Question:  What is the purpose of administering IV fluids to animals? Explain the physiological process that occurs when IV fluids are administered to an animal.

 

Question: Describe, using images, the procedure of setting up IV fluid therapy for a patient. Include a description of how to calculate the fluid rate for a patient. (Photographs/images may be used but must be referenced if they are not your own).

 

Question: List two scenarios where different types of IV fluids would be given (excluding different sized IV fluid bags).

 

You will need to explain what health issue the animal/s have and why that particular IV fluid is more appropriate for the particular situation.

 

Question: Think through the procedure of administering a General Anaesthetic to a dog/cat – from the moment of removing them from their cage/house to their full recovery to consciousness.

List at least five possible OH&S risks and describe briefly how each might be managed.

 

Informative sources:

 

 

 

Question: Explain why workplace communication is important.

(Please expand on this answer to include what would happen if there were no communication occurring in the veterinary workplace. Why is it important to communicate?)

 

A veterinary nurse’s responsibility is to communicate to the client so they understand the treatment and care their pet requires. When communicating to clients as well as their pets, verbal communication will be used in majority of cases. Effective and compassionate verbal communication is essential in a veterinary practice between the client and the nurse. The use of verbal communication face-to-face is beneficial as it allows both the nurse and client to interpret facial expressions/body language, tone of voice, the control of ones own emotions and provide instant feedback. Another form of verbal communication similar to face-to-face is the use of a telephone. Using a telephone to communicate with a client is effective in delivering information without the potential of in-person verbal and physical abuse. The use of a telephone also provides a form of record that can be revisited for administrative or complaint purposes.

Non-verbal communication is also important, as nurses need to communicate to clients the care of their pet after leaving the practice. Written communication similarly to the use of a telephone provides a record for both the practice and client. Whilst also eliminating the potential for in-person verbal or physical abuse. Non-verbal communication can be beneficial to some situations as it provides accurate, clear and concise, controlled content and unemotional delivery of information.

 

 

Question: Explain how communication happens at team meetings and staff discussions.

(Please re-do this question. This question needs to explain how team meetings work.)

 

Teamwork can be best described by Meredith Belbin (1981) with eight different team roles which complement each other.

• The coordinator – focuses on objectives, often leading the team, assertive.
• The shaper – will get things done, works well in stress, spurs the team into action but less tolerant than the coordinator.
• The plant – the ideas person (intelligent, creative) can be eccentric and introverted but will voice ideas.
• The resources investigator – extrovert member of the team with good communication skills, keen to network. Will have ideas but does not always follow them through.
• The monitor evaluator – a stead y person who is useful at decision making as they can critically evaluate the situation in a dispassionate way.
• The company worker – organised, practical, disciplined. Will turn ideas into projects and get them done. Methodical hard worker.
• The team worker – keeps team together diffusing tension and promoting team spirit.
• The complete finisher – similar to the company worker, will ensure the projects are completed. Conscientious and self-disciplined but will be concerned over detail. This can help prevent mistakes.

Belbin, M. (1981) Management Teams. London: Heinemann

 

 

Question: List at least 3 of the resources used in your workplace, and for each one, explain what some of the hazards and risks are associated with these resources.

(Xray machines are more equipment rather than environmental resources. They do however use energy which you could list as a resource.

Please make sure that you have three resources and list some of the hazards/risks for each.)

 

Answer:

Veterinarians and their support staffs are exposed to numerous occupational hazards as they undertake their daily activities (Wahlqvist, 2011). Whether the veterinarian works in a farm, food processing center, clinic or laboratory carrying out research, they must encounter these hazards. Some of the resources used by the veterinarians and the associated hazards include;

1. Surgical equipment such as lasers and x-ray machines. These resources expose the veterinarians to physical hazards. They might be from bites, kicks or scratches as they work on the animals.
2. Disinfectants, insecticides, anesthetic gases and other chemicals that expose veterinarians to chemical hazardsü

Needle sticks that expose the veterinarians to diseases due to contaminationü

 

Question: For the resources listed above, explain how usage is measured.

(You don’t need to reference any information for this question, it is simply asking you how you would measure the usage of each of the resources listed in question 5. E.g. how can you measure how much disinfectant was used in a month?)

 

Answer:

Veterinarians use various controls in their practice to measure usage of these resources including the following;

1. Analytical controls
2. Administrative controls
3. Determining their environmental occurrence

Identifying their ecological effects

 

Question: Explain how you think the organisational structure and your working conditions might impact on the environment (either positively or negatively)

(You need to talk about how organisational structure and working conditions can affect environmental sustainability. E.g. if the working conditions aren’t great or if management isn’t setting a good example, how do you think that might impact an employee’s motivation to follow environmentally sustainable policies/procedures?)

 

Answer:

In order to design the organisational structure, business owners have to take into account the internal and external forces that affect it positively and negatively. With such information, business owners are able to align the objectives of the business with emerging opportunities as well as protecting the business from shocks and developing a structure that promotes an organisational vision (Wahlqvist, 2011). Since threats and opportunities originate from the external environment in which the clinic operates, it has a direct impact on the choice of the organisation’s structure. The organisation’s structure is the building block for the different working conditions.

 

Question: List some actions you can take to reduce environmental risks to the environment in general.

(This question is just asking for some general ideas on what you can do to reduce your impact on the environment. E.g. Printing double –sided)

 

Answer:

Various initiatives can be undertaken in order to prevent environmental risks according to Wahlqvist (2011). In general, these actions include;

1. Monitoring environmental risks in order to improve their prevention.
2. Increasing awareness to the people living in sensitive regions such as hills, flooding and arid areas.
3. Designing strategies for floods prevention
4. Developing programs for raising awareness on climate change
5. Improving the quality of drinking water through treatment and filtering programs
6. Shifting to a recycling economy
7. Developing innovative programs for disposing wastes
8. Improving the quality of air by setting up manufacturing industries in designated areas
9. Adopting environmental-friendly initiatives in the public and private transport sectors

Protecting and improving the natural heritage and cultural landscapes.

 

 

 

Question:

Research 2 animals  (1 from each separate major animal group  – see question 1) , and write a report  on each including the following: (you may refer to your class homework)

1. If you have chosen a mammal, what is its classification?
2. Describe the normal external appearance and changes that could indicate illness or disease (ie. coat and/or skin condition)
3. Normal vital sign parameters for the chosen species

Common illnesses and their treatment. Include signs and symptoms.

 

(Your two animals need to be from different major animal groups. Please remove either the cat or koala and add in a species from a different group.)

Answer:

1. The animal that I chose for this section is a domestic cat and a Koala. The Koalas are a group of marsupials with a pouch for carrying their young ones. They belong to Order Diprotodontia in family Phascolarctidae, genus Phascolarctos, and species Cinereaus. On the other hand, the domestic cat is a carnivorous and is commonly known for hunting rodents. In most cases, these cats feed on food humans feed them. They belong to phylum Chordata, with genus Felis and Species catus.
2. A domestic cat is mostly active with smooth fur. Similarly, A Koala has very smooth skin with well-lined fur. However, when sick, the fir on cat becomes pale and the animal can be seen inactive with high preference for sleep. Some cats are seen vomiting frequently and this implies they are unwell. Such a disease of continuous vomiting is called vomiting Chronic (Cooper, Mullineaux, & Lynn Turner, 2011). Another disease can affect a cat to cause it pass out urine with blood. The symptom is a good indicator that the cat is suffering from Urinary Tract Infection Cooper, Mullineaux, & Lynn Turner, 2011). On the other hand, a Koala sleeps mostly, and one can tell from the pale appearance of its skin that it is sick. The animal can also face a serious blindness, which is symptom for conjunctiva. It can also show symptoms of being infertile to indicate that they are unwell.
3. A vital sign for a sick cat is the body temperature and its sleeping behaviours, which can used to depict that the animal is sick. A normal Cat should have a body temperature of 39.7oC – 41.70C. Conversely, a Koala’s facial appearance is a vital sign for detecting that it is sick. It body temperature should range from 35- 370C
4. The common illness for cats includes Feline leukaemia. Its symptoms are skin infection, diarrhea, bladder infections and infertile. Cats also face threat from attack by diseases such as cat aids that is spread through mating. They should thus be vaccinated for Cat aids and Cat Flu (Cooper, Mullineaux, & Lynn Turner, 2011). On the other hand, the Koala’s most dangerous infection is Chlamydia. Its symptoms include chest infection and soaring of the eyes.

 

Question: Choose an animal from one of the six major animal groups (NOT the same animal as chosen in previous question) and describe how you would clean their enclosure.

In your answer include

• Cleaning products equipment and materials used
• Cleaning technique
• The importance of maintaining workplace hygiene standards

Biological waste disposal

(Please describe the cleaning procedure. I.e. what are the steps you will follow to clean the hutch?)

 

Answer:

The cleaning process of a rabbit hutch needs disinfecting chemicals. The chemicals will do away with the developing bacteria and other fungal infections. Some of the chemicals include the white vinegar, blowtorch, and bleaching agents such as Jeyes fluid. Soapy water should also be used to maximize the effectiveness of the cleaning process. The sterilizing agents for the process include the use of dry heat flames, alcohols, and aldehydes. The alcohol should have a concentration of at least 85% to sterilize properly. These chemicals kill germs and disease-causing bacteria in the rabbit hutch in a matter of seconds. During the cleaning, the use of a brush is paramount because its helps to scrub the surface of the hutch in the most effective way.

 

• It is important that the rabbit hutch is kept clean to prevent rabbits that live in it from contracting infections that might affect them due to their waste refuse. Rabbits have lethal urinal refuse that if left unclean might lead to the damage of their skin and the lungs.
• Cleaning is important for the purpose of preventing spread of diseases from the disease causing pathogens that live in the dumb dirt to the rabbits and then to humans.
• The biological waste disposal in this case should happen by composing them in a safe place where they can undergo decomposition. When dealing with rabbits on large scale, a biogas container can be constructed to collect the biogas while leaving the waste to form manure.

 

Question: In the interests of public safety:

1. How should S8 drugs of dependence/addiction be stored and recorded?
2. How should prescription medications scheduled S4 be stored and recorded?

 

Please re-do part A & C of this question. This website may help: https://www.ava.com.au/sites/default/files/documents/Other/Guidelines_for_prescribing_authorising_and_dispensing_veterinary_medicines.pdf

 

Answer:

1. How S8 drugs of dependence and addiction should be stored and recorded. The S8 drugs of dependence and addiction ought to be stored with care and great caution to ensure that they are used properly and in the manner that is appropriate and right to prevent them from causing any harm (Beggs et al., 2015). The drugs must be kept away from the reach of children. The warning signs on the drug containers are enough to scare away children from using them illegally. The drugs of dependence and addiction should to be stored away from the rest of the soft drugs to avoid the issues of mistaking and confusing their function at the time they are needed for use (Underwood et al., 2014). Keeping the correct labels on the containers that hold the drugs is also appropriate as it helps in the quick identification and recognition of the contents that lie within the container of the drugs (Beggs et al., 2015). The veterinarians have skills of storing chemicals of the same kind in place with labels clearly showing the name and use of the drugs. A follow-up of store keeping rules are enough to help prevent cases of having expired drugs in the same place where the good ones are stored (Farrel & Palm, 2011).
2. Flea products are poisonous and should not be consumed by humans. Some of such products are kept in nice and attractive containers, which can lure children into consuming its contents. Therefore, when displaying them in public, care should be taken to ensure they are placed at raised places to avoid children from accessing them easily (Cooper, Mullineaux, & Lynn Turner, 2011). If raised locations are not available, such products be kept in locked in cabins having clear display glass. This way, children will see them, but they will not reach them for use in consumption. ü

The prescription of medication scheduled S4 should be stored in safe location where the public cannot access them with ease. They mostly form dependency and if left exposed, people can misuse them for their own gainful purpose. Although they do not meet restricted measures as controlled drugs, they are only left for veterinary officers, dentists, and doctors become these individuals are more responsible in monitoring and managing them (Cooper, Mullineaux, & Lynn Turner, 2011). At the time when they are being monitored, they should be kept in locked placed where the authorized people can only access them.

 

Question: Name 2 OHS and animal welfare legal requirements or codes of practice that regulate safe animal handling techniques and procedures?

(This question is asking you to list the names of some relevant pieces of legislation. If you are looking for codes of practice the following website is a good resource:

http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare/animal-welfare-legislation/victorian-codes-of-practice-for-animal-welfare)

 

Answer:

Animal welfare codes of conduct are prepared to assist the veterinary staff to take good care of the animals (Beggs, Fisher, Jongman, & Hemsworth, 2015). There are various codes of conduct for the keeping of various animals. Some of these codes include codes for handling cats, dogs, goats, cattle, and other domestic animals (Underwood, McGlone, Swanson, Anderson, & Anthony, 2014). Due to the mass rearing of animals in the farm factories and the farm facilities, farmers have stopped caring about the welfare of the animals. Instead, they are keen on the sales and profit that they make off the heads of the animals. It has hence become necessary for the establishment of codes that control the way the animals are raised and how they should be handled when sick

 

• Code of Practice for the welfare for handling Dogs and Cats and

According to the code of conduct, dogs and cats should undergo vaccination before being taken to market. The vaccination should be used to protect again diseases like distemper, parvovirus, and hepatitis. An animal OHS requirement for maintaining such animals should be done to prevent the spread of the diseases after biting those willing to buy them. The conduct also requires dogs to be fed on a balanced diet that will give them the opportunity to grow well and be heathy. The incompatible dogs should not be mixed with other dogs to help prevent unnecessary fighting. When doing this, the veterinary staff should be careful with the dogs to avoid being bitten.

 

• Code of Practice for the welfare for handling Dogs and Cats and

The other OHS conduct for veterinary staff entails safe handling of domestic animals such as cattle and poultry. The staff should ensure that the sick livestock they are attending to are kept in comfortable location to encourage quick healing and recovery. The location should be free of bacteria and other pathogens that can easily spread the diseases to the animals and poultry to the normal ones. These staff members should then ensure the animals have clean eating environment with food containing nutrients necessary for the quick recovery of the animal. They should then keep on observing the progress of the animals by putting in necessary measures to help protect against other new infections.

 

 

Question: Define the following anatomical terminology.

• Claw
• Vomeronasal or jacobsens organ
• Anal gland
• Uterine horn

Please revise your definitions of the following terms to make them more relevant to cats and to demonstrate that you understand their function:

• Claw
• Jacobson’s Organ

Answer:

1. a) A claw

Refers to a bowed, sharp appendage, originating from the tip of a toe or finger of

various animals.

1. b) Vomeronasal or Jacobsens Organ

This is an organ that forms part of the olfactory system of animals even though it

does not exist in every tetra pod group.

 

Question:

What is significant about the anatomy and physiology of a cat that makes it an obligate carnivore?

This question requires more detail about why cats are obligate carnivores (as opposed to carnivores that can survive on an omnivorous diet).

Please expand on the metabolic processes that cats no longer have, that mean they have to have a meat-based diet.

 

Answer:

Cats do not have the digestive structures and physiology expected to make great utilization

of much plant material. For one example, cats lack salivary amylase, the chemical that starts

starch processing. They have the shortest digestive tract contrasted with body size of any

well-evolved animal. In addition, they have lost some metabolic capacities essentially due to

the fact that they need not bother with them any longer (Seidensticker et al., 2004).

 

 

 

 

Question:

Define body condition scoring.

 

What methods can be used to measure, interpret and record weight and development?

Provide more detail on BCS scoring systems – how do they work?Also, the second part of the question is asking about other measures (i.e. not BSC). MCS is good, but there are other common ones too.

 

Answer:

Body condition scoring refers to an easy, hands-on technique used to measure the condition

(measure of fat spread) of cats. This simple strategy is substantially more exact than simply

taking a look at the animals.

Methods: body condition score (BCS) and muscle condition score (MCS) to charge the

current condition and changes over a certain period.

 

Question:

Write a short article on a cat breed of your choice (150 – 250 words max.)

Include its natural behavioural characteristics, social needs of the breed, (ie sociable or not sociable), diseases common to the breed, whether best suited to a family or single person etc.

Also include any specific care required such as grooming

Some of this question is plagiarised off the internet. Be careful in future to use your own words and ideas.Please expand on the diseases common in the breed and any specific care requirements for Burmese cats.

 

Answer:

A people friendly breed, the Burmese is spirited and fiendish well into adulthood. Desiring

close contact, she adores snuggling in warm laps. With a practically doglike identity, the

Burmese can be taught to recover. This breed is great with kids and endures cat well

disposed canines. Having a short, satin like coat and smaller body, this cat has extensive

and expressive eyes that are one of the breed’s charming characteristics (Case, 2003).

Certain UK breeds experience the ill effects of an intense teething issue in little cats, where

the eruption of the second teeth causes great uneasiness and the cat tears at its face to

attempt to lighten the torment. Aside from scarring brought about by the self-mutilation, the

cat appears to recuperate totally.

 

 

Question:

Suggest basic first aid for

1. A cat experiencing respiratory problems.
2. An open bleeding wound
3. An inappetant (not eating) cat
4. a) After checking the airway, what do you need to do?
5. b) What do you need to do if a change in food does not work?

 

Answer:

1. a) A cat experiencing respiratory problems

If necessary, open up the cat’s airways by hauling the tongue forward out of its

mouth until it is flat. Check the throat to see whether there are any objects

obstructing the airway. Breathing issues can be brought about by obstructions,

asthma (in cats) overheating, and mid-section issues (Head, 2013).

 

 

1. b) An open bleeding wound

For big wounds, keep the animal as tranquil and still as could be allowed and apply

pressure to the injury to help stop blood being lost. Utilise gauze, a clean towel, a

piece of cloth, or a swathe material. The gauze should be firm but not very tight. Do

not attempt to expel any objects from the injury as this can aggravate dying.

1. c) An inappetant (not eating) cat

Changes in feeding times and types of foods can in some cases make an inappetant

cat eat once more, and commonly a divine canned food will do the trick.

 

Question:

What are the milestones in the developmental progress from new born to geriatric cats?

Developmental milestones should be listed by age groups, not by senses. Please revise your answer to provide age-based milestones for development

 

Answer:

Sight: At birth, kittens are visually impaired, with their eyelids closed and sealed. The

eyelids open at 2 weeks old and the little cat can start seeing.

Walking: Kittens will begin by squirming and “swimming” over the floor. The cats start the

simple first strides of strolling by the age of 3 weeks.

Eating: A cat can begin eating strong foodstuff at 4 to 6 weeks and can be securely weaned

when it is 8 to 12 weeks old.

Multiplication: Cats grow rapidly. Adolescence sets in at the age of 6 to 8 months and

spontaneous pregnancies are conceivable, if safety measures are not taken (Kubick, 2000).

 

Question:

Describe when and how personal protective clothing and equipment should be used in an animal care facility?

Not a complete answer to the question. Please revise to include an indication of what PPE should be worn and why

 

Answer:

Should be donned when entering the animal facility, changed when soiled or contaminated,

and removed before leaving the animal care facilities.

 

Question:

1. Describe the physical appearance of a healthy cat?

 

1. What are the vital signs of a healthy cat? Eg. normal heart rate, temperature and respiration rate?

 

1. What are the other two vital signs that should be recorded every visit?

 

1. Why is a pain scale useful when you are caring for a cat in a clinical situation?

Providing temperatures in Farenheit is not acceptable in Australia. Please provide measures in metric units

Weight is not a vital sign. What other vital sign is required – it is also related to gums.

 

Answer:

1. a) A healthy cat should be gleaming and smooth, not coarse or fragile, and sound skin

ought to be supple and clear, not oily, flaky or rough.

102. b) A normal temperature range is 100 to 102.5F. 20 to 30 breaths per minute at rest.

Adult cat’s heart normally beats 140 to 220 times per minute and average of 195

beats per minute (Leyhausen, 1979).

1. c) Weight and Mucous membranes
2. d) A pain scale is an integral part of an animal’s postoperative evaluation. It is used for

identification and quantification of acute pain in cats, and indicates when analgesic

intervention is needed (Lohan, 2012).

 

Question:

List some of the legislation, regulations and codes of practice, including OHS, animal welfare and ethics relevant to cat care and welfare.

These are not Victorian documents – please provide legislative documents that are relevant to owned cats in Victoria

 

List some of the legislation, regulations and codes of practice, including OH&S, animal

welfare and ethics relevant to cat care and welfare.

‐ IATA Live Animal Regulations

‐ Animal Welfare Act

‐ US Food and Drug Administration Agency

‐ Animal Welfare Codes for breeding dogs and cats

 

Question:

Design a hospital record cage card that communicates basic vital signs, mentation, urine, faeces, vomiting and nutrient input. Remember to include prompts for animal and client identification and any other information you think should be included.

This is not suitable for monitoring cat wellbeing during a stay in a clinic. Please revise to include a monitoring sheet

 

Answer:

Age

Height

Weight

Body Condition Score

Date of the last physical

Next Vaccination

Method of flea prevention

Method of heartworm prevention

Date of the Last fecal examination

Last urine/blood screening date

When was the last dental exam done on

the cat?

Any dietary changes?

 

Question:

1. Name two diseases that are most prevalent in cat shelters?
2. Describe how you would prevent the spread of one of these diseases to ensure the safety of other cats in the shelter
3. Knowing that cats are very sensitive to smells in their environment what products would you use to ensure their health, safety and comfort, if the choice was yours?
4. What chemicals would you use to clean their enclosures?

This is not a distinct disease of cats. Revise your answer

 

Answer:

1. a) Upper respiratory infections and plaque bacteria
2. b) To prevent the spread of upper respiratory infections, I would isolate the infected cat,

give it antibiotics, and a lot of fluids. In addition, I would keep the cat indoors,

vaccinate using the most recent vaccines and ensure an appropriate immune

system.

1. c) I would avoid using perfumes, clean the litter box often, keep fish away from the cat,

and prevent any smelly items from entering the cat’s kennel.

1. d) Quaternary ammonium compounds