Practical

Never fear when a rabbit stasis patient is near

A hands off exam of the patient in its carrier should be performed first. From this the veterinary nurse can assess if the patient is collapsed or dyspnoeic, which would require immediate critical...

How to create a dog friendly clinic

The journey to the veterinary clinic could involve stressful or exciting activity, elevating dogs', and owners', cortisol levels. Negative associations with previous visits experienced as unpleasant...

How to examine, take samples and prepare slides for diagnosis of canine ear disorders

It is important to have all the equipment to hand before beginning the examination. This includes:.

Endotracheal intubation of the dog and cat

Intubation of the trachea is one of many ways of ensuring the provision of oxygen to the respiratory system but is more usually used primarily to ‘secure the airway’; meaning to prevent foreign...

How to accurately measure blood pressure

Blood pressure, or more accurately intravascular pressure, is the pressure that blood physically exerts on a vessel wall. This pressure is important because the difference in intravascular pressure at...

How to provide nutrition to rabbits in the critical care setting

As discussed, rabbits require a source of low-quality roughage, as well as a handful of non-selective pellets, and some fruit/vegetables in small amounts. Ideally, they should receive at least 80% of...

How to reduce anaesthetic risk in geriatric patients

Hospitals should create not only anaesthetic drug protocols for geriatric patients, but also pre and postoperative care instructions for staff and pet owners to ensure high-quality care and monitoring...

How to provide early enteral nutrition in the canine pancreatitis patient

The pancreas is a flat, long, abdominal organ (Thomas Colville, 2016), which sits adjacent to the stomach. The pancreas is connected to the duodenum (the first portion of the intestine) via the...

How to set up for dental extractions

Tooth extraction can be achieved using a closed or open (surgical) technique. As Reiter (2019) stated, ‘the principles of tooth extraction are to reduce or eliminate the retentive factors that hold a...

How to nurse wildlife patients

The initial contact usually comes in the form of a telephone call from a member of the public or a wildlife rescue, or from a member of the public bringing a wildlife patient directly to the...

How to manage the practice dispensary

How and where you place items on the shelves might seem an easy and logical thing to do, but placement is really important in preventing errors. Many practices will put their items on the shelf with...

How to nurse the geriatric patient

The ageing process is a normal and natural phase of life, however it is also a progressive and an irreversible process occurring throughout the entire body. Ageing is a genetically determined process...