Companion animal veterinary practices in China and service quality

The companion animal market in China is a developing one but little is known about the quality of the interaction between the veterinarian and the client. Managing customer service quality is of great importance to any veterinary practice and there are several ways in which it can be assessed. This study used Importance–Performance Analysis to evaluate the service quality of veterinary practices operating in Beijing. Suggested areas for improvement were for Beijing veterinarians to pay more attention to their attitude towards their clients and costs of treatment.

Disaster preparedness — is a national effort good enough?

Living here in Christchurch, New Zealand during the recent large earthquakes gave me a new appreciation for life, it also provided a unique opportunity to see how our communities are placed to support animals in times of crisis.

New disciplinary procedure explained

With the new disciplinary procedures for registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) now in place, what do RVNs and practices need to know?

Dietary management of the cat with chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common diagnoses made in clinical practice. Most affected cats are middle aged or older and one survey estimated that a third of cats over the age of 10 years suffer from this condition. In recent years there have been many advances in treatment options and long-term home care can be very rewarding for all involved. Treatment aims to help the patient to compensate for their renal disease allowing them to live for as long as possible with as good a quality of life as possible. Dietary management of cats with CKD is the most proven treatment for this condition — several studies have now shown emphatically that cats with CKD that will eat prescription renal diets will live much longer, healthier lives. Typical survival times are increased from 7 to 16 months when cats with CKD are fed a renal prescription diet. In those situations where feeding a renal prescription diet is not possible, standard cat food can be modified in some ways to more closely meet the needs of a cat with CKD. Other treatments can be extremely helpful to the individual and should be used where specific indications exist.

Hip dysplasia in dogs: control and prevention

Hip dysplasia (HD) is an orthopaedic pathology with high prevalence in dogs, especially in large and giant breeds. It has a polygenic origin and is influenced by several factors such as age, sex, nutrition, metabolism, physical activity and hormones.Animals affected with this disease are born with normal joints but as they develop, joint changes appear. These changes may be expressed by lameness, gait abnormalities, hip instability and pain in full extension of the joint.To reduce the HD prevalence, selective breeding programmes have been implemented in which only animals free of disease or with minimal articular changes can reproduce. As these programmes do not always have the desired success, early radiographs should be performed in susceptible animals, in order to slow the progression of changes.The aim of this review is to summarize canine HD control and prevention aspects, with reference to the factors that predispose to disease, and the various treatment options. The role played by the veterinary nurse in advising the HD dog owners on disease management and also on how to avoid the risk factors in order to reduce the number of affected animals, is also discussed.

Physical and psychological needs of rabbits: a rabbit is not a cat

Rabbits can make good pets, provided that their basic needs are met. Rabbits are prey animals and are relatively fragile compared with cats or dogs; they require firm but gentle handling. Whether kept in the house or in a hutch, they need companionship, space for exercise, hiding and sleeping places, protection from rain, excess heat, and predators, and opportunities to gnaw and dig. Home hazards include electrical cables, poisonous plants and heavy objects which could be knocked over. Daily checking of the rabbit and cleaning of latrine areas is important to prevent fly strike. If not raised together, rabbits need to be introduced to each other gradually. Hospitalized rabbits need privacy, familiar smells and if possible their bonded buddy.

How to create a rabbit friendly practice and run a successful rabbit clinic

The development of rabbit clinics ensures that when rabbits are taken to a veterinary practice, they receive a high level of service and their owners are given good quality information. This increases the clients' confidence in the veterinary practice, as well as their ability to look after their pet rabbit — a practice can soon become known for its ability to look after rabbits well.It is time for veterinary practices to move away from, ‘it's only a rabbit!’, and to deliver the same high standards of care and treatment that are given to cats and dogs.This article provides a step by step guide on how to run a successful rabbit clinic.

Post-operative recovery of the surgical patient

There is a vast amount of research concentrating on improving mortality rates in surgical patients. One study highlights the mortality rates. This is clearly shown by the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Small Animal Fatalities (CEPSAF) study carried out in 2006 which demonstrates the percentage of deaths in recovery is higher than that of pre-medication, induction and maintenance periods. The study identified the recovery period as the greatest risk during anaesthesia with most deaths occuring within 3 hours of the procedure. There is constant continuing research to try and minimize this risk, improving mortality rates in the post-operative surgical patient. The main area of focus concentrates on the close monitoring of the surgical patient in the recovery period with efficient nursing care during this time. Using the recommendations highlighted within this article it may be possible to reduce mortality rates while improving nursing care intervention.

Microchipping — is it time to make it compulsory?

The report Compulsory Microchipping in the UK outlined the country's growing problem of stray pets and cited that ‘the equivalent of one dog every hour was put down’ during 2009.