Learn Online: Rabbit practice: Where to begin - Improving outcomes for the 'non rabbit' vet

Learn Online: Rabbit practice: Where to begin - Improving outcomes for the 'non rabbit' vet

Start date: Friday 4th June 2021
Tutor: Molly Varga

Fees: BSAVA Member £120; Non Member £150

This course is designed to promote confidence in dealing with rabbit patients. Rabbits are the third commonest pet in the UK & USA, and increasingly owners have high expectations when presenting them for treatment. In many cases however the teaching of undergraduates is sadly lacking in this area leading to a lack of confidence when dealing with rabbits in practice.
Week one will address basic concepts such as husbandry, nutrition, physiological differences/similarities, the clinical examination and preventative healthcare.
Week two will look at anaesthesia (including analgesia) and dentistry.
Week three will be concerned with abscesses, wounds and general surgery.

Online activities (including quizzes and case studies) will support your learning and discussions on the online forum will be encouraged. We also provide additional resources to complement the course - the ‘BSAVA Bonus Bits’. These will include congress podcast recordings, JSAP and companion articles as well as a free chapter from the relevant BSAVA Manual (as well as a discount voucher for purchasing the whole book).

The first weekly unit will be released on the First Friday of the month, with the next weekly units being released on the following two Fridays. The discussion forum is open for the first three weeks of the course and the course content will remain available for a total of 8 weeks. You can complete the work how and when you choose over these 8 weeks.


Weekly Units

?1.   The basics - Clinical exam, history, husbandry, and preventative care
2.   Anaesthesia and dentistry
3.   Wounds, abscesses and general surgery

Learning Objectives

1.    Each attendee should be comfortable with performing a detailed clinical examination on a rabbit patient and should be able to determine whether the husbandry is appropriate for that animal.
2.    Each attendee should understand how to mitigate the risks of anaesthesia in their rabbit patients and the importance of perioperative stabilisation. The attendee will understand the choice of anaesthetic drug to suit each situation.
3.    Each attendee will become confident in obtaining and evaluating dental radiographs and translating the information obtained into appropriate dental interventions.
4.    Each attendee will become aware of the relevance and impact of adhesions on our rabbit patients and will become confident in actively avoiding causing these using routine neutering as an example.

Tutor

Molly Varga Smith qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1992, and has worked both in Canada and the UK. Molly gained the Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 2003 and the Diploma in 2007. She is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. Molly has written chapters for several BSAVA Manuals, and has edited the Manual of Nursing Exotic Pets and Wildlife. She is the author of the second edition of the Textbook of Rabbit Medicine. Molly lectures widely on topics related to exotic pets, particularly rabbits.