Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease
Core Internal Medicine
Understand the pathophysiology and clinical signs of common medical conditions: renal disease, hepatic disease, diabetes mellitus, endocrine disorders, cardiac disease, and gastrointestinal disease. Know the diagnostic tests used to confirm each and the nursing implications.
Infectious Disease
Familiarize yourself with common infectious agents in small and large animals, including viral (parvovirus, distemper, feline leukemia), bacterial (leptospirosis, Lyme), fungal, and parasitic diseases. Understand vaccination principles, isolation protocols, and the importance of biosecurity.
Zoonotic Awareness
Recognize which infectious diseases are zoonotic and the precautions required to protect staff and clients.
Traps to Watch
Questions may confuse the clinical signs of similar diseases or ask about the vaccine schedule for a specific species. Another trap is assuming a single test result is definitive without considering false negatives or the stage of infection.
Worked Example
A young dog presents with vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. Parvovirus is suspected. The correct response includes isolation, supportive care, and a fecal or antigen test to confirm, not immediate vaccination.
Rule of Thumb
Correlate clinical signs with appropriate diagnostics; treat the patient, not just the test result.