Clinical Procedures in Small Animal Veterinary Practice

By Victoria Aspinall, BVSc, MRCVS, Director, Abbeydale Vetlink Veterinary Training, Gloucester, UK

1. Restraint, handling and administration of medicines
2. Routine surgical procedures eg. neutering, caesarean section, cat bite abscesses, aural haematoma, removal of grass seeds, dental scaling and extractions. In many cases detailed illustrations and photographs will facilitate understanding.
3. Suturing techniques - all types
4. Laboratory procedures
5. Bandaging techniques - veterinary surgeons often leave this to the nurses but should be able to perform the techniques themselves.
6. Diagnostic imaging - mainly covering radiographical positioning and use of ultrasound.
7. Anaesthesia - type and choice of circuits, regional anaesthesia
8. Basic procedures used in the consulting room eg. squeezing anal glands, clipping nails, clipping beaks, examination of ears and eyes.