Clinical Small Animal Care

Kimm Wuestenberg, CVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM) is a Certified Veterinary Technician Specialist in Emergency/Critical Care and Small Animal Internal Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona.

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

Section 1 Clinical Fundamentals in Promoting Good Health 3

1 The Elements of Environmental Husbandry 5

2 Considerations in Patient Management 11

3 Patient Exam and Assessments 27

4 Nutritional Notability 43

Section 2 Applied Nursing of the Veterinary Patient 49

5 Monitoring the Fluid Therapy Patient 51

6 Physical Therapy Applications 61

7 Perioperative Patient Management 67

8 Executing Emergency Care 75

9 Harmonizing Hospice Needs 89

Section 3 Proper Care of Tubes and Catheters 95

10 Venous and Arterial Catheter Care 97

11 Indwelling Urinary Catheter Care and Maintenance 107

12 Feeding Tube Care 115

13 Nasal Oxygen Catheter Care 123

14 Tracheostomy Tube Care 125

15 Chest Tube Care 129

Section 4 Comprehensive Areas of Focus 131

16 Cardiovascular Nursing 133

17 Regard for the Respiratory Patient 145

18 Grasping Gastrointestinal Nursing Care 161

19 Rendering Renal Care 175

20 Endocrine Nursing Encounters 185

21 Nursing Care of the Neurological Patient 191

22 Musculoskeletal Minding 201

23 Tending to the Skin and Special Senses 215

Appendix 1 Formulas 231

Appendix 2 Anatomy Illustrations 239

Appendix 3 Clinical Quick Reference Guides 245

Appendix 4 General Forms 255

Appendix 5 Employee Skill and Knowledge Advancement Plans 263

Index 271