Small Animal Care



C11 Small Animal Care

Lab

Date _______________

Group Names____________________________________________________________

What is the name of your pet? _______________________ How old is your pet? ______

Is it a dog or a cat? ____________ What is the breed of your pet? __________________

Teeth care

■ Inspect the teeth for plaque or calculus build up. (Dental plaque is defined as the soft, thin film of food debris, saliva, and dead cells deposited on the teeth.)

■ Dental calculus (also known as dental tartar) is the hard, stone-like material, creamy yellow to black in color, which results from mineralization of dental plaque.

The teeth are…

_____ healthy and clean.

______ have a moderate amount of plaque and calculus build up.

______ have a severe amount of plaque and calculus build up.

Other _______________________________________________

■ Gently pull back the lips to expose the teeth. The dog’s jaws should not be forced open, as this tends to increase apprehension and fear. Apply a small amount of animal toothpaste to the toothbrush. The toothbrush should be inserted against the teeth at a 45-degree angle toward the gums. The brush is moved in small circular motions while overlapping several teeth. The inside surfaces of the teeth are more difficult to access; however, the motion of the tongue inside the mouth reduces plaque on those surfaces.

Teeth were properly brushed. (Instructors Initials) ________

Score________/ 10 points

Ear Care

■ Inspect the ears for signs of irritation and inflammation. This is most likely due to the dog scratching and rubbing the ear because of an infection or a foreign body (grass awn/seed, etc.) in the ear. The more common causes of infectious ear problems are bacteria, fungi, yeast, or mites.

The ears are…

_____ healthy and clean,

______ dirty and need cleaned.

______ red and swollen and possibly infected.

Ear Care

■ Clean the ear. Only products labeled for use in the ear should be administered. When administering these products, insert the tip of the bottle into the base of the ear towards the ear canal. Gently squeeze the container until the ear canal is filled with the liquid.

■ Once the proper amount of liquid has been given, aggressively massage the base of the ear. This will help to remove debris from the ear canal.

■ After the ear cleaning product has been used, it is safe to remove any debris that can be seen with the eye. A clean washcloth, gauze pads, or cotton balls can be used. Placing something into the ear canal like a Q-tip should be avoided. This cleaning procedure may need to be done multiple times until all the debris has been removed.

Ears were properly cleaned. _____________ (Instructors Initials)

Score________/ 10 points

Eye Care

■ Eye irritation can be a common problem encountered by pets. The irritation can be simply the result of dirt or debris in the eye, or it can be caused by injury, infectious disease, or a specific eye condition (glaucoma, dry eye, cataracts, ulcers, etc.).

■ Initially, the eye may become red and irritated. This is often called conjunctivitis.

■ The dog may be sensitive to the light and will "squint" or keep the eye completely closed.

■ Tearing or discharge from the eye is common and can result from irritation, infection, and disease.

The eyes appear…

_____ healthy, clear and clean.

______ dirty and need cleaned.

______ red and swollen and irritated.

■ Clean around the edges of the eye with a clean washcloth or cotton ball that has been soaked in warm water.

■ After squeezing any excess water from the washcloth or cotton, start at the corner of the eye and wipe AWAY from the eye.

■ Do the same thing on the opposite side of the eye.

■ Gently remove any discharge or debris found around the eye, being careful not to drag any discharge over the surface of the eye.

■ Use different cotton balls or areas of the washcloth for each eye. Both of these methods will help prevent the spread of infection

Eyes were properly cleaned. _____________ (Instructors Initials)

Score________/ 10 points

Paw care

Many of the foot problems found in dogs are the result of objects such as chewing gum, burrs, thorns, snow, mud, and matted hair that irritate and injure the pads or between the toes.

Inspect the paws for cuts, thorns matted hair or injured toenails.

The paws appear…

______ healthy, and clean.

______ dirty and need cleaned and the long hair trimmed.

______ red and swollen and irritated between the toes.

______ to have broken or injured toe nails

Other: ______________________________________

Clipping foot hair to a moderate length may eliminate a host of potential problems. Clip the hair between the toes and trim the nails.

Paw hair and nails were properly trimmed. _____________ (Instructors Initials)

Score________/ 10 points

Coat Care

■ Look over and inspect the animal’s coat.

Does the coat appear…

_______ Healthy, matt free, clean and shiny?

_______ Dirty and in need of a bath?

_______ Tangled and matted in need of a good brushing?

Other: _________________________________________

■ Brush the dog. Begin by dividing the dog into sections, and focus on one area until all the tangles are removed. Doing this in a systematic fashion will help ensure that no areas are missed. Use the hand not holding the brush to hold the leg and lift the longer layers of hair out of the way.

The coat was properly brushed. _____________ (Instructors Initials)

Score________/ 10 points

Vital Signs

Normal Vital Signs

|Stage of Life |Heart Rate |Respiratory |Temperature |

| | |Rate | |

|Young Dog |110-120 |20-22 |99.5-102.2 |

|Adult Dog |80-120 |14-18 |99.5-102.2 |

|(Small Breed) | | | |

|Adult Dog |60-80 |12-16 |99.5-102.2 |

|(Large Breed) | | | |

Heart rate

The heart is best heard on the left side, behind the point of the elbow. Because the heart is often difficult to hear, move the stethoscope to different areas while placing mild pressure on the stethoscope head.

Count how many heartbeats the dog takes in 15 seconds: ___________

Times that number by 4 to get the heart rate per minute: __________

Is the heart rate: ______ fast _______ normal _______ slow

__________ Attempted but was unable to find the heart beat

Respiratory rate

A dog’s lungs lie below the rib cage and do not extend beyond the last rib. To listen to the lungs, choose a location that is between the ribs. It is best to listen to multiple areas in many different rib spaces. Also, listen to the trachea in the neck region. It is abnormal if the sounds of fluid, crackles, or wheezes are heard.

Listen to both sides of the dog. With practice, normal and abnormal lung sounds can be identified.

What kind of sounds did you hear when you listened to the lungs?

_______________________________________________________________

Where were the sounds of fluid, crackles, or wheezes heard? _________

Count how many breaths the dog takes in 15 seconds: ___________

Times that number by 4 to get the respiratory rate per minute: __________

Is the respiratory rate: ______ fast _______ normal _______ slow

Temperature

Place some type of lubrication on the thermometer before inserting it into the rectum. Gently insert the lubricated thermometer 1-2 inches into the rectum. Do not force the thermometer into the rectum. If significant resistance is felt, allow the dog to relax and try again. Leave the thermometer in the rectum for 1-2 minutes. Do not let the dog sit down. Remove the thermometer and read the temperature immediately.

Temperature reading: _____________________

Is the animal’s temperature: _______ high ______ normal _______ low

Mucus Membranes & Capillary Refill

Lift up the lips of the animal and inspect its gums. Normal mucous membranes should be pink and moist.

With a thumb or finger, apply pressure to the gums just above or below a tooth. Once the gums under the thumb have been blanched out, the thumb can be removed.

The blanched out area should return to normal color in less than 1-2 seconds. If the dog is dehydrated, the membranes will be dry and the capillary refill time will be prolonged (>2-3 seconds). A dog in shock will also have an increased capillary refill time.

The gums appear…

______ healthy, pink & moist with good capillary refill.

______ pale and dry.

______ red and swollen.

______ to have a delayed capillary refill time

Other: ______________________________________

Hydration skin tent

The loose skin on the side, back, or shoulders should be gently pulled outward. This creates the "tent" in the skin.

The skin should rapidly snap back and return to normal when released. If the skin remains raised or "tented," the dog may be dehydrated.

_______ The skin rapidly snaps back indicating the dog is properly hydrated.

_______ The skin remains “tented” indicating the dog may be dehydrated.

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