BVA Live session planned on reptile emergencies
The session will be held on 11 May.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has announced details of a forthcoming training session on reptile emergencies as part of this year’s BVA Live.
'Handling reptile emergencies in practice' will inform delegates on how to provide emergency care to reptiles, covering areas such as fluid therapy, analgesia, and nutritional support.
The lecture will be delivered by Tom Dutton, clinical lead exotics at Great Western Exotics, and will be held in Clinical Theatre One at 10.15am on 11 May.
The treatment of exotic pets has been receiving renewed attention after the BVA launched a new policy position on non-traditional companion animals (NTCAs) in February of this year.
One of the key recommendations of the policy position is that all veterinary surgeons, at time of graduation, should be able to confidently handle the most commonly seen NTCAs, advise on basic husbandry, conduct a clinical examination, use the medicines Cascade appropriately, identify what is normal for the species, and provide first aid, pain relief and euthanasia.
BVA senior vice-president Justine Shotton said: “This is a really important session for every member of Team Vet. All vets will have been through training at vet school so they are able to confidently handle common species of reptiles and provide the emergency care and first aid they may need. But, with some vets seeing increasing numbers of non-traditional companion animals like reptiles in practice, this session is a good reminder of the best ways to do so in an emergency.”
BVA Live 2023 is taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 11-12 May. The full programme of events for this year’s BVA Live can be accessed online.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
