Textbook for the Veterinary Assistant by Kara Burns & Lori Renda-Francis

Author:Kara Burns & Lori Renda-Francis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781118813768
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2014-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

1 Behavior and disposition changes – hiding; inappetence; changes in posture, voiding, abnormal gait, not wanting to move

2 Protecting painful area – not wanting to be touched, threatening behavior

3 Increase in frequency of vocalization

4 Licking/biting affected area

5 Scratching/Shaking affected area

6 Restlessness – pacing

7 Sweating in certain species

8 Increased heart rate, muscle tension, hypertension

Nutritional assessment

The nutritional status of patients needs to be assessed every time they come to the hospital. If the patient is hospitalized, the health-care team should monitor the patient's nutritional status a minimum of once a day, depending upon the disease condition and reason for hospitalization. Nutritional assessment of patients will help to determine whether or not a patient is at risk for malnutrition.

As discussed in Chapter 6, the nutritional management of pets is an ongoing, cyclical process. The nutritional evaluation of patients includes assessment of the patient, the food, and the feeding method. Patient assessment is the first step and allows the determination of the patient's key nutritional factors and their levels. The key nutritional factors of the patient, as determined by the veterinarian and veterinary technician, become the basis for the second step, known as the feeding plan. The feeding plan consists of recommendations for food and feeding methods. The veterinarian will make the recommendation for the patient (in wellness nutrition, a nutrition technician may make the recommendation). The assessment of the current food and feeding method will determine whether the current feeding plan is appropriate. The veterinary assistant plays an important role in this ongoing process. Weighing patients when they enter the hospital and documenting all discussions with the owner as they pertain to the pet's nutritional status in the medical record are important responsibilities of the veterinary assistant.

The five vital assessments described above need to be determined and all information pertaining to these assessments needs to be documented in the medical record.

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