Читать книгу Infectious Disease Management in Animal Shelters - Группа авторов - Страница 43

Next to physical examination, history is the most important aspect of medical problem‐solving. The history alerts the clinician to the presence of potential physical and behavioral problems; it can be especially helpful for identifying problems that might not be detected on a physical examination. When available, a history can provide valuable information that may save time, money, and stress on the animal and staff. In many cases, historical information may be used to expedite the disposition of the pet. However, in the shelter setting, it may not always be possible to obtain an accurate history. Stray animals are often brought in by animal control officers or good Samaritans who have little, if any, information about the animal. Some shelters provide a location (e.g. drop‐off cages or runs) where animals can be relinquished after business hours. When this is provided, every effort should be made to obtain the history through questionnaires that the relinquisher can fill out when the animal is dropped off. That said, the use of unattended drop boxes is strongly discouraged because of the risks associated with leaving animals unattended at intake and for indefinite periods of time until staff return to work (ASV 2010). The presence of staff to directly accept the animal and obtain the owner's name and a history at the time of relinquishment is greatly preferred. Even so, surrendering owners may not provide thorough or accurate information because of fears that if they are honest about a pet's problems, the pet may be euthanized; to allay those fears, they should be encouraged that providing accurate information will help improve the care of the animal while in the shelter and will also help facilitate a better adoption match.

Intake procedures should be in place to capture basic patient information, including both physical and behavioral data such as vaccination history, known or suspected medical problems, regular diet and food preferences, elimination habits, handling preferences (e.g. likes to be petted, pulls on the leash, etc.), known fears, etc. It should also include the reasons for relinquishment as well as a bite history that provides details about any incident in which a bite has occurred. Please see Chapter 21 on Zoonosis for a comprehensive sample bite history form. The importance of obtaining accurate historical information cannot be overemphasized.