Exotic Pets – Small Mammals: Anaesthesia and Surgery

Whether you are a seasoned practitioner regularly treating small mammals or a veterinarian looking to expand your knowledge in this exciting field, this course offers valuable insights into Exotic Pet Small Mammal medicine and surgery. Through a cases-oriented approach, incorporating real-world scenarios and the latest literature, as well as practical sessions in wet-labs, participants will enhance their diagnostic and treatment skills in small mammals.

While the course is designed to build upon existing knowledge, we encourage veterinarians of all experience levels to participate.

For those newer to small mammal practice, we highly recommend reviewing the following resources to establish a strong foundation:

• Clinical Anatomy and Physiology of Exotic Species (O’Malley, 2005): Chapters 11-16
• Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery (Quesenberry, 4th ed.): Chapters 1, 2, 11, 12, 21 (pp. 270-278), 22 (pp. 298-308), 23 (pp. 323-326), 25 (pp. 345-356), and 26 (pp. 368-372)

This pre-course preparation will ensure you get the most out of the case discussions and interactive learning environment.

Join us and take your small mammal practice to the next level.

Following themes will be covered in this course:

• Anaesthesia in ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and hedgehogs
  This lecture explores the main factors involved in promoting best practice in small mammal anaesthesia and covers an overview of techniques allowing a safe general anaesthesia.
• Analgesia
  Little reminder of pain physiology, clinical update on pharmacology of the principal molecule used in small mammals, how to decide which molecule to use to treat pain with clinical examples.
• Pain recognition in small mammals
  Presentation of painful behaviours, presentation, and use of grimace pain scale and multiparametric pain scales with videos of clinical cases.
• Interactive clinical cases on anaesthesia and analgesia
  Half of the group will be with one instructor (one group anaesthesia, one group analgesia) to promote discussion and interactivity. Anaesthesia or analgesia clinical cases will be presented, and a discussion will take place to build an anaesthesia or analgesia protocol.
• Introduction to soft tissue surgery
  This course focuses on the basic principles of surgery, tissue handling, wound repair and bandage techniques.
• Reproductive surgery
  This course covers indications, preoperative precautions, updated techniques descriptions of reproductive surgeries.
• Soft tissue surgery
  Indications, techniques descriptions, and postoperative cares on surgery on GI surgeries (gastrotomy, enterotomy, appendicectomy, liver biopsies and lobectomy, cholecystotomy, cholecystectomy), surgeries of the urinary system (nephrotomy, nephrectomy, cystotomy, ureteral papillotomy, urethrostomy), thoracotomy surgeries (sternal and paracostal approach)
• Wetlab rabbits tissue surgery
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructor
• Wetlab rodents soft tissue surgery
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructor
• Interactive clinical cases on anaesthesia and analgesia
  Half of the group will be with one instructor (one group anaesthesia, one group analgesia, the group will be inverted in comparison to Saturday) to promote discussion and interactivity. Anaesthesia or analgesia clinical cases will be presented, and a discussion will take place to build an anaesthesia or analgesia protocol.
• Introduction to Dentistry
  Diagnosis of dental disease, techniques descriptions, and postoperative cares of dental surgeries in rabbits and rodents.
• Wetlab rabbits Dentistry assisted by endoscopy
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructors.
• Wetlab rodents Dentistry assisted by endoscopy
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructors.
• Musculoskeletal disorders
  This course focuses on common musculoskeletal disorders (arthrosis, pododermatitis), up-to-date medical management and the interests of physical therapy.
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  This course focuses on risk factors, indications and techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Surgery of the head
  Indications, techniques descriptions, and postoperative cares on surgery of the head in rabbits and rodents: surgery of the nasal cavities (rhinostomy, pararhinostomy) surgery of the ear (TECALBO, PECALBO, VBO), surgery of the eye (enucleation)
• Wetlab surgery of the head in rabbits
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructor
• Wetlab surgery of the head in rodents
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructor
• Peri-operative care
  This lecture covers key factors for a successful management of the surgical patient—from admission to the final discharge, to optimise postoperative outcomes.
• Orthopaedic surgery
  General principle, tricks and tips on small mammals orthopaedic surgery, how to repair a radius/ulna, femoral and tibial fracture using the tie-in technique
• Wetlab orthopaedic surgery in rabbits
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructor
• Wetlab orthopaedic surgery in rodents
  Application on cadavers of the techniques presented in the morning after a demonstration by the instructor

Casus and conclusion of the course.