Research

Training zoo animals for better welfare, better nursing

March 2017

Background:Historically, methods used to carry out veterinary procedures in animals within a zoo usually involved manual restraint or darting as a first choice.Aim:To see whether any animal can be trained and if that trained behaviour will improve animal welfare through allowing veterinary procedures to be carried out.Method:A range of species were looked at retrospectively to establish if they could be trained and how that affected welfare. A study was then carried out using a group of Zebras,...

An in vitro investigation into the efficacies of chlorhexidine gluconate, povidone iodine and green tea (Camellia sinensis) to prevent surgical site infection in animals

October 2016

Background:Surgical site infections are common in veterinary practice; their prevention is based on the preoperative use of topical antimicrobials at the surgical site to reduce resident bacteria to sub-pathogenic levels.AimChlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and povidone iodine (PI) are the most popular options for preoperative skin preparation in veterinary practice, however increasing bacterial resistance to CHG and PI have been reported; therefore investigation into alternative antimicrobials such...

A questionnaire based study to assess compassion fatigue in UK practising veterinary nurses

September 2016

Background:Veterinary staff have been identified as a profession at high risk of suffering from the effects of compassion fatigue (CF), although no specific studies have been carried out to date to assess the risk to UK registered veterinary nurses (RVNs), of this important area of mental health.Aims and objectives:To establish whether CF was a risk factor to RVNs, with the aim of improving mental wellbeing across the veterinary profession as a whole.Methods:An internet-based survey was...

A comparison of the v-gel® supraglottic airway device and non-cuffed endotracheal tube in the time to first capnograph trace during anaesthetic induction in rabbits

September 2015

Background:Rabbit anaesthesia can be a daunting prospect for many veterinary professionals. Their intubation can be difficult; because of this many rabbits are not intubated during major surgery.Aim:To compare two methods of rabbit intubation and evaluate which achieved a reliable airway in the least time. This will in turn hopefully encourage veterinary nurses to take a more proactive role in rabbit anaesthesia.Materials and methods:Eight rabbits that were admitted for elective neutering were...

Comparison of oesophageal, rectal and tympanic membrane temperature in anaesthetised client-owned cats

April 2015

Objectives:To determine the agreement between a veterinary-specific tympanic membrane thermometer and measurement of core oesophageal and rectal temperature in client-owned anaesthetised cats.Methods:A prospective study was performed using 20 cats that were scheduled to undergo general anaesthesia. For each cat, five consecutive temperature recordings were taken from an oesophageal temperature probe (OT), rectal thermometer (RT) and a veterinary-specific tympanic membrane thermometer (TT) prior...

An examination of perioperative temperature fluctuations in canine patients undergoing routine neutering

March 2015

Objective:To examine the fluctuations in body temperature in dogs undergoing routine neutering both during surgery and in the recovery phase.Methods:Utilising a convenience sampling approach, body temperatures of 17 healthy male and female dogs undergoing routine neutering were monitored during and after anaesthesia. Temperature recording was carried out with an auricular thermometer to minimise stress and discomfort. Data analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel 2013 and Minitab...

Pet owners’ perception and satisfaction of surgery services and outcomes at the Ashanti Regional Veterinary Clinic, Kumasi, Ghana

December 2014

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’...

Analysis of predisposition factors for limb amputation in dogs with survival analysis in those diagnosed with appendicular cancer

September 2014

Aims:This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of epidemiological factors contributing to limb amputation in dogs. A survival analysis for limb amputees from cancerous causes was also performed.Methods:Data were collected in 2010 from 152 owners of amputee dogs. And a statistical analysis was performed to differentiate effects of gender, castration, age, breed, treatment and behaviour after surgery. A cox regression was also performed to analyse these same effects in...

Student veterinary surgeon support for and knowledge of veterinary nursing professional regulation in the UK

July 2014

Objective:To investigate UK student veterinary surgeons’ knowledge of and support for the veterinary nursing profession and how this differs between veterinary institutions.Methods:Data were examined from a quantitative questionnaire, sent to the population of final year veterinary students at each of the seven veterinary institutions in the UK.Results:An association was found between respondents attending a university offering a veterinary nursing degree and increased support for the veterinary...

How to select an appropriate wound dressing

March 2014

Wound management forms a vital part of nursing practice. With such a vast variety of wound dressings available on the veterinary market, the registered veterinary nurse (RVN) should ensure they are familiar with the function and purpose of the dressings they are applying to their patients. Over recent years, wound care has advanced with the introduction of dressings with anti-microbial properties along with an improved understanding of the science behind wound dressings. This article aims to...

A preliminary evaluation of surface electromyography as a tool to measure muscle fatigue in the National Hunt racehorse

November 2013

Background: Within equestrian sports, training is commonly based on historic and anecdotal good practice. Telemetric surface electromyography (sEMG) systems facilitate assessment of muscle recruitment including mean motor unit action potential (mM-UAP). Mean EMG frequency (mEMGF) provides an objective measure of fitness levels while a shift in the median EMG frequency (MeEMGF) over time can illustrate fatigue.Aim: This study aimed to investigate if sEMG could be used in the field to evaluate...

Kinematic analysis of the equine mastication cycle pre and post prophylactic dental treatment

May 2013

AbstractBackground: The domestic horse is utilised as a companion or competition animal, subsequently many horses are exposed to management regimens which can limit mastication opportunities often resulting in the development of pathology requiring prophylactic dental treatment (routine floating). To date, limited research has undertaken evaluation of the efficacy of mastication pre and post floating. Aim: This study aimed to utilise kinematic analysis to measure changes within lateral...

A study on veterinary nursing university student email writing

April 2013

Aim:To examine how a cohort of 38 veterinary nursing students responded in their learning of written communication in the form of an email.Methods:Two sets of emails, written ‘before’ and ‘after’ exposure to a series of instructions and learning activities focused on written communication, were evaluated. Scores were awarded to each email based on a checklist of structure and components considered essential for an effective student email. Frequency charts and paired-samples t-test were used to...

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