Veterinary Medicine - September 2008 - (Page 491)

Idea Exchange tips from the trenches Extra comfort for your knees With all the time we spend kneeling on the hospital ﬂoor, we thought we could use a little help. So we purchased these pants (Carhartt) and the kneepads to go with them from a local workwear store. No more bruised knees! Sarah Ludwig, veterinary assistant Frazier Park, Calif. D.I.Y. dental lighting By attaching an LED or high-intensity ﬂashlight to your dental x-ray tube, you get an inexpensive, unobstructed light with excellent positioning ability. If you attach the ﬂashlight with hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro®— Velcro Industries), you can easily remove it for endotracheal intubation or other situations in which ﬁxed lights are inconvenient. Dr. Will Wiatt Orange, Calif. Spotless bloodstain removal with saline solution We all get bloodstains on our clothes, and using water or hydrogen peroxide to get the blood out usually leaves a stain. However, if you use saline solution, the blood cells won’t lyse and the blood will come out of clothes without staining. Dr. Emily Hoppmann Columbia, S.C. A tip for monitoring pocket pets’ heart rates At our hospital, we perform few exotic or pocket pet surgeries, but when we do, we have struggled with monitoring these patients’ heart rates. Their bodies are too small to attach monitors to, and stethoscopes are bulky. However, we can hear these patients’ hearts by using the crystal from our Doppler blood pressure monitor. We don’t even shave the patient; we just use some gel and place the transducer on the animal’s chest. Loretta Postell, LVT Lacey, Wash. Diaper abdominal wounds that drain We use disposable baby diapers of the appropriate size as ventral abdominal bandages for lesions that will have a lot of drainage. The diaper design keeps the skin dry and minimizes serum or moisture skin scald. Dr. Laura Hopper Asheville, N.C. Forego elective surgeries on meeting days We do not schedule elective surgeries on the day of our monthly staff meeting. This makes it easier for everyone to attend the meeting without worrying about patients that are recovering. Pam D’Esopo, practice manager Dedham, Mass. Send us your great idea, and we’ll send you $50! E-mail us at vm@advanstar.com, send a fax to (913) 871-3808, or write to Idea Exchange Editor at 8033 Flint, Lenexa, KS 66214. Getty Images VETERINARY MEDICINE September 2008 491

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - September 2008

Veterinary Medicine - September 2008 Contents Leading Off Practical Matters Idea Exchange A Challengin Case: Thymic Cyst and Recurrent Chylothorax in a Cat 10 Life-Threatening Behavior Myths CE Form Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - September 2008

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