Veterinary Medicine - August 2007 - (Page 510)

Idea Exchange tips from the trenches Keep patients warm with bubble wrap To keep caged animals warm without generating loads and loads of laundry, place a layer of bubble wrap under a towel. This combination keeps the patient off the cage floor and provides insulation without adding as much to the laundry pile. Christine Bell, veterinary assistant Scotts Valley, Calif. A contained method for aspirating fluid When aspirating a large volume of fluid during thoracentesis, try this method. Attach the needle to an extension line (or use a butterfly catheter) and then to a three-way stopcock. Then, instead of pushing the fluid out the open end of the three-way stopcock and into a bowl, attach the stopcock to a closed collection setup, such as an IV line and an empty fluid bag. This creates a clean, efficient system. Dr. Alexis Newman Downers Grove, Ill. Spray away those not-so-nice canine smells We have found that Epi-Otic (Virbac) works well to get rid of the smell associated with anal gland expression. Epi-Otic comes in a squirt bottle, but I created a spray bottle—which wastes less product—by placing an old pump spray top from an empty cologne bottle onto an 8-oz Epi-Otic bottle. A. Nadine Leach, CVA1 Denton, Texas Use your closet as organization inspiration To better organize our medications, we purchased an inexpensive hanging shoe organizer and labeled each shoe pouch with a letter from A to Z. All patient medications (called-in refills, postoperative medicine) are placed in the pouch labeled with the first letter of the client’s last name. Before we purchased the organizer, we alphabetized medications and filed them in a basket. With this new method, we can find medications much more quickly. Dr. Kendell Michel Salina, Kan. Simple acts of compassion show clients that you care When the veterinarian euthanizes a horse at our clinic, I take a small, clean piece of the tail hair. I then braid it, secure it with a rubber band, and send it to the client inside a sympathy card. Clients seem to appreciate this keepsake. Toni L. Vader, LVT Rainier, Ore. New grooming tool: a letter opener A letter opener can be an effective tool to remove clumps of matted hair from cats. The point helps to break through a mat and divide it, and the protected razor blade cuts through the mat and thins it out—in addition to minimizing the risk of cutting the skin. Dr. Thomas D. Hauk Chicago, Ill. IV catheter = lacrimal duct cannula I find that a 25-ga IV catheter with the stylet removed makes a lacrimal duct cannula that is less traumatic than the usual metal type. And if you incorporate some fluorescein stain into the saline for flushing, you’ll know for sure the duct is patent. Dr. Michelle Maine Owego, N.Y. E-mail your ideas to vm@advanstar.com. We'll send you $50 for each idea selected for publication. 510 August 2007 VETERINARY MEDICINE ©iStockphoto.com/Simon Smith

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - August 2007

Contents A Veterinary Medicine Interview Veterinary Voices Idea Exchange Diagnosis and Treatment of Solar Dermatitis in Dogs Diagnostic Imaging for Linear Foreign Bodies in Cats Overcoming the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges of Canine Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia Ophthalmic drugs: What’s new? CE Form Product Preview Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - August 2007

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