Veterinary Medicine Overview
Types of Animals and Terminology
- Definition of Animal Types
- When identifying animals, use proper terminology.
- Example given: a four-year-old domestic shorthair male cat is akin to a colt.
- Understanding Male Designation
- "Male" typically means unneutered.
- If neutered, it’s denoted as "mn" for male neutered, indicating the animal is intact.
- Terms include:
- Intact = not neutered.
- Not intact = neutered.
Vital Signs (TPR)
- TPR Definition
- TPR stands for Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration.
- Measurement of TPR
- Temperature (T): measured to assess fever status.
- Febrile = having a fever.
- Afebrile = without fever.
- Pulse (P): measures heartbeats per minute.
- Respiration (R): determines the breathing rate.
- Additional Vital Signs
- Capillary Refill Time (CRT): assesses blood flow by checking gum color after pressure.
- Normal CRT should be less than two seconds.
- Abnormal CRT is greater than two seconds.
- Gum color assessment:
- Pink = normal
- Pale = potential problems
- Injected (extremely red) = potential issues.
Blood Pressure Measurement
- Blood Pressure in Animals
- Obtaining accurate blood pressure in animals can be complex.
- A Doppler is used for accurate readings, unlike standard human cuffs.
- Technique for Measuring Blood Pressure
- Shaving a spot on limbs, applying gel, and placing a cuff followed by a Doppler.
- Proper devices and techniques are critical for accurate readings.
Examination Techniques
- Auscultation and Palpation
- Auscultation: listening to body sounds using a stethoscope.
- Palpation: manually feeling organs or tissues.
- Definition of Terms
- Percussion: tapping to produce sounds for diagnostics, important in large animals for conditions like bloat.
- Ophthalmoscope and Otoscope
- Otoscope: for ear examination.
- Ophthalmoscope: for eye examination.
- Speculum: tool for widening openings, commonly used in dental procedures and other examinations.
Laboratory Procedures