Cystotomy practices and complications among general small animal practitioners in Ontario, Canada

Cystotomy is a common surgical procedure in small animal veterinary medicine, yet common pre-, intra-, and post-operative practices have not been described. This survey evaluated cystotomy practices of 106 veterinarians in Ontario. The majority of respondents reported practices consistent with standard recommendations, but some deficiencies in antimicrobial and analgesic use, as well as intra- and post-operative practices, were identified. Some factors associated with the likelihood that practitioners reported recurrent urolithiasis or urinary tract infection are contrary to typical recommendations, such as the association of the use of absorbable, multifilament suture or a dorsal (versus ventral) incision and a lesser likelihood of reporting post-operative urinary tract infections. While care must be taken interpreting these statistical associations, the results suggest that objective assessment of common cystotomy recommendations (use of monofilament, absorbable suture) is required. Re-assessment of certain peri-operative practices, such as analgesic and antimicrobial administration, and post-operative testing, is required for a minority of practitioners.     

Contamination of multiple-dose vials in a veterinary hospital

Bacterial contamination of multiple-dose saline bottles and medication vials in a veterinary teaching hospital was evaluated. Bacterial contamination was identified in 16/88 (18%) containers, with no difference in contamination between the large animal clinic, small animal clinic, and ruminant ambulatory clinic. Contamination of multiple-dose containers containing substances for injection was common, and potential pathogens were present in many situations. While the clinical significance is not resolved at this point, infection control practices should address this potential source of nosocomial infection.     

Hand hygiene practices of veterinary support staff in small animal private practice

Objective: To evaluate the hand hygiene (HH) practices among veterinary technicians (VT) and veterinary support staff (VSS) in small animal private practice. Methods: This was a prospective questionnaire‐based study involving 182 VT and VSS from 18 small animal hospitals in the USA. Questions asked included gender, number of animals handled per work shift, frequency of hand washing, reason for not washing more frequently, most common available hand washing agent, education regarding the importance of HH and frequency of ring wearing. Results: Less than half of the respondents [76 of 182 (41·7%)] reported washing their hands regularly between handling patients and 154 of 182 (85·6%) believed they should have washed more frequently. The most commonly employed HH agent was hand soap [154 of 182 (84·6%)] and the most common reason cited for not washing more frequently was being too busy [132 of 182 (72·5%)]. Only 96 of 182 (52·7%) respondents were educated by doctors at their hospital regarding the importance of HH. Clinical Significance: The HH practices among VT and VSS in small animal private practice is poor. Hand soap was the most commonly employed agent among respondents in this study. Education of VT and VSS regarding the importance of HH requires improvement.     

Comparison of the general moral reasoning of small animal veterinarians vs large animal veterinarians

This project was developed to gather data on the general moral reasoning of practicing veterinarians and to compare the responses of small animal veterinarians vs large animal veterinarians and of male veterinarians vs female veterinarians. Using the Defining Issues Test for assessing moral reasoning, it was found that there is no significant difference between the levels of moral reasoning of small animal and large animal veterinarians. However, a slightly significant (P = 0.045) difference was found between the levels of moral reasoning of male and female veterinarians. Explanations of these findings are given. This report provides baseline data on the moral reasoning of veterinarians, which can serve as a foundation and stimulus for comparison in other studies.     

Qualitative study of factors associated with antimicrobial usage in seven small animal veterinary practices in the UK

Responsible use of antimicrobials by veterinarians is essential to contain antimicrobial resistance in pathogens relevant to public health. Inappropriate antimicrobial use has been previously described in practice. However, there is scarce information on factors influencing antimicrobial usage in dogs and cats. We investigated intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing decision-making of antimicrobial usage in first opinion small animal practices in the UK through the application of qualitative research methods.     

Laparoscopy in small animal medicine

Summary

Laparoscopy is described as a safe, simple, and relatively non‐invasive diagnostic technique for the visualization of abdominal organs. The instruments required, the procedure of laparoscopy, and indications and contra‐indications are described. The advantages of laparoscopy above laparotomy are discussed.     

Questionnaire on the incidence and control of fleas in dogs and cats presented to German small animal practices

2590 small animal practitioners in Germany have been asked by a questionnaire from which 1694 (65.4%) replied. 1186 of these veterinarians (70%) often see ectoparasite infestation. Fleas are predominant and occur on cats (1016/60%), followed by dogs (424/25%), small mammals and birds (254/15%). Flea infestations on dogs and cats are observed throughout the year, but the prevalences are generally higher during the summer season. The results reveal that topically administered spot-on formulations is the most popular method used for flea control. The most common applied antiparasitic substances both in dogs and in cats were fipronil (535/31.6%; 690/40.7%), imidacloprid (290/17.1%; 417/24.6%) and selamectin (267/15.8%; 319/18.8%). Due to 771 (45.5%) of the answering veterinarians the animal owner himself, and according 694 (41%) respectively 229 (13.5%) of the replies the veterinarian or the veterinary technician applies the antiparasiticide onto the skin. 1457 veterinarians (86%) administer compounds against adult fleas and their developmental stages also in the animal's environment.     

Laparoscopy in small animal medicine

Laparoscopy is described as a safe, simple, and relatively non-invasive diagnostic technique for the visualization of abdominal organs. The instruments required, the procedure of laparoscopy, and indications and contra-indications are described. The advantages of laparoscopy above laparotomy are discussed.