Description
SAVC and AVNAT Approved Course
This flexi CPD course is aimed at vet nurses and vet technicians in general practice and is available on-demand with unlimited lifetime access. Each module consists of a tutorial, quiz and further reading articles
Module 1
Making Rabbit Anaesthesia Safer
- Pre-op advice for clients
- ASA grading – what increases the risk?
- Monitoring under general anaesthesia
- Post-operative care
Learning objectives
After completion of this module, participants should be able to:
- Recap rabbit anaesthesia and how you can help build up your confidence, including pre op, intra op and post op care
- Identify signs to be monitoring under anaesthesia – including CO2, SPO2, reflexes, HR, RR and BP readings
- Use the ASA grading system, to look at why rabbits may be at a higher risk, compared with dogs and cats when placed under GA
- Understand the options for intubation and maintaining an airway
Module 2
Analgesia – Taking the Pain Away
- The signs of pain
- Causes of pain
- Knock on effects of uncontrolled pain
- Analgesia options
Learning objectives
After completion of this module, participants should be able to:
- Identify the signs that rabbits show when in pain – these can be easily missed!
- Learn how to use the ‘Rabbit Grimace Scale’ in conjunction with clinical signs
- Appreciate the secondary problems that pain can lead to, when it is not managed correctly
- Know what analgesia options can be used in rabbits
Module 3
Preparing for an Emergency
- Preparation at the practice
- Triaging rabbits
- Obtaining a capsule history
- Assessment
- Managing owner expectations
Learning objectives
After completion of this module, participants should be able to:
- Appreciate that when the phone rings it is important to be prepared for the emergency rabbit case. Know what to do and what equipment to set up to be ready
- Understand how to triage rabbits and when continuing to do so may be detrimental
- Obtain a quick and useful history from the owner to enable treatment to commence
- Conduct a full assessment of the rabbit – from head to toe
- Communicate with clients, managing their expectations and keeping them informed
Module 4
Critical Care – Keeping them Alive!
- What is and what isn’t an emergency
- What to do when faced with a rabbit emergency
- Stabilisation and oxygen therapy
Learning objectives
After completion of this module, participants should be able to:
- Identify rabbit emergencies – they are not always obvious, and knowing what is and what isn’t an emergency is important
- Understand the health conditions which are emergencies in rabbits, including gastrointestinal stasis/blockages, flystrike, liver lobe torsion and respiratory distress
- Achieve the important goal of keeping stress to a minimum
- Identify the signs of improvement and deterioration
The course will be available immediately following purchase, with unlimited lifetime access and will provide a total of:
8 hours of CPD (UK)
8 points (Australia – AVNAT approved)
8 points (New Zealand – AVNAT / NZVNA approved)
8 points (South Africa – SAVC Accreditation Number AC/2341/25)
Release date: Feb 2025
Lucy S –
Overall very good. Informative and detailed. Personally, I wasn’t keen on the poster design as the written task. I’m not a creative person and would have preferred something along the lines of a written essay.
Rated: Intermediate level
Bryony B –
Very informative
Rated: Intermediate level
Kimberley S –
I really enjoyed this course. Very informative and the variety of tasks each week really helped me to learn the information in more depth.
Rated: Introduction level
Michelle D –
Useful course – lots of good info and tips. Great tutorials and tutor support. Would recommend
Rated: Introduction / Intermediate level
Joanne I-L –
really interesting with good content and great ideas that i can use in practice
Rated: Intermediate level
Joanne I-L –
great course – well presented and easy to follow would definitely recommend
Rated: Intermediate level
Emily B –
very informative, easy to follow, able to ask questions
Rated: Intermediate level
Shelby T –
This course was extremely informative, educational and insightful. Excel CPD is also very user friendly and easy to navigate.
Rated: Introduction level
Laura M –
Brilliant such a useful course to take back to practice
Rated: Intermediate level
Sarah V –
A very informative course that was well structured over the four weeks. Very interesting and helpful for improving practice. Really happy!
Rated: Intermediate level