Physical Exams

Client

owner

patient

animal of interest

history

medical records

• event leading up to visit

  • what is important

  • information gathering:

    • how long ago did this start?

    • diet

    • has this ever happened before

    • how often behavior or concern

    • exercise

    • past medical history

presenting complaint 

why are they here today? 

triage

prioritizing based on urgency/emergency

CRT

capillary refill time - assessing animals blood flow

• gum mucus membranes

• nostril mucus membranes

• vulva mucus membranes

temperature 

• rectal 

• axillary 

• esophageal 

done before rectal exam 

respiratory rate 

breaths 

• listen for wheezing and crackling 

• trachea should be louder than the chest 

  • greater air flow

murmur

whooshing sound

arrhythmia 

irregular beat 

hydration

> 5% dehydrated to pick up on exam

• skin turgor/skin pinch

  • horse - neck + point of shoulder

  • dogs - scruff

  • livestock - upper eyelid

• mucus membrane moisture

  • tacky vs moist

• urine - USG (urine specific gravity)

  • frequency

  • color

  • volume

• eyes

  • eyes sunken/recessed inwards

  • eyeball recession

PLR 

pupillary light reflex 

LN

lymph nodes

BAR

bright alert responsive

QAR

quiet alert responsive