Osteoarthritis in canines part 1: geriatric pain management

Osteoarthritis is a developmental disease that progresses as the canine ages. While incurable, there are ways to help mitigate the severity of the disease. Geriatric patients often have pain, lowered mobility, and decreased quality of life. Utilisation of clinical metrology instruments (CMIs), published pain management guidelines, multimodal medications, published quality of life scales, and the use of physical rehabilitation modalities/techniques enable the dog to live a full life. The dog's advancing age does not have to cause abrupt cessation of activities that all family members enjoy. Environmental modification and client education allow dogs to enjoy their entire life with their families.

Equine obesity and the role of the veterinary nurse

Equine obesity is defined as a medical disease in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it has an adverse effect on the general health of the horse. Obesity is a cause for concern, with one-third of the equine population in the UK being regarded as obese, although owner recognition of obesity in horses is an inherent problem, with many underestimating the body condition or weight of their horse. This is further complicated by the fact that with larger framed horses, or horses that are already overweight, assessing body condition is more difficult. There are a number of ways to assess body condition and the most practical means of regular assessment is body condition scoring, although this is regarded as subjective. As with many diseases and disorders, the cause of obesity is multifactorial. However, the most common reason for a horse to become obese is overfeeding, coupled with a lack of exercise. Obesity can be addressed with client education and veterinary nurses can provide advice on weight management programmes. However, these need to be tailored to the individual horse and owners need to recognise that they are entering into a long-term commitment.

Using mobile phones to improve young people sexual and reproductive health in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review to identify barriers, facilitators, and range of mHealth solutions

Background Globally, reproductive health programs have used mHealth to provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and services to young people, through diverse communication channels. However, few attempts have been made to systematically review the mHealth programs targeted to improve young people SRH in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). This review aims to identify a range of different mHealth solutions that can be used for improving young people SRH in LMICs and highlight facilitators and barriers for adopting mHealth interventions designed to target SRH of young people. Methods Databases including PubMed, CINAHL Plus, Science Direct, Cochrane Central, and grey literature were searched between January 01, 2005 and March 31, 2020 to identify various types of mHealth interventions that are used to improve SRH services for young people in LMICs. Of 2948 titles screened after duplication, 374 potentially relevant abstracts were obtained. Out of 374 abstracts, 75 abstracts were shortlisted. Full text of 75 studies were reviewed using a pre-defined data extraction sheet. A total of 15 full-text studies were included in the final analysis. Results The final 15 studies were categorized into three main mHealth applications including client education and behavior change communication, data collection and reporting, and financial transactions and incentives. The most reported use of mHealth was for client education and behavior change communication [n = 14, 93%] followed by financial transactions and incentives, and data collection and reporting Little evidence exists on other types of mHealth applications described in Labrique et al. framework. Included studies evaluated the impact of mHealth interventions on access to SRH services (n = 9) and SRH outcomes (n = 6). mHealth interventions in included studies addressed barriers of provider prejudice, stigmatization, discrimination, fear of refusal, lack of privacy, and confidentiality. The studies also identified barriers to uptake of mHealth interventions for SRH including decreased technological literacy, inferior network coverage, and lower linguistic competency. Conclusion The review provides detailed information about the implementation of mobile phones at different levels of the healthcare system for improving young people SRH outcomes. This systematic review recommends that barriers to uptake mHealth interventions be adequately addressed to increase the potential use of mobile phones for improving access to SRH awareness and services. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42018087585 (Feb 5, 2018)

Advocating for pet dental health.

This chapter describes the role of veterinary nurses in staff and client education, financing, pain management and referrals for dental health in cats and dogs.

Renal patients: IRIS scores, nursing care plans and care bundles

The role of a consulting nurse in chronic medical cases is very important in helping with compliance, client education and ultimately welfare and quality of life. In patients with chronic renal failure the use of the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) score enables all veterinary professionals to be able to implement any guidelines or protocols (care bundles) in order to benefit the health of the animal and to have these incorporated into long-term care plans.

Nurses Working in and With Adult Protective Services: Agency Characteristics and Job Responsibilities

The majority of Adult Protective Services (APS) workforce is staffed by social workers, though some agencies have recognized the need to address clients’ medical needs such as wounds, injuries, nutrition issues, hydration issues, premature death and more. Using survey data from the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), we analyzed 99 nurses’ responses on their role in working in/with APS to help abused, neglect, and exploited adults. Out of the 99 nurses, 65 were direct employees of APS, and 61 did not report directly to a nurse supervisor. Forty-nine nurses carry a caseload like social workers, and 27 carry a caseload in conjunction with social workers. The most common services nurses provide are home visits, evaluations of clients and their medications, and client education. Qualitative data revealed the benefits of having nurses on staff, including assessing medical needs, preventing medical emergencies, providing holistic care, and navigating the healthcare system. Part of a symposium sponsored by Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of Elderly People Interest Group.

Educating clients about raw diets and the associated parasitic risks

Raw diets are increasing in popularity among UK cat and dog owners with a trend towards home prepped rather than processed formulations. This potentially exposes household pets to parasitic infections which can lead to direct zoonotic risk and economic losses for farmers. These parasites include the tapeworms Taenia species and Echinococcus granulosus, and a wide range of cyst forming protozoa such as Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Sarcocystis species. Avoiding feeding pets raw diets or adequate freezing prior to feeding that kills the cystic stages of these parasites, avoids exposure via this route. This forms an important part of controlling food-borne parasites in addition to worm treatment, responsible disposal of dog faeces, good hand hygiene and keeping dogs on leads on and around ruminant pasture. Many pet owners are unaware of the parasitic risk posed by raw feeding and client education is crucial in helping to prevent pet exposure. Veterinary nurses play a vital role in educating clients and working with them to minimise parasites transmitted by raw feeding.

2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines

The guidelines are a consensus report on current recommendations for vaccination of cats of any origin, authored by a Task Force of experts. The guidelines are published simultaneously in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (volume 22, issue 9, pages 813–830, DOI: 10.1177/1098612X20941784) and the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (volume 56, issue 4, pages 249–265, DOI: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7123). The guidelines assign approved feline vaccines to core (recommended for all cats) and non-core (recommended based on an individualized risk–benefit assessment) categories. Practitioners can develop individualized vaccination protocols consisting of core vaccines and non-core vaccines based on exposure and susceptibility risk as defined by the patient’s life stage, lifestyle, and place of origin and by environmental and epidemiologic factors. An update on feline injection-site sarcomas indicates that occurrence of this sequela remains infrequent and idiosyncratic. Staff education initiatives should enable the veterinary practice team to be proficient in advising clients on proper vaccination practices and compliance. Vaccination is a component of a preventive healthcare plan. The vaccination visit should always include a thorough physical exam and client education dialog that gives the pet owner an understanding of how clinical staff assess disease risk and propose recommendations that help ensure an enduring owner–pet relationship.

2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines*

ABSTRACT The guidelines are a consensus report on current recommendations for vaccination of cats of any origin, authored by a Task Force of experts. The guidelines are published simultaneously in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (volume 22, issue 9, pages 813–830, DOI: 10.1177/1098612X20941784) and the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (volume 56, issue 4, pages 249–265, DOI: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7123). The guidelines assign approved feline vaccines to core (recommended for all cats) and non-core (recommended based on an individualized risk-benefit assessment) categories. Practitioners can develop individualized vaccination protocols consisting of core vaccines and non-core vaccines based on exposure and susceptibility risk as defined by the patient’s life stage, lifestyle, and place of origin and by environmental and epidemiologic factors. An update on feline injection-site sarcomas indicates that occurrence of this sequela remains infrequent and idiosyncratic. Staff education initiatives should enable the veterinary practice team to be proficient in advising clients on proper vaccination practices and compliance. Vaccination is a component of a preventive healthcare plan. The vaccination visit should always include a thorough physical exam and client education dialog that gives the pet owner an understanding of how clinical staff assess disease risk and propose recommendations that help ensure an enduring owner-pet relationship.

Nursing advice for owners of a visually impaired dog

Dogs are often presented in first opinion practice with visual impairment resulting from a variety of acute and progressive diseases or trauma. Visual impairment and blindness in dogs can be distressing for both the patient and the owner, and registered veterinary nurses can provide guidance and support on the adjustments needed to allow the patient to have a good quality of life. This article will discuss the disease processes, treatment options and client education for canine blindness.