logo
Choose your course

Rabbits and Small Furries Congress

Thursday 11th April 2024

Early Bird pricing is available until Friday 16th February 2024

Virtual Event

About Agenda Speakers Prices

What is Rabbits and Small Furries Congress?

Rabbits and Small Furries Congress is a one day virtual event that explores the care of rabbits and small furries in veterinary practice.

This congress offers 7 hours of evidenced CPD and we are welcoming a range of expert industry speakers to deliver lectures on topics including:

  • Rabbit breeds – When appearance affects health and welfare
  • Rabbits - Pain and Analgesia
  • Rabbits and Furries - Behaviour
  • Small Rodent Pre, Peri and Post Anaesthesia Protocols
  • Dealing with Rats and Mice in Practice

Who should attend?

Veterinary nurses looking to develop their knowledge of nursing rabbits and small furries. This congress will be particularly useful if you're:

  • Interested in learning more about caring for rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and other small mammals
  • Aiming to specialise in the nursing of rabbits or small furries
  • Aiming to progress within your role
  • Interested in keeping up-to-date with everything happening in the industry

Why attend?

  • Listen to lectures from a range of speakers who will be sharing their experiences and knowledge
  • Q&A sessions mean your questions will be answered by the speakers themselves
  • Gain practical takeaways that you can implement in your practice
  • Gain information, product knowledge and offers from our virtual exhibitors
  • Earn 7 hours of evidenced CPD
  • Gain online access to recordings of all the lectures and lectures from previous congresses up until the next event

Online Registration, Exhibition and Lounges

Chair's Welcome

Jan De La Rey BVSc MRCVS, Medivet 

Rabbit breeds – When appearance affects health and welfare

Claire Speight RVN, A1, C&G Cert VNES

There are over 100 recognised rabbit breeds that vary greatly in size, fur type, ear position and length, as well as facial elongation and shape. These man-made characteristics are far removed from how nature intends rabbits to look and as such, many of these breeds can suffer from health, behaviour and welfare problems.

During this presentation we will look at:

  • The breeds and which are predisposed to problems
  • Common health problems seen
  • Welfare considerations
  • Advice to be given to owners of certain breeds to help prevent problems

Rabbits - Pain and Analgesia

Livia Benato DVM MScR CertZooMed Dip ECZM (Small Mammals) MRCVS

This presentation will cover the following key learning points:

  • How pain management in rabbits has improved greatly in the last 20 years
  • Optimal pain assessment is a key factor in rabbit pain amelioration
  • The Bristol Rabbit Pain Scale is a multifactorial pain scale specific for rabbits, similar to those available for cats and dogs
  • The knowledge of common painful conditions and available analgesic drugs helps to ameliorate pain where possible

Live Q&A Panel

Present questions (anonymously if desired) to the speakers.

Morning Break, Online Exhibition and Lounges

Rabbits and Furries - Behaviour

Dr Anne McBride

Talk synopsis TBC

Live Q&A Panel

Present questions (anonymously if desired) to the speakers.

Lunch Break, Online Exhibition and Lounges

Small Rodent Pre, Peri and Post Anaesthesia Protocols

Carly Tonner RVN CertVNES

In this session, we will delve into comprehensive pre, peri and post-anaesthesia protocols for small rodents. There will be emphasis on the critical importance of monitoring these delicate creatures throughout the anaesthesia process.

The goal of this presentation is to increase confidence for veterinary professionals, when dealing with a variety of small rodent species, taking into account their specific requirements along the way.

Dealing with Rats and Mice in Practice

John Chitty BVetMed CertZooMed MRCVS

This presentation will cover the following key learning points, to enable you to feel better equipped when dealing with rats and mice within practice:

  • Learning to handle rats and mice
  • Making the clinic less stressful for rats and mice
  • How to medicate rats and mice
  • Some common diseases and husbandry issues in rats and mice

Live Q&A Panel

Present questions (anonymously if desired) to the speakers.

Chair's Close

Jan De La Rey BVSc MRCVS, Medivet 

Online Exhibition and Lounges

Please note this programme is subject to change.

Carly TonnerCarly Tonner RVN CertVNES
The Rodent Nurse

Carly is an RVN who has always been fascinated by and adored small rodents, from mice and rats to hamsters and gerbils.

She manages ‘The Rodent Nurse’ on social media, where she shares healthcare and ownership tips for both rodent owners and fellow veterinary professionals.

Carly has a particular soft spot for mice, of which she has owned and rescued many over the years! She also has an interest in wildlife rehabilitation, particularly of wild mice, rats, voles and shrews.

Claire Speight

Claire Speight RVN, A1, C&G Cert VNES

Claire qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2007, gaining the C&G cert of Nursing Exotics in 2009. After this, Claire completed her A1 Assessors qualification, and then Clinical Coach qualification, and trains students within practice.

Claire works as a Head Nurse at a busy first opinion practice, and lectures to veterinary professionals and owners on rabbit health, welfare and care. She has lectured at BSAVA Congress, BVNA Congress and regional events, CAW, Aspire CPD, Excel CPD, Bottle Green Training, The Webinar Vet, and VetNurse Online.

Claire is also a regular contributor to several publications including VNJ and Vetstreams LAPIS and exotic services and editor of the Rabbit Welfare Associations magazine, Rabbiting On. She is also an OSCE examiner and EPA assessor.

Jan De La Rey BVSc MRCVS
Medivet

Jan De La Ray graduated as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Pretoria in 2004. He has had the privilege to work in most clinical fields throughout his career.  

Jan started his career working in referral exotics practice in South Africa, which involved treatment of birds, reptiles, rabbits, rodents and primates. From there, he moved to a mixed general rural practice where he treated everything from small animals and exotics; to horses, production animals and game capture and relocation, before settling into general small animal practice for the majority of his career. Wherever he has worked, Jan has always maintained some level of involvement with exotic animals.  

Jan now works as a Graduate Support Mentor in Medivet’s Graduate Development Team. Within this role, he teaches and mentors new graduate vets as they start their careers.  

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and they have a lovely pet corn snake! 

John ChittyJohn Chitty BVetMed CertZooMed MRCVS

John Chitty qualified from the RVC in 1990, gained the RCVS Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 2000 and is an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine.

John formerly ran a small animal/ exotics practice in Andover with a 100% avian/ exotics/ small mammal caseload- referral and first opinion, as well as consulting to various zoos and reintroduction projects. He now provides a consultancy and advisory service.

He is a co-editor/author of five texts on avian/exotics and he is an author of various book chapters and papers on a range of species.

John was President of the European Association of Avian Veterinarians from 2015-17 and he is on the editorial board of the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Veterinary Record, and Veterinary Evidence.

He was President at BSAVA 2017-18 and he is a Trustee and Honorary Secretary for Vetlife.

Livia Benato DVM MScR CertZooMed Dip ECZM (Small Mammals) MRCVS
University of Bristol

Livia Benato has worked with rabbits and exotic animals since she graduated in 2002.

Livia is Head of the Small Mammal and Exotics Referral Service at City Vets in Exeter in the UK. She is also studying towards her PhD in Recognition of Pain in Rabbits at the University of Bristol (UK).

Livia is an RCVS and EBVS Recognised Specialist in Small Mammal Medicine.

Our exhibitor line up for the 2024 event will be available soon. 

Exhibitor line up from our last event on Thursday 30 March 2023:

MedivetMedivet

Founded in 1987, Medivet is a veterinary owned and led group of more than 350 branches with 24 state-of-the art, 24-hour veterinary centres across the UK.

The Company offers a broad range of mainly small animal veterinary services – including both routine and advanced surgery – to meet all a pet’s health and wellbeing needs, from microchipping and neutering to more complicated surgeries and leading-edge diagnostic technology.

Medivet’s core purpose is to deliver exceptional care whenever needed and it has built a national community of passionate vets offering progressive care to pets and their pet owners.

Millpledge Veterinary LogoMillpledge Veterinary

Millpledge Veterinary has been manufacturing innovative products designed specifically for the veterinary professional for over 30 years.

Ranging from Pharmaceuticals to Nutraceuticals, Bandaging and Fluid Therapy, encompassing products for companion and large animal use. Providing complete peace of mind for the veterinary profession.

Popular products include Rapz Eazy Tear® Cohesive Bandages, Eaze-Off® Tape and Bandage Removal Spray, Tom Tiddle™ Urinary Cat Catheters, Millpack™ Sterilisation Pouches with built-in sterility test strips, Aniset™ IV Sets for small and large animals, and V-GEL® advanced species-specific supraglottic airway devices for Rabbits, Cats, and Dogs.

Visit our website at www.millpledge.com to view our full range.

CAW LogoThe College of Animal Welfare

The College of Animal Welfare is one of the largest providers of veterinary nurse training in the UK, with centres in Cambridgeshire, North London, Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, County Durham and Scotland. We strongly believe that education and training is the key to raising standards of animal welfare. To this end, we strive to create new and accessible opportunities for learning, and encourage employers and those working with animals to undertake appropriate levels of training and continue with lifelong learning and education.

Early Bird Tickets Available

£125

That's a saving of £60

Once the Early Bird promotion ends, your ticket will cost: £175

Early Bird pricing is available until Friday 16th February 2024.
All prices are listed without VAT and any stated savings include VAT.

Interested in exhibiting at Rabbits and Small Furries Congress?

Rabbits and Small Furries is a one day virtual event that focuses on care of rabbits and small furries in veterinary practice.

Why exhibit with us?

  • Limited exhibitor numbers - Unlike larger congresses where hundreds of exhibitors often mean that visitors will not remember everyone, exhibition space for these events is strictly limited. As such you will get the opportunity to engage with the delegates attending our congresses personally.
  • Make meaningful business connections – Network with those that influence decision making in veterinary practice and make relevant industry contacts virtually.
  • Cost effective – with exhibitor packages starting from just £50+VAT, our prices offer value for money and fall considerably below that of larger events within the industry.

To find out more contact Claire Gregory on 01480 422060.


Book now