Caturday CPD, everything you Knead to know – In Person CPD

In Person Event:

Venue: Puxton Park, Cowslip Ln, Hewish, Banwell, Weston-super-Mare BS24 6AH, UK

Kindly sponsored by:

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Speaker: Nicola Lakeman MSc BSc(Hons) RVN CertSAN CertVNECC VTS(Nutrition)

Schedule: Feline Nutrition (10am to 10.45am) and Geriatric Nutrition (2pm to 2.45pm)

Nicola works as the Nutrition Manager for IVC Evidensia. Nicola graduated from Hartpury College with an honours degree in Equine Science, and qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2002. Nicola has written for many veterinary publications and textbooks and is the editor of Aspinall’s Complete Textbook of Veterinary Nursing. Nicola is one of the Consultant Editors for The Veterinary Nurse. Nicola has won the BVNA / Blue Cross award for animal welfare, the SQP Veterinary Nurse of the Year and the SQP Nutritional Advisor of the Year. Nicola has gained her Master’s degree in Advanced Veterinary Nursing with Glasgow University.

Learning Points:

1. Life stage requirements kitten/adult/senior

2. At which age we need to be looking at changing from kitten – junior/adult – senior

3. Understand the differences in metabolism between adult and senior cats

4. Be able to give nutritional recommendations dependent on the patient and the narrative of the owner/pet.

Description of Lectures:

Kitten and Adult: Getting the right nutrition at specific points of life is vital. The growth phase is one of these. We need to be promoting good nutrition and preventing growth rate issues such as obesity. The lecture will concentrate on these aspects but also discuss nutrition changes at age changes. We will then move onto adult diets and look specifically at those with nutritional claims for certain health conditions and whether they are worth it or not.

Senior: We always say Cats are not Small Dogs, but in the case of nutrition, they most definitely are not. There are some very different nutritional requirements for felines and we will be addressing these and how you can convey these differences to pet owners. We really need to be looking at using nutrition to prevent illnesses and in these specific cases it really can.

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Speaker: Alexandra Taylor RVN CertSAN ISFMDipFN AdvCertFB

Schedule: Feline Behaviour (11am to 11.45am) and Geriatric Behaviour Changes (3pm to 3.45pm)

Alex qualified as a veterinary nurse in 1997 and has worked mostly in small animal practice. Alex is especially interested in feline nursing and has completed the ISFM feline nursing certificate, diploma, and advanced certificate in feline behaviour. Alex has completed the advanced diploma applied animal behaviour (feline) and is hoping to gain the ABT (Animal Behaviour Technician) qualification.

Alex has a particular interest in feline behaviour and stress related diseases in feline patients, is a member of International Cat Care’s Feline Wellbeing Panel as well as working part-time as their Cat Wellbeing and Behaviour Advisor. Alex was a BVNA Council Member from 2018-2023.

Learning Points:

Session 1:

• Recognise how cats differ from humans and other animals and why their needs should be considered in a home and veterinary environment.
• List normal behaviours of the domestic cat and explain why they can sometimes be upsetting for cat owners.
• Analyse the motivations behind species specific cat behaviour and explain how owners can meet their cat’s needs
• Explore different scenarios of unwanted behaviour in cats and describe what the most appropriate preventative and first aid advice veterinary nurses can give owners.

Session 2:

• List the different diseases that commonly affect older cats and explain how these can affect their behaviour
• Describe changes that occur within the aging feline brain and their impact on feline behaviour
• Recognise the impact that caring for elderly cats can have on the human-animal bond
• Explain the role of the veterinary nurse in supporting owners of senior cats

Description of Lectures:

Session 1:

In this session, we will discuss normal behaviour of the domestic cat and recognise why relationships can break down between owners and cats if the species-specific needs of cats are not understood and met. We will analyse why certain behaviours are upsetting for owners and explore the most appropriate preventative and first aid advice veterinary nurses can give to help owners understand their cats needs and prevent unwanted behaviours. We will also discuss abnormal behaviours in cats, the link between poor wellbeing and disease in feline patients and what to do if these are flagged in a nurse consult. We will also look at case studies of common behaviour issues in cats and what action should be taken to improve feline welfare and maintain the bond between cats and their owners.

Session 2:

In this session, we will explore how changes within the body of the aging cat and disease processes can affect their behaviour We will discuss the impact of certain diseases on feline wellbeing, how  health-related behavioural changes can be distressing for cat owners and the VNs role in providing support to owners to help improve their cat’s (and their own!) quality of life.

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Speaker: Courtney Scales DipVN, NCert (Anaesth), RVN

Schedule: Feline Anaesthesia (12pm to 12.45pm) and Geriatric Anaesthesia (4pm to 4.45pm)

Courtney is originally from New Zealand where she trained and qualified. After working in several clinics there, an anaesthesia passion took her to a large referral hospital in Australia in 2015.

In 2016, she moved to the United Kingdom where she most recently worked as an Anaesthesia RVN at the Royal Veterinary College. Courtney is now a Clinical Educator in Anaesthesia for Burtons Medical Equipment.

Courtney has completed her Nurses Certificate in Anaesthesia and is now completing further studies at the University of Edinburgh.

She has written several articles for journals, authored chapters in the latest anaesthesia nursing textbook and enjoys speaking on “all things anaesthesia” at national congresses, various podcasts and also on YouTube with Burtons Academy and Anursethesia.

Learning points:

1. Understand the identified risk factors in feline anaesthesia

2. Apply your understanding of the risk factors so you can mitigate them for every patient

3. Create specific anaesthesia plans with the above considerations in mind

4. Understand normal feline-specific values for different monitoring parameters: heart rate, blood pressure, ETCO2

5. Apply your understanding of normal function to troubleshoot bradycardia, tachycardia, hypotension or hypertension

Description of lecture:

Session 1: Our feline patients are at a higher risk of anaesthesia-related morbidity and mortality compared to their canine counterparts. Risk factors in feline anaesthesia included endotracheal intubation and intravenous fluid therapy administration, among other things. As these are often unavoidable factors in anaesthesia, how can we mitigate them? We will discuss several of the identified risk factors in depth so we can understand and plan for the safest anaesthesia possible.

Session 2: Cats are not small dogs despite some of the “normal” monitoring parameters being the same values when published in textbooks. We will discuss cardiovascular and respiratory physiology specific to cats and the effects anaesthesia has on their function, as well as how to utilise the monitoring equipment available to you. Hold tight, were able to flip everything we knew about the Doppler upside down!

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BVNA Advocate:  Carly Kilby RVN BVNA NCert (Anaesth) NCert (Surgical) ISFM CertFN (South West Regional Representative) Carly has been in practice since 2001 and qualified in 2006. During her time in practice, Carly has worked within the large animal and small animal referral scenes and everything in between. She has settled into an anaesthesia role at a referral hospital in Bristol as a dedicated anaesthesia nurse. Carly has a certificate in feline friendly nursing, anaesthesia and surgical nursing.

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Cancellation Policy

BVNA CPD Courses and Events Cancellation Policy.pdf

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact; cpd@bvna.co.uk