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Search Results

Found 128 results for ������������������ .n

Can aromatherapy be used to reduce anxiety in hospitalised felines

    Review
  • Monday, April 2, 2018
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background:Within veterinary practice, animals can feel anxious for a number of reasons such as exposure to novel environments, including unfamiliar sounds and smells, the feeling of lack of self-control or previous negative experience. As part of a holistic approach within human medicine, aromatherapy has been utilised in minimising pre-operative stress, reducing anxiety, as well as reducing post-operative pain.Aim:The aim of this study was to assess whether lavender oil is effective in reducing stress in felines.Method:A total of 16 cats took part in the study at a veterinary practice. Eight cats were exposed to lavender oil through inhalation aromatherapy. The other eight cats formed the control group and where not exposed to the lavender oil. Each cat's behaviour was observed and recorded at 10 minute intervals over a period of 30 minutes and scored using ‘Kessler & Turners 1997 Cat Stress Score Chart’.Results:The results showed a statistically significant reduction in behaviours associated with stress and anxiety between the aromatherapy and control groups at each interval: admission (Mann-Whitney U test: w=89.5, n=8,8, p=0.02), 10 minutes (Mann-Whitney U test: w=96.0, n=8,8, p=<0.01), 20 minutes (Mann-Whitney U test: w=96.5, n=8,8, p=<0.01) and 30 minutes (Mann-Whitney U test: w=99.0, n=8,8, p=<0.01) suggesting that the lavender oil does have anxiolytic affects and this can evoke therapeutic responses in felines.

Does the Feline Fort® reduce stress in feline inpatients within a veterinary surgery and is it any better than a cardboard box or no hideaway at all?

    Review
  • Sunday, December 2, 2018
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background:Reducing stress experienced by hospitalised cats within a veterinary practice is important not only in welfare terms but also to reduce physiological responses that can interfere with diagnosis and recovery. Hideaways such as igloo beds, boxes or similar are anecdotally reported to reduce stress for cats in general, but limited research has been carried out within veterinary practice. The charity Cats Protection recently marketed the ‘Feline Fort’ for use in its adoption centres and suggested it may be also useful within veterinary practice.Aim:To compare the use of the Feline Fort to a disposable cardboard box, and also to assess whether having any hideaway at all reduced stress compared to having no hideaway at all within veterinary practice.Methods:21 cats were recruited from a veterinary practice with owner consent. Each cat was randomly allocated to groups where they were given either the Feline Fort (n=6), a cardboard box (n=7) or no hideaway at all (control group) (n=8). Cat stress was measured by scoring cats on an adapted ethogram based on one developed by Kessler and Turner (1997).Results:Results showed that 50% (n=3) of the cats that were provided with the Feline Fort utilised the resource. However only five of the 13 cats (38%) provided with either hideaway utilised. There was no significant difference (Kruskal-Wallis test: H2 =0.28, p=0.868) between the choices of hideaways. In addition, statistical analysis suggested that the provision of a hideaway within this sample did not reduce stress in cats.Conclusion:Due to sample size and problems encountered with data collection the authors suggest repeating the research with an increased sample size before extrapolating the findings.

Does meloxicam provide adequate pain management as a post-operative analgesic in canine ovariohysterectomy patients?

    Research
  • Saturday, May 2, 2020
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background: Meloxicam is an analgesic agent with anti-inflammatory properties, commonly used in veterinary practices to treat a variety of different long-term medical conditions and is also used as a short-term pain relief following particularly traumatic surgeries. Aims: An observational study was conducted to determine whether meloxicam provides adequate pain management as a post-operative analgesic for canine ovariohysterectomies. Methods: 13 canines were admitted for ovariohysterectomy. Each patient was assessed using the Glasgow composite pain scale (CMPS) prior to surgery during the admission procedure, 15 minutes post-operatively, at discharge and at their post-operative check (POC) 3–5 days after surgery. Results: Data were statistically analysed to determine the overall effectiveness of meloxicam in reducing pain following canine ovariohysterectomy. The results showed a statistically significant difference (Kruskal-Wallis test: H3 =12.98, p=0.005) in pain scores between admission, 15 minutes post operatively, discharge and 3–5 days POC. The greatest decrease in pain score was between 15 minutes post-operatively and POC (Mann-Whitney U test: W=236, n=13, 13, p=0.0014) and between discharge and POC (Mann-Whitney U test: W=227, n=13, 13, p=0.0060). Overall, this demonstrated that there was an improvement in pain suggesting meloxicam is effective between these time frames. In addition, 69.2% (n=9) of patients in the study showed a pain score of 0, indicating an absence of pain, on their final POC. Statistical analysis was also used to determine if there was any difference in pain score between the 3, 4 or 5 day POC pain score. The results show there was no significant difference (Kruskal-Wallis test: H2 =0.090, p=0.638) suggesting that meloxicam's effectiveness was similar across this range of time post surgery. Conclusion: The results from the study indicate that meloxicam is an effective post-operative analgesic for canine patients undergoing an ovariohysterectomy.

The role of social media in promoting organised dog fighting

    Research
  • Saturday, October 2, 2021
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background: Organised dog fighting is a criminal activity in most developed countries. However, despite this, its occurrence continues. As with many underground activities, social media is likely to play a critical role in promoting organised dog fighting. Aim: The study aim was to review video content on three social media platforms to look for evidence of organised dog fighting. Methods: A content review of three social media platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram) was conducted. Videos suggestive of organised dog fighting were categorised as: i) fights involving physical contact; ii) intimidation; iii) promotion of dog fights and iv) hypothetical ‘match-ups’. Information collected included video information (title, author, date posted, URL), content description (video description, breed description) and popularity of the video (number of likes, views and comments). Results: Fifty-eight incidents were identified (YouTube: n=27, Instagram: n=18, Facebook: n=13). On YouTube, 17 videos (63.0%) were fights involving physical contact, five (18.5%) were hypothetical ‘match-ups’, four (14.8%) were a promotion of dog fights, and one (3.7%) was a video of images of an organised dog fight. On Facebook and Instagram, all videos were fights involving physical contact. Where breed information was available, the dogs were largely described as pit bulls (YouTube: 51.9%; Instagram: 66.7%). These videos varied in their numbers of views (mean: YouTube: 682 856.0, Instagram: 773.6), comments (mean: YouTube: 319.5, Facebook: 10.3; Instagram: 0.6) and likes (mean: YouTube: 4868.4, Facebook: 434.8). Conclusion: More vigilance by social media platforms and their users to monitor, remove and report such footage is essential, especially where videos breach animal welfare rules and regulations. Further research into other online platforms or different formats through which dog fighting and/or promotion may occur, and the education of social media users to recognise signs that videos may be promoting organised dog fighting, would be of value.

Rabbit health practices of 202 rabbit owners

    Review
  • Friday, February 2, 2018
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Aim:Owners often underestimate the management needs of pet rabbits. Determining rabbit owners' health management practices, and where they gain healthcare information, will facilitate veterinary professionals in providing advice to rabbit owners.Method:Rabbit owners in the UK (n=202) completed an online questionnaire providing information on health checking, vaccination and parasite control practices. Where owners gain information on rabbit health care was also determined.Results:The majority of owners performed daily health checks of their rabbit's appetite, posterior, skin, faeces, face and behaviour; weekly checks of their coat; monthly checks of teeth and occasional checks of bodyweight and gums. Most owners had vaccinated their rabbits against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease but were not using parasite prevention methods. The majority of owners stated that they would respond promptly to seek veterinary assistance in response to inappetance. Owners preferred to obtain health information from veterinary professionals, though suggested more information on digestive problems and dental disease would be useful.Conclusion:Greater education of owners on the appropriate frequency of health checking is warranted. Veterinary practices could play an integral role in improving owner knowledge of rabbit health practices via providing leaflets in centres, information on veterinary centre websites, and dedicated rabbit clinics.

Environmental methods used by veterinary centres to reduce stress of cats and dogs during practice visits

    Research
  • Saturday, February 2, 2019
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background:The veterinary practice can be a stressful environment for pets. The stress animals experience when visiting the practice can impact on health, welfare and the likelihood of owners regularly visiting the practice. A number of different approaches have been suggested to be beneficial in reducing stress at the veterinary practice however the methods that practices use to try and reduce stress in animals during veterinary visits, and the reasons for the use of these approaches, has not been determined.Aim:The aim of this study was to determine what methods veterinary practices in the UK use to try to reduce stress in animals during veterinary visits, and gather the views of veterinary staff on the efficacy of these practices.Method:Veterinary practices in the UK (n=45) completed an online mixed methods questionnaire providing information on the practice's use of separate waiting rooms, treat feeding, rehearsal visits, correct handling of animals, appeasing pheromones and sensory enrichment. The reasons why these approaches were or were not used, and the participants' views on whether these practices reduced stress during veterinary visits were also determined.Results:The majority of practices surveyed fed treats to animals during veterinary visits, offered rehearsal visits to animals and their owners, used appeasing pheromones in the practice and stated that they used correct handling techniques for different species during consultations. In addition, the majority of practices surveyed did not have more than one waiting room or use a television or auditory device to try and reduce stress in animals during veterinary visits. The majority of participants believed that separate waiting rooms, rehearsal visits, treat feeding, appeasing pheromones, sensory enrichment and correct handling can reduce stress in animals during veterinary visits.Conclusion:A range of methods are used by veterinary practices within the UK to attempt to reduce stress in animals during veterinary visits. Greater consideration of methods to facilitate separation of species where distinct waiting rooms are not feasible, for example via implementing appointments for cats and dogs on different days and times, would be beneficial. In addition, veterinary staff should consider utilising classical or specially designed species-specific music in the veterinary practice as this may help mitigate the stress of cats and dogs visiting the practice.

Effectiveness of providing a box, or partially covering the cage front, on reducing cat stress

    Review
  • Monday, July 2, 2018
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background:To reduce stress of hospitalised cats, literature advises providing cats with the opportunity to hide using either a box, or partially covering the cage front. While studies have found benefits of the box method, there is currently no evidence for efficacy of the partial cover.Aim:To investigate whether providing hospitalised cats with either a box or a partial towel cover to the front of the cage reduced stress levels, and whether each of these methods was sufficient in prodiving hiding opportunity.Methods:To investigate this, 42 healthy pet cats that were admitted to a veterinary practice for routine neutering were provided with either a hide box, a partial towel cover to the front of the cage or neither treatment. Behavioural observations were taken for 60 minutes recording: 1) Kessler and Turner's Cat Stress Score (CSS), 2) Location within the cage, 3) Hide seeking behaviour, and 4) Use of treatment.Results:The results showed a significant difference in CSS between cats with a box and the control cats (p=0.007), but not between cats with towel cover and the control cats (p=0.069). There was no significant difference in CSS between box cats and towel cats (p=0.406), but those with a box hid in it 68% of the time, significantly more than the towel cats used the towel (n=30%) (p=0.027). There was a significant difference in hide seeking behaviour between all treatments (p=0.016). A positive correlation was found between CSS and hide seeking behaviour within all groups (rs=0.673), and this was stronger when analysed in control cats only (rs=0.829).Conclusions:Findings suggest that a box provides opportunity to hide and appears to reduce behavioural signs of stress. Though a partial cover may also help, there is not significant evidence for its efficacy in providing hiding opportunity or reducing stress.

Which skin preparation technique is most effective to minimise bacterial contamination?

    Research
  • Tuesday, April 2, 2019
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background: The risk of surgical site infections (SSI) can be addressed by removing organic matter which contains transient and resident flora from the patient's skin prior to surgical incision. Using correct techniques when applying skin preparation solution can significantly reduce bacterial load. Historically the circular technique has been used within veterinary practice for skin preparation prior to surgery; however there has been a recent promotion within the veterinary industry using the back-and-forth technique which has historically been used in human medicine. Aim: The move towards evidence-based medicine suggested testing both skin preparation techniques to determine if either technique was more effective than the other at reducing bacterial load. Method: Five felines undergoing flank ovariohysterectomy surgery were randomly selected for each skin preparation technique with a total sample size of ten felines. Samples of bacterial load were taken before and after the skin was prepared using each technique and cultured in sealed agar plates at a temperature of 38.5°C for 48 hours. Bacterial colonies were then counted and compared pre and post skin preparation. Statistical analysis was performed using ‘Minitab’. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between either skin preparation technique at reducing the number of colony forming units (Mann-Whitney U test: W=27.0, N=5, p=1.000). Conclusion: The limited sample size indicated that either technique was as beneficial as the other at preparing the skin for surgery, giving the veterinary nurse confidence in choosing either technique for skin preparation for flank ovariohysterectomy.

Working towards a greener future in veterinary anaesthesia

    Review
  • Wednesday, November 2, 2022
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Anaesthetic gases can exhibit global warming effects by acting as greenhouse gases. The global warming potentials of these gases vary greatly — with sevoflurane being the most environmentally friendly. Nitrous oxide may also exhibit a global warming effect by direct ozone depletion. Veterinary professionals have the potential to reduce their carbon footprint by making use of targeted anaesthetic choices, low fresh gas flows, and multimodal anaesthesia protocols. Individual practices can also appoint an environmental leader and apply pressure to production companies, as well as provide incentives to staff members to take individual action. New developments within sustainable anaesthesia include metal organic frameworks for gas recapture and potential reuse, as well as the development of an environmentally friendly volatile agent, xenon.

An evaluation into the effectiveness of surgical safety checklists in veterinary procedures

    Research
  • Wednesday, June 2, 2021
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background: Extensive research has been conducted evaluating surgical safety checklists in human medicine, but comparative research is lacking within veterinary medicine. Aim To evaluate the possible benefits of applying a surgical safety checklist to veterinary procedures. Methods: The checklist, created by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), was applied to roughly 50% of patients undergoing surgical procedures in a veterinary practice in Edinburgh, Scotland during an 8-week period in 2020. The remaining 50% was not subjected to a checklist and was therefore used as a control group. Results: With the application of the checklist, the practices participating in the study experienced a 4% decrease in postoperative complications, although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The frequency of postoperative complications after surgical procedures reduced following the introduction of surgical safety checklists.

Evaluation of equine superficial digital flexor tendon lesions

    Research
  • Thursday, November 1, 2012
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Tendon injuries are commonplace in the equine athlete and are reported to be one of the most prevalent forms of musculoskeletal injuries occurring in horses competing in all disciplines. The superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is the more commonly injured of the flexor tendons, accounting for 75–93% of clinical cases; research suggests that lesions typically occur at the mid-metacarpal level in the ‘core’ or central region of the SDFT.Aims and objectives:The aim of this research was to increase knowledge regarding the susceptibility to injury of specific topographical regions within the SDFT, and to identify any relationship between topographical location and lesion severity to laterality and the equestrian discipline the subjects competed in.Method:Secondary data were ultrasound scans from the forelimb SDFTs of horses (n =100) presenting with primary ‘core’ lesions. Topographical location, percentage distribution of the lesion entirety and the echogenicity of lesions were ascertained and graded. Statistical analysis identified if any significant differences were present between discipline competed in and right and left forelimb lesion severity within the population.Results:No significant differences were exposed between competitive discipline or right and left forelimb lesions severity (p >0.05). Lesions that present in the mid-metacarpal region of the SDFT comprised the greater percentage of the total clinical lesion and exhibited higher echogenicity scores, suggesting they were more severe in nature.Conclusions:The study confirmed that the mid-metacarpal region of the SDFT exhibited more severe legions in comparison with the proximal and distal regions; however, no differences between disciplines or with reference to laterality were observed. Although these results can only be applied to this population, they suggest that ultrasonographic evaluation of topography and echogenicity translated to severity scores can aid in the diagnosis of tendon pathology and subjects’ subsequent rehabilitation regimen.

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

    Research
  • Monday, September 22, 2014
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
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 survivability.Results:A larger proportion of amputee bitches than dogs are associated with cancer while a larger proportion of amputee dogs than bitches are associated with trauma; castrated/spayed dogs were diagnosed older than intact dogs; cancerous causes of amputation were diagnosed later in dogs' lives than traumatic causes; dogs showing an animal behaviour in the first week after amputation were diagnosed with cancer younger than dogs showing a vegetal/rock behaviour. Treatment by chemotherapy has a better survivability than holistic therapy, and patient receiving chemotherapy exhibit animal rather than vegetal/rock behaviour.Conclusion:The survival analysis gives clear indication of the benefits of chemotherapy over holistic treatments. Animal behaviour post surgery is also related to survivability.

Pseudomonas otitis: what nurses need to know — frequently asked questions

    Review
  • Thursday, May 2, 2019
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Ear disease is a common problem in primary care practice. A clear understanding of the underlying causes of disease, the need to recognise and treat infection effectively and reverse chronic change to the canal, are key to resolving disease and preventing recurrence. Although nurse's are not in a position to diagnose Pseudomonas infection in practice, it is important that they are aware of the aggressive, multiply resistant nature of the infection and the typical presenting signs of the disease. They can play an important role in the management of all otic disease but especially in Pseudomonas infection where owner compliance is often key to a successful outcome. Their input may be through a knowledge of taking and interpreting otic cytology or by giving advice to owners on the most effective way they can treat their pets through gentle cleaning and sympathetic choice of ear products.

End-of-life support and after-death body care for pets: what pet owners want

    Other
  • Thursday, February 2, 2023
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background/Aims: Pet owners caring for a pet during the end of its life are faced with numerous aftercare choices and decisions. This study was undertaken to explore the perceptions and expectations of pet owners regarding end-of-life issues. Methods: An anonymous online survey was distributed via Amazon's Mechanical Turk, an open online marketplace providing access to potential survey respondents. Findings: A total of 2043 dog and/or cat owners (41.4% male, 57.9% female) responded to the survey. The majority of these owners indicated they preferred to work with a specific crematorium (43%) or cemetery (70%) and over 95% reported feeling it is important to work with their preferred after-death body care service. Eighty-six per cent of owners reported relying on their veterinary team to help them with end-of-life decisions and arrangements with pet aftercare services and companies. Participants expressed significant concern over several aspects of after-death body care (e.g. body mislabelling or the type of container used for short-term and long-term storage). Conclusions: Results suggest that owners look to their veterinary teams to offer ethical after-death body care. These findings can help guide veterinary teams' efforts related to end-of-life communication and services.

Pain recognition in reptiles and investigation of associated behavioural signs

    Review
  • Thursday, June 2, 2016
    • | The Veterinary Nurse
Background:There is minimal research into reptile pain management and analgesic protocols, and current opinions surrounding this topic are outdated; the last significant study was carried out by Read in 2004. The aim of this current study was to consider the current ideas and highlight any advancements in reptile analgesia.Objective:To investigate current ideas within analgesia in reptiles, with focus on the creation of a behavioural ethogram for clinical reference.Methods:A survey was created using an online platform and distributed to experts in the field of reptile pain management (veterinarians and veterinary nurses) as well as experienced animal carers (herpetoculturists and pet owners).Results:A chi-square test revealed no statistical significance in behavioural signs recognised between veterinary professionals and animal carers. Continuity existed between the behavioural signs recognised by both expert groups.Conclusion:A lack of confidence was identified when assessing pain in reptiles. The top three behavioural signs of pain in the three subgroups were statistically agreed on across both groups of expert individuals, indicating a good basis for a behavioural ethogram.

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