Vet Skills Academy

10/04/2024

A Mix of Small Animal Procedures WORKSHOP - Far North Qld

In response to popular demand, we are rerunning the Mix of SA Procedures Workshop. 9 hours of hands on over the weekend August 17th and 18th, 2024.

The workshop will cover a mix of procedures commonly indicated in small animal practice. The list has been developed by you - procedures with which you have commonly asked for assistance.

The list includes: A**l sac resection Lateral and Vertical canal ablation Eyes surgery - simple entropians; Cherry eye Amputations - forelimb and hindlimb; toes and tails Tension relieving techniques for managing skin wounds. Spica splints; Ehmer Slings and full cylinder casts...and we'll cover Gastropexy and Intestinal anastomosis ....last!

You will receive STEP BY STEP NOTES plus HOW TO VIDEOS as part of the course. The notes will cover tips for success, the cases you can take on and those best left to those more experienced.

The course will be presented by Dr Kay Eccleshare and supported by Dr Daniel McDonald of North Coast Veterinary Specialists who will be with us on the day as well.

Please contact us for more information and/or a registration form on [email protected]
Registration is $1750 (incl)

18/03/2024

Having some fun during the workshop.

18/03/2024

Thank you to all of you attended the Luxating Patella and Modified De Angelis Workshop held in Far North Queensland this weekend. We're a small group and it was a fun time and hopefully you all go away feeling better equipped and more confident to dip your surgical toes into these procedures.
Dr Guy Bird, a veterinary specialist from Queensland Veterinary Specialists, has given his support with the course content as we put it together and it was extra special to have him fly up and support us in person.
And special thanks go out to Knight Benedikt for supplying the surgical equipment, including the power tools, to allow us to run this workshop.
Right now I am on my way to Tasmania for a 2 week leave, and when I get back I will advertise the next two workshops planned for this year.

22/01/2024

Happy New Year Everyone!

We are happy to announce the first workshop for the year is full. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and our thanks go to Dr Guy Bird of Queensland Veterinary Specialists for agreeing to come up and be part of this workshop.

Dates for our next workshop will be advertised shortly.

20/12/2023

CHRISTMAS BONUS!

By popular demand, we have added a bonus 3 hour session to the Introduction to Patella workshop being held Sunday March 17th \, 2024. The extra 3 hours will be held on Saturday afternoon March 16th and cover an Introduction to Modified De Angelis. There will be a 2 hour discussion session followed by a one hour demonstration on performing a Modified De Angelis. The surgical approach is similar to the approach for an uncomplicated patella luxation hence the decision to combine the two workshops. You will be given the opportunity to practice both procedures for yourself on the Sunday. The bonus is there is no extra registration fee for this extra component!

The course is capped at 8 attendees so please register your interest early.

Please contact Kay Eccleshare at [email protected] to receive further information and a more detailed timetable and course content plus a registration form should you wish to attend.

07/12/2023

The revised date for the Introduction to Luxating Patella workshop has been set - Sunday, March 17th, 2024. It will be run on the beautiful Atherton Tablelands inland from Cairns. The workshop will be run by Dr Kay Eccleshare and supported by SA Surgical Specialist, Dr Guy Bird, who will be paying us a visit.
The workshop is aimed at those of you will little to no previous experience in patella surgery. It focuses on the practical component but there will be an introductory session to help you with case selection for success relevant to your skill level.
This workshop is capped at 8 attendees. There are only 4 positions remaining. Please see the FB Events tab on this page for more information on the workshop or contact Kay via email at [email protected] for an information and registration pack.

30/05/2023

Patella Workshop coming up soon! Register now at [email protected]

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to perform a block or wedge Sulcoplasty and a Tibial Tuberosity Transposition to correct uncomplicated Medial or Lateral Patella luxation and be able to m…

10/05/2023

Registrations for the last ultrasound workshop for 2023 are closing soon. Please email your interest to [email protected] and we will email you a registration/information pack!

17/04/2023

Thank you for supporting us!
Our next workshop (Intro to Small Animal Ultrasound) will be in Malanda in June 11th 2023. Email [email protected] for your info and registration pack!

16/04/2023

Learning is up and away at today's Small Animal Procedures Workshop in Townsville!

08/04/2023

Ultrasound Workshop registrations are open! Get in before it's too late!

20/03/2023

Not long left until our first workshop of 2023! There are only 2 spots left for this workshop so please register asap!
Register your interest to [email protected]
and we will send you a registration pack 😀

26/02/2023

OFFSET SIMPLE INTERRUPTED SUTURE PATTERN

This is a useful and simple interrupted suture pattern in situations where you want to achieve evenly spaced and accurate tissue alignment but do not want to risk the ends of the suture knot irritating delicate tissue.
E.g.
- Closing the wedge of a Hotz Celsus entropian wedge where we do not want to risk the suture ends irritating the cornea.
- Apposing the urethral mucosa to the skin in a perineal urethrostomy.
- Securing the ventral drainage board in a Vertical Canal Ablation as demonstrated here.

This is not my clearest video but hopefully still gets the point across. We will be practicing this suture whilst rehearsing a Vertical Canal Ablation in our up coming Mixed Small Animal Procedures Workshop. For more information on our practical skills workshops, please visit the Events Tab or contact us on [email protected] for more information and a registration pack.

08/02/2023

EARS, EYES, BUMS AND BITS - bits that you know you could fix if you just had a bit more training. I am sure the pictures below are familiar to you. If you would like the chance to practice surgical management of these cases, then please sign up to our Mixed Introductory Small Animal Surgical procedures workshop to be held in Townsville, April 16th, 2023. More information on this workshop can be found under the Events tab. This course is capped at only 6 participants and will be supervised by Dr Kay Eccleshare with assistance from her colleagues who also have further surgical training. It will be a very interactive, one on one opportunity to learn skills commonly indicated in small animal private practice. Please contact us by email at [email protected] for an information and registration pack.

26/01/2023

Hello colleagues and UNDERGRADUATES,

You may have seen the 3 new workshops posted to the Events page . These courses are also open to undergraduates in final year who may wish to kick start their career. We have been super impressed with the final years that have attended previous courses so please do not be scared off.

I have not yet added an Events page for the Approach to the Hip workshop, currently advertised in November, as have subsequently received an invite to hike in Nepal over this period. The course will still be held but may be scheduled later in that month. Please feel free to register you interest in this course, or request an information pack, by contacting us via email at [email protected]. At this stage of my career path, I could not turn down the opportunity to experience altitude sickness and extreme exhaustion first hand 😉

18/01/2023

Attention Vets! Our 2023 Workshop Dates are here!

Please see the image below and contact us on [email protected] to register your interest and receive a further information and registration pack.

The core value of these workshops is to provide the opportunity for general practice veterinarians to practice and gain confidence with procedures commonly indicated in everyday practice. Each participant is provided with an ethically sourced cadaver (except ultrasound course) to practice the procedures multiple times.
We try our best to provide a feel good and non-intimidating environment to give participants the best opportunity to gain confidence.
These practical workshops are capped between 6 – 8 participants depending on the course and location. Each main tutor will be supported by 1 – 3 colleagues who are also familiar with the workshop content giving all participants the opportunity for plenty of one-on-one instruction.

18/01/2023

Hi Everyone,

Our nurses asked for a refresher on gowning and gloving yesterday and as a result we have created this video, posted on the Vet Skills Academy Youtube site. I don't think our nurses are the only ones that sometimes get bamboozled by gowning which is why we have decided to publish this video. It assumes that the hands are already scrubbed/rubbed and are dry. I have intentionally left off my mask to make it easier to heat on the video.

Happy gowning 😷

Our nurses asked us for a quick refresher on gowning and gloving and this is the video we made as a result. I am not wearing a mask just so it is easier to ...

23/12/2022

We would like to thank all of the veterinarians who participated in our workshops this year for their continued support & positive feedback.
We would also like to mention a special thanks to the participants that came to more than one course in the same year! Well done & we hope to see you again in 2023!
Please keep an eye on our upcoming posts which will include 2023 topics (2 new topics to be revealed) & potential dates.
Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

29/09/2022

We are excited to say Dr Kay's last workshop for 2022 is FULLY BOOKED!
The VSA workshop schedule for 2023 will be posted in the next coming months :)

08/08/2022

NEXT WORKSHOP

Approach to the Canine (and Feline) Hip and performance of a Femoral Head Ostectomy.

Sunday November 20th 2022, Townsville.

Attendance at this workshop is capped at SIX PARTICIPANTS ONLY, with ONLY FOUR positions remaining. This is to provide for an environment that allows for close attention from the tutor and where all participants are comfortable to ask questions and have a go.

Each attendee will have the opportunity to approach a left and right hip of ethically sourced dog and cat cadaver. The practical workshop component will make up the majority of this workshop: it will be preceded by a 2 hour lecture session.

The workshop is designed for those who have no previous surgical experience with this procedure or those who want to add to their existing skill set. The workshop is also open to under graduates who are advanced in their studies.

The main tutor for this workshop is Dr Kay Eccleshare who has 35 years surgical experience, holds membership in SA Surgery, spent 8 years teaching into the James Cook University surgical skills program, and has continued to work in regional mixed general practice through out this time. Her current role is mentoring those who are training to take over her reins. She will be assisted during the workshops by those with whom she currently mentors.

Please contact us by email at [email protected] or Contact number business hours: 1300 287 738 - ask for Tatiana or Nell Petraello for further information on registering for this course. Please also see the Events tab on this FB page for further information.

08/08/2022

Our first small group Introduction to Small Animal Ultrasonography Workshop to be held on the Atherton Tablelands has been run. Hopefully the attendees will now feel more comfortable in driving their machines to obtain the best images, differentiating artefact from pathology, and being able to perform quick checks for free abdominal and thoracic fluid in an emergency situation.

Our thanks go to Dr Sarah Stallard of Mobile Imaging Cairns who developed and presented the lecture and practical material. Sarah is a very approachable and a non-scary teacher which can be seen from the photos following!

We would also like to thank Andreas from Medical Plus for personally delivering the machines and assisting us with learning how to drive them.

Thank you also to our 4 legged "volunteers" who, although high on butorphanol, were still able to give us that "why me, why did I have to choose a vet to live with?" look!! Thank you Dr Evie Jevons and Dr Kara Smith for taking time out on Sunday to bring their dogs in ....and allow them to have expansive hair cuts.

Thank you to Dr Mick Ruppin, of Tableland Veterinary Service, for providing a premises for the workshop, helping with the set up and participating on the day. And to his little rescue dog Scruffy who's days were destined to end in Weipa...until Mick turned up to run a clinic their, felt sorry for him and brought him home instead.

And a big thanks to those whose attended the course, for putting their faith in us and joining in so whole heartedly.

23/05/2022

We frequently receive queries re the pros and cons of HIP SCORING SCHEMES from both clients and veterinarians. As a result, we have put together the following brief overview which we use as the base of a client hand out. Please feel free to use as you feel appropriate. It includes links to relevant and useful websites.

Which Hip Scoring Scheme should I chose or recommend?

There are two hip scoring schemes, the Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia scheme (CHEDs) and the PennHip scheme.

The CHEDs https://ankc.org.au/media/6591/ankc-ltd-cheds-overview_apr16.pdfrequires a single X-ray view with the dog placed on it’s back and hind legs full extended – a ventral dorsal or VD view. The dog is fully anaesthetised for this X-ray view to be taken. This view is used to assesses the anatomy of the femoral head and acetabulum (ball and socket components of the hip joint) as well as it looks for any signs of degenerative change (secondary arthritis).

Its main limitation is it does not assess joint laxity(looseness) which is a significant component of hip dysplasia. Dogs must be over one year of age. It is possible to have loose hips that look normal on this X-ray view in a young dog before arthritic change. Although manual palpation can detect hip laxity in some cases, it is a subjective assessment and only obvious laxity will be detected.

The PennHip Scheme https://antechimagingservices.com/antechweb/pennhip includes the VD view of the hip described above plus uses distracted views which measure joint laxity. Three X-ray views are submitted to Antech Imaging for assessment. The standard VD view to assess conformation, a compressed view where light pressure is used to push the ball component back into the socket and a final distracted view. For the distracted view, a specially designed tool is placed between the dog’s hind legs and light pressure is applied to lever the ball component out of the socket before a third X-ray is taken. Once again, the dog is anaesthetised for these x-rays. These views allow measurement of laxity. A value, called the distraction index will be given which will indicate how a particular dog compares to the breed average as well as the likely hood of arthritic change to develop later.

PennHip can be used to assess pups for joint laxity as young as 16 weeks of age.

Only veterinarians trained and registered in performing PennHip radiographs for hip laxity can perform this assessment. The closest registered veterinarian can be searched online. https://antechimagingservices.com/antechweb/locate-a-pennhip-veterinarian

There are greater costs associated with performing a PennHip assessment due to extra training and extra x-ray views. It however allows for earlier detection of hip dysplasia and a more sensitive indicator of whether a dog will develop arthritis later in life. The information provided allows for earlier and more sensitive selection of dogs that may be chosen for a breeding program.

A brochure for further information can be found online PennHip Brochure.https://antechimagingservices.com/antechweb/pdf/AIS_PennHIP_Brochure_2015.pdf

11/04/2022

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to those of you who attended the Modified De Angelis workshop.

The second Introduction to Small Animal Ultrasonography is filling fast. It will be run on Friday July 29th 2022. Please see events tab for details. It will be run in Townsville and the venue will be confirmed closer to the date.

We are postponing the first of two Approach to the Canine Hip workshops until such time as we can secure a suitable long term venue. The second workshop will still go ahead on Friday November 18th 2022 and thanks to those of you whom have already registered your interest.

Please contact us at [email protected] for further information on these hands on practical workshops.

02/04/2022

All ready for our Modified De'Angelis Workshop today with Dr Kay Eccleshare!