2011 Lecture Series for Veterinary Surgeons

The aim of this new lecture series is to equip the primary practitioner with the necessary information to discuss common clinical conditions with clients, to help the investigation process and the decision of whether or not to refer. The lectures, presented by Noel Fitzpatrick and Fitzpatrick Referrals’ Specialists, Mike Farrell, Sarah Girling and Michael Hamilton will cover a number of topics relating to common orthopaedic and neurological conditions in dogs and cats. Stuart Carmichael will be a guest lecturer on osteoarthritis.

Series 1  Knee, Elbow and Hip Disease in Dogs

23 March - Cruciate Disease in Dogs: Are All Procedures Equal?   

Noel Fitzpatrick   

Are you confused about cruciate disease in dogs?  This lecture will aim to remove some of the myths and deal with the facts.  New technologies have evolved which may help specific breeds or treat specific injuries.  The lecture will aim to help you to decide whether the procedure is best done in your practice or referred, and the aim is to provide a seamless integrated team for cruciate management between the primary care clinician and the referral practitioner.

20 April - Elbow Disease in Young Dogs: The Hidden Menace

Noel Fitzpatrick

This lecture will explore how to perform a good clinical examination on the young lame dog, how to take good radiographs, how to interpret those radiographs and how to decide whether you should treat these dogs conservatively or surgically.  Furthermore the lectures will explain all of the current treatment modalities and equip you to discuss these with your clients.

18 May - Hip Dysplasia:  Does This Dog Really Need Surgery

Michael Farrell

This lecture will explain the current thought processes on medical versus surgical management of hip dysplasia in young and adult dogs.  We will explore modalities of joint replacement and the indications for surgery and we will also discuss surgeries which can be performed on juvenile dogs, those which can be performed in your own practice with ‘top tips’ and
the implications of conservative management.

Series 2 Advancing Your Knowledge of Trauma and Joint Disease

22 June - All You Ever Wanted to Know About Joint Replacement 

Noel Fitzpatrick

Joint replacement is the standard of care in humans for end stage arthrosis, but whether we should be performing this procedure on some or many animals remains a subject of controversy in veterinary medicine.  This lecture  will aim to explain current modalities of elbow, stifle and hip replacement  in animals of all sizes from cats and small dogs to large dogs and make you aware of the indications and implications  so that you can discuss these from a position of knowledge with your clients.

20 July - Management of  Osteoarthritis in the Dog and Cat: What You Should Know

Stuart Carmichael 

This lecture will seek to explore truths and myths about degenerative joint disease and medical management including drug therapy, intra-articular injections, nutritional supplements, dietary management, physiotherapy including novel modalities such as shockwave therapy and will introduce newer modalities of medical management such as stem cell treatment and autogenous conditioned plasma.  The objective is to explore the full spectrum of medical management options and equip you with all of the necessary knowledge to discuss these very common but difficult scenarios with your clients.

24 August - Trauma in Cats: A Cat is Not a Small Dog

Sarah Girling

This lecture will aim to provide the participant with an overview of common and newer modalities for trauma management in cats.  All of the apendicular and abaxial skeleton will be discussed with special emphasis on providing ‘tips and tricks’ for
management of the critical care patient in your practice and trauma surgery which you yourself can perform.  More advanced treatment modalities will also be discussed to provide full understanding of the implications and aftercare.

Series 3: Truths and Myths Concerning Spinal Disease, Fracture Repair and Cancer in Dogs and Cats

21 September - Spinal Disease in Dogs: Myths and Misconceptions

Noel Fitzpatrick

This lecture will illustrate multiple new modalities for spinal disease treatment in dogs including new implants and distraction fusion techniques.  However the main emphasis of this lecture will be diagnosis in practice with helpful hints on differentiation from orthopaedic cases and establishing whether medical management and cage rest may be best for
some cases while surgical intervention is urgently indicated for others.  The lecture will equip you with all of the necessary facts and figures to help you make the most appropriate decision in the interests of your patient and client.

19 October - Simple Fracture Repair: What You Can Do in General Practice

Michael Hamilton

Trauma in dogs and cats is a very common reason for presentation to general practice.  There are several procedures which are and should be commonly performed in general practice.  This lecture will aim to provide ‘tips and tricks’ to facilitate easy and efficacious application of these techniques in practice and will also explain potential scenarios which can be challenging and where you may wish to consider referral.  Ultimately we believe that effective treatment of the trauma patient is a team effort between the primary care clinician and the referral practice and we aim to equip you with all the necessary knowledge to provide your clients with the best possible service for their pets.

23 November  -  Cancer of the Skeleton in dogs and cats: New Horizons 

Noel Fitzpatrick

Cancer  is an increasingly recognised problem in small animals and clients are ever more aware of advanced treatment options.  This lecture will aim to equip you with the necessary facts and figures concerning effective diagnosis and prognosis; furthermore we will explore the issues of limb amputation, palliative medical care, radiation therapy and newer evolution of surgical technique including endoprostheses and exoprostheses.  This overview aims to provide a dedicated care team between the primary care clinician and the referral centre for the treatment of appendicular cancer in dogs and cats.