Liver and pancreatic predicaments in dogs and cats
This veterinary thought exchange online tutored course takes a more detailed look at the investigation and management of liver and pancreatic disease in dogs and cats.
The liver plays a critical role in many biologic processes essential to life. The liver has a remarkable regenerative capacity after significant loss. However, liver diseases associated with fibrosis, inflammation or viral infections impair this regenerative process and liver function deteriorates. Liver enzymes can become increased for many reasons, not always due to primary liver disease. Clinical signs can also be non-specific, which can make diagnosis challenging. We will cover diseases of the liver from acute toxicity to portosystemic shunts. Why is pancreatitis still such a challenge? We aim to answer all these questions and much more.
The course is run by Scott Kilpatrick (EBVS and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine) and Aaron Harper (EBVS and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Oncology). The course runs over a fourteen-week period and takes around 16 hours to complete. The course is delivered via video webinars and supplemented with discussion forums with the course tutors, giving you the opportunity to ask questions or discuss cases you may be facing in your practice.
(Access to this course is for 12 months).
Course Content
- Get the most out of your biochemistry… which enzymes really matter?
- Understand what truly tells us about liver function.
- Ultrasound and FNA… what’s really useful?
- Review the evidence surrounding the treatment of liver disease.
- Understand if there is really a role for steroids and antibiotics.
- Consolidate your understanding of copper and its management.
- Learn the most common presentation of chronic hepatitis.
- Inflammation in the liver… does it really matter?
- Discuss when copper accumulation is relevant and how to treat it.
- Discuss the most common infectious disease to affect the liver.
- Consider the most appropriate diagnostic steps.
- Discuss the treatment options in more acute presentations of liver disease.
- Cats are not small dogs… and why.
- Review the most common causes of feline liver disease.
- How does treatment differ… cats and dogs?
- How much does the blood tell us… ammonia to bile acids?
- Review the imaging modality of choice.
- Surgical vs medical… what is the best treatment?
- Understand the most common metabolic causes of liver disease.
- What are the best treatment options and does the Scottie dog care?
- Learn the most up to date treatment options for treating cats with hepatic lipidosis.
- Understand how various toxins can lead to toxic insult of the liver.
- Learn about how two specific commonly seen toxins (paracetamol and xylitol) affect the liver and how we should treat them.
- Why are cats always different?
- Review the most common disorders of the gallbladder.
- What is gallbladder sludge, and do we need to treat?
- What does the evidence say regarding treatment of gallbladder disease?
- Learn about the most common neoplastic disease that affect the liver.
- Discuss the most helpful diagnostic tests.
- Investigate the available treatment options and what might be best suited to your patients.
- Pathophysiology… what do we know?
- What is the difference between acute and chronic pancreatitis?
- What is the difference between pancreatitis in dogs and cats?
- Discuss the diagnostic challenges in cases of pancreatitis.
- What is the best treatment option… are steroids still off the cards?!
- What are the best strategies to manage pancreatitis long term?
- Discuss the most appropriate diagnostic pathway.
- Review the importance of cobalamin and the best ways to supplement.
- Review more unusual presentations of this condition… not just the German Shepherd.
- Learn about the most common neoplastic disease that affect the pancreas.
- Discuss the most helpful diagnostic tests.
- Investigate the available treatment options and what might be best suited to your patients.
Meet the speakers
Scott Kilpatrick
Director, Internal Medicine Specialist