Читать книгу Infectious Disease Management in Animal Shelters - Группа авторов - Страница 42
2.3.1 Step 1: Database Collection
ОглавлениеAn initial minimum database should be obtained on every patient. Though the size of the database is often debated, there is no disagreement that it must include a complete history and a complete physical examination, including observation of behavior whenever possible. From the perspective of a shelter, resources and philosophy must be considered when deciding what to include in the minimum database for each patient. The author's recommendations may be found in Table 2.4.
Table 2.4 Recommended minimum database for cats and dogs in the shelter.
| At Intake | Prior to Adoption |
|---|---|
| History | Ongoing physical and behavioral observations/monitoring |
| Physical examination (including scanning for a microchip) | Feline leukemia virus (FeLV)/Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) testing (cats) |
| Behavioral observations (including a determination as to whether the animal is safe to handle) | Heartworm (HW) testing of dogs (in HW endemic areas) |
| Fecal exam (if diarrhea is present) | |
| Geriatric patientsa: Packed cell volume (PCV)/Total solids (TS), urine specific gravity and dipstick |
a Geriatric: Small dogs (under 20 pounds) 10 years; medium and large dogs (21 to 90 pounds) 7–8 years; giant dogs (over 90 pounds) 6 years; cats 9–10 years.
The author recommends the addition of the tests in Table 2.4 to the minimum database for geriatric animals that will be offered for adoption: These procedures broadly screen many body systems and are very cost‐effective. These should be viewed as extensions of the physical examination for the geriatric animal. Whenever time and resources allow, the veterinarian should also consider fine‐needle aspiration for in‐house cytologic evaluation of all cutaneous and subcutaneous masses. This simple and inexpensive practice of evaluating “lumps and bumps” may identify potential malignancies that would otherwise go unchecked and provide reassurance that any growths present should not be cause for undue concern by potential adopters.
