Animal Nursing and Patient Care
This domain tests husbandry, nutrition, medication administration, monitoring, bandage care, and client education.
Core rules
- Monitor vital signs, pain score, hydration, mentation, urine output, and appetite. Turn recumbent patients and keep them clean and dry.
- Calculate resting energy requirement as RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75. Start at a fraction of RER in anorexic patients and increase gradually.
- Follow the five rights of medication administration. Do not force oral medication into a vomiting or dyspneic patient.
- Check bandages for swelling, odor, discharge, and toe temperature.
Worked example
A 10-kg dog is anorexic. RER = 70 × 10^0.75 = 70 × 5.62 = about 393 kcal/day. The technician starts with one-third of RER, about 131 kcal/day, divided into small meals, and monitors for vomiting and refeeding syndrome. The reasoning: full RER immediately after prolonged anorexia risks electrolyte shifts and gastrointestinal intolerance.
Traps
Overfeeding a refeeding patient, leaving a bandage too tight, ignoring pain, and failing to check tube placement are common. Client education must include measuring devices and return precautions.