The Veterinary Nurse – now part of the UK-VET group of titles – is the leading international peer-reviewed journal for veterinary nurses. It publishes evidence-based clinical, educational and practical articles, in addition to the latest nurse-led veterinary research. It promotes gold standard care by supporting readers’ continuing professional development and by sharing best practice worldwide.
Immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA) is one of the most prevalent immune-mediated diseases in canines, and it carries a guarded prognosis because of the substantial rates of morbidity and mortality. Comprehensive supportive nursing care is...
This document was commissioned to provide UK veterinary surgeons with up-to-date information on Streptococcus equi infection and to provide practical...
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Exodontics is the branch of dental surgery concerned with the extraction of teeth. Dental extraction involves the removal of teeth from the dental alveolus (socket) in the alveolar bone of the incisive bones, maxilla and mandibles. There are two types of extractions the veterinary surgeon (VS) can perform — closed or open — and both are associated with tissue disruption and manipulation to varying degrees, which will inevitably initiate an inflammatory and pain response, which can prolong healing. The role of the veterinary nurse (VN) in preparing equipment and consumables for extraction should not be underestimated; excellent preparation can reduce surgical time, reduce the length of time the patient is anaesthetised, and ensure high-quality extractions can be performed by the VS to promote optimal postoperative healing.
Cats and dogs are infected with a wide range of parasites, many of which are capable of causing or contributing to disease. Veterinary nurses play a vital role in helping to formulate parasite control plans for pets. Routine diagnostic testing alongside risk-based appropriate preventative treatment is important for efficacy of treatment to be monitored, screening for sub-clinical parasitic infections and drug resistance and to demonstrate that current parasite control recommendations are adequate. A wide range of diagnostic tools are available to veterinary practices and this article considers some of the diagnostic techniques available for routine parasite diagnosis and how they might be used in parasite prevention plans for cats and dogs.
Blue-green algae are cyanobacteria that grow in fresh, brackish or sea water. Under certain environmental conditions they form blooms in water bodies and these often colour the water blue-green (or brown, black or red). These blooms have long been known to be associated with animal deaths, occasionally resulting in mass mortality events of wildlife. Cyanotoxins produced by these organisms are neurotoxic, hepatotoxic or, less commonly, dermatotoxic. Gastrointestinal effects may also occur. Signs can be very rapid in onset, particularly with neurotoxic compounds, with death following soon after. Hepatic effects generally occur within 24 hours. Aggressive and rapid treatment is essential with decontamination, liver protectants and supportive care. Survival is rare in animals with significant clinical signs. Not all algal blooms are toxic, however, and confirmation of exposure is rarely available and not within a clinically relevant time frame. Illness and deaths in dogs associated with suspected blue-green algae exposure are signal events and should be reported to the relevant environmental authority to safeguard public and animal health.
Open wound management in veterinary practice is commonplace, with the aim to provide the optimum wound condition to help aid healing and closure of the wound. There are four main principles of wound management needed to provide a healing environment. There needs to be identification and control of any infection and contamination, and wound necrosis needs to be controlled, any ongoing deterioration in the wound controlled and acted on and any further damage to the wound needs to be prevented. This article looks at lavage, one of the most important firstline methods in controlling infection and discusses how it is performed.
Registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) are often required to take up the role of a teacher for student...
Anaphylactic shock is potentially life threatening, it is rare and can be difficult to diagnose....
