NAVTA AVA case studies
NAVTA AVA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The NAVTA Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) program is a professional recognition pathway for veterinary assistants - the team members who hold and restrain patients, prepare rooms and instruments, assist with pharmacy and laboratory tasks, and keep the hospital clean and running. NAVTA describes itself as "a diverse community of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians, students, and Veterinary Assistants, united in advancing the profession of veterinary nursing through strategic advocacy, awareness, and professional development," and it lists a Veterinary Assistants Program among its membership areas. The NAVTA AVA case studies are 5 cases and about 4,433 words.
1The Labrador Who Warns Before the Stifle Radiograph
Buster is a 9-year-old, 38 kg castrated male Labrador retriever presenting for a 3-week history of left hindlimb lameness. He is weight-bearing, but he pulls the leg away and lip-licks when the veterinarian palpates the left stifle; she suspects a partial cranial cruciate ligament tear and wants mediolateral and caudocranial stifle radiographs plus a blood sample for a pre-NSAID chemistry panel.
913 words, about 5 min2Setting the Bolus Rate for a Dehydrated Beagle
Pepper is a 6.5 kg spayed female Beagle, 3 years old, with two days of vomiting and small-bowel diarrhea. She is quiet but responsive; heart rate 140, temperature 39.1 degrees C, skin tent persists about 2 seconds, mucous membranes are tacky, and the veterinarian estimates 7% dehydration.
887 words, about 4 min3A Trough Phenobarbital Level Drawn at the Wrong Time
Milo is a 15.5 kg, 2.5-year-old castrated male mixed-breed dog who had a single generalized seizure 4 weeks ago and was started on phenobarbital 32.4 mg PO every 12 hours. He returns for a recheck.
881 words, about 4 min4Parvovirus in Room 2 with a Puppy Waiting at 10:00
A 10-week-old Yorkshire terrier with no vaccinations presents at 9:15 a.m. with two days of vomiting and bloody diarrhea; it is dull, roughly 8% dehydrated, and has a heart rate of 220.
867 words, about 4 min5The Owner Who Wants the Tartar Scraped Off an Awake Dog
Sadie is a 12-year-old spayed female golden retriever weighing 34 kg. The veterinarian documents grade 3 periodontal disease with mobility of the right maxillary fourth premolar, a 3/6 left apical systolic murmur, and a 4 cm subcutaneous lipoma over the left flank.
885 words, about 4 min