Recorded: November & December 2020

ONLINE LECTURE SERIES CONTENT

The Hunt for Equine Neoplasia – Where does Ultrasound fit in? (Lectures & Interactive Case-Discussions; Part 1)

The hunt for neoplasia using ultrasound will focus primarily on exploring the thorax and abdomen, but also its use in identifying soft tissue masses. The sonographic characterization of obvious masses and the identification of more subtle abnormalities, consistent with neoplasia, will be discussed. Evaluation of blood flow to and in the mass is valuable. The use of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates and biopsies are an integral part of confirming the diagnosis.

FAST and Complete Abdominal Ultrasound in Acute/Chronic Colic – Lectures & Interactive Case-Discussions (Part 2)

The FLASH is the initial sonographic examination performed in horses with acute colic and is used to assess whether surgical intervention is indicated. Understanding the limitations of the FLASH is important and will be discussed. In horses with chronic colic, a complete abdominal ultrasound examination is the examination of choice. This results in a complete examination of all the imageable portions of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs that can cause colic, resulting in the ability to diagnose a wide variety of gastrointestinal abnormalities.

Cardiac Evaluation Options in a Prepurchase Setting – Lectures & Interactive Case-Discussions (Part 3)

While normal arrhythmias and murmurs in horses abound, determining their significance in the prepurchase setting can be challenging. ECG (resting and exercising) and echocardiography are the mainstays of determining the significance of an arrhythmia or murmur, respectively. Obtaining ECG, auditory and POCUS recordings on a smart phone, which can be emailed to a specialist, aid the practitioner in determining when to refer. This session will focus on cardiac abnormalities detected in the prepurchase setting and determining their significance.

Cardiology Treasure Trove for Experienced Practitioners – Lectures & Interactive Case-Discussions (Part 4) 

This session will explore diagnosing and managing the more uncommon and challenging cardiac diseases. We will delve in depth into pericardial diseases, endocarditis and complex congenital cardiac diseases. Also, recognizing myocardial diseases can be challenging when obvious changes in myocardial echogenicity is lacking. We will explore advanced methods of assessing myocardial function. Extensive case discussions will round off this session and give attendees the opportunity to expand their experience on how to apply the theory on horses with challenging cardiac problems.

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the High-Risk Pregnant Mare – Lectures & Interactive Case-Discussions (Part 5) 

This is an in depth session on sonographic examination of the high-risk pregnant mare. This session will discuss the technique, assessment of fetal size, twins, the findings indicating fetal distress and placental disease. Abnormalities that increase the risk of a negative outcome will be discussed, including hydrops.