ESVD-ECVD congress, the ESVDECVD-ISVD exhibition booth and our calendar of scheduled events and webinars. So far for August, we have 3 webinars streaming through the Sponsors Suite (Auditorium 3) which include; 11th August Chronic Illness In Practice: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle 12:30PM (BST) 16th August Managing Stress with the Right Brain 12:30PM (BST) 17th August StreetVetting: The Power of Pets and Companionship 12:30PM BST

I also have a fantastic competition running in THE Vet Exhibition until the 20th August – a virtual treasure hunt! I have hidden 10 virtual chocolate bars within the platform and once you have found all 10, you could be in with a chance of winning a reallife Tony’s Chocolonely’s chocolate bar! The winner will be announced on the 31st August 2021. Be sure to explore all areas of THE Vet Exhibition including some of our exhibitors hotspots (hint hint!)

During the online congress, scientific invited lectures will be streamed, including live Q&A. All lectures will remain available on-demand until 31 December 2021.

On a final note, we are in full swing of getting ready for the 32nd European Veterinary Dermatology Congress. The private section will be open to ticket holders only and will feature a commercial exhibition with some fantastic sponsors and exhibitors. If you would like to exhibit within the commercial exhibition, please do get in contact today! Exhibitor enquiries will close on the 6th August.

A virtual commercial exhibition area will be available with digital booths of each sponsor and exhibitor. The commercial exhibition will also remain accessible until 31 December 2021. https://www.eventure-online.com/eventure/participant/invitee.form?2183d11d-c6374795-ba93-66d385f4e651 https://www.esvd-ecvdcongress.com/programme

r e t egis

For information around THE Vet Exhibition including exhibiting, advertising or watching a webinar, email me at Stephanie@ thewebinarvet.com!

NOW

Stephanie THE Vet Exhibition Show Manager

Global Pet Organizations WSAVA and GAPFA Announce New Partnership To Advance and Promote Pet Wellness Around the World World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) Sign Memorandum of Understanding Ontario, Canada and Brussels, Belgium (July 5, 2021)—Two global not-for-profit pet organizations, focused on advancing companion animal veterinary care, nutrition and responsible pet ownership, today announced they will work together to promote global pet wellness and scientific research that demonstrates the positive roles pets play in family and community life. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on advancing common priorities and topics related to pet wellness, nutrition, and clinical care of companion animals. The new partnership was celebrated in conjunction with the annual GAPFA Technical Congress held virtually on June 15, during which WSAVA President Dr. Siraya Chunekamrai was invited to share an overview of WSAVA’s key projects and future plans and priorities with GAPFA members from around the globe. Dr Chunekamrai says: “WSAVA members advocate for both the welfare and wellbeing of animals and of veterinary teams. Promoting the value of the Human-Animal Bond is one of our key priorities and we do this not only through our global veterinary community but also in collaborative leadership with like-minded associations, such as GAPFA. We are delighted to join

forces with GAPFA and look forward to working with them to the benefit of people and animals in the months ahead.”

pandemic. We have the opportunity to make a real change for both pets and the people who love them through this partnership.”

About WSAVA The WSAVA represents more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide through its 115 member associations and works to enhance standards of clinical care for companion animals. Its core activities include the development of WSAVA Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice, including nutrition, pain management and vaccination, together with lobbying on important issues affecting companion animal care worldwide.

About GAPFA The Global Alliance of Pet Food Associations (GAPFA) is a non-profit association of pet food manufacturers, established in Belgium in 2014. GAPFA’s mission is to support the health and wellbeing of dogs and cats and to promote the benefits of living with them, by providing a forum to address industry consensus on key issues of mutual interest. The Alliance works to promote adherence to food safety and nutritional standards enabling manufacturers to deliver wholesome, healthy and nutritious prepared pet foods; to promote the feeding of prepared pet food to support the health and wellbeing of pets; and to develop and disseminate educational resources which highlight and enhance the benefits of human pet interaction. For further information, please visit www.gapfa.org. For further information, please contact:

“With the common purpose of being advocates for the health and well-being of companion animals around the world, we are excited to partner with WSAVA the voice of the global small animal veterinary profession,” says Robert Kaczmarek, President of GAPFA. “Veterinary care and pet nutrition go hand-in-hand, and we welcome the opportunity to help promote the wellbeing of pets who provide companionship and benefits through the human-animal bond, as recently demonstrated during the

Both WSAVA and GAPFA have previously signed agreements to collaborate with a third not-for-profit organization, the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), which maintains the world’s largest online library of human-animal-bond research and information. The three organizations recognize they share many common priorities and a desire to enhance global awareness of the importance of pet wellness and the benefits of the human-animal bond and living with pets.

rebecca@georgepr.com WSAVA, Rebecca George, George PR Tel: +44 1449 737281/+44 7974 161108/ secretariat@gapfa.org GAPFA Secretariat 13A Avenue de Tervueren, Boite 7 1040 Brussels Belgium

About Us

How can Simply Locums be part of the solution?

We purchased Simply Locums as it was then called in July 2021. I got more involved with Simply Locums in January 2021 and changed the name to Simply Vets as I wanted to move it in a different direction.

Part of the problem is that recruitment is another old traditional industry much like the veterinary CPD industry was 11 years ago. I pioneered the use of technology 11 years ago along with exceptional client service and high- quality content.

I founded The Webinar Vet in 2010, partly out of the frustration of keeping up to date with veterinary science and the art of practicing. In 2010 there were no real online platforms and training by the traditional companies was expensive and often meant leaving the practice for days. Conferences are always fun meeting colleagues but can be expensive in terms of time and financially. The mission for The Webinar Vet was to make continuing education more accessible and affordable to vets and nurses across the world. I think we’ve made a good job of that! We’ve also encouraged the more traditional CPD providers to modernise and come into the online space meaning there is a lot of choice now and costs are more affordable. At the same time over the last 10 years, a resource problem has developed in veterinary practice. Independent practices have sold out to corporates with a concomitant loss of talent as older members of the profession leave prematurely. More practices opening leading to smaller practices with longer hours for the vets and nurses. Vets and nurses becoming disheartened working in practice and leaving the profession Vets leaving the practice scene to start a family and then returning on a part time basis or not at all. Fast forward to 2019 and I was seeing that vets and nurses were struggling to fill positions in their practices and having to work even harder to compensate for those who had left the profession. This has worsened during the pandemic and may worsen again as we come out of the pandemic with a burnout profession. Brexit and IR35 tax changes have further complicated the situation. As I had helped fix the CPD/CE problem, I want to be a part of the solution around veterinary recruitment. Our job is one of the best in the world. Many of us have come into the profession full of enthusiasm and with a genuine love of animals and it breaks my heart when I see younger colleagues having that enthusiasm squeezed out of them.

I’ve started doing the same thing at Simply Vets. The vision was to make it easy for high quality practices to meet up with high quality locums. We work with Webinar Vet practice members and a couple of the corporates to meet locums who we try to nurture and develop by giving them access to our top- quality clinical training and personal development too. Some of this is around mindset, mindfulness and gratitude. Our engagement hub makes it easy for vets, nurses and practices to meet up and organise work together. My belief is that there are enough vets and nurses around but we must improve the way we can all communicate through digital transformation along with exceptional concierge service from my team. We already have close to 100 vets and nurses who we are helping to navigate IR35 changes as well as helping them to find high quality work. Something that makes us quite unique. Here are the values we hold at Alpha Vet International Ltd which consists of The Webinar Vet, Simply Vet and WikiVet. When I ask people to join the team, I ask them if they can commit to the values, vision and culture of the organisation. Our value words are: Innovative, Serve, Respect, Analytical, Kaizen, Fun, Inclusive, Quality, Community, Ambitious, Educate and Ethical. We want to work with similar committed vets, nurses and practices. If you think in a similar way, I’d love you to come on board to improve working life in veterinary practice for the benefit of the team, clients but most importantly the animals under our care. Book an appointment with myself or one of the team if you want to know more. Thanks for everything that you do for the profession and the animals! Love, Anthony Chadwick Founder, Alpha Vet International

As by then we had already been successfully providing our gloves to handlers of dangerous reptiles and animals at zoos around the world for approximately 7 years. And thus testing had been done in the most extreme circumstances imaginable.

The first CAT Handling Gloves which REALLY work! https://www.thewebinarvet.com/webinar/ the-first-truly-revolutionary-cat-handlinggloves It will be hard to forget the moment I was allowed to witness 2 nurses restraining a cat with just a towel.. Did you join us for PAW 2021: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected pet wellbeing in the UK? The launch webinar for the 2021 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report is now available to watch back. The PAW Report is the largest annual assessment of pet wellbeing in the UK. Working with YouGov, the survey provides results from a nationally representative sample of pet owners, giving us insight into some of the biggest welfare problems facing the UK’s pet dogs, cats and rabbits. The results are used across the sector as an evidence base to ensure the most pressing issues are tackled, driving positive change for pet welfare. Since its launch in 2011, The PAW Report has been used in campaigns and press releases, helped inform new legislation and driven welfare improvements across the UK. The 2021 PAW Report focuses on the changes our pets have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout the multiple lockdowns, looking closely at five key areas: pet population, pet acquisition, behaviour, obesity and preventive healthcare - all areas which had the potential to be greatly impacted by the pandemic. On Friday 30th July at 12:30pm we held a free 2 hour launch webinar, featuring a panel of experts including

• Professor Alex German, Royal Canin Professor of Small Animal Medicine, University of Liverpool

• Chris Laurence, FRCVS, Chair of the Canine and Feline Sector Group (CFSG)

• Daniella Dos Santos, MRCVS, Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA)

• Jo Oakden RVN, President of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) • Dr Kevin McPeake, MRCVS, Lecturer in Clinical Animal Behaviour, University of Edinburgh

• Richard Hooker, MRCVS, Director of Veterinary Services, PDSA

The webinar discussed key findings from the Report and next steps to improve pet welfare followed by a live Q&A with our expert panellists. Register and watch back here.

The sound was eerie and gave me the distinct feeling that something was about to explode! And in reality I wasn’t far of, as the cat really did not like what was happening. The furry creature eventually had its injection administered and after the second round of a seemingly ongoing wrestling match it was safely placed back into its enclosure. That first time was quite an experience.. and I can only say; a BIG respect to the nurses, as they clearly made the best of a daunting situation. I was told that the alternative methods of (useless) gloves or a crush cage (even the name sounds scary) were not preferred, for a variety of seemingly valid reasons. And after some in-depth research it became clear that being scratched and bitten was merely considered to be an occupational hazard. Which to me really says something about the wonderful people who fulfil this important position at the frontline. Had it been an occupation not involving animals, but instead; ‘working with machinery’, then it would most likely be an entirely different situation.. It was crystal clear to me that our ‘Venom Defender’ animal handling gloves would make a huge difference!

At first against the bites of venomous snakes, hence the brand name; ‘Venom Defender’! Followed by their use as protection against bites and scratches of a much wider range of species. From big lizards to small crocs, and from bats to even small sharks! Eventually what triggered our interest in the veterinary scene; the handling of tiger cubs at Chester Zoo! Although not puncture proof, the specialist fabric we use in our gloves is highly puncture & needle stick resistant (level 5) We actually managed to utilise 3(!) layers in the make up to achieve the ultimate protection, whilst they still are extremely comfortable to wear! Furthermore, after learning how off-putting ‘dirty’ and ‘bloody’ gloves can be, we ensured that they can be washed in a washing machine, and dry in less than 6 hours. And indeed, since our launch in the veterinary scene, we have had a great response. After extensive testing the PDSA charity ordered one pair for each of their hospitals. And the RSPCA which, after they conducted their trials, ordered the gloves specifically for the rescues of feral and difficult to handle cats. Buying Venom Defender gloves for your practise can be considered a worthwhile investment, as they dramatically reduce downtime, staff shortages, lasting injuries and/or worse. They very quickly pay for themselves! And as you cannot give a monetary value to the increase in animal welfare and significant reduction in stress to your staff, these gloves could even be considered to be; ‘PRICELESS’ I invite you to watch my ‘Webinar Vet’ presentation and visit our website. Clem Kouijzer

Useful links..

brochure.pdf

Website 1-2-1 Animal Handling Products; www.1-2-1.com

Promo video; https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Q93gn-PzSr8&t=1s

Brochure; https://1-2-1.com/images/ brochures/venom-defender-gloves-cats-

Website Snake Professional; www.snakeprofessional.com

David’s reviews

FROM THE LITERATURE AUGUST 2021 I was browsing through some journals that I knew nothing about and came across Revue Vétérinaire Clinique. I am certain that my French-speaking colleagues are well aware of the journal. I thought it might be fun to check out my long-ago school French. Best of all it is open access so simply typing in the name of the journal will take you to some excellent articles. The first discovery I made was that it is not too difficult to read the articles with the help of a French dictionary. However each article has an abstract in English, which is very helpful and another discovery was that many articles are written entirely in English. A couple of case reports caught my interest. The first was the description of a cardiac abnormality in a dog. The article title is in French and English. Here is the English translation: Atypical vasovagal syncope in Cavalier King Charles spaniel occurring at rest T. Laherta-Smith and M-L Théron Révue Vétérinaire Clinique Volume 56 Issue 2 May 2021 pages 88-87 I am sure this case will interest any colleague with an interest in cardiology, particularly French speakers. The authors work at The Clinique Vetivia, a referral

clinic in Biarritz. Théron is a graduate of the Toulouse veterinary school and is a diplomat of the ECVIM while the other author Tomas Lahuerta-Smith graduated from the Madrid veterinary school, with post grad experience in the Edinburgh and Liverpool schools where he obtained the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice. I had a look round the clinic online and very impressive it is too –it must be a joy to work in that part of the world with such magnificent facilities. The dog in this case report was a 10-yearold male entire King Charles spaniel referred for frequent loss of consciousness during periods of rest as well as severe stertor and inspirational dyspnoea. Echocardiography revealed degenerative mitral valve disease in stage B1 (ACVIM) without any evidence of pulmonary hypertension. On endoscopic examination there was a significantly enlarged soft palate, laryngeal saccule eversion and severe laryngeal collapse. During syncopal episodes Holter examination revealed long periods of sinus and ventricular arrest, followed by paroxysmal runs of atrial fibrillation, suggestive of reflex syncope. There are very good ultrasound images of the heart and ECG traces to pour over. This case was considered unusual in that the reflex syncope occurred at rest and also that over a period of six months it resolved spontaneously.

The second case report that caught my eye was, in fact an ophthalmological one. Case report of a palpebral abnormality with severe trichiasis successfully treated with a subcutaneous injection of hyaluronic acid Revue Vétérinaire Clinique April 2021 M. Gasnier and S. Chahory Both authors are Dip. ECVO and teach in the ophthalmology department of the National Veterinary School in Alfort, Paris The case report concerns a two-month old male golden retriever puppy that had been adopted four days previously. It was presented for pain in the right eye with mucopurulent discharge. A palpebral abnormality associated with severe trichiasis and a resulting corneal ulceration was apparent. Initially a conjunctival flap with nictitating membrane was performed. Fifteen days after this procedure the flap was removed and a subcutaneous injection of hyaluronic acid was made to correct the trichiasis. Follow up nine months later there was no sign of ocular pain and the palpebral edge was correctly in a normal position. As a result the eyelashes were no longer impacting on the corneal surface. The authors propose this simple technique as an alternative to complicated palpebral reconstructive surgery. There are some impressive clinical pictures of the eye before treatment and after treatment with the injection of hyaluronic acid at the nine-month follow up.

WEBINAR

BOVINE CARDIOLOGY As seen from her qualifications Gayle has not exactly stood still since graduating from Cambridge in 2002. Right from the start she embarked upon an academic career taking in internships and residencies at the RVC and a PhD at Nottingham University investigating aortic valve prolapse in the horse. She has wide-ranging interests in large animal internal medicine and in particular cardiology, gastroenterology and ultrasonography. Among other qualifications she is an RCVS specialist in Equine Internal Medicine and Emergency and Critical Care. Her webinar discusses the following areas: • Echo in the cow • Endocarditis • Myocarditis • Pericarditis (and options) • Congenital cardiac disease • Valvular disease • Dysrhythmias • Challenges at high altitude I was looking forward to watching this webinar for two reasons. First, because I have heard Gayle speak before and I expected a very easy to assimilate educational webinar, and secondly because the subject was one I know absolutely nothing about having been mainly in small animal practice. Learning something completely new is always enjoyable. And so it proved to be. She began with a few general comments about equipment and a few practical points. To help orientate with the ultrasonographic images that followed she borrowed a couple of cross sectional images of the bovine heart from Sisson’s anatomy book. This was a bit of a shock I did not anticipate ever referring to it again having struggled with anatomy many years ago. But they were very clear and helpful. This was followed by some general comments about what you could expect to see by right side and left side ultrasonography. In order to show the important features of each of the diseases listed at the beginning we are shown a series of cases. For each there is picture of the patient with a short history of the presenting problems. For example a 3-year-old Holstein-Friesian cow presenting with tachycardia, decreased rumen motility and depressed milk production. Symptomatic treatment to date had been unsuccessful. Abnormalities in the right ventricle and pulmonary valve

were deemed ‘unfixable’ with a probability of pulmonary abscessation resulting from the right ventricle vegetation. By using ultrasonography a definitive diagnosis was possible allowing decisions to be made on the viability of further treatment. This is a theme of many of the cases subsequently illustrated, either saving the farmer money or encouraging treatment with a good chance of success. I found these ultrasound images fascinating and with such clear explanation I was surprised that after a few examples I began to recognise key elements. There is an introduction to the signs of myocarditis, which can be tricky to diagnose. Some cases do well with rest over a period of several weeks. Another case introduces us to characteristic signs of pericardial effusion with the ability to differentiate clear effusions (possibility of drainage, or in selected cases pericardectomy), and consolidated effusions, (cream cheese) which are not amenable to treatment. Echocardiography is possible in elephants too, and a case is shown of pericardial effusion in a 600kilo young elephant. The effusion was successfully drained but recurred. Elephant herpes virus, with a mortality rate of 90%, causes many such cases.

I was looking forward to watching this webinar for two reasons. First, because I have heard Gayle speak before and I expected a very easy to assimilate educational webinar, and secondly because the subject was one I know absolutely nothing about having been mainly in small animal practice

A small number of congenital cardiac abnormalities are illustrated with videos and Doppler, which demonstrates the various abnormalities quite clearly. These included ventricular septal defects, and a case of Tetralogy of Fallot. Gayle obviously loves her job and there are some excellent perks too. In 2009 she spent some time with Dr Tim Holt at Colorado State University Veterinary School. Tim has a very interesting CV. Amongst his many interests are the effects of high altitude on cattle. The cattle in question are highly prized Aberdeen Angus. Some of these are unable to tolerate high altitude above 6-7 thousand feet. Tim has developed a rapid PA pressure measurement, which identifies those with highly elevated PA pressures and a subsequent need to move down to lower altitude feedlots. The resistant cattle enjoy the lush high altitude meadows. Gayle was able to identify heart chamber changes in the cattle with poor tolerability to altitude. Both pressures and abnormalities revert within 5 days of lower altitudes. This is a very interesting and almost entirely pictorial (echocardiographs) webinar, many of which are also seen as videos. It ends with a summary of dysrhythmias and some case examples. I am sure the webinar will be a valuable learning resource for bovine practitioners, cardiologists and residents. It is also very enjoyable

GAYLE HALLOWELL MA VETMB PHD CERT VA DACVIM DACVECC PFHEA FRCVS PROFESSOR OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE AND CRITICAL CARE. UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM VETERINARY SCHOOL

WEBINAR

WHAT ARE YOU ITCHING TO KNOW ABOUT FELINE ATOPIC SYNDROME? A graduate of the Naples veterinary school in 1987, Rosario undertook a residency at the RVC in 1995. In 1997 he gained the Cert VD with a DipECVD the following year and in 2020 the FRCVS diploma. He was an Associate professor in Veterinary Dermatology in Pennsylvania until 2009. He currently works at Dick White Referrals in Cambridgeshire and Bayswater referral clinic in London. He is an honorary associate professor of veterinary dermatology at the University of Nottingham veterinary school. He was a former president of the ECVD and has held administrative posts in ESVD and WCVD congress committees. This veterinary webinar was generously sponsored by NationWide Laboratories and begins with a short and useful account of the services offered by them. If the subject of the webinar has perplexed you in the past-you are not alone! This is reflected in the large number of terms that have been used to describe the syndrome, feline atopic syndrome (FAS) being the latest of nine. It is helpful having all the names listed here for anyone doing a literature search! The background to the adoption of FAS plus clinical signs and guidelines is demonstrated by a series of references from Veterinary Dermatology. There is a

particularly good line diagram dividing FAS into cutaneous, gastrointestinal and respiratory branches linking each one to feline atopic skin syndrome (FASS), feline food allergy (FFA) and feline asthma. The signs associated with each of these are then listed. I would advise downloading this for handy reference in the clinic.

Common clinical signs of FASS are listed: • Pruritus –seen as: • Licking, overgrooming. • Chewing/ biting • Rubbing • Scratching • Shaking • Twitching

A series of clinical photos from Rosario’s cases illustrates facial-neck dermatitis, plaques, eosinophilic eosinophilic granuloma, linear granuloma, overgrooming (including a video), indolent ulcer, fat chin, miliary dermatitis, eosinophilic granuloma affecting the soft palate, and finally conjunctivitis/blepharitis. This is pretty much all you might expect to see in a FASS case. We move on to how it might be controlled. The syndrome is obviously complex and unsurprisingly it requires a multimodal approach. Avoidance of allergens is not realistic in the vast majority of cases and accordingly there are several suggested options to choose: • Allergy vaccine

This webinar will bring you right up to date with all the latest thinking on the management of this challenging syndrome, including the pros and cons of the various possible treatment options You can add to that list with: • Diet • Epidermal barrier helpers

• Antihistamines • Ciclosporin • Essential fatty acids (EFAs) • Maropitant

Further signs may include: -

• Oclatinib

• Unilateral/bilateral otitis

• Palmitoylethanolamide

• Unilateral/bilateral conjunctivitis/ blepharitis

• Steroids

Rosario divides the above list into: -

This webinar will bring you right up to date with all the latest thinking on the management of this challenging syndrome, including the pros and cons of the various possible treatment options. It is recommended to colleagues treating cats, to dermatologists and those in training. This is how presentation: -

Rosario

concludes

his

• Controlling clinical signs of FASS in cats may be challenging • Impossible to predict which is the best treatment • Multimodal therapy is often needed • Long term efficacy and safety studies are still needed comparing different protocols • New drugs will hopefully soon be available to help us better control FASS

• Inducing disease control with • Corticosteroids • Maropitant • Oclatinib • Keeping disease control with

There is a lively half hour of questions afterwards from a worldwide audience following the live broadcast. This is an excellent meticulously researched and thoroughly recommended webinar.

• Allergy vaccine • Antihistamines • Ciclosporin • Corticosteroids-including topical preparations • Essential fatty acids • Palmitoylethanolamide • Epidermal barrier helpers

All the treatments in the above list are extremely well summarised in the remainder of the webinar including many references to recent key articles in the literature. It is quite astonishing the attention to detail managed in this webinar without any signs of haste. Also included are some before and after pictures of clinical cases.

Dr Rosario Cerundolo DVM Cert VD DipECVD FRCVS

WEBINAR

AGEING GRACEFULLYHELPING THE OLDER RABBIT (Problems of the Geriatric Rabbit) John qualified from the RVC in 1990 and gained the RCVS Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 2000. He is a director of a small animal and exotics practice in Andover, Hampshire with an exotics and zoo caseload. John is very well known for his expertise with exotic pets and for his many contributions to the WebinarVet. This veterinary webinar coincided with Rabbit Awareness Week and was generously sponsored by Burgess. It’s a very important topic and I was particularly interested having read the RVC Vet Compass report on rabbit problems recently. This highlighted the rabbit diseases being seen in practice by first opinion vets. There were some striking differences compared to John’s caseload.

in his excellent webinar are backed up with full diagnostic criteria, and with underlying causes explained when relevant. In fact in the first few slides were are reminded of the need to understand underlying problems, some of which could have been caused by poor handling in the young rabbit, but not manifesting until they were older. Many problems relate to pain, therefore it follows that owners and vets need to be aware of the signs of pain. These are listed: • Reduced activity • Altered ability to move/climb etc. • Weight loss • Altered temperament-perhaps aggression when picked up • Reduced appetite

Arthritis often is an underlying factor in diseases such as pododermatitis. This disease is fully explained including cases occurring in the front legs, as well in the more frequently seen back legs. The first side discusses how old is old? John estimates this to be normally 10-12 yearsor older than 7 years (both with question marks.) Giant breeds do less well than dwarfs. The RVC reports an average of 4.3 years for females and 5.2 for males-with up to 14.4 years anecdotally reported. Even more striking is the RVC Vet Compass list of commonly diagnosed diseases in first opinion practice. Many of these are not diagnoses at all, anorexia for example, and others such as ‘dirty bottom’, collapse, and hair coat abnormalities. In none of the diagnoses in the list is an underlying cause mentioned. This makes John Chitty’s contribution all the more important as all the diseases mentioned

• Polydipsia • Faecal and urinary changes

An important point is that rabbits rarely vocalise pain. Intractable pain that cannot be adequately controlled leads on to a thought provoking discussion on the quality of life. This always needs consideration remembering the oath we all state at graduation and the possibility that euthanasia may be the most humane solution with some of the geriatric conditions that are discussed next. Foremost among these is arthritis, which is common and important, although not mentioned in the RVC report. Better care of rabbits obviously enables them to live longer and develop age related diseases such as arthritis, and John hints that he has personal experience of this. All of us past a certain age I suspect. After a general run through the causes of arthritis a very good section follows on how to diagnose it, a detailed description of the signs, and advice on what can be done. More than a dozen quality radiographs demonstrate typical findings, emphasising their importance. John doesn’t neglect the importance of teaching owners on handling, especially children. Rabbits socialise

early and advice is given on when rabbits can learn that handling is OK. If handling comes later in the socializing period fearful struggling will often occur leading to injury is this is compounded by inexperienced handling. There is a shocking radiograph of spinal injury is an older rabbit sustained when young. Arthritis often is an underlying factor in diseases such as pododermatitis. This disease is fully explained including cases occurring in the front legs, as well in the more frequently seen back legs. Bladder sludging can also occur secondary to spinal arthritis, in particular, associated with reduced urination due to pain. There is still much that can be done to help rabbits with arthritis, bearing in mind that it is incurable, and for this reason expectations need to be managed. Simple husbandry changes in flooring, ramps, diet (food position) and more care with handling can make a difference. There is further information on the various medical and alternative therapies that can be implemented. John concludes the arthritis series by emphasising the need to radiograph all rabbits showing signs of pain. Other diseases discussed in the webinar include liver disease, neoplasia –uterine, and adrenal. Uterine neoplasia is preventable of course. It is very common and the signs are listed: • Haematuria • Weight loss • Caecotroph problems • Urine stasis • Gut problems

handling to neutering and how to recognise pain. When sickness does present consider likely underlying problems, anaesthetic risks, prognosis and the owner bond.

What we can do is: • More regular checks • Routine bloods/urine • Educate • Prevent

In other words ‘Why wait until they are old before considering geriatric care?’ I have done my best to summarise this webinar. There is so much clinical information here with lots of nuggets based on John Chitty’s considerable experience. How he gets through all this material, only a percentage of which I have been able to document, in just over an hour and still have plenty of time for questions is extraordinary. He shows that there is much that can be done with determination and good communication, and a desire to truly make rabbits’ lives better. The rabbit is the third most common pet in the UK but lags behind other companion animals in diagnosis and treatment, if you accept the RVC findings. This webinar, thoroughly recommended for all vets, students and nurses, will go a long way to bridge the gap. Before the questions there is a short presentation by the sponsor of the webinar, Burgess, which includes a host of useful information and websites for vets and owners. This is, as always, worth watching.

• Signs related to metastasis. There is a remarkable radiograph of a secondary lesion in the sacral region, which causes secondary effects in the hip. Once again the value of radiography is clearly seen There is quite extensive information on heart disease, which is increasingly diagnosed. Six radiographs and a CT scan demonstrate diagnostic pointers. Ultrasonography is equally useful. Heart disease management is along similar lines to that of dogs and cats with the reminder to consider quality of life and manage expectations. There is a brief summary of eye and dental disease before making some general summary comments on the basic care of older rabbits. Many problems are established when the rabbit is younger and there is a huge amount that can be done to prevent problems ranging from advice on diet and

JOHN CHITTY B.VET.MED CERT ZOO MED MRCVS

WEBINAR

FELINE LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT DISEASE-PRACTICAL CASE BASED TREATMENT OPTIONS ADanièlle is very well qualified to present this veterinary webinar on feline pneumonia. Since qualification in 1991 from the Dick Vet she has been immersed in feline diseases in an academic setting until the present day apart from an initial spell of one year in first opinion small animal practice. This had led to numerous awards, postgraduate qualifications and her current post as professor of Feline Medicine in the Edinburgh veterinary school. She decided to present this webinar in case form. This works very well in webinar settings such as radiography, some surgical cases and brilliantly, as here, in feline medicine. The format adopted is similar for each case. The patient is introduced with a summary of the history and initial clinical findings. For example, first up is Rosie, an 8-year-old Burmese cat, with a history of episodic coughing and bouts of severe dyspnoea. She has recently returned after a week in a cattery with significant expiratory dyspnoea, wheeze and auditory crackles. We are given a list of the most likely differentials, and invited to consider the most appropriate investigation. Without giving too much away there are some excellent radiographs, with warnings about their use in dyspnoeic cats, and the results of haematology and PCR testing. There is a detailed analysis of the role of Mycoplasma spp in respiratory disease, including data of their species prevalence according to the Vet Path group. After being given four possible ways of managing Rosie’s problems there is a general discussion of chronic bronchopulmonary disease. Management aims to control rather than cure and therapy is tailored to each case. The next section deals comprehensively with the use of inhaled drugs beginning with the question-why use them? We are given lots of practical advice on how to introduce cats to inhaled medicines at home, and what inhalers work best, in addition to technical advice on the various drugs available. These are divided into those used in mild cases such as salbutamol, and others for moderate and severe cases. Other drugs to reduce bronchoconstriction and inflammation are described along with possibilities in the future such as stem cell implants.

After this discussion we return to Rosie, her treatment plan and follow up. Unusually for referral cases we get to hear the whole story as Rosie lives for another five years until she was thirteen years old. Considering the severity and complexity of her condition when initially referred this is without doubt a very good result. There are four further cases in the webinar, all dealt with in considerable detail. It allows for a thorough discussion of all aspects if each condition, backed up by high quality images and laboratory investigations. Again without spoiling things too much there is a case of feline cowpox described. I won’t indicate which cat it was but this was my favourite case in the webinar. Great pictures and everything you need to know about this disease.

The webinar contains an immense amount of practical information. It is obvious that Danièlle continues to be very much hands on in the clinic

The webinar contains an immense amount of practical information. It is obvious that Danièlle continues to be very much hands on in the clinic. As a result I particularly enjoyed this webinar and it is also very upbeat, because all the cats did very well! The webinar was pre-recorded but questions can be e mailed to Danièlle via the WebinarVet.

DANIÈLLE GUNN-MOORE BSC (HON) BVM&S PhD MANZCVS FHEA FRSB FRCVS RCVS SPECIALIST PROFESSOR OF FELINE MEDICINE ROYAL (DICK) SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

AUGU ST 2021