Veterinary Medicine - December 2007 - (Page 777)

Idea Exchange tips from the trenches A syringe where you need it when you need it We were constantly scrambling to find a syringe to inflate or deflate the cuffs of our endotracheal tubes, so we created this cuff blowerupper, which we nicknamed CBU, to keep track of the syringes. It is simple to make: Attach a piece of industrial Velcro® (Velcro Industries) to the barrel of a 12-ml syringe and attach another piece wherever you want the syringe. We have attached syringes to each of our anesthesia machines, above the sink in which we clean surgical instruments and endotracheal tubes, and beside the treatment table. This way a syringe is always within reach when we need it, and it never gets misplaced. The support staff at Heartwood Animal Hospital Youngsville, N.C. Get crafty with heartworm prevention Using preprinted paper and animal stickers, we make eye-catching scrapbook pages featuring our flea control and heartworm preventive products. Clients like seeing all of the products together, and it makes comparisons easier for staff members. Prices are listed per tube and per 3, 4, 6, or 12 packs. The scrapbook format allows us to change the price list without having to make a new page. We use page protectors to keep the pages free from dirt and smudges. Mickie L. Diehl, RVT Navarre, Ohio A tip for laser tips We often had difficulty finding the metal and ceramic tips for our laser after sterilization. So now we put them inside the small plastic covers with the colored ends that the individual needles come in. They are much easier to find, and we can just open the covers and tip the tips out. Dr. Kate Duncan Battle Creek, Mich. Neater anal gland expression When expressing anal glands, I doubleglove. After expressing the material onto a paper towel, I turn one glove inside out around the paper towel to discard it. Then I use the same gloved hand (now clean) to wipe the anal area with gauze soaked with Nolvasan (Wyeth). After I discard the second glove, I have a clean hand to spray the area with a little perfume. This technique makes an undesirable procedure less messy for all of us. Dr. Sandra Wu Garden City Park, N.Y. Don’t let IV lines slack off Patients receiving IV fluids always get the line wrapped around their legs the second I leave them alone. To avoid this, I secure the slack of the IV line to the top of the dog’s collar with Vetrap (3M) bandaging tape. This allows the dog to move around without wrapping itself up or pulling the IV line out. Dr. Tom Taylor Waterloo, Iowa 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. ©iStockphoto.com/Lorraine Kourafas VETERINARY MEDICINE December 2007 777

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

Veterinary Medicine - December 2007 Contents Letters Editors' Guest Thanking Our Valued Reviewers The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Joseph Harari Clinical Exposures Idea Exchange Answers to Three Commonly Asked Questions About Lyme Disease Practical Ideas for Managing Common Internal Medicine Problems A Tip for Interpreting Leptospira Species Titers Investigating Proteinuric Kidney Disease Counseling New Puppy Owners: Normal Play vs. Aggressive Tendencies 11 Guidelines for Conservatively Treating Chronic Kidney Disease CE Form Product Preview Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller Merial Insert

Veterinary Medicine - December 2007

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