T10: Providing client advice; core health protocols and common DISEASES Flashcards
Core clinic health preventative regimes, for any species normally include:
- Vaccination
- Internal parasite control
- External parasite control
- Reproductive management
You need to know for every animal species and age the recommended vaccination regime, including:
- Which vaccine is used at each age
- When boosters are required, and how often
- What diseases the vaccine protect against
- How vaccines act, and what can interfere with their action
- Under which circumstances vaccines are contra-indicated
- Possible side-effects, symptoms and how to respond to them
What information do you need to know about internal parasite control (worming)?
- every preparation your clinic stocks
- what they are effective against
- worming regime for each species
- which worms which species needs protection against
- how to administer preparation
- how often, at what age, which prep
For dogs and cats, how early in life is worming recommended and why?
- from 2 weeks
- due to transplacental and transmammory transmission
What is the worming regime for dogs and cats?
every two weeks up until 12 weeks of age, then once a month till 3 months of age, then every 3 months after the age of 6 months.
What types of flea treatments are available?
- spot-on treatments
- tablets
- powders
- washes
- collars
Can you use dog flea products on cats?
-?
- NO
- contain pyrethrin, can kill cats
How are mites identified and can mite medication be sold OTC?
- under microscope
- need consultation (so no)
What info do you need to know about desexing?
- at what age desexing is recommended
- the reasons and benefits of desexing
- the possible problems that could occur
- how to explain the procedure to clients and the aftercare
- the costs
What info do you need to know about breeding?
- recommended age for first mating
- how to tell the best time for mating - the signs of oestrus
- how normal mating occurs, and options for artificial mating (AI, Embryo transfer)
- normal length and signs of gestation (pregnancy)
- when / how to detect a positive pregancy
- housing, health care and nutrition for the pregnant animal
- signs of normal parturition, and whether to intervene or call the vet
- how to care for newborns
- when and how to wean
What is the general recommended age for desexing?
6 months
What is EAD?
- early age desexing
- 10 - 12 weeks of age
- can occue at 8 weeks so long is animal is a minimum of 1kg
Benefits of desexing female dogs?
Reduced incidence of;
- Unwanted pregnancy
- Mammary adenocarcinoma (tumour)
- Pyometra (uterine infection)
- Oestrus/heat (+ bleeding)
- Wandering/misadventure
Benefits of desexing male dogs?
Reduced incidence;
- Testicular carcinomas (tumour)
- Perianal adenomas (tumour)
- Prostate enlargement
- Prostatitis
- Constipation secondary to prostate enlargement
- Aggression
- Sexual behaviour
- Marking
- Wandering/misadventure
What behaviours can occur in unsterilised female rabbits?
- false pregnancies -pull hair out for nest
- aggression (also for males)
- high risk of uterine cancer