Vet Tech Terminology

Ventral

Refers to Belly or Underside

Cranial

Toward The Head

Anterior

Front of the Body

Rostral

Nose End of The Head

Medial

Toward The Midline

Superior

Uppermost, Above, or Toward The Head

Proximal

Nearest Midline (mostly used with legs)

Superficial

Near The Surface (external)

Palmar

The Caudal Surface Of The Front Paws

Dorsal

The Back

Caudal

Toward The Tail

Posterior

Rear Of Body

Lateral

Away from the midline

Inferior

Lowermost, Below

Distal

Farthest from midline (used mostly with the limbs)

Deep

Away from the surface (Internal or Penetrating an organ)

Plantar

Caudal Surface of the rear paw

Arcade

Term used to describe how the teeth are arranged in the mouth

Palatal Surface

Surface Of the Maxilla that faces the tongue

Lingual Surface

Surface of the Mandible that faces the tongue or Aspect of the tooth that faces the tongue

Buccal Surface

Aspect of the tooth that faces the cheek

Occlusal Surfaces

Aspects of the teeth that meet when you chew

Labial Surface

The tooth surface facing the lips

Contact Surfaces

aspects of the tooth that touch other teeth (Mesial or Distal)

Adduction

Moving toward the midline

Abduction

Moving away from the midline

Flexion

Closure of a joint. or reduction of an angle between two bones

Extension

Straightening of a joint, or an increase in the angle between two bones

Hyperflexion/Hyperextension

Going Too Far!

Rotation

Circular movement around an axis

-ectomy

Surgical removal

-pexy

Suture to stabalize

-tomy

Cutting Into

-centesis

Surgical puncture to remove fluid or gas

-gram

record of

-graphy

procedure that records

-graph

instrument that records

-lysis

Separation or Breakdown

-scope

instrument to visually examine

-scopy

procedure to visually examine

-therapy

treatment

-rrhagis or -rrhage

bursting forth

-rrhaphy

to suture

-rrhea

flow, discharge

-rrhexis

rupture

-itis

inflammation

-megaly

enlargement

Hepatoma

Liver mass

Hematoma

Mass or collection of blood

Urethra

Takes urine from the urinary bladder to the outside

Ureters

Collect urine from the kidney and transport it to the urinary bladder

Cystitis

Inflammation of the urinary bladder

ileum

Distal part of the small intestine

ilium

Part of the pelvic bone

Pleural

Membranes that line the thoracic cavity or pertaing to the thoracic cavity

Peritoneum

Membrane that lines the abdominal cavity

Orthopnea

Stance animals take to breathe better.

Cyst/o

Urinary Bladder

Venipuncture

Drawing blood from veins.

Idiopathic

Unkown Cause

Ott/o

Ears

Ren/o

Kidneys

Ovar/o

Ovaries

Splen/o

Spleen

Sclelra

Whites of Eyes

Febrile

Fever

Afebrile

Without fever

ADR

Ain't doin' right

Atelectasis

Collapsed Lung

Coagulopathy

Blood Clotting Problems

Conscious Proprioception

Knuckling

Anisocoria

Unequal Pupil Size

Penniculus Reflex

Needle On Back where it shakes or vibrates.

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