Love your liver: Liver disease in dogs and cats

9 weeksInternal MedicineRACE Approved

This veterinary thought exchange online tutored course takes a more detailed look at the investigation and management of liver 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.

The course is run by our very own Scott Kilpatrick (EBVS and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine). The course runs over a nine-week period and takes around 10 hours to complete. The course is delivered via video webinars and supplemented with discussion forums and live chats with the course tutor, giving you the opportunity to ask questions or discuss cases you may be facing in your practice.

This course is RACE approved for vets and techs – click the logo to verify:

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Course Content

Lesson 1: Diagnosis of Liver Disease… which enzymes matter? 05/07/2021
learning outcomes
  • 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?
Lesson 2: Treatment of Liver Disease… what actually works? 12/07/2021
learning outcomes
  • 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.
Lesson 3: Canine Infectious and Inflammatory Liver Disease 19/07/2021
learning outcomes
  • Learn the most common infectious diseases to affect the liver.
  • Inflammation in the liver… does it really matter?
  • When to biopsy and how.
Lesson 4: Feline Inflammatory/Infectious Liver Disease Available on 26/07/2021 8:00 am 26/07/2021
learning outcomes
  • Cats are not small dogs… and why.
  • Review the most common causes of feline liver disease.
  • How does treatment differ… cats and dogs?
Lesson 5: Live Q&A and Case Discussion (Thurs 05/08/21 @ 8-9pm BST)
learning outcomes
  • Take away advice from the discussion and apply to your cases in practice.
  • We will bring along a few interesting cases too!
Lesson 6: Hepatic vascular anomalies… its all in the shunt Available on 09/08/2021 8:00 am 09/08/2021
learning outcomes
  • 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?
Lesson 7: Metabolic and Toxic Diseases of the Liver… why is the Scottie special? Available on 16/08/2021 8:00 am 16/08/2021
learning outcomes
  • Review the most common drugs that cause liver damage.
  • Understand the most common metabolic cause of liver disease.
  • What is the best treatment and does the Scottie dog care?
Lesson 8: Diseases of the Gallbladder… do you care about the sludge? Available on 23/08/2021 8:00 am 23/08/2021
learning outcomes
  • 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?
Lesson 9: Live Q&A and Case Discussion (Thurs 02/09/21 @ 8pm BST)
learning outcomes
  • Take away advice from the discussion and apply to your cases in practice.
  • We will bring along a few interesting cases too!

Meet the speakers

Scott Kilpatrick

Director, Internal Medicine Specialist

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Scott graduated from Edinburgh Vet School in 2007. Initially, he worked for the PDSA, before taking a Senior Veterinary Surgeon position with Vets Now in Edinburgh in 2010. Scott started his residency in internal medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 2012 after completing a year as a Teaching Fellow in Anatomy and Physiology. He completed his residency in 2016 after finishing his Masters in the pathogenesis of canine liver disease and has since been working in referral practice. Interventional radiology is something that really interests Scott and he spent some time in 2018, working in this area at UC Davis in California. Scott has created and delivered a Post-graduate Certificate in Small Animal Emergency Medicine in association with the University of Surrey. Scott is currently the Head of Internal Medicine at Wear Referrals.

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