Clinical

Management of feline idiopathic cystitis: nursing interventions

According to Buffington et al (2006a), environmental modification should form part of FIC management. In their study many of the cats that presented with FIC signs spent their time indoors, with their...

Case study: a critical reflection of implementing a nursing care plan for two hospitalized patients

Fundamentally, a nursing model is ‘a collection of ideas, beliefs and values about the nature and purpose of nursing, which influence the way in which nurses work with their patients’ (Davis, 2007:...

Veterinary tissue banking: the role of the veterinary nurse

Although exact figures are not available, the use of bone allografts in veterinary orthopaedics is increasingly reported. This trend is set to increase as more and more complex procedures are now...

Adder bite in dogs

The adder uses its venom to immobilize its prey including lizards, amphibians, small birds and mammals, waits until they die and then swallows them whole. The venom is a cytotoxic complex mixture of...

Equine sun-induced dermatoses

Phototoxicity is the classic sunburn reaction and is a dose-related response to light exposure. White skin, depigmented or scarred areas are most susceptible especially if there is poor hair covering...

Equine insect-related summer skin diseases

There is evidence in the human literature that cross reactivity among arthropods is possible (Kagan, 1990). In fact, insect allergic humans may exhibit signs when exposed to mites or even crustaceans...

Principles of barrier nursing in the veterinary hospital

Animals that need barrier nursing can range from a kitten with ringworm to a dog with meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Reflections on designing and implementing a nursing care plan

Veterinary nursing has come a long way since its beginning in the mid 20th century, from unqualified veterinary assistants to fully accountable registered veterinary nurses (RVNs). It is still,...

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

Compared with cats and dogs, rabbits are fragile. They have very powerful hind limb muscles, but their skeleton makes up a relatively low proportion of their bodyweight. In the home, this means that a...

Post-operative recovery of the surgical patient

Ideally all animals should be closely monitored (Table 1), including basic monitoring of temperature, pulse and respiration, until they are normal and the patient is able to lift their head. However,...

Hip dysplasia in dogs: control and prevention

Both the prevalence and clinical significance of HD vary widely among breeds (Wang et al, 1999;Todhunter et al, 2003), mainly affecting giant and large breed dogs, such as German Shepherds, Labrador...

Dietary management of the cat with chronic kidney disease

The ideal diet for a cat with renal disease should have a number of basic properties. It should be:.