Veterinary Nurse Solutions

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In the event an animal has a penetrating injury, the number one rule for first aid is DO NOT remove the object. Instruct the owners to apply a makeshift muzzle as their pet is in pain and may bite. Once muzzled, instruct the owners to apply any form of clean bandaging they have on hand. If actual bandages are not available, then towels or clean rags, etc. are ok. These need to be rolled up and wrapped around the object to minimise movement and help stem any bleeding. Depending on wound’s location, be careful not to compromise the patient’s ability to breathe.

Do it! We dare you

Fasting equine patients for a minimum of 8 hours prior to surgery is essential for reducing the volume of gastrointestinal contents. This is important to minimise the risk of gastric rupture, particularly during the induction process when the horse may suddenly drop to the floor as the anaesthetic agent takes effect. Additionally a full and heavy gut can greatly impair the movement of the diaphragm and subsequent lung function, resulting in hypoventilation and hypoxaemia of the patient. This is especially relevant for horses who are positioned in dorsal recumbency. Conversely, fasting for periods longer than 8 hours must be undertaken with caution, as after this time some horses may start to develop painful gastric ulcers (especially racing Thoroughbreds) or be subject to impaction colic. Fasting in young foals is contra-indicated.

Now be honest, you'd try this too if given half the chance. Wouldn't you!

Instrument tape is often used by clinics to mark instruments that belong to each kit, however instruments can still be forgotten or misplaced, a better idea is to use photographic instrument guides. These ensure that all staff pack the kits right as they can see what instrument and how many. Very handy for new or junior nurses too!

Did you also know that instrument tape is not recommended for use as it can provide a harbour for micro-organisms, and it can become brittle after autoclaving, potentially flaking off when inside a patient.

Never underestimate the strength of a terrier!

Abdominal surgeries cause the patient to lose large amounts of body heat as their abdomen is exposed, and copious amounts of flushing fluids are used, further decreasing body temperature. Active warming and regular monitoring of the temperature of the patient during surgery and in recovery is paramount.

Nawwww, that's a bit cute

The most commonly seen bladder stones in dogs are struvite uroliths (around 45 to 50% of the cases). However, other uroliths such as calcium oxalates, urate, silicate and cysteine crystals are also found.

It doesn't seem to matter how much you dry them. there's always plenty left....

Performing pre-anaesthetic blood tests helps the vet to determine the kidney and liver function of our patients, as well as some other parameters. These organs are responsible for the metabolism (elimination) of the anaesthetic drugs we use, so checking that they work properly helps the vet to decide on the drugs to be used with that particular pet.