The Brain in Practice

The Brain in Practice

Sep 1, 2026

Intracranial disease from epilepsy to cognitive dysfunction and back to vestibular: examination, imaging, fluid and clinical decision making

A two-day advanced course for experienced general practitioners, with practical stations and a CSF wet lab

Concept

This course is written for the experienced general practitioner who sees intracranial cases regularly, refers some of them, and manages the rest alone. It assumes competence and clinical experience, and it assumes no scanner down the corridor. It is built around one question: what do you do on Monday morning, in your own practice, with the resources and the client budget you have?

Three things are done rather than described. Delegates examine live dogs in small groups with a neurologist correcting their technique as they work. They collect cerebrospinal fluid themselves, by both routes, on cadaveric specimens. This is the procedure practitioners are most often told simply to refer, though many could perform it safely if anyone had ever taught them properly. And they read real imaging studies on their own laptops, not slides that already carry the answer.

The remainder of the time is case discussion across the whole intracranial spectrum, from epilepsy through inflammatory disease, vestibular disease and neoplasia to canine cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive dysfunction is included deliberately. It is one of the commonest intracranial presentations in practice and one of the least taught, and the ageing brain is where practitioners most often say they feel unsupported.

How this course differs

The comparison below is the basis on which the course should be marketed. Every claim in the right-hand column carries a corresponding requirement later in this document.

Who the course is for

  • Experienced general practitioners who see neurological cases regularly and want to handle more of them confidently.
  • Practitioners working towards or holding a general practitioner certificate, or equivalent postgraduate qualification.
  • Emergency and out-of-hours clinicians who meet seizures, head trauma and acute vestibular disease first.
  • Practice owners and clinical leads deciding what their practice should investigate and what it should refer.

This is an advanced practitioner course, not an introduction to neurology, but if you need to brush up on neurology the course is also for you.

Pre-course

Four weeks in advance, delegates receive a recommended reading list, three practice imaging studies with DICOM viewer installation instructions, and an invitation to submit one anonymised case for the case discussion blocks. Ongoing and unsolved cases are explicitly encouraged: a case that never reached a diagnosis teaches the room more than one that did.

The faculty selects the cases for plenary discussion and tells delegates in advance whether theirs has been chosen, so nobody is put on the spot without warning. Cases not selected receive a short written comment.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

  • Perform a screening neurological examination within a normal consultation, and a full examination when the screen is abnormal.
  • Localise a lesion within the brain reliably and state honestly when localisation is uncertain.
  • Decide which patients need advanced imaging, which do not, and what to request when they do.
  • Recognise the principal intracranial imaging patterns and read a radiology report critically.
  • Collect cerebrospinal fluid safely by the cerebellomedullary and lumbar routes, handle the sample correctly, and decide in advance when a tap should not be performed.
  • Diagnose and treat canine and feline epilepsy according to current consensus, including emergency and status management and the recognition of drug resistance.
  • Work up and manage inflammatory brain disease, vestibular disease, intracranial neoplasia and canine cognitive dysfunction to the appropriate point in first opinion practice.
  • Hold a truthful conversation with an owner about prognosis, cost, referral and the option of not investigating – learn how to put contextual care into practice.

Format

  • Two days, 08:30 to approximately 17:40, plus an optional evening session on Day 1.
  • Maximum 24 delegates.
  • Groups of four at the live dog stations and pairs at the CSF wet lab, with one instructor per station.
  • Approximately 55 per cent of contact time is practical, wet lab or structured case discussion.
  • Delegates bring their own laptops with a DICOM viewer installed.
  • Course notes, the full imaging and video teaching library, and a laminated protocol pack are provided.
  • A ninety-minute online case clinic is held approximately three months after the course, included in the fee.

The protocol pack

Every delegate leaves with a set of single-page laminated aids designed for the consulting or preparation room wall, not for a folder nobody opens again:

  • The three-minute screening neurological examination.
  • Full neurological examination record sheet, suitable for the clinical notes.
  • Status epilepticus and cluster seizure protocol, including at-home rescue medication and owner instructions.
  • Head trauma and raised intracranial pressure algorithm with the Modified Glasgow Coma Scale.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid collection checklist, including the contraindications.
  • Referral decision aid: what to refer, when, and what to say about cost and prognosis.

These are the items delegates will still be using in a year, and they are worth the production cost.

Assessment and certification

Delegates sit the same ten-case video paper at the start of Day 1 and the end of Day 2, and receive both scores confidentially. The CSF wet lab carries a written competency list against which each delegate is signed off. The certificate records the practical stations completed, not simply attendance. That is what allows the course to be marketed as advanced.

Holger A. Volk ​(Germany)
DVM, PGCAP, PhD, DipECVN, FHEA, FRCVS
(Neurology)

Holger is currently Professor of Small Animal Diseases and the Head of Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Visiting Professor of Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery, Royal Veterinary College, London and Affiliate Professor of Veterinary Neurology, University of Copenhagen. He graduated from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover in 2001, where he also did his PhD in Neuropharmacology studying basic mechanisms of drug-resistant epilepsy. He then completed his specialist clinical education doing an internship and a residency in Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). The RVC also provided him with the chance to not only excel academically and clinically, but also in his leadership skills, going through the reigns from lecturer to head of service, clinical director of the Small Animal Referral clinic and last as head of department of clinical science and services. Holger is internationally known for his work in the field of SARS-CoV-2 Medical Scent Detection Dogs, neuropathic pain and epilepsy. He was President of the European College of Veterinary Neurology and active in the Executive Board of Veterinary Specialisation as treasurer. Holger has been chairing the International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force, which published seven consensus statements for canine and feline epilepsy and was a co-chair of the recent published ACVIM consensus statement about medical treatment of epilepsy and emergency seizures, and ECVN consensus about movement disorders. He has been a recipient of several Jim Bee educator excellent in teaching awards, Professor of the year in Germany (2nd rank biomedical sciences, Unicum), the prestigious Bourgelat Award and also the Woodrow from BSAVA, and the International Canine Health Award from the Kennel Club, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) International Award. In 2022, Holger became fellow of the RCVS for Meritorious Contributions to Clinical Practice. He has published multiple books and book chapters, >300 articles, >180 conference abstracts, and is a frequent flyer on the international conference circuit.

DAY 1: The patient in front of you
Shaded rows are practical, wet lab or structured case discussion.

Time Session Content
08:15 Registration and coffee  
08:30 Welcome and entry case paper Ten short video cases, localised individually and scored. The same paper is repeated at the close of Day 2, so every delegate leaves with a measured record of what changed instead of an impression of it.
08:50 Lecture: the neurological examination that fits into a consultation A three-minute screening examination for every patient, and the full examination for when the screen is abnormal. What each test tells you, which traditional tests can be dropped, and the handling errors that produce false localisations.
09:35 Coffee break  
09:50 PRACTICAL: neurological examination on live dogs Two rotations of forty-five minutes in groups of four, one instructor per station, on temperament-assessed dogs. Cranial nerves, postural reactions, gait, the fundus and the otoscopic examination, plus the practical business of examining a large frightened dog on a slippery floor.
11:25 Video case workshop: where is the lesion? Twelve abnormal cases on video. Delegates commit individually and anonymously to a localisation before discussion, then the room sees how it voted. Forebrain, brainstem, cerebellum and vestibular, including the cases that are commonly mislocalised.
12:20 Lunch break  
13:20 Lecture: the intracranial patient – the foundation Age, breed and onset as the strongest diagnostic tools you own. A structured differential approach to the brain, the five questions worth answering before any referral is discussed, and the presentations that are true emergencies.
14:05 Lecture: imaging – the foundation CT against MRI in plain terms: what each answers, what each misses, what each costs the owner and how long it takes. How to read the report you receive, how to open the images yourself, and the three intracranial patterns every practitioner should recognise without help.
15:00 Coffee break  
15:15 READING ROOM: ten studies, the patterns that matter Delegates scroll real studies on their own laptops. Not a radiology course; the goal is to distinguish normal from abnormal, to recognise the mass, the inflammatory pattern and the acute vascular event, and to know reliably when to ask for help.
16:20 Discussion: neurology on a shoestring – more than giving prednisolone Money, prognosis, waiting times, and the option of not investigating at all. How to set out a range of plans, including the good first-opinion plan for the owner who cannot fund referral. Worked through as scripted cases in small groups.
17:10 Case discussion I: delegate cases Four cases submitted by delegates in advance, presented by the delegate who owns them and worked through by the room. Unsolved and ongoing cases are actively welcomed.
17:45 Close of Day 1  
19:30 Optional evening session: the cases that went wrong A closed-door session on missed diagnoses, misjudged prognoses and honest outcomes, delivered without slides. Attendance optional; recording prohibited.

DAY 2: The diseases you will actually see
Shaded rows are practical, wet lab or structured case discussion.

Time Session Content
08:30 Epilepsy I: making the diagnosis The IVETF tier system applied in practice. What can be diagnosed confidently without advanced imaging, which patients need an MRI and which do not, reactive seizures and their causes, and the history that distinguishes a seizure from everything that mimics one.
09:25 Epilepsy II: treatment that works in the real world When to start, which drug first and why, monitoring, the emergency and status epilepticus protocol including at-home rescue medication, recognising drug resistance, and the quality-of-life and owner-burden conversation that determines whether the dog survives its epilepsy.
10:20 Coffee break  
10:40 WET LAB: cerebrospinal fluid collection and handling Cerebellomedullary and lumbar collection on fresh cadavers, one specimen per pair, with an instructor per two stations. Landmarking, needle control, the depth beyond which the tap becomes dangerous, and correct handling for cytology, protein and culture from one small-volume sample. A microscope bench runs alongside so delegates can see what their sample becomes and read a report critically.
12:20 Lunch break  
13:20 Cases and discussion: inflammatory brain disease Meningoencephalitis of unknown origin and its infectious mimics. Recognition in first opinion, what to do in the first twenty-four hours, and the long-term immunosuppressive treatment that frequently comes back to the referring practice to manage.
14:05 Cases and discussion: the head tilt Peripheral against central vestibular disease and the tests that separate them. Otitis media and interna, idiopathic geriatric vestibular syndrome, the otoscopic and imaging findings that matter, and how not to miss a brainstem lesion in an old dog that looks like a straightforward vestibular case.
14:50 Coffee break  
15:05 Cases and discussion: canine cognitive dysfunction and the ageing brain Screening and grading with validated questionnaires, the differentials that masquerade as dementia, an honest account of the evidence behind diets, supplements, enrichment and drug therapy, and how to support an owner through a slow decline including the timing of euthanasia.
15:55 Cases and discussion: intracranial neoplasia and palliation Recognition, realistic published survival figures, and the palliative pathway that most of these patients follow. Corticosteroids and anticonvulsants used properly, and when radiation or surgery is worth raising with an owner.
16:35 The emergency brain: a one-page approach Head trauma, raised intracranial pressure and cluster seizures. Triage, the Modified Glasgow Coma Scale, what to do in the first hour, and what to stop doing. Delegates leave with the algorithm as a laminated sheet.
17:05 Case discussion II, exit paper, feedback and certificates Four further delegate cases, then the entry paper repeated and scored. Individual results are issued confidentially; anonymised aggregate results shape the follow-up clinic.
17:40 Close of course  
Veterinary Practice Management

Veterinary Practice Management

Aug 26, 2026

Nearly 90% of veterinary practices never reach their full potential because of weaknesses on the business side.
When the business struggles, it creates tremendous stress and friction—both professionally and privately.
The cost is real—but avoidable: declining quality of medical care, lost money, peace of mind, relationships, families, and personal health.

This course teaches you how to install a Growth and Stability Management System—so your practice runs smoothly while you focus on your patients.

After this 2-day, practical management course, you will be able to:

  1. Make better, faster practice decisions relevant to your clinic
  2. Understand practice finances well enough to protect cash flow, margins, and long-term viability
  3. Stabilize your clinic and remove chronic financial and operational stress
  4. Improve performance and growth without losing control or clinical standards
  5. Build a team and routines that reduce dependency on you and prevent constant firefighting
  6. Understand what truly drives the value of your practice, whether you plan to sell or not

Course Materials & Preparation

  • Pre-reading:
    Selected chapters from the course book (provided upon registration).
    The course assumes familiarity with the core concepts introduced in the pre-reading.
  • In-course materials:
    Instructor-led presentations and working materials.
  • Take-home output:
    A personalized 90-Day Operational Plan, developed during the course.
Goran Cvetković

Goran Cvetković

Veterinary Doctor and Businessperson

Goran Cvetković is a veterinary doctor and businessperson with extensive experience working with owner-managed practices and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He worked clinically in veterinary practices in Serbia and Switzerland before transitioning into research and business management.

His work focuses on practical decision-making, financial stability, organizational routines, and the long-term viability of professional practices. He is known for translating complex financial and organizational topics into clear, clinically relevant frameworks that practitioners can apply directly in daily practice.

He is a researcher, entrepreneur, and author, and is the owner or co-owner of six companies.

Patricia Colville

Patricia Colville

BVMS MBA MRCVS

Tricia qualified from Glasgow University Veterinary School in 1993. She has worked in small animal private practice and with a large national veterinary charity in the UK.  Tricia moved to Vets Now, the largest out of hours provider in the UK, in 2009 where she has held a number of positions and is currently CEO. Vets Now is part of IVC Evidensia.

Tricia currently Chairs the FVE/FECAVA/IVSA working group on Mental-Wellbeing and Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness and is UK Director for the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) and Chairs the FECAVA Mental Health & Wellbeing group.

Previously a Trustee of Vetlife, a charity that provides emotional, financial and mental health support to the veterinary community in the UK, and a Past President of British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Tricia also holds a Master of Business Administration.

DAY 1 – Assess & Stabilize

  1. Decision-Making in Veterinary Practice (40 min)
    Individual exercise (15 min)
    Group exercise and presentation (35 min)
  2. Understanding Practice Finances as Clinical Vital Signs (40 min)
    Individual exercise (15 min)
    Group exercise and presentation (35 min)
  3. Stabilizing the Clinic Before Improving It (40 min)
    Individual exercise (15 min)
    Group exercise and presentation (35 min)
  4. Case Discussion: Diagnosing Practice Stress and Instability (90 min)
    Facilitated case analysis and group discussion

DAY 2 – Improve & Sustain

  1. Improving Practice Performance Without Compromising Care (40 min)
    Individual exercise (15 min)
    Group exercise and presentation (35 min)
  2. Building Team Routines and Reducing Owner Overload (40 min)
    Individual exercise (15 min)
    Group exercise and presentation (35 min)
  3. Long-Term Strength and Value of a Veterinary Practice (40 min)
    Individual exercise (15 min)
    Group exercise and presentation (35 min)
  4. Integration and 90-Day Practice Action Plan (40 min)
    Individual exercise (20 min)
    Presentations (30 min)

The most practical veterinary management course—by design.

CT Imaging Course in dogs and cats

CT Imaging Course in dogs and cats

Aug 22, 2026

​From CT fundamentals to confident clinical interpretation

This intensive two-day CT imaging course is designed to strengthen your understanding of computed tomography and develop a practical, systematic approach to interpreting CT examinations.

Combining essential CT physics and applications, regional anatomy, common pathological conditions, and interactive case-based learning, the course takes participants beyond theory and into real-world diagnostic reasoning.

What you will explore

Across two focused days, the programme covers the major anatomical regions and clinical applications of CT, including:

  • CT Physics & Applications — build a solid foundation in CT principles and understand how imaging parameters influence diagnostic quality.
  • Thoracic Imaging — review thoracic anatomy and develop a structured approach to the most common diseases and imaging findings.
  • Abdominal Imaging — explore abdominal anatomy and the CT appearance of common pathological conditions through a clinically oriented approach.
  • Skull & Neuroimaging — strengthen your knowledge of skull anatomy and the recognition of common diseases on CT.
  • Spine Imaging — examine spinal anatomy and the key CT features of frequently encountered conditions.
  • Musculoskeletal Imaging — focus on forelimb and hind limb anatomy and common skeletal pathology.
  • Practical Case Discussions — put your knowledge into practice through guided, interactive case interpretation.

Learn. Interpret. Apply.

The course is structured to encourage active learning and clinical reasoning. Rather than simply presenting anatomical structures and disease patterns, the practical sessions challenge participants to apply what they have learned to representative CT cases.

By the end of the course, participants will have a more confident understanding of CT anatomy, improved recognition of common pathological findings, and a clearer framework for approaching CT examinations in everyday clinical practice.

A focused, practical learning experience

With expert-led lectures, dedicated discussion sessions, and extensive practical case analysis, this course offers an ideal balance between theory and hands-on diagnostic thinking.

Two days. Multiple anatomical regions. Real clinical cases. A stronger approach to CT interpretation.

Prof. Massimo Vignoli

Prof. Massimo Vignoli

DMV, DScM, PhD, SRV, Dip. ECVDI

Graduated in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bologna with the thesis: “Hip dysplasia in dogs”. Specialized at the University of Turin in Veterinary Radiology with the thesis: “Kodak insight into dog thoracic radiology”. He then completed a residency program in diagnostic imaging in the Department of Radiology of the University of Zuerich and Turin. Travel Award and Resident Prize at the EAVDI / ECVDI European Congress, Murcia 2002, as best presentation on: “CT-guided biopsies in the skeleton. Diplomate from the European College of Diagnostic Imaging (Dip. ECVDI). To date, author / co-author of 284 scientific papers, of which 140 published in scientific journals. Co-Editor and/or Co-author of the books: “Radiology of the dog and cat”, Poletto Editore, 2005, “Veterinary Computed Tomoghraphy”, Edited by Tobias Schwarz and Jimmy Saunders, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, “Manual of first aid and traumatology in small animals”, Viganò, Elsevier Edition, 2013, Atlas of Diagnostic Imaging of dogs and cats, Vignoli – Graham, EDRA, 2022. President of the Italian Society of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (SVIDI) 2001-2004. Adjunct Professor at the University of Naples, 2007-2009. Lecturer at the University of Pisa, Camerino; Naples. Doctor of Veterinary Sciences (PhD) at the University of Ghent, 2010. In 2011-13 member of the Board of the ECVDI. Full Professor of Radiology at the University of Teramo. Teleradiology consultant for several clinics in Italy and around Europe. Doctor in Sport Science in November 2018 with the thesis: “Correlation between vision training and batting in baseball”.

Andrea De Bonis

Andrea De Bonis

DVM, MRCVS, MSc, DipECVDI

Graduated in Bologna in veterinary medicine in 2018. Best Poster Prize at the European Congress EVDI, Edinburgh 2022 on “Sentinel lymph node mapping with indirect
lymphangiography for canine Mast Cell Tumour”. Author/co-author of 19 scientific studies, all of them in scientific journals. He co-edited the Italian translation of the textbook “Atlas of Diagnostic Imaging of the Dogs and Cats”, Massimo Vignoli, John Graham, EDRA, 2022. He worked for 2 years in a busy 24-hour veterinary clinic in Rome. In the meantime, he completed a Master degree in Diagnostic imaging in small animals at the University of Teramo. He started a rotating internship in 2020 in a UK referral “Southfields Veterinary Specialists”. After the rotating internship, he started a Specific Internship in Diagnostic Imaging at the same referral. In 2021 he became an ECVDI Resident in the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital under the supervision of Prof. Vignoli.
In January 2025 he became a diplomate at the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI).

DAY 1

Time Title
09.00 – 09.15 Introduction
09.15 – 10.15 CT physics and applications
10.15 – 11.15 Thorax, anatomy and most common diseases part I
11.15 – 11.30 Coffee break
11.30 – 12.15 Thorax, anatomy and most common diseases part II
12.15 – 13.15 Abdomen part I
13.15 – 14.15 Lunch break
14.15 – 15.30 Abdomen part II
15.30 – 15.45 Coffee break
15.45 – 18.00 Practical case discussion

DAY 2

Time Title
09.00 – 09.15 Introduction
09.15 – 10.15 Skull, anatomy and most common diseases
10.15 – 11.30 Spine, anatomy and most common diseases
11.30 – 11.45 Coffee break
11.45 – 12.30 Skeleton forelimb, anatomy and most common diseases
12.30 – 13.15 Skeleton hind limb, anatomy and most common diseases
13.15 – 14.00 Lunch break
14.00 – 16.30 Practical case discussion
16.30 – 18.00 Case evaluation in groups and interactive discussion
Soft tissue surgery in dogs and cats 2 – Advanced

Soft tissue surgery in dogs and cats 2 – Advanced

Aug 22, 2026

Soft tissue surgery 2 – Advanced Soft Tissue Surgery

Course Introduction

Take your soft tissue surgery to the next level.

STT 2 – Advanced Soft Tissue Surgery is an intensive, hands-on OKEAN programme designed for veterinarians who are ready to move beyond routine soft tissue procedures and develop greater confidence with complex urinary, abdominal and reconstructive surgery in dogs and cats.

Across two highly practical days, participants will work through a carefully selected range of advanced procedures — from urinary tract and bladder surgery to major abdominal procedures, GDV surgery, biliary surgery, diaphragmatic hernia repair, advanced colorectal surgery and challenging perineal hernia reconstruction.

The course focuses on the principles that make advanced surgery successful: case selection, surgical planning, anatomical approach, tissue handling, operative technique, complication avoidance and postoperative decision-making.

Rather than simply demonstrating individual procedures, STT 2 is designed to develop the surgeon’s ability to approach challenging cases systematically and perform technically demanding procedures with greater confidence and precision.

Jackie Demetriou, BVetMed, CertSAS, DipECVS, FRCVS

Jackie Demetriou is an EBVS and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. She qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 1996 and went on to complete an internship and residency in Small Animal Surgery at the University of Edinburgh. Over the past 20 years, she has worked in both academia and specialist referral practice, including nine years as a Lecturer at the University of Cambridge and her current part-time Chair in Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery at the University of Nottingham. She also spent 12 years in private referral practice, where she led a large soft tissue surgery team and ECVS residency programme. Jackie has extensive experience teaching surgery to veterinary surgeons, interns and residents in the UK and internationally, and particularly enjoys helping practitioners develop the confidence to manage challenging surgical cases. She has served on the ECVS Examination Committee and Board of Regents and is the author of two textbooks, several book chapters and more than 30 peer-reviewed publications.

Day 1 – Advanced Urinary Surgery

The first day focuses on advanced surgery of the urinary and reproductive tract, including:

  • Cystotomy
  • Bladder wall resection / partial cystectomy
  • Nephrectomy
  • Scrotal urethrostomy in dogs
  • Perineal urethrostomy in cats
  • Colposuspension

Participants will explore the indications, surgical approaches and key technical considerations for each procedure, with particular emphasis on anatomy, tissue handling and avoiding common complications.

Day 2 – Advanced Abdominal & Reconstructive Surgery

The second day concentrates on challenging abdominal and reconstructive procedures:

  • Gastrectomy
  • GDV surgery and gastropexy
  • Cholecystectomy
  • Diaphragmatic hernia repair
  • Colectomy for megacolon and selected colonic tumours
  • Perineal hernia repair using the internal obturator muscle flap
  • Perineal hernia repair using the semitendinosus muscle flap

These procedures represent some of the more demanding soft tissue surgical cases encountered in small animal practice and provide participants with practical experience in advanced surgical decision-making and technique.

Course Objectives

By the end of STT 2, participants will be able to:

  • Approach complex urinary and abdominal surgical cases in a structured and systematic manner.
  • Understand the indications, limitations and appropriate case selection for advanced soft tissue procedures.
  • Plan and perform advanced urinary tract surgery, including bladder surgery, nephrectomy and urethrostomy procedures.
  • Apply appropriate techniques for partial cystectomy and bladder wall reconstruction.
  • Understand the surgical principles of GDV management and perform appropriate gastropexy techniques.
  • Perform key advanced gastrointestinal procedures, including gastrectomy and colectomy.
  • Apply safe surgical techniques for cholecystectomy and recognise important anatomical and technical considerations of biliary surgery.
  • Understand and perform appropriate approaches to diaphragmatic hernia repair.
  • Select and perform appropriate reconstructive techniques for perineal hernia, including internal obturator and semitendinosus muscle flaps.
  • Develop greater confidence in handling challenging anatomical regions and technically demanding procedures.
  • Anticipate and minimise common intraoperative and postoperative complications.
  • Apply sound principles of tissue handling, haemostasis, surgical exposure and closure throughout advanced soft tissue procedures.
  • Transfer the practical techniques and decision-making skills gained during the course directly into clinical practice.

Who Is This Course For?

STT 2 is intended for veterinarians with previous experience in small animal soft tissue surgery who want to expand their surgical repertoire and become more confident in managing advanced cases.

It is particularly suited to clinicians who already perform routine abdominal and soft tissue procedures and are ready to progress to more complex and technically demanding surgery.

The OKEAN Approach

Advanced cases. Practical techniques. Greater surgical confidence.

STT 2 combines focused surgical teaching with intensive practical training, giving participants the opportunity to understand not only how to perform an advanced procedure, but also when, why and how to approach it safely.

Advanced Practical Ultrasound: Extensive hands-on scanning. Small-group tuition. Pancreas, adrenals, shunt hunting, Doppler, POCUS, thyroid, ocular and musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Advanced Practical Ultrasound: Extensive hands-on scanning. Small-group tuition. Pancreas, adrenals, shunt hunting, Doppler, POCUS, thyroid, ocular and musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Aug 20, 2026

Speaker: Pete Mantis
Practical Scanning: Pete Mantis, Neven Novak i Srećko Terzić
 
Positioning of course: This is not another abdominal ultrasound course. It is the next step for clinicians who can already perform a routine abdominal scan and want to find the structures, vessels and abnormalities that are more difficult to identify confidently.
 
Day 1: Advanced abdominal ultrasound — the difficult structures and vessels
Day 2: Beyond the abdomen — POCUS, small parts and musculoskeletal ultrasound
 
Title: Advanced Practical Ultrasound: Beyond the Routine Abdominal Scan
Subtitle: Pancreas • Adrenals • Portosystemic Shunts • POCUS • Thyroid • Eye • Musculoskeletal Ultrasound 
 
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this two-day course, participants should be able to:
 
  • Apply a systematic technique to identify the pancreas, including the pancreatic body and right and left lobes, and recognise the principal landmarks used during scanning.
  • Optimise patient positioning, transducer placement and machine settings for examination of challenging abdominal structures.
  • Identify and evaluate both adrenal glands reliably, including recognising their relationship with the kidneys, aorta, caudal vena cava and adjacent vessels.
  • Apply a systematic ultrasound search strategy for suspected congenital portosystemic shunts, rather than relying on incidental identification of an anomalous vessel.
  • Use colour and spectral Doppler appropriately in abdominal ultrasonography.
  • Perform a structured POCUS examination and recognise the principal sites used to identify free abdominal fluid.
  • Perform a structured POCUS examination and recognise ultrasonographic findings associated with pleural and pericardial fluid and selected thoracic abnormalities.
  • Perform a systematic ultrasound examination of the thyroid and surrounding cervical structures and recognise important normal and abnormal findings.
  • Perform an ocular ultrasound examination and recognise the normal ultrasonographic anatomy of the globe and common clinically relevant abnormalities.
  • Perform focused musculoskeletal ultrasound examinations of selected structures, particularly the biceps tendon and Achilles/common calcaneal tendon.
  • Recognise the limitations of each examination and determine when further imaging, sampling or referral may be appropriate.

Panagiotis (Pete) Mantis graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece in 1994. He completed a Diagnostic Imaging Residency at the Royal Veterinary College and then worked in first opinion practices and referral hospitals in London. He spent a year at the Swedish Agricultural University in Uppsala and in 2000 he moved to the Royal Veterinary College. He became Senior Lecturer in Radiology and remained at RVC until joining DWR in 2017. In 2019, he was appointed Head of Diagnostic Imaging. Pete is a European and RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. He is a regular author, speaker and CPD tutor on small animal radiology, ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

DAY 1 – Advanced Abdominal Ultrasound: The Difficult Structures

Time Title
09:00-09:40 The Pancreas: A Systematic Approach to Finding It Reliably
09:40-11:20 Hands-on Practical: Pancreas — Body, Right and Left Lobes
11:20-11:40 Coffee break
11:40-12:15 Adrenal Ultrasound: Identification, Technique and Interpretation
12:15-13:45 Hands-on Practical: Finding and Evaluating the Right and Left Adrenal Glands
13:45-14:30 Lunch
14:30-15:10 The Shunt Hunt: A Systematic Approach to Congenital Portosystemic Shunts
15:10-16:00 Hands-on Practical: Searching for Shunts
16:00-16:20 Coffee break
16:20-16:50 Doppler Ultrasound: Getting Useful Information from Abdominal Vessels
16:50-17:00 Day 1 Take-Home Points and Q&A

DAY 2 – POCUS and Ultrasound Beyond the Abdomen

Time Title
09:00-09:45 POCUS in Practice: AFAST and TFAST
09:45-11:00 Hands-on Practical: AFAST and TFAST
11:00-11:20 Coffee break
11:20-12:00 Thyroid and Cervical Ultrasound: Small Structures, Important Findings
12:00-13:00 Hands-on Practical: Thyroid and Cervical Ultrasound
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-14:40 Ocular Ultrasound: Technique, Normal Anatomy and Common Abnormalities
14:40-15:30 Hands-on Practical: Ocular Ultrasound
15:30-15:45 Coffee break
15:45-16:15 Biceps and Achilles ultrasound
16:15-17:00 Hands-on Practical: Biceps Tendon, Achilles/Common Calcaneal Tendon
17:00-17:15 Q&A