Continuing Professional Development & Education

B.E.V.A Congress 2010 is to take place at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham, UK

This workshop is suitable for vets working in mixed or equine practice, who wish to increase or review their skills in equine lameness diagnostic techniques. The day’s programme is split into practical and lecture sessions covering basic and some advanced techniques. Teaching material will be provided to allow a full range of skills to be demonstrated and practiced. Much of the day will be spent in small groups, with individual sessions kept to less than 45 minutes.

This course is designed to provide rescue and emergency training to enable delegates to work effectively with animal rescue teams from the Fire and Rescue Service, as well as other responders from the emergency services, at equine rescue incidents and to provide emergency care of rescued horses. This hugely popular course has been running since 2008 and is provided through the partnership between BEVA and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (FRS). It is suitable for all veterinary surgeons who work with horses, and we particularly encourage those from practices in the Emergency Services Protocol Directory of Equine Veterinary Surgeons to attend. The aim is to equip equine practitioners with the skills and knowledge they need to work effectively and safely at rescues, to improve the welfare of horses at incidents and to achieve better rescue outcomes.

The aim of the course is to provide a solid grounding in equine ophthalmology. The emphasis of the day is the practical use of instrumentation to obtain good clinical information and to provide treatment strategies for the commonly encountered equine ophthalmic conditions. An informal approach is encouraged with time scheduled for case discussion and practical sessions covering ocular ultrasound and indirect ophthalmoscopy. Aimed at all equine practitioner’s who wish to refresh their ophthalmic examination skills this day course would be of particular use to new graduates and is designed to complement the Advanced Equine Ophthalmology Course.

North West Regional Meeting: Difficult or Controversial Cases

This course is aimed at general equine practitioners who will be seeing an increasing number of older horses as the average age of the horse population increases. Day 1: The day begins with lectures covering the commonly encountered geriatric conditions, with a very hands-on practical session in the afternoon. Here, delegates can practice ultrasound of the liver, gain tuition on biopsy techniques and discuss orthopaedic problems common in older horses. The day closes with presentation relating to the welfare considerations in older horses. Day 2: The second day concentrates entirely on dentistry of the ageing horse with plenty of time and cases available for delegates to perform full dentals. The tutors will also give demonstrations of relevant nerve blocks and standing extraction techniques on actual clinical cases. We encourage delegates to bring their own equipment.

This workshop is designed to provide practical instruction in the technique of obtaining and interpreting ultrasonograms of the distal limb of the horse. The workshop is aimed at new graduates and those wishing to refresh their skills. The course covers the basics of ultrasonography, the ultrasonographic anatomy, scanning of the superficial flexor tendon, deep digital flexor tendon, palmar/plantar annular ligament, suspensory ligament and the fetlock region and includes 3 hours of practical instruction. This workshop will be accompanied by an ultrasound reading steeplechase with the images to be discussed, likely to be available on the BEVA website prior to the course.

This is a 2-day course, consisting of two mornings of lectures and full afternoons of practicals, to be held at the University of Bristol, Langford, North Somerset. This course will be suited to veterinarians in equine or mixed practice attending horses with dental disease. Many of the 600+ veterinarians who have undertaken the course previously have reported an increase in their interest, expertise and turnover of equine dental cases subsequently. The course has been restructured to align it with the proposed “C” modules in equine dentistry which can contribute to the RCVS Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice (Equine Dentistry, or Equine practice), but the course will be equally useful for those not pursuing further qualifications.

These workshops are designed for those who, perhaps, do not spend all their professional time working with horses. Previous delegates have ranged from new graduates, wishing to extend their reach with regard to equine practice, right through to senior members who have felt the need to update their knowledge. The subject covers an area, which has caused much concern in recent years, hence the inclusion of a speaker from the Veterinary Defence Society. The practical programme will include examining horses with particular reference to wind, eyes, heart, ageing, flexion tests, conformation, intended use and much more.

These workshops are designed for those who, perhaps, do not spend all their professional time working with horses. Previous delegates have ranged from new graduates, wishing to extend their reach with regard to equine practice, right through to senior members who have felt the need to update their knowledge. The subject covers an area, which has caused much concern in recent years, hence the inclusion of a speaker from the Veterinary Defence Society. The practical programme will include examining horses with particular reference to wind, eyes, heart, ageing, flexion tests, conformation, intended use and much more.