SCAM13005U Companion Animal Internal Medicine – Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients with Gastrointestinal and Respiratory Diseases

Volume 2024/2025
Education

This course is a specialisation course at the Master of Companion Animal Clinical Science. The Master is a post graduate education targeted small animal veterinarians seeking Continual Professional Development (CPD).

Content

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with theoretical and practical skills to perform diagnostic work-up, establish prognosis and develop therapeutic strategies for the management of:

1) dogs and cats with gastrointestinal disease, including pancreatic and hepatic disease.

2) dogs and cats with upper and lower airway diseases.

To provide the student with hands on knowledge in the field of minimal invasive endoscopic procedures through an endoscopy workshop (bronchoscopy, gastroduodenoscopy, and colonoscopy).

By theory and practical exercises to extend the students knowledge, practical skills and competences within the clinical decision making and diagnostic procedures with regards to gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases.
 

Read more about the Master of Companion Animal Science.

Learning Outcome


Having completed the course, the student must be able to:

Knowledge
• Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with gastrointestinal symptoms.
• Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with respiratory symptoms.
• Know aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and  prognosis of gastrointestinal diseases in dogs and cats at an advanced level.
• Know aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and  prognosis of respiratory diseases in dogs and cats at an advanced level.
• Define, identify and evaluate veterinary methodology and the use of minimally invasive techniques for patients with  gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms.

Skills
• Apply evidence based approaches to dogs and cats with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.
• Perform oral presentation of patient history, symptoms and diagnostic plan for both specialist and non-specialist colleagues and clients.
• Discuss relevant problems and questions within the systematic approach to patients with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms.
• Use and adjust endoscopy equipment.
• Perform a systematic endoscopy with relevant sample collection.
• Interpret, assess, and reflect on collected patient data in order to identify/localise the cause of gastrointestinal or respiratory disease occurrence, make clinical decisions, arrive at a diagnosis and apply and integrate evidence based scientific approaches to plan and administer further diagnostics, patient therapy and management.

Competences
• Collaborate and communicate within and between specialist and non-specialist peers and lay persons involved in companion animal patient management.
• Plan, evaluate and manage a diagnostic work-up and treatment of patients with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.
• independently obtain, evaluate and elaborate on evidence based new knowledge at a specialty level within complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.

 

Updated literature list will be posted 1 month prior to course start. The participant should have theoretical knowledge updated prior to participation.

Inclusion criteria for Master's Programme in Companion Animal Clinical Science: Degree in veterinary medicine and at least two years of relevant work experience.

SCAM13001U, SCAM13002U, SCAM13003U, SCAM13004U or one of the following certifications in Companion Animal Diseases:
• DVA in Small Animal Diseases, in Danish known as “certificeret fagdyrlæge i sygdomme hos hunde og katte”
• Swedish specialist in diseases of dogs and cats, in Swedish known as Steg 1
• Norwegian specialist in diseases of dogs and cats, in Norwegian known as Specialisering i veterinærmedisin, spesialitet smådyr
• Finnish specialist in diseases of dogs and cats, in Finnish known as Pieneläinsairauksien erikoiseläinlääkäri
A mixture of lectures, e-learning, theoretical and practical exercises. Case-study work
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 16
  • Preparation
  • 90
  • Theory exercises
  • 16
  • Practical exercises
  • 8
  • Exam
  • 32
  • Total
  • 162
Written
Oral
Credit
6 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
Type of assessment details
The portfolio exam consists of two parts.
1) The course certificate, which supports, underpins, and focuses on the learning process (learning portfolio). All required components of the course certificate must be approved and include a) a minimum of 80% active participation, b) preparation and presentation of, and participation in problem oriented case discussions and c) a written assignment: a critical review of scientific papers.
2) A graded evaluation, which focuses on the intended learning outcomes (evaluation portfolio). The graded evaluation includes an exam with multiple-choice, short answer, and/or essay questions.
Exam registration requirements

Both, approved course certificate and a passed examination are required to pass the course. Students may attend examination without approval of course certificate.

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Exam period

Exam dates will be published on the programme  homepage.

Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student shall be able to:
 

Knowledge

• Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with gastrointestinal symptoms.
• Explain, reflect about and demonstrate overview of the systematic approach to the patient with respiratory symptoms.
• Know aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and  prognosis of gastrointestinal diseases in dogs and cats at an advanced level.
• Know aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and  prognosis of respiratory diseases in dogs and cats at an advanced level.
• Define, identify and evaluate veterinary methodology and the use of minimally invasive techniques for patients with  gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms.

Skills

• Apply evidence based approaches to dogs and cats with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.
• Perform oral presentation of patient history, symptoms and diagnostic plan for both specialist and non-specialist colleagues and clients.
• Discuss relevant problems and questions within the systematic approach to patients with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms.
• Use and adjust endoscopy equipment.
• Perform a systematic endoscopy with relevant sample collection.
• Interpret, assess, and reflect on collected patient data in order to identify/localise the cause of gastrointestinal or respiratory disease occurrence, make clinical decisions, arrive at a diagnosis and apply and integrate evidence based scientific approaches to plan and administer further diagnostics, patient therapy and management.

Competences

• Collaborate and communicate within and between specialist and non-specialist peers and lay persons involved in companion animal patient management.
• Plan, evaluate and manage a diagnostic work-up and treatment of patients with complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.
• independently obtain, evaluate and elaborate on evidence based new knowledge at a specialty level within complex gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases.