Animal Nursing and Patient Care
Animal nursing and patient care covers husbandry, restraint, vital-sign monitoring, nutrition, fluid therapy, wound and catheter care, and hospitalized-patient management. The exam tests whether you can recognize deterioration and keep patients clean, comfortable, and safe.
Core rules and concepts
- Know approximate normal values: dog temperature 37.5–39.2 °C, heart rate 60–160 beats/min, respiratory rate 10–30 breaths/min; cat temperature 38.1–39.2 °C, heart rate 140–220 beats/min, respiratory rate 20–30 breaths/min. Trends matter more than a single reading.
- Body condition score uses a 1–9 scale; 4–5 is ideal in many dogs and cats. Weigh patients daily during hospitalization because weight change reflects fluid balance and nutrition.
- Maintenance fluids are often calculated at about 60 mL/kg/day, or 2.5 mL/kg/hr. Add deficit replacement and ongoing losses as directed by the veterinarian.
- Use minimal effective restraint and species-specific handling. Scruffing a cat is not a routine restraint method; towel wrapping or a muzzle for a dog may be safer when appropriate.
- Clean catheter sites, check bandages for swelling or strike-through, and turn recumbent patients regularly to prevent pressure sores.
Worked example
A 10 kg dog needs maintenance fluids only. Using 60 mL/kg/day: 10 × 60 = 600 mL/day. Divide by 24 hours to get 25 mL/hr. Set the pump at 25 mL/hr, confirm the drip rate and line patency, and recheck hydration and urine output rather than assuming the calculation alone is sufficient.
Traps that cost marks
- Relying on one temperature or heart rate instead of serial trends.
- Forgetting to weigh the patient or record intake and output.
- Using excessive restraint that increases stress or compromises breathing.
- Ignoring a bandage that is wet, tight, or has an odor.