ON-DEMAND VET COURSE
Radiology of the Emergency Abdomen
In emergency practice, rapid and accurate imaging is often the key to stabilising patients and guiding life-saving decisions. This three-lecture short course is designed specifically for veterinarians seeking to refine their approach to abdominal radiology in urgent clinical settings.
- Veterinarian
- RACE Non-Interactive CE
- 3 Months Access
- 6 Structured CPD Points
This course includes
- 3-month access
- Course ebook
- Extra resources
- Lecture Recordings
- Quiz assessment
- CPD certificate
What you'll learn
Across the series, you will gain practical strategies for acquiring and interpreting abdominal radiographs in critically ill dogs and cats, with a focus on identifying the most common and most critical radiographic abnormalities.
Whether you are in general practice or emergency referral, this concise but focused course will strengthen your diagnostic skills and support more informed clinical decision-making when every minute counts.
Whether you are in general practice or emergency referral, this concise but focused course will strengthen your diagnostic skills and support more informed clinical decision-making when every minute counts.
Course Outline
Topic 1: Imaging the Vomiting Patient
Vomiting is one of the most common and challenging presentations in small animal practice. This focused session explores the role of radiography and ultrasound in evaluating the vomiting patient, guiding you through a practical, case-based approach to diagnostic imaging. Learn how to identify key radiographic signs of obstruction, foreign bodies, and gastrointestinal disease, and how to apply abdominal ultrasound to differentiate causes and refine your diagnostic pathway. With tips on technique, interpretation, and avoiding common pitfalls, this lecture will equip you with the tools to make faster, more confident decisions when faced with the vomiting dog or cat.
Topic 2: Diagnosing Intestinal Foreign Bodies
Intestinal foreign bodies are a frequent cause of acute illness in small animals, and timely recognition is critical to successful outcomes. This lecture focuses on the radiographic diagnosis of intestinal obstruction in dogs and cats, highlighting both the classic and more subtle signs that indicate the presence of a foreign body. Through practical examples and case discussions, you will learn how to distinguish obstructive from non-obstructive patterns, recognise pitfalls that can lead to misinterpretation, and apply systematic radiographic evaluation techniques, giving you greater confidence in your diagnostic evaluation.
Topic 3: The Surgical Abdomen - To Cut Or Not To Cut
One of the most critical challenges in small animal emergency medicine is deciding whether a patient requires surgical intervention. This lecture explores how diagnostic imaging – particularly radiography and ultrasound – can be used to guide that decision-making process in dogs and cats. Through real-world cases, you will learn how to recognise imaging findings that indicate a surgical abdomen, differentiate them from conditions that can be managed medically. Emphasis is placed on a systematic approach to image interpretation, integrating clinical context with radiographic and ultrasonographic findings, to support clear, confident, and timely decisions for your patients.
Course Tutors
DVM Dipl ACVR
DVM Dipl ECVDI MRCVS
This course is supported by our free webinar
Updates in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury
- Dr. Philip Judge
- February 4, 2026
AUD 94
This course is FREE for our Annual Vet Education Members
Your Colleagues Love These Courses!
I love Vet Education courses. Dr. Phil is such a great teacher, who presents such clear, practical information.
Jess
(USA)
Loving these shorter courses – so much useful information in a nice concise form. Thanks Vet Ed!
Toni
(New Zealand)
Fantastic. I’ll be doing more of these short courses!
Liam
(Australia)