Medical Records and Prescriptions

file ownership

the vet hospital owns all files, the client only pays for access to the information the file contains, not the file itself

informed consent

client must be aware of all options before they make the decision on how they should proceed with their pet’s healthcare (VERY important when administering anesthetics)

modern day filing system

a standard-size file folder

older filing system

a 6×9 size filing folder

steroids

medications used to decrease inflammation, and to relieve pain. They're also useful in suppressing the immune system when the body is producing antibodies against itself…the main reason to use them is for allergic skin disease. The common steroids vets prescribe to pets are prednisone (a variant, prednisolone, tends to work better in cats) and dexamethasone.

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

(NSAIDs) painkillers…They also decrease inflammation, yet they aren't steroids and don't have the same side effects. These include common name-brand medications for arthritic pain such as Rimadyl, Metacam, and Deramaxx.

diuretics

a water pill. They boost urine production, pulling fluid from the body. They're especially useful in heart disease.

Antibiotics

drugs that kill bacteria. Each medication has different properties regarding what bacteria it can kill and which tissue it is most effective in… Antibiotics you'll see in a veterinary hospital include amoxicillin, cephalosporins (such as cephalexin), quinolones (such as Baytril), and sulfas, but there are a host of others

antifungals

medications that kill fungi. We use these medications for yeast infections in the skin or fungi that invade the body.

parasiticides

treat parasites, and there are a lot of them. We have the ones that treat fleas, either by killing the fleas or interrupting their life cycles. But many of the flea medications do more than this. Some treat heartworm, intestinal worms, and even ticks. Some of them contain one ingredient (such as Revolution and Frontline) while others are combination products (Sentinel and Advantage Plus) There is also a host of dewormers. The key difference between these is the worms they control… There are several medications for ear mites. There are some we only need to use once or twice to control the mites. But, there are still some veterinarians who like the old way to treat mites, which consists of daily drops in the ears for about two weeks.

SID or OD

once daily

BID

twice daily

TID

three times daily

QID

four times daily

EOM/EOD

every other morning/every other day

q2h

every 2 hours

q12h

every 12 hours

q2d

every 2 days