On 20th November 2014, ESCCAP UK & Ireland ran an afternoon of lectures at the London Vet Show. Four presentations examined the challenges associated with parasite control, particularly those presented by political or policy boundaries that go unrecognised by parasites.
The festive period will soon be upon us! It is also time to celebrate a momentous occasion in the progression of Veterinary Nursing in the UK.
Aim:To study pet owners’ perception of surgery services and client satisfaction in Ghana in order to improve the quality of surgery services.Method:Self-administered questionnaires were administered to owners of pets that were presented for surgery at the Ashanti Region Veterinary Clinic (ARVC). Data generated were presented in percentages with their standard error of means.Result:80% of the respondents were satisfied with the cost of surgical management, while 92% were satisfied with doctors’ staff attitude.Conclusion:The study revealed an overall client satisfaction of veterinary surgical services at the ARVC however surgeon–client communication need to be improved with respect to knowledge of surgical procedure prior to surgery. Periodic evaluation of veterinary services by service consumers should be encouraged to facilitate service improvement toward better animal healthcare delivery in Ghana.
Anaesthesia is a complex process resulting in numerous steps in the assessment of veterinary patients, preparation of drugs and equipment, checking of the equipment and communication between team members at several points. It is imperative that within this veterinary professionals strive to ABOVE ALL uphold their declaration to ‘ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to their care’. The pursuit of patient safety in veterinary anaesthesia is in its infancy but must strive to reduce the gap between best practice and the care currently delivered in veterinary practices. This has to involve an evidence-based approach to veterinary anaesthesia and a realisation that preventable human errors occur every day. It must be recognised that not only do these errors occur but that they are inevitable and that only by the recognition and reporting of these errors can analysis and reflection occur to offer preventative strategies. By using veterinary specific tools such as checklists and reporting systems, weveterinary nurses can make a difference.
Household cleaning products are found in every home. They come in various forms including liquids, powders, capsules, blocks, gels, sprays and wipes. Pets can be exposed in a variety of circumstances including being accidentally sprayed, falling in the toilet, knocking over a container and walking through a spill or on a recently treated surface. In some cases, the clinical signs may be delayed in onset and the association with the recently used cleaning agent may therefore not be immediately apparent. If exposure is suspected or witnessed, it is important to determine the type of product involved, and, if available, to check the list of ingredients on the packaging. The potential risks can then be assessed and appropriate treatment provided.
Many veterinary practices have recently switched from using film-screen (plain film) radiography to computed radiography (CR). Due to the number of inherent differences between the two modalities, there are many new factors to understand in order to get the most out of a CR system and to work safely. While there is no substitute for proper training on any new piece of equipment, this article explains the most important differences between film-screen radiography and CR, enabling veterinary nurses to apply a greater degree of knowledge when using CR. Learning how CR works and the methods needed to use it properly will result in optimised image quality and better safety for staff and patients.
Obesity is becoming an increasing problem within veterinary practice. With the increasing prevalence of obesity it is important that veterinary nurses understand the diseases associated with obesity. Obesity is associated with cardiovascular, orthopaedic and endocrine disease as well as neoplasia. Literature suggests that steps could be taken to improve nurse clinics to ensure successful weight loss in obese patients. The importance of the correct diet, as well as exercise and maintaining a good relationship with clients are highlighted.
The use of dental nerve blocks provides excellent analgesia for a variety of oral procedures, including dental extractions, as part of a multi modal approach to analgesia. They are relatively simple to perform, inexpensive, and have a rapid onset of action. Some of the more commonly used oral blocks include infraorbital, maxillary, mental and mandibular blocks which can easily, quickly and cheaply be performed providing excellent analgesia for patients undergoing oral procedures.
There are many factors to taken into consideration when anaesthetising a horse, most importantly the sheer size of the animal and minimising the infection risk involved. Organisation and team work are key from the preparation of the horse for surgery, right through until the horse is standing following surgery. The horse itself is the greatest source of potential contamination for an operating theatre, therefore a meticulous preparation process is vital and high standards maintained in theatre at all times. Horses are at high risk of developing a myopathy or neuropathy during a general anaesthetic and this makes the positioning in theatre a complex process.