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2009 Scientific Programme & Abstracts

2009 BEVA Congress took place between 9-12th September at the ICC in Birmingham. The scientific programme content is listed below, if you are interested in reading the abstracts, these can be viewed here - the document may take a few seconds to download (n.b. Abstracts are not generally included for panel and workshop sessions).

Disclaimer: The authors, editors and publishers do not accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from actions or decisions based on information contained in the abstract publications. Ultimate responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of patients and interpretation of published material lies withthe veterinary surgeon managing a case.

THURSDAY HALL 1

The Foot (Alistair Barr)

08.30 Pedal bone fractures - Jessica Kidd
08.50 Does a DDFT injury in the foot mean the end of the horse’s athletic career? - Jane Boswell
09.15 Keratomas: Diagnosis and treatment - Sarah Boys Smith
09.35 Foot penetrations - Peter Milner
09.55 Hoof wall and coronary band injuries - Greg Quinn

The Suspensory Apparatus (Roger Smith)

11.10 Current approaches in treatment of suspensory ligament desmitis - Roger Smith
11.35 How to manage proximal sesamoid bone injuries - Marcus Head
12.00 Diagnosis and management of distal sesamoidean ligament injuries - Bruce Bladon

Laminitis (Catherine McGowan)

Sponsored by The Horse Trust

14.00 Equine laminitis: What have we learned so far? Normal structure and function - Chris Pollitt
14.30 Equine laminitis: What have we learned so far? Laminitis histopathology and ultrastructure - Chris Pollitt 15.00 Epidemiology and clinical perspective of endocrinopathic laminitis - Catherine McGowan

Laminitis (Catherine McGowan)

16.00 Research in endocrinopathic laminitis: New model and its implications - Melody de Laat
16.25 Equine laminitis: What have we learned so far? Pathophysiology - Chris Pollitt
16.55 Equine laminitis: What have we learned so far? Chronic laminitis - Chris Pollitt

THURSDAY HALL 5

Repro Hormones in Practice (Madeleine Campbell)

08.30 Manipulation of the oestrus cycle - Peter Daels
08.55 How to: Obtain and interpret uterine cytology samples - Annalisa Barrelet
09.15 How to: Perform a standing castration - Oliver Crowe
09.35 How to: Obtain endometrial biopsies - Annalisa Barrelet
09.55 How to: Collect, process and certify equine semen - Madeleine Campbell

Repro Hormones in Practice (Madeleine Campbell)

11.10 Induction of lactation - Peter Daels
11.30 Marbles and vaccination against GnRH - Peter Daels
11.40 How to: Deal with rectal tears - Oliver Crowe
11.50 How to: Deal with kicks to the penis -Oliver Crowe
12.00 How to: Examine a mare’s placenta - Katherine Whitwell

Poor Performance: New Techniques (Samantha Franklin)

14.00 Field assessment of poor performance - Anne Courouce-Malblanc
14.20 Overground endoscopy - Samantha Franklin
14.40 Impulse oscillometry: What can it tell us about lung function? - Emmanuelle van Erck-Westergren
15.00 Stress echocardiography - Mary Durando
15.20 Oxidative stress and its role in poor performance - Emmanuelle van Erck-Westergren

The Larynx and Pharynx (Safia Barakzai)

16.20 Neuroanatomy of the pharynx and larynx - Jon Cheetham
16.40 Ultrasonography of the upper airway as a diagnostic tool in horses with poor performance - Heather Chalmers
17.00 Update on RLN: Pathogenesis - Paddy Dixon
17.20 Update on RLN: Treatment - Jon Cheetham
17.40 Pharyngeal collapse - Mary Durando

THURSDAY HALL 10

Dermatology (Rob Pilsworth)

Sponsored by Virbac Ltd

08.30 A practical approach to the itchy horse - Rod Rosychuk
08.55 Update on clinical aspects of Culicoides hypersensitivity - Marianne Sloet
09.20 Immunology of Culicoides hypersensitivity: Prospects for immunotherapy? - Doug Wilson
09.45 Intradermal and in vitro serological testing - do they tell us anything in the horse? - Rod Rosychuk

Dermatology Panel (Rob Pilsworth)

Sponsored by Virbac Ltd

11.10 Derek Knottenbelt, Rod Rosychuk and Marianne Sloet This session brings together an international panel of dermatology experts from the UK, the Netherlands and the USA and will be a highly interactive panel discussion session using electronic voting. The panel will work through a series of interesting skin cases, covering everything from the basics to the exotic, drawing on the panel's wealth of experience. Packed with practical tips, the session will be suitable for all levels of experience and we are confident you will take many ideas and tips back to your practice.

Ophthalmology (Derek Knottenbelt)

Sponsored by University of Liverpool

14.00 Immune mediated keratitis of the horse: Pathogenesis and management - Dennis Brooks
14.25 Equine glaucoma: Pathogenesis and management - Alison Clode
14.50 When to use adjunctive treatments for equine keratopathies - Dennis Brooks

Ophthalmology Panel (Josh Slater)

15.45 Derek Knottenbelt, Alison Clode and Dennis Brooks There is no better way to improve your ophthalmology skills than looking at images of ocular disease and hearing an expert panel’s discussion about those cases. This panel brings together some of the world's leading ophthalmologists for a not-to-be missed session that will cover a wide range of ophthalmological problems. Suitable for all levels of experience, you can expect a hugely entertaining, practical and informative session that will improve your ophthalmology skills.

THURSDAY HALL 8B

First Aid and Trauma Nursing (Deidre Carson)

Sponsored by The Donkey Sanctuary

08.30 Equine wounds and soft tissue injuries: The good, the bad and the ugly! - Derek Knottenbelt
08.55 Emergency radiographic techniques - Fiona Hunt
09.20 Medical assessment of the trauma case - Derek Knottenbelt
09.50 Nursing the trauma case - Bonny Millar
10.10 Blood loss and transfusion techniques - Gabriele Landolt

Medical Nursing (Bonny Millar)

11.10 Nursing the post operative colic - Kelly Russell
11.40 Nursing the sick foal - Gabriele Landolt
12.00 The challenges of nursing the recumbent horse - Jo Gregory
12.20 Nursing complications after diagnostic procedures: Nerve blocks - Lucy Middlecote
12.40 Nursing complications with i.v. catheters - Jane Devaney

Operating Theatre Practice, Post Operative and Intraoperative Care (Deidre Carson)

14.00 Abdominal surgery: The surgical colic - Oliver Crowe
14.20 Nursing complications after abdominal surgery - Kelly Russell
14.40 Orthopaedic surgery: Arthroscopy - Chris Riggs
15.00 Upper respiratory tract: Laryngeal surgery - Jon Cheetham

Sedation and Anaesthesia Techniques (Mark Senior)

16.00 Setting up and checking breathing systems prior to anaesthesia - Mark Senior
16.20 Drugs used in the perianaesthetic period of horses: What an equine nurse needs to know - Eddie Clutton 16.40 Monitoring of the anaesthetised horse Gorel Nyman
17.00 Intra- and post operative pain management in horses - Eddie Clutton

THURSDAY HALL 9

Medication in Racing (Lynn Hillyer)

08.30 This session brings together those who deal with medication in racing at the regulatory level and practising coal face. The session will look at the medication control work on and off the racecourse, including the work of the British Horseracing Authority and the Horserace Forensic Laboratory. A series of short presentations will be followed by an interactive discussion and 'Q&A' session and no doubt some lively and informative debate!

Medication in Racing continued (Lynn Hillyer)

Mare Care Discussion Panel

14.00 Annalisa Barrelet, Madeleine Campbell and Peter Daels

Ovarian Ultrasound and Placental Examination Workshop

16.00 Madeleine Campbell, Peter Daels, Annalisa Barrelet and Katherine Whitwell

THURSDAY HALL 7

Clinical Research Abstracts (Malcolm Morley)

Sponsored by HBLB

08.30 Head and Neck
09.45 General Medicine

Clinical Research Abstracts (Ellen Singer)

Sponsored by HBLB

11.10 Epidemiology

Clinical Research Abstracts (Ben Mayes)

Sponsored by HBLB

13.45 Gastroenterology

Clinical Research Abstracts (David Dugdale)

Sponsored by HBLB

15.45 Orthopaedics

FRIDAY HALL 1

Equine Welfare in Practice (Roly Owers)

08.30 Stamp out suffering: Finding out the real causes of equine welfare problems - Tony Tyler
08.45 The slaughter horse trade - Keith Meldrum
09.00 The Right Weight project Samantha Lewis 09.15 The expert witness: A personal view - Paul Jepson 09.30 Nutritional aspects in obesity - Teresa Hollands
09.55 Equine welfare problems in Ireland - Joe Collins

Hot Topics in Welfare (Roly Owers)

11.00 What does the Animal Welfare Act mean to you? - Paul Roger
11.25 Livery yard inspection: The story so far - Ben Mayes
11.40 Noninfectious disease surveillance pilot - Rosie Mogford
12.00 Equine exotic disease control

14.00 Sir Frederick Smith Lecture Equine immunology: Critical clinical applications - David Paul Lunn Equine Welfare Workshop (Roly Owers)

15.45 The vet’s role in welfare cases. Interactive panel case-based workshop - Paul Roger, Phil Wilson, Chris Williamson, Joe Collins and Peter Green Attending welfare cases is a challenging task that many practitioners feel ill prepared for. This session is aimed specifically at the equine practitioner and, using a series of actual examples of equine welfare cases, will explore the veterinarian's duties and common pitfalls encountered when dealing with welfare cases. Veterinary medicine, animal welfare, ethics and the law all come together when dealing with welfare cases and the veterinarian usually has to work with representatives of several different agencies. The expert panel, comprising experts in welfare law, ethics and with a wealth of practical experience will facilitate an interactive discussion about what to do and what not to do when attending equine welfare cases.

FRIDAY HALL 10

Geriatric Horse (Debra Archer)

08.30 The geriatric equine population: Demographics, health and disease - Jo Ireland
08.55 Cardiopulmonary disease in the geriatric horse - Celia Marr
09.20 Endocrine disorders in the geriatric horse - Catherine McGowan
09.45 Ocular disorders in the geriatric horse - Keith Chandler
10.05 Neoplasia in the geriatric horse - Tim Mair

Geriatric Horse (Debra Archer)

11.10 Dental disease and management in the geriatric equid - Nicole du Toit
11.35 Colic in the geriatric horse - Debra Archer
12.00 Optimal nutrition of the geriatric horse - Nicky Jarvis

Research into Practice (Gina Pinchbeck)

Sponsored by University of Liverpool

15.45 Shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted: The practice and pitfalls of clinical research - Robert Christley
16.10 Horses for courses: Choice of study design in clinical research - Kristien Verheyen

Practical Examples

16.35 The best evidence: A randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of a nutraceutical to treat headshaking - Gina Pinchbeck
16.50 Case control studies: An international multicentre case control study investigating risk factors for colic - Debra Archer
17.05 Prospective cohort studies of injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses: What have we learnt? - Kristien Verheyen
17.20 Survival analysis: Getting the most out of post operative survival studies - Chris Proudman

FRIDAY HALL 5

The Fetlock (Pete Clegg)

Sponsored by University of Liverpool

08.30 The fetlock joint in the racing Thoroughbred: What are the clinical problems, what do we know about them and what do we need to find out? - Christopher Riggs
09.10 Lessons to be learnt from ultrastructural examination of the metacarpal condyle - Alan Boyde
09.40 Can condylar subchondral bone thickness predict the risk of lateral condylar fracture in the Thoroughbred? - Tim Parkin

The Fetlock (Pete Clegg)

Sponsored by University of Liverpool

10.45 Fetlock joint disease in sports horses - Sue Dyson
11.20 Using MRI for recognition/ monitoring of fetlock pathology, and detection of fracture warning signs - Rachel Murray
11.45 The fetlock joint: Implementing fundamental research into clinical practice - Pieter Brama

Towards the 2012 Olympics (Peter Bowling)

15.45 Organisation of veterinary services for the Equestrian Events of the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games - Christopher Riggs
16.10 The role of the treating vet at the Olympics and Paralympics - Karen Coumbe
16.35 The role of the team veterinarian at the Olympic Games Carsten Rohde
16.55 Managing medication control at an international event - Warwick Vale
17.15 Biosecurity and infectious disease control - Josh Slater

FRIDAY HALL 8B

International Prepurchase Forum (Marianne Sloet)

08.30 The prepurchase examination of horses in the Netherlands - Allard Smeenk
08.45 The PPE of horses in Germany - Thomas Weinberger
09.00 Prepurchase examination of the competition horse in Belgium - Filip Vandenberghe
09.15 Vettings in Europe: Do you get what it says on the tin? - Jeremy Mantell

Prepurchase Examination Panel (Marianne Sloet)

09.30 Case based discussion of commonly encountered problems and issues in the PPE Allard Smeenk, Filip Vandenberghe, Thomas Weinberger, Jeremy Mantell, Harry Werner and Peter Green

News Hour (Chris House)

11.30 Richard Piercy and Madeleine Campbell Question Time Nicky Paull, Sandy Trees, Joe Collins, Harry Werner and Nigel Gibbens

Insurance Forum ‘So is the horse insured?’ (Charlie Schreiber)

Sponsored by Petplan Equine Ltd

15.45 David Buckton, Guy Prest, Paul Farrington, Ian Moffat and David Ashby Exploring the implications of the dynamic partnership between owner, veterinarian and insurer in 2009 and how this relationship must develop in the future in the face of new technology, drugs and treatments, and the increasing expectations of the horse owning public.

FRIDAY HALL 9

Practice Management Session 1

08.30 Are you watching the key numbers to help you stay ahead in the current economic climate? What numbers to follow and how to improve your profitability Phil Swan This session will look at key benchmark data that will allow delegates to make informed decisions about the business end of the practice. What to track and what it means.

Practice Management Session 2

10.45 Make sure you are making the most of what you have. Do all local horse owners know what you do? How to make your message stand out Rebecca Davies In this session the delegates will take away a plan to deliver core messages about their practice to local horse owners. What key people do you need to sell your key message? Making sure you use all local key opinion leaders to your advantage. At the end of this session delegates will have a plan to make an impact back at work.

Practice Management Session 3

15.45 How to improve conversion of enquiries to crucial visit and appointments. How to make the most of any inbound enquiry that your practice encounters Alison Lambert In this session delegates will learn about the reality of UK equine practice and how to make sure that their business is well above average, how to make the most of the simple aspects of being positive and caring on the phone and the concept of customer care unique for horse owners will be explored.

Practice Management Session 4

16.30 This session will be controversial and will look at the role of loyalty in the current market place. Evidence indicates that horse owners are less likely to be loyal in the current market and are looking for a more customer-focused experience.

FRIDAY HALL 7

Clinical Research Abstracts (Madeleine Campbell)

Sponsored by HBLB

08.30 Reproduction

Clinical Research Abstracts

Sponsored by HBLB

10.45 Cardio Respiratory Medicine

Clinical Research Abstracts

Sponsored by HBLB

15.30 Laminitis and the Hoof
16.30 Orthopaedic Research

SATURDAY HALL 1

Lameness Panel (Sue Dyson)

Sponsored by Southern Scientific

09.00 Carsten Rohde, Marcus Head and P. McMahon We are delighted that Dr Sue Dyson is running her very popular lameness panel again this year. With an international panel of experts and an excellent collection of lameness cases richly illustrated with images, video and diagnostic information, this panel is a must-see for all clinicians.

Ultrasound Use in Orthopaedics: What's New? (Graham Munroe)

11.00 How to: Assess joints with ultrasound - Heather Chalmers
11.20 How to: Assist surgical procedures with ultrasound - Florent David
11.40 How to: Assess muscle injuries with ultrasound - Jean-Marie Denoix
12.00 How to: Perform ultrasoundguided injections - Florent David

Imaging in Practice (Graham Munroe)

14.00 This ever popular session returns for 2009 with a focus on imaging in equine practice - this is a not-to-be-missed highly practical, diagnostic imaging session.

Management of Competitive Injuries (David Green)

16.00 First aid for catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries - Roger Smith
16.25 The exhausted/dehydrated/ hyperthermic horse - Rachael Conwell
16.50 Head injuries and recumbency - Mark Hillyer

SATURDAY HALL 10

Outbreak Control (Richard Newton)

Sponsored by Merial Equine Health

09.00 Facilitators Paul Lunn, James Gilkerson, Paul Morley, Saskia Van de Zande and Jules Minke New for BEVA Congress 2009, this is an interactive and highly practical session that will equip delegates with the tools to deal with outbreaks of equine contagious disease. The international panel of facilitators is made up of the world's leading experts in contagious disease science, practical epidemiology and biosecurity bringing a wealth of experience from Europe, the USA and Australia. The session will be based around a series of real-life examples of contagious disease outbreaks which will include equine influenza, strangles, EHV-1, R. equi and salmonella. The panel will lead an interactive discussion that will cover all aspects of outbreak control including diagnostic testing, practical epidemiology, decision making for control measures, vaccination and responsible management of the outbreak. The panel will provide guidance on practical application of the different Codes of Practice and Consensus Statements. Packed with practical tips and advice, we are confident this session will equip you with a range of approaches and strategies you can apply in your practice the next time you have to deal with a contagious disease outbreak.

Medicine Workshop (Celia Marr)

14.0 Gabriele Landolt and Mary Durando This workshop will be an excellent opportunity to develop your clinical reasoning and decision making for equine medicine cases. Suitable for all levels of experience, the session will be geared around a series of challenging and interesting equine medicine cases, including critical care in adults and foals. Led by an expert international team you will work in small groups and take part in a highly interactive discussion with each other and the experts who will facilitate discussion and work through the cases presented. We are sure you will enjoy this innovative style of delivery and will leave this session with lots of new ideas, practical tips and confidence when working up medical and critical care cases.

SATURDAY HALL 5

Equitation Science: The Equine Back and Performance (Pieter Brama)

09.00 The biomechanical concept of the equine back - René van Weeren
09.20 Sacroiliac joint loading and pelvic deformation: How rigid is the pelvis? - Kevin Haussler
09.40 The equine back and performance: The imaging background - Jean-Marie Denoix
10.00 The effect of chiropractic treatment on back function and performance - Kevin Haussler

Equitation Science: Muscles and Performance (René van Weeren)

11.00 Plyometric training for the development of strength in humans: Principle and practice for its application in horses - José Luís L. Rivero
11.20 The physiotherapist's approach to muscular dysfunction - Solange Schrijer
11.40 Neuromuscular causes of poor performance - José Luís L. Rivero
12.00 Tying up: Pathophysiology and management - what's new? - Richard Piercy

Equitation Science: Managing the Top Performance Horse (Pieter Brama)

14.00 Physiotherapeutical management of the performance horse - Solange Schrijer
14.20 Training for gold: Where practice and science meet - René van Weeren
14.40 Behavioural influences on training and competitive success: The horse - Paul McGreevy
15.00 Cognitive skills of horses: Relevance in horse management - Becky Hothersall

Equitation Science: The Holistic View (René van Weeren)

16.00 Behavioural influences on training and competitive success: The horse-rider interface - Paul McGreevy
16.40 Equitation Science panel discussion This will be an interactive session where clinical examples and cases will be presented and discussed by panel members around the theme: ‘The horse is not performing, what is wrong?’. Dare to step outside of the box and join the equitation science panel discussion!

SATURDAY HALL 8B

Anaesthesia (Mark Senior)

Sponsored by University of Liverpool

09.00 Are ‘assisted’ (interventional) recovery techniques better? - Eddie Clutton
09.25 The paradox of 100% oxygen leading to hypoxia in anaesthetised horses - Gorel Nyman
09.50 Safe balanced anaesthesia techniques for horses - Regula Bettschart
10.15 Neuromuscular blockade in horses - Eddie Clutton

Core Skills (Patrick Pollock)

11.30 Upper respiratory tract endoscopy: Technique and anatomy - Jon Cheetham
11.45 Clinical examination of the colic case Gabriele Landolt
12.00 Examination of the eye of the horse - Dennis Brooks
12.15 My approach to the nonweightbearing lameness - Bruce Bladon

Working Horses (Patrick Pollock)

14.00 Overview of working equids in the developing world: Their problems and how best to approach them - Perumal Ramesh Kumar
14.25 Approach to wounds in resourcelimited settings - Gigi Kay
14.50 Creeping closer: An strategy for the control of infectious disease in the developing world - Derek Knottenbelt
15.45 Clinical training in the developing world: Why it is needed, what are the obstacles, what is achieved - Patrick Pollock
16.10 Dealing with donkeys: Clinical examination, treatment and comparative therapeutics - El Mouhaine Boubker
16.35 Approach to equine welfare in the world’s most forsaken places. Afghanistan/Darfur - Keith Powell

Being a Success in Equine Practice (Warwick Vale, Pat Wall, David Bartram and Paul Roger)

09.00 New for 2009, this exciting workshop addresses key issues relevant to practitioners at all stages in their careers. Led by experts in the fields of equine business development and professional lifestyle this will be a highly interactive session tackling many of the topics that are much worried about but seldom discussed. The key theme to the session is building a successful business around successful and happy assistants and includes equine business benchmarking, careers advice, career progression and 'getting on' in equine practice, business ownership and partnership models, dealing with difficult clients and avoiding litigation, achieving a work-life balance as an employer and employee, facilitating part-time working and job shares, proving mutual support in practice and identifying and dealing with welfare problems. This session will be supported by an evidence base. In particular, the discussions on lifestyle issues and professional welfare will be based on research data collected by Pat Wall and David Bartram and will provide, for the first time, an accurate insight into the equine profession. We are proud to be running this session in the 2009 Congress and think this is an area of vital importance in equine practice that has been neglected for too long.

Safer Horse Rescues (Tea break 16.30–16.30)

14.00 Jim Green Call outs to assist with equine rescues are something that most practitioners feel ill prepared for. However, since the Safer Horse Rescues initiative and Emergency Services Protocol were launched in 2007, equine rescue has become a major cross-service activity involving the equine veterinary profession, Fire and Rescue Service, Highways Agency, Police and equine charities and a national training framework for the veterinary profession and emergency services personnel is emerging. Hampshire FR&S are at the forefront of equine rescue and BEVA is delighted to welcome Animal Rescue Specialist Jim Green to Congress ’09. Jim will deliver a highly interactive session convering the essentials of rescue techniques and will give delegates real practical insight into scenario-based equine rescue. Not just useful for rescues, the techniques employed are useful in day-to-day equine practice for moving recumbent/anaesthetised horses and dealing with cast horses. This highly important topic that has never been covered at a BEVA Congress before and we are sure you will get a lot out of this session.

SATURDAY HALL 7

Clinical Research Abstracts (Malcolm Morley)

Sponsored by HBLB

09.00 Imaging
11.00 Imaging continued

Clinical Research Abstracts (James Wood)

Sponsored by HBLB

14.00 Infectious Diseases

Clinical Research Abstracts