This intensive two-day practical course is designed for veterinarians who want to strengthen their confidence and hands-on skills in the most important emergency soft tissue procedures in dogs and cats.
Emergency surgery demands more than knowing the procedure. It requires the ability to assess the problem, choose the right approach, work efficiently and manage complications when the patient is unstable.
Through extensive practical training, participants will work through a range of procedures encountered in emergency and first-opinion practice — from wound management, drains and airway procedures to gastrointestinal surgery and abdominal emergencies.
The emphasis is firmly on practical surgical technique, decision-making and procedures that can be immediately transferred to clinical practice.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Select and place appropriate drainage systems, including Penrose and closed-suction drains.
- Perform essential wound management and debridement techniques.
- Establish temporary airway access through tracheostomy.
- Place thoracic drains safely and effectively.
- Select and place appropriate feeding tubes.
- Perform cystotomy and scrotal urethrostomy.
- Manage urinary obstruction using retrohydropulsion techniques.
- Perform a structured exploratory laparotomy and systematic abdominal exploration.
- Perform gastrotomy, enterotomy and intestinal resection and anastomosis.
- Use serosal patching and omentalisation to support compromised gastrointestinal tissue.
- Perform incisional gastropexy.
- Understand the indications, technique and key considerations for splenectomy.
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 — EMERGENCY PROCEDURES & WOUND MANAGEMENT
A practical day focused on procedures commonly required in emergency and critical-care patients.
Practicals
Drains
Penrose and closed-suction drain placement, selection and management.
Wound Management
Debridement techniques and tie-over dressings for complex wounds.
Temporary Tracheostomy
Practical technique for establishing a temporary airway in emergency patients.
Thoracic Drain Placement
Technique and practical considerations for thoracic drainage.
Feeding Tube Placement
Practical approaches to enteral access in critically ill patients.
Cystotomy & Scrotal Urethrostomy
Essential techniques for emergency urinary tract surgery.
Retrohydropulsion
Hands-on management of urethral obstruction using retrohydropulsion techniques.
DAY 2 — EMERGENCY ABDOMINAL SURGERY
A full practical day dedicated to the surgical management of acute abdominal disease.
Practicals
Exploratory Laparotomy
Develop a systematic approach to entering and assessing the abdomen.
Systematic Abdominal Exploration
Learn a structured examination sequence to minimise missed pathology.
Gastrotomy & Enterotomy
Safe surgical approaches to the stomach and intestine.
Intestinal Resection & Anastomosis
Practical techniques for managing non-viable or severely compromised bowel.
Serosal Patch
Learn when and how to reinforce compromised intestinal segments.
Omentalisation
Use the omentum strategically to support healing and manage contaminated or compromised tissues.
Incisional Gastropexy
Practical technique and key surgical principles.
Splenectomy
Approach to splenic surgery, vascular control and safe removal.
WHY THIS COURSE?
This is a practical, hands-on course for vets who want to improve their confidence with emergency soft tissue surgery in dogs and cats. Over two days, you will practise a range of procedures that are relevant to everyday emergency practice, including drain placement, wound management, temporary tracheostomy, thoracic drains, feeding tubes, cystotomy and emergency laparotomy. The emphasis is on doing the procedures yourself, with guidance throughout, rather than simply watching demonstrations. The aim is to leave the course with practical skills and greater confidence that you can take straight back to your clinic and use when faced with an emergency case.