Clinical

RVN's perceptions of confidence levels of veterinary professionals when assessing pain in rabbits

In human medicine, doctors can rely on their patient's ability to communicate where the pain is and how much pain they are in, however, we cannot communicate in the same language as animals and so we...

Diabetes mellitus in dogs and cats and its associated complications

Diabetes mellitus impairs the body's ability to produce or respond to the hormone insulin, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood and urine (Niaz...

Feline transfusion medicine for registered veterinary nurses

Feline blood types are determined using the AB blood system, which consists of three blood groups: A, B or AB. The clinical significance of feline blood groups is mainly because of the high level of...

Understanding canine atopic dermatitis

Canine atopic dermatitis is diagnosed initially with the clinical evaluation of a combination of criteria that are closely associated with the disease (DeBoer and Hillier, 2001). Once it is certain...

Workshop write up: responsible use of parasiticides

Education of both veterinary professionals and pet owners is key. Veterinary nurses should stay informed by keeping up to date with the latest advances in parasite control and following...

Parasite roundup for 2024

Increasing numbers of imported rescue cats and dogs have been seen over the past decade with associated risk of exotic pathogens entering the UK..

Care bundles to reduce surgical site infections and promote positive outcomes

SSIs affect large numbers of veterinary patients each year and are infections that occur at, or near, to the surgical site up to 30 days post surgery, or up to 1 year after implants have been placed...

Parasiticides in dogs and cats: a risk-based approach

There are emerging concerns that parasiticide use in small animal veterinary medicine is contributing to environmental contamination with pesticide compounds.

Triage: is it safe to wait?

Clients will typically call their veterinary clinic if they are concerned their pet has become unwell or injured. Triaging over the telephone determines if the pet requires immediate attention or if...

Anatomical evaluation of brachycephalism in cats and rabbits

Brachycephalic animals can be identified by their distinctive skull shape with a high cephalic index. Cat breeds affected by extreme brachycephaly include Exotic Shorthairs, Himalayans and Persians....

Managing severe anaemia with a blood transfusion in a suspected IMHA case

Hemangiosarcoma is a common canine neoplasia with a higher prevalence in neutered animals than entire (Robinson et al, 2020). Superficial cutaneous lesions may be excisable while organ tumours are...