Identifying and treating heart disease in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

The exact reason for CKCS MMVD prevalence is not known. High levels of heritability have been shown, yet there are difficulties in determining why, not least because nearly all CKCS have MMVD, so a...

Thymomas in rabbits

The thymus is the first of the lymphoid organs to be formed during embryonic development. As in other mammals, the rabbit thymus provides the body with the T-cell population of lymphocytes. In most...

How to place a FreeStyle Libre in veterinary patients

The registered veterinary nurse (RVN) has a large role to play in helping manage and monitor diabetic patients. A sound understanding of the disease itself, common clinical signs and the treatment...

Feline idiopathic cystitis: what to suggest

Because of the wide range of symptoms and presentations it is likely that FIC has multiple causes (Forrester and Towell, 2015)..

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs

There are several known causes of KCS in dogs, including: immune-mediated, congenital, metabolic, infectious, drug-induced, neurogenic, radiation, iatrogenic, and idiopathic (Dodi, 2015)..

Toxoplasma gondii – the facts

Although T. gondii can infect virtually all warm-blooded hosts, clinical outcome differs. For example, cattle and horses are more resistant than sheep and goats. A few examples are cited here in...

Beginners guide to cardiac pharmacology

Heart disease is defined as any abnormality of cardiac structure or function. Heart failure is said to occur when clinical signs of increased tissue water and/or decreased tissue perfusion are...

Ectoparasites in captive reptiles

With most species of mites dwelling on the skin surface, heavy infestations are seldom found in wild reptile specimens because the ecdysis process (skin shedding) provides sporadic removal of the mite...

Urethral obstruction in the male cat

Cats with urethral obstruction will typically show signs of urinary tract inflammation and discomfort. Signs may vary from mild to severe. Systemic signs are often not present until 24 hours after the...

Dermatophytosis for veterinary nurses

Gaudiano (2005) suggests a thorough history is essential for any good skin workup, and very often a 15 minute consult with a VS is not long enough for this to be achieved. Dermatology clinics with a...

Approach to the companion animal cancer patient: current therapies

Veterinary oncology is the sub-speciality of veterinary medicine that deals with cancer diagnosis and treatment in animals. The methods and availability of treatment are improving almost daily with...

Feline lungworm: biology, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment

All three of these parasites are nematodes; A. abstrusus and T. brevior are members of the metastrongyloidae family and E. aerophilus is from the trichuridae family. The cat lungworm (A. abstrusus)...

Flea and fly bite hypersensitivity: what every nurse needs to know

This disease has a simple pathophysiology (Figure 1). Once the flea starts feeding, the flea's saliva compounds act as proteinic antigens or haptens (incomplete antigens), which when combined with the...

Changes in behaviour in elderly cats and dogs, part 2: management, treatment and prevention

Elderly animals need to be able to move around their environment and access important resources easily. This can be particularly challenging for animals with medical problems affecting their mobility,...