Associations between the owner’s presence and signs of fear in dogs during examinations

Anastasia Stellato and others, University of Guelph, Ontario

Veterinary care is a source of stress and fear for many canine patients. This may affect the welfare of the patient, put clinical staff at risk of injury and can also lead to incomplete examinations and diagnostic tests. The authors carried out a standardised examination of 32 dogs which were recorded and assessed for signs of stress such as lip licking, shaking, yawning and vocalisations. Heart rates were higher in female dogs when the owner was absent and most dogs showed a reduced incidence of various stress-related behaviours when the owner was present. Therefore, they say owners should be encouraged to stay with their pets during the examination.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 257(10), 1031-1040

Attitudes of veterinary nursing staff towards pain management in rabbits

Livia Benato and others, University of Bristol

Veterinary nurses have the primary responsibility for monitoring signs of postoperative pain in patients. While surveys have suggested that VNs have reasonable confidence in their ability to identify pain in dogs and cats, there have been no similar studies on pain recognition in rabbits. There were 284 responses to the authors' questionnaire survey on the experiences of VNs in managing pain in rabbits. A majority of respondents relied on behavioural indicators rather than formal pain scales to identify pain in their patients, while around 20% of respondents used the rabbit grimace scale. Most respondents said they were ‘fairly confident' that they could recognise pain in this species.

Journal of Small Animal Practice 61 (9), 576-581

Effect of staffing levels on the risk of clinical errors in intensive care units

Galina Hayes and others, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Studies investigating workflow in the intensive care units of human hospitals have identified increased patient mortality and increased readmission rates when patient:nurse ratios are high and when workloads are increased by high patient turnover The authors investigated the effects of workload for veterinary nurses employed in the ICUs of three veterinary hospitals. Their results indicate that substantial reductions in major care errors can be achieved by maintaining the patient:VN ratio below 4:1. Staff experience and the total burden of patient illness severity may also determine the incidence of errors.

Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, https://doi.org/10.11111/vec.12991

Effects of refrigerated storage on the stability of canine plasma products

Thomas Edwards and others, US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Houston, Texas

Plasma transfusions are valuable in the early treatment of trauma-induced coagulopathy in dogs and many practices will maintain supplies of fresh frozen plasma. However this product must be kept frozen and thawed under precise conditions just before use. The authors compared the clotting times, coagulation factor activities and thromboelastographic parameters of different canine plasma products. Their results show that liquid plasma and thawed fresh frozen plasma could be stored in a refrigerator for up to 35 days. The performance of two novel freeze-dried plasma products was more variable.

American Journal ofVeterinary Research 81 (l2), 964-972

Effect of neutering on the canine vaginal microbiota

Ada Rota and others, University of Turin, Italy

Surgical sterilisation is the most effective method of contraception for dogs and may reduce the risk of conditions mediated by ovarian hormones, such as pyometra and pseudopregnancy However neutering also causes profound changes in physiological function which may adversely affect the animal's health. The authors examined the effects of neutering on the bacterial population of the canine vagina. Their results suggest that there are no consistent changes in the bacterial community following neutering but local modifications in cytology did occur BMC Veterinary Research, https://doi.org/10.1186/sl29l7-020-02670-3

BMC Veterinary Research, https://doi.org/l0.ll86/sl29l7-020-02670-3

Risks of feather damaging behaviour in companion parrots

Rutu Acharya and Jean-Loup Rault, University of Melbourne, Australia

Behaviour problems are relatively common in companion parrots with feather-damaging activity one of the most challenging. In most cases, veterinary staff are reliant on the owner's observations to understand the cause of this behaviour The authors gathered data from videos posted on social media as a way of investigating the bird's behaviour in its home environment with minimal disturbance. They suggest that the presence of non-bird companion animals in the household, the provision of fruit and vegetables in the diet, foraging devices and chewable devices may reduce the risk of feather damage.

Journal of Veterinary Behavior, https://doi.org/10.l016/j.jveb.2020.07.003

Readability and content of online pet obesity information

Tom Chen and others, University of Guelph, Ontario

Studies have shown that the internet is a more frequently used and trusted source of pet health information than veterinary practices. Nutritional topics are one of the most frequent subjects for owners seeking information on pet care. The authors investigated the readability and quality of the content available from online sources of information on pet obesity. They conclude that much of the information available is presented at a higher than recommended reading grade level. The study highlighted the importance of veterinary staff providing guidance to clients on navigating online sources of pet obesity information.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 257(ll), 117l-1180

Impact of registered veterinary technicians on the profitability of veterinary practices

Daniel Shock and others, ACER Consulting, Guelph, Ontario

Numerous studies in human healthcare have demonstrated that, when employed to the full extent of their capabilities, registered nursing staff improve the quality of patient care, while concurrently allowing physicians to practice more efficiently. The authors investigated the impact of registered veterinary technicians (ie, RVNs) on the economic performance of Canadian veterinary practices. They show that for each additional RVN, gross annual revenue per veterinarian increased by nearly Can$80,000. Clinics that paid nursing staff above Can$21 an hour were more efficient than those paying lower rates.

Canadian Veterinary Journal 61 (5), 505-511

Electrolyte measurements obtained with point-of-care and reference analysers

Samuel Fowlie and others, University of Glasgow

Accurate measurements of electrolytes are important in the diagnosi
s and management of many conditions in veterinary practice. The authors compare the performance of two point-of-care analysers (IDEXX Catalyst Dx and IDEXX VetStat) against the laboratory reference method for the measurement of blood Na, K and Cl concentrations in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism. There were inherent differences between the results obtained with the two POC analysers. They suggest that the same analyser should be used for all dose adjustments and repeat analyses, with attention paid to the individual reference range for that technology.

Journal of Small Animal Practice, https://doi:10.11111/jsap.l3205

Acupuncture as an adjuvant analgesic method in dogs undergoing spinal surgery

Hanna Machin and others, University of Cambridge

There has been increasing interest in using acupuncture in veterinary medicine over the past decade but there is still a paucity of data on these methods in the Western veterinary literature.

The authors investigated the safety and efficacy of acupuncture as an adjuvant analgesic method in dogs undergoing thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy. Those dogs given this treatment required a lower dose of fentanyl for adequate pain control and so the study supports the use of acupuncture in improving perioperative analgesia during spinal surgery.

The Veterinary Journal, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2020.105536

Microorganisms involved in incisional infections after gastrointestinal surgery

Rachel Williams and others, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Surgical site infection rates following gastrointestinal surgery range from 15% to 20% depending on which segment of the gut is treated. However, there is little published data on the bacteriology of SSIs after gastrointestinal procedures in veterinary patients.The authors examined the records of 276 dogs and cats undergoing GI surgery Incisional infections were recorded in just 7% of cases, with E coli the most commonly identified bacterium. Cefazolin and cefoxitin were the most frequently used perioperative antimicrobials but only about I6% of isolates were found to be susceptible to those agents.

Veterinary Surgery, https://doi.org/10.11111/vsu.13495

Constant rate infusions in exotic animals

Rodney Schnellbacher and Jessica Comolli, Zoo Miami Animal Health, Florida

Over the past decade, drug administration via constant rate infusions have become a recognised method for enhancing postoperative outcomes when treating exotic pet species. CRIs may improve the administration of multimodal anaesthesia and analgesia and can reduce the risks of hypotension. The authors review the administration of various therapeutic agents by CRI in exotic species. They conclude that these methods allow more precise control of drug administration and more consistent plasma levels of the medication being used.

Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jepm.2020.

Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 36 • February 2021