The effect of Pet Remedy on feline stress-related behaviours in a rescue centre

To test the hypothesis of whether Pet Remedy has an effect on stress-related behaviours in cats in a rehoming shelter, the relevant collected data were collated before pre- and post-treatment...

Chronic illness and resilience in the veterinary industry

The colloquial term ‘spoonies’ has been adopted by many suffering from chronic illnesses to describe the debilitating effect of limited physical and emotional energy that chronic pain and fatigue can...

The art of delegation: integration of the veterinary nursing assistant into New Zealand veterinary practice

Qualitative methods were used to explore the utilisation of VNAs with the potential to share and compare practices, generate, and develop ideas and learning which leads to richer data underpinned by...

Assessing pain in rabbits: how well does the Rabbit Grimace Scale work in the veterinary practice?

Rabbits constantly scan their environment, and at the first sign of danger, will attempt to flee (Varga, 2016). If this is not possible, the rabbit will hide, become silent, and mask signs of illness...

Stress and compassion fatigue in veterinary nurses in New Zealand

This research demonstrates that veterinary nurses in New Zealand report a high incidence of stress and compassion fatigue in their lives due to their working environment. Methods of coping by...

Stress and anxiety implications on long-term patients — nursing considerations

The ICU is regarded as the most stressful place in the hospital due to the high intensity of cases, the noise of machines, and artificial lighting. A study conducted by Fullagar et al (2015) measuring...

Practical behavioural first aid for feline patients

Having evolved as a territorial species that predated on rodents, but that was also predated on by larger carnivores (Bradshaw et al, 2012), the cat is effectively, constantly, asking itself ‘Am I...

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

This study adds to the body of literature on the provision of a hiding box, by further demonstrating that when caged cats are provided with a box they are likely to hide within the box and show less...

Can aromatherapy be used to reduce anxiety in hospitalised felines

The veterinary environment can be stressful with the sights and smells encountered on a patient's first visit often dictating their future response (Greenfield, 2013). Recognising stress proves...

Factors contributing to fatalities in hospitalised rabbits

There is a general consensus among veterinary professionals that rabbits are at a greater risk of mortality than canines or felines when hospitalised for veterinary treatment (Lewis, 2010; Wenger,...

Setting up and running the radioactive iodine unit

Radioactive iodine (I-131) treatment is a form of nuclear medicine. I-131 is a high-energy radioisotope of iodine and begins in an unstable form. Its primary uptake is by the thyroid gland where...

Stress in parrots: what it looks like and considerations to avoid distress

Unlike the abundance of research produced on cats and dogs, there has been little actual research conducted on wild Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) or Timneh Parrots (Psittacus timneh), other than...

Stress in the veterinary surgery: small mammals

Most animals seen in veterinary practice are substantially smaller than the professionals caring for them. While true for dogs and cats, it is even more so for the small mammals that are only a few...

Stress in chelonians (tortoises, terrapins and turtles)

The physical environment should provide opportunities for maintenance of homeostasis and for the range of normal behaviours to be shown. Similarly the presence (or absence) of other chelonians may...

A patient care report of a feline with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus hospitalised for a blood glucose curve

The patient was presented to a first opinion veterinary practice following a recent diagnosis of feline diabetes mellitus (FDM). The owner brought her cat to be admitted and hospitalised for a blood...