Elsevier’s Veterinary Assisting Textbook

Prepare for the role and responsibilities of the veterinary assistant! Elsevier’s Veterinary Assisting Textbook, 4^th Edition, covers everything you need to know to pass the Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) Exam and succeed in clinical practice. NAVTA-approved guidelines help in learning to assist in laboratory and radiographic procedures, properly restraining animals, setting up equipment and supplies, cleaning and maintaining practice facilities, feeding and exercising patients, collecting samples, handling and dispensing medications, grooming patients, and record keeping. Updated content reflects the latest Fear-Free™ handling techniques and the veterinary assistant’s role in helping owners through pet loss.

NEW! Hospice, Grief, and Pet Loss chapter discusses the human-animal bond, stages of grief, and other principles of the veterinary assistant’s role in helping the owner through pet loss.

EXPANDED! Behavior content includes the latest Fear-Free™ handling methods.

NEW! Practice quizzes on the companion Evolve website allow you to test your understanding of key concepts.

UPDATED! Drug information covers the newest pharmacologic agents and their uses, adverse side effects, and dosage forms.

UPDATED! Infection control and vaccination coverage keeps you up to date with the latest guidelines and protocols.

Comprehensive coverage provides everything you need to prepare for the Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) certification exam.

Step-by-step instructions and hundreds of colorful photographs clearly break down veterinary assisting tasks and clarify essential information.

Discussion of office procedures and client relations prepares you for the business aspects of veterinary practice and how to work closely with management staff.

User-friendly features in each chapter include learning objectives, a chapter outline, and key terms, and an emphasis on the concepts you are expected to learn.

Coverage of the workflow in a veterinary practice clarifies the role of the veterinary assistant in relation to all other members of the veterinary healthcare team.

Critical Concept boxes provide useful tips to improve your knowledge and skills.

Table of Contents:

1. A technician holds a dog below the neck while a veterinarian examines the dog. Overview of the Veterinary Profession

History of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary Health Care Team

Types of Veterinary Practices

Veterinary Practice Design

Ethics

Laws

Occupational Health and Safety in Veterinary Practice

2. Office Procedures and Client Relations A woman is talking over the phone with a smiling face.

Front Office Procedures

The Office Visit

Pet Health Insurance

Medical Records

Standard Operating Procedures

Inventory Management

Computer and Software Management

Client Relations

3. Medical Terminology A dog with a cream body coat and brownish ears is in a seated position.

Introduction to Word Parts

Using Word Parts to Form Words

Defining Medical Terms Using Word Analysis

Combining Forms for Body Parts and Anatomy

Suffixes and Prefixes

Terms for Direction, Euthanasia, and Movement

Body Regions

Dental Terminology

Common Abbreviations

4. Animal Behavior and Restraint A veterinary professional wraps a towel around a cat’s body.

Dog and Cat Breeds

What Is Behavior and Where Does It Come From?

Preventing Behavior Problems in Companion Animals

Providing Services for Problems

Behavior Problems in Exotic Animals

Restraint and Handling of Dogs

Restraint and Handling of Cats

5. Animal Husbandry and Nutrition A dog food product, labeled good pet. The ingredients, contact number, and other necessary details are mentioned.

Husbandry

Animal Nutrition

I

Common Diseases

6. Animal Care and Nursing A veterinary technician holds a dog from behind and places a diaphragm of stethoscope on the abdomen while a person holds the dog from the head.

Patient History and Client Interaction

Physical Examination

Grooming and Skin Care

Administering Medications

Gastric Intubation

Fluid Therapy

Wound Care

Wound Closure and Bandaging

Nursing Care for Recumbent Patients

7. Anatomy and Physiology Structure of a heart.

Cells

Epithelial Tissue

Connective Tissue

Skeleton

Integument

Circulatory System

Respiratory System

Digestive System

Nervous System

Muscular System

Senses

Endocrine System

Urinary System

Reproductive System

8. Pharmacology and Pharmacy Close-up of three sealed injection bottles of various brands, from left to right, are telazol, morphine sulfate injection, and butorphanol tartrate injection.

Drug Names

Dosage Forms

Prescriptions and Dispensing Medication

Calculating Drug Doses

Storing and Handling Drugs in the Pharmacy

Storing and Prescribing Controlled Substances

Therapeutic Range

Dosage Regimen

Routes of Administration

How Drugs Exert Their Effects

Drugs Affecting the Gastrointestinal Tract

Drugs Affecting the Cardiovascular System

Drugs Affecting the Respiratory System

Drugs Affecting the Endocrine System

Drugs Affecting Reproduction

Drugs Affecting the Nervous System

Antimicrobials

Antiparasitics

Antiinflammatories

Disinfectants and Antiseptics

9. Anesthesia and Surgical Assisting Various surgical instruments including scalpel blades and scalpel handles are placed on a surface.

Surgery Suite

Principles of Asepsis

Surgical Instruments

Sutures and Other Materials Used in Wound Closure

Care and Maintenance of Surgical Instruments and Supplies

Basic Surgical Terminology

Preoperative Considerations

Preparation of the Operative Site

Preparation of the Surgical Team

Anesthetic Equipment and Supplies

Anesthesia

Surgical Assisting

Recovery and Postoperative Considerations

Suture Removal

10. Laboratory Procedures One gloved hand holds a refractometer, while the other hand places a drop on the prism cover using a dropper with a suction bulb.

Laboratory Design

Laboratory Measurements and Mathematics

Equipment and Instrumentation

Laboratory Records

Hematology Examination Procedures

Clinical Chemistry

Basic Principles of Immunology

Microbiology

Cytology

Histology

Urinalysis

Parasitology

11. Diagnostic Imaging A large X-ray unit with a text, InnoVet, on it.

X-Ray Generation

Radiographic Image Quality

Radiographic Film

X-Ray Equipment

Digital X-Ray Imaging

Radiation Safety

Darkroom Techniques

Radiographic Artifacts

Radiographic Positioning and Terminology

Contrast Studies

Oral Radiology

Diagnostic Ultrasound

Endoscopy

Computed Tomography

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Nuclear Medicine

12. Avian and Exotic Animal Care and Nursing A hand holds Abyssinian guinea pig from the base. The pig has round eyes and a fluffy coat.

Small Mammals

Birds

Reptiles and Amphibians

13. Large Animal Nursing and Husbandry A hand holds the muzzle of a horse, while the other hand closes a humane twitch around it.

Livestock Nutrition

Feeding Management of Livestock

Livestock Clinical Nutrition

General Care of Horses

Care of Cattle (Bovines)

Care of Sheep (Ovines)

Care of Goats (Caprines)

Care of Swine (Porcines)

Care of Poultry

Horse Handling and Restraint

Restraint of Foals

Cattle Restraint

Sheep Restraint

Goat Restraint

Swine Handling and Restraint

Common Procedures in Livestock

Monitoring Hospitalized Patients

Care of Recumbent Horses

Bandaging

Sample Collection

Administration of Medication

14. Hospice, Grief, and Pet Loss A seated cat with a clay paw print above it. The cat’s name is Lily.

The Human–Animal Bond

Palliative Care

Pain Control

Respite Care

Hospice Care

Natural Death

Euthanasia

Care of Deceased Animals

Grief Counseling

Effects of Patient Loss on Veterinary Practice Team Members

Compounded Loss

In Memoriam

Appendices

INDEX