Diagnostic Procedures: Flashcards
Flea Comb:
-Cats are able to groom 95% of adult fleas off
-Need a flea comb and white tissue to obtain the rest
-Add water to the white tissue = Red brown streaks = Flea feces detected
-Flea feces may be the only evidence of infestation, especially in cats
-Flea feces turns reddish-brown when exposed to water
Trichogram:
-Examination of plucked hairs under the microscope
-Pluck with mosquito hemostats or your fingers
-Use scotch tape to keep hair on the slide
-Examine the tip then roots then hair shafts
-Traumatized hair will be “barbed” while normal hair will be “tapered”
-Many owners will never see their cats over-grooming/licking
Wood’s Lamp
-UV light with cobalt filter in a dark room
-Very old tool with logistical issues
-Screening tool for dermatophytosis
-Sensitivity varies from 50-80% regarding microsporum canis
-Some dermatophytes do not produce fluorescing substances at all –> Not helpful
-It’s a great tool if it is positive (fluorescence)
-Fluorescence is “apple green” and follows hair shafts
Skin Scrape:
-Need a dulled scalpel blade, mineral oil, slides, and a cover slip
-Scrape with rounded part of dulled blade, NOT with tip
-Hair may need to be clipped prior to scraping
-Superficial skin scrapes are for mites that hang out in the strum corneum
-Deep skin scrapes: Squeeze area so the deeper mites are pushed upwards; Scrape until you see the capillary bleeding (Do this very quickly)
Skin Cytology:
-Most common diagnostic test!
-Direct glass imprints, prick and squeeze pustules, scotch tape
-Fix tape to the far end of the glass slide so that tape is dangling
-Tape never goes into fixative stain (blue)!! But goes into red for 5 seconds and purple for 5 seconds
-Rinse and put on slide
-May see: Bacterial cocci; Degenerate neutrophils
Otoscopy:
-Due prior to ear cytology
-Locate lateral incisure –> Pull ear flap straight out –> Lead tool into incisure –> Should immediately see the ear canal –> Continue advancing
Ear Cytology:
-Pull the ear up to the ceiling
-Locate lateral incisure, insert cotton swab until we hit the area where vertical and horizontal walls connect, then press against the lateral wall and scoop out the cotton swwab
-Do not swirl cotton swab, the animals are not sedated and so you may perforate their eardrum!!
-Rub each swab on the glass slides, stain it like a skin cytology
-May see: Yeast, bacterial rods
Biopsy:
-Label the sides that you are taking biopsy from and mark with sharpie
-Biopsy sites are NOT clipped or disinfected (Should be dirty) [ON EXAM]!!
-Don’t ever take a 4mm punch from a horse (Way too small, go larger)
-Twist in one direction as fast as you can (Its a one side bladed knife)
-Place sutures without forceps (simple continuous)
-Place at least two sutures so theres a backup if one fails
-Take sutures out after 10-14 days
