Small Animal GI Diseases
Should that vomiting dog stay in… or go home?
Made for the savvy GP looking for a case-based, interactive and almost-too-easy way to stay current with the latest thinking on small animal GI cases, develop a more methodical approach to that critical 15-minute triage, plus add a few new practical tools to the box. Yes, you can carry out these additional diagnostics and procedures in your own clinic and take these rewarding cases that little bit further. No, you don’t need to freshly kit out your entire practice in the process.
This course is designed to help you tackle everyday clinical challenges with greater confidence and clarity.
Whatever the canine or feline GI tract throws (up) your way, these five weekly sessions will help you stomach it all with confidence. We can’t take the smell away, but we can remove the fear of the unknown.
Your roadmap to confident GI case management
Gastrointestinal disease is something every vet encounters, yet it rarely presents the same way twice. From acute vomiting and diarrhoea to foreign bodies, chronic weight loss, and complex inflammatory or metabolic disease, GI cases can quickly turn into clinical puzzles. The differentials are broad, the decisions aren’t always straightforward, and sometimes the gut throws a curveball no matter how many years you’ve been in practice.
Turning gut confusion into clinical clarity
The good news is you’re in expert hands with Dr Terry King, a clinician who lives and breathes internal medicine. With over 50 years in veterinary practice, Terry brings not just deep clinical knowledge but the kind of insight that only comes from decades of seeing what works, what doesn’t, and what matters most in real-world practice.
Activate your clinical reasoning
Through a series of engaging case discussions that mirror what you actually see in general practice, this course will sharpen your clinical thinking and strengthen your approach to GI disease. Together you’ll work through diagnostic reasoning, differential lists, and treatment decisions, building the confidence to tackle even the trickier presentations that land on your consult table.
Build practical skills you can use immediately
You’ll explore practical techniques that make a genuine difference in everyday practice, from rectal smears and faecal transplants to managing foreign bodies and navigating common gastrointestinal conditions. The focus throughout is on practical, applicable knowledge designed specifically for the realities of general practice.
A learning environment that keeps you engaged
This is not your typical sit-back-and-zone-out CPD. Expect real cases, real decisions, and plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions. Whether you’re three months or thirty years out of vet school, you’ll find a welcoming learning space that keeps you engaged, challenged, and thinking.
Flexible learning for busy clinicians
Now available on-demand, this online course lets you learn whenever it suits your schedule. Work through the sessions at your own pace, revisit key concepts, and build the confidence to approach GI cases with clarity and structure.
If you’re ready to turn GI curveballs into confident clinical decisions, this is your roadmap.
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24/7 ACCESS FOR THE LIFETIME OF THIS COURSE
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FLEXIBLE CPD WHEN YOU WANT
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DOWNLOADABLE NOTES
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CERFITICATE UPON COMPLETION
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MOBILE FRIENDLY INTERFACE
COURSE FEATURES
Learn
- Common & highly relevant gastrointestinal presentations
- Case based GI scenarios
- No travel, no wasted time, no brainer!
- Localise GI lesions with confidence
- Practical skills covered, from faecal transplants and rectal smears to foreign body removal techniques
- Read those abdominal rads with less head-scratching
- Decipher when (and when not) to reach for antibiotics
Course Modules
Module 1: Localising the lesion
Sussing out where in your patient’s GI tract the problem lies can have as many twists and turns as your average ileum. Is this regurgitation, or vomiting? Is the culprit the small intestine, the large intestine, or both? What about when it’s not the GI tract at all, but rather the pancreas or the liver? This module (and the entire course) will help you prioritise your diagnostics based on your patient, problem solve productively and make therapeutic choices that deserve a hearty clap on the back. We localise the lesion in Module 1, and then we explore specific cases and presentations in Modules 2 to 5.
Module 2: The GIT in crisis – the acute diarrhoea dog
Had you heard through the grapevine that haemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) has retired? Maybe you’ve overheard a colleague and stood pondering, “AHDS what?!” By the end of this module you’ll have a solid understanding of the whys behind the reclassification of HGE to acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome (AHDS), and a clear definition in mind.This week also takes a look at the application of appropriate antibiotic treatment to the truly septic patient (we all wish we didn’t see parvo puppies, but the reality is we still do), as well as covering when not to reach for the metronidazole or Amoxiclav.
Module 3: The vomiting dog and cat – GI obstructions and inflammatory disease
This module uncovers the diagnostic trail for differentiating obstructive versus non-obstructive GI tract disease… aka, should that vomiting dog or cat stay in, and does something need to come out? Radiography is a powerful tool in these cases but reading an abdominal rad can be really tricky. Dr Terry King brings the benefits of nearly 50 years of clinical practice, and a passion for passing on tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your x-rays.
Module 4: The small animal patient with ongoing GI upsets
Herein lies the route to developing a go-to mental algorithm that will allow you to better address GI problems based on symptoms, urgency and what’s possible for the owner. Module 4 covers management and therapeutics in relation to less urgent but recurrent vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Being extremely valuable tools that can have a helpful place in your GP practice, endoscopy, enemas, lavage and faecal transplant will also be covered.
Module 5: Polyphagia with weight loss in dogs and cats
Here’s where we want to know about your cases: an exciting and unscripted discussion of the presentations you see in your clinic. Questions are invited and welcomed, and less common presentations for common diseases are explored. We’ll start with managing polyphagia and weight loss, and then move onto your BYO cases. Get your burning questions answered, and gain a deeper understanding of how to bring in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for your own GI patients. In this module you can put into practice localising your lesion, narrowing your diagnosis, and creating solid treatment plans (and even algorithms) that get your patients the care they need and your clients confidently on board.
A VETPRAC COURSE YIELDS TANGIBLE BENEFITS
INVEST
From vomiting to diarrhoea, deepen your gastrointestinal know how with real world cases. Join us for all 5 sessions for $497.
LEARN
Enhance your understanding of gastrointestinal health, from acute upsets to chronic cases, to make informed decisions that improve patient outcomes.
RETURN
Grow your skills, expand your impact, and find fulfilment in every gastrointestinal case. This course is the kind of CPD that opens doors.
Your Educator
Dr Terry King
CHOOSE YOUR PAYMENT OPTION
ONE-TIME INVESTMENT
$497 AUD
PAYMENT PLAN
x 4 monthly instalments of $134
Your Questions Answered
What is “On Demand”?
How and when do I access learning materials?
How long is course access open?
You’ll have 24/7 access for the full lifespan of the course on the On-Demand platform, starting from the date of your purchase. Your access begins immediately and remains available for as long as that course stays active on the platform.
We’ve structured access this way because veterinary medicine moves fast, and our goal is to provide up-to-date learning materials to the VetPrac community. Our education team regularly assesses, reviews, and updates each course to ensure we’re offering only current and relevant information. If a course is scheduled to be removed from the platform, you’ll receive six months notice.