Practical

How to preserve quality of life in the ageing canine: in-home modification and nutritional supplements

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic musculoskeletal disease and causes lameness in dogs (Henrotin et al, 2005). The therapeutic management of OA in dogs has tended to be dominated by the...

How to perform fine needle aspirates

Various pieces of equipment are required for obtaining a FNA (Figure 1):.

How to implement and manage a weight loss plan

After determining a pet is any body condition score (BCS) above ideal, a discussion with the pet owner is the initial step to educate the family that their pet is overweight, and emphasise the health...

How to run a puppy party: social saviour or social demon?

The term ‘puppy party’ is a popular way of encouraging owners to attend sessions, particularly those owners with previous experience of dogs and who may be less likely to attend an obviously...

How to select an appropriate wound dressing

All wounds should be closely monitored throughout the healing process as different types of wound dressings may be required at different points while the wound heals. Each of the different wound...

How to perform a skin scrape

Selecting a sample site can be difficult. The chosen site should be an area of active disease, i.e. erythematous papules in cases of sarcoptic mange, scale in cases of cheyletiellosis and alopecia,...

How to submit samples correctly for analysis

In practice, diagnostic purposes are often the reason for a VN being asked to package and send a sample for analysis. Samples may be sent to an external laboratory for analysis because the practice...

How to implement an infection control strategy

Disease transmission is one aspect of an infection control strategy or protocol, which should be considered for every patient..

How to reduce stress in the veterinary waiting room

In the first instance, it is important to be able to recognise when a patient is experiencing a SR. There are certain behavioural signs that communicate that the patient is experiencing this SR. This...

How to nurse the ageing small animal inpatient part 2 — ageing effects on body systems

Elderly patients are less able to tolerate periods of inappetence (Urquhart, 2001). Although lower exercise levels and a reduced metabolism will result in some degree of obesity, inappetence in any...

How to nurse the ageing, small animal inpatient part 1 – general nursing considerations

Comprehensive histories are especially critical in senior medicine. Detailed information including decrease or increase in food or water consumption, alterations in bodyweight or activity level and...

How to carry out initial treatment of traumatic wounds: debridement and wound bed preparation

Debridement is defined at the removal of damaged tissue or foreign objects from a wound (Figure 1). Necrotic tissue will delay wound healing and increase the risk of wound breakdown by acting as a...