Vaccinology is an ever expanding field. As a member of the Veterinary staff it is important to stay up to date with the continuous new scientific data and recommendations that affect the care that our companion animals receive at the Veterinary clinic. This paper presents adverse vaccination reactions, their cause, risk factors and suggestions how we can minimize the risk of adverse vaccine events in dogs. Dog owners in Sweden were allowed to answer a questionnaire about adverse events following vaccination. Lethargy, edema and pruritus were among the most frequently seen adverse effects.

The aim of this literature study was to give a clear picture of what gastric dilatation-volvulus is, and how the acute- and postoperative treatment and care is managed. The general aim is to support and help the Veterinary technicians in their clinical work. Gastric dilatation volvulus is always an emergency. The primarily goal when these dogs are hospitalized is to establish an adequate cardiovascular function. This is done by immediate intravenous fluid therapy followed by decompression of the dilated stomach.

Objective ? To study the requirement of nursing care of the equine patient during eye treatment with a lavage system together with a constant rate infusion pump. Procedures ? Three Veterinary nurses at ATG: s Hästsjukhus in Skara were asked nine questions at individual interviews. Inclusion criteria for participation in the interview were that the nurse should have treated equines with and without the infusion pump to the lavage system, but also traditionally with eye drops. Results ? The equine had a higher well-being since it experienced less stress during eye treatment with the infusion pump compared to treatment given by hand through the lavage system. The treatment would be more effective with constant rate infusion and save costs for the owner.

FLUTD - Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease ? is a complex disease and a common sight in the Veterinary setting. Although FLUTD excluding urethral obstruction may be discomforting for the cat and its owner due to symptoms such as periuria, stranguria, hematuria, dysuria and pollakiuria, obstruction presents an acute and potentially lethal form of the disease as a result of uremia and disturbances in fluids, electrolytes and acid-base balances. A study of literature has been performed to investigate the causes of FLUTD with urethral obstruction and the actions available to the owner to avert them. Potential causes of obstructive and non-obstructive FLUTD have been found to include infections, uroliths, urethral plugs, neoplasia, anatomic abnormalities, trauma, neurogenic or iatrogenic causes. Most commonly a cause cannot be identified and the terms idiopathic FLUTD or feline idiopathic cystitis are used. As the mortality rate due to urethral obstruction likely is somewhere around 5.8-8.9% and FLUTD including and excluding urethral obstruction constitute great inconveniences, precautionary measures are warranted.

Post-anaesthetic myopathy (PAM) is a serious occasional complication of general anaesthesia in horses. It causes not only pain and suffering to the horse, but also suffering (trauma) to the owner with increased Veterinary costs. In the worst case PAM can be fatal. The anaesthetic nurse must know which parameters have to be taken into consideration in the prevention of PAM, to be able to prevent it, and use that knowledge for the animals safety. The aim of this literature review was to investigate and make a presentation of the factors and measurements associated with PAM, with focus on how to monitor these measurements to prevent it from happening, and the advice a Veterinary nurse can give to the horse owner regarding this condition. According to literature there a few factors that greatly increase the risk of PAM, these include- hypotension, periods less than 60 mmHg significantly increases the risk.

The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek terms eu meaning good and thanatos meaning death, "good death". The penetrating captive bolt is an effective method of euthanasia, when use of drugs is inappropriate. The horse becomes immediately unconscious and falls to the ground. First after the blood is emptied from the body the horse is dead. The use of injectable euthanasia agents is a rapid and reliable method of performing euthanasia. The aim is to stop the flow of oxygenated blood to vital organs and tissues. The muscle relaxants may be used either in combination wih or following an anaesthetic dose of barbiturate, their use use as a sole agent is totally inhumane.

This examination paper is about diseases of rats. The examination paper also includes sampling techniques, administration techniques and radiography. A detailed account of diseases of rats and their symptoms has been included. This examination paper is primarily written for Veterinary technicians but also for others with interest in the subject. .

Otitis externa is a disease regularly encountered in Veterinary practice. It is estimated to be the most common disease in the external ear canal of dogs and treatment is often delayed due to unfortunate pet owner ignorance. Owners tend to assume that scratching of the ears and head shaking are natural behaviours in their dog and may be neglecting the problem unknowing of how severe it actually is. A literature study has been carried out to examine the causes of otitis externa in order to present a collection of measures that can be used in the treatment and prevention of the disease. In turn these measures can be advised to the dog owner and used in the home environment to make the best qualifications for healthy ears in the dog. The causes of otitis externa have been divided into predisposing, primary, secondary and perperuating causes.

The objective of the essay was to identify the nursing care required by a dog suffering from heat stroke and how to educate and advice the owners how to start treating their dog and prevent the condition from occurring in the first place. The essay is based on a literature study. Several databases were searched for scientific research to try find answers to the issues. Keywords concerning the subject were used and mixed in different combinations to sort out the suitable studies. The results of the study indicate that the dog should be cooled by the owner directly after detection. The most crucial issue is to reduce the body temperature as quickly as possible or the morbidity will worsen.

Due to progresses constantly being made in Veterinary medicine combined with increasing knowledge in pet owners, the dogs of today gets older than before. The population of geriatric dogs is there for constantly growing, which makes them an important group of patients on small animal clinics and hospitals. As dogs age, so do their interior organs. Geriatric dogs are prone to several diseases and in this text the author has decided to focus on three of the most common: Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS), cancer and osteoarthritis (AO). All of these illnesses are incurable in dogs, but it is important to remember that they are still treatable.

This report describes the nutritional requirements of the dog and cat. You are also able to learn about the most common diseases in the dog and cat where food has an important role in both prevention and recovery of these diseases. We describe FLUTD, canine urolithiasis, heart- and kidney disease, gastrointestinal diseases and obesity. You have to know the right balance between different nutrients to decrease the stress on the body and to prevent the advancement of the diseases. Finally we discuss the differences between three manufacturers of Veterinary prescribed diets and two commercial pet foods..

Background: Vaccination is an important part in cats? welfare. It both helps to prevent the individual cat from catching a disease or lessen the symptoms of it, and protects the entire cat population from an epidemic. It is the cat owner who makes the decision to vaccinate or not. Understanding the cat owners? perspective regarding vaccination may improve communication between the owner and the Veterinary nurse, which may lead to a higher vaccination rate among cats.

Electroretinography is an examination method where the function of the retina is objectively assessed. In 2002 the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ECVO) published a proposition to a standard on how to perform ERG examinations, to facilitate comparison of results and to make it possible to repeat examinations. The purpose of this study was to validate parts of the canine ERG protocol suggested by the ECVO. Our principal aim was to study if there is any interference at the recommended stimulus intervals for dark-adapted rod- and combined rod-/cone responses. The results show that there is an effect on the a- and b-wave amplitudes when different stimulus intervals are employed. When all examined intervals are pooled, there is an increase in the median b-wave to each consecutive dim, white (rod) stimulus in a series of four.

Overweight and obesity is currently a major health problem in our dogs all around the world and it is becoming more common each year. There are few studies on the proportion of overweight dogs in Sweden, but it was estimated to be 33% in 2005. Studies in other countries report that between 25-40% of all dogs are overweight. The aim of this study was to survey the animal care for an overweight dog. It was also important to develop a scientifically based advice.

Malassezia otitis in dogs is a common cause of visit to a Veterinary service. In otitis externa due to Malassezia overgrowth the dog has a higher number of yeast organisms and/or a local inflammatory response to the micro organism. Common clinical signs include pruritus, erythema, swelling and increased exudate production. Clinical symptoms and results from cytology of ear swabs from the ear canal is the mainstay for diagnosis. Any underlying condition has to be identified and corrected to avoid relapse. The treatment options for infective otitis externa are based upon topical administration of eardrops containing antibiotics, steroids and antifungals.