Tag: veterinary technician

Clinical Pathology & Laboratory Techniques for Veterinary Technicians by Barger and MacNeill

March 29, 2016 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 0 Comments

Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Techniques for Veterinary Technicians provides a comprehensive reference of laboratory procedures featuring ‘how-to’ information as it pertains to small animals, horses, and cattle.

An inclusive reference on laboratory procedures pertaining to small animals, horses, and cattle

Provides information on hematology, hemostasis, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, parasitology, and fecal testing

Features high-quality photographs labelled with magnification and stain information, which clearly depict cellular morphology, inclusions, and infectious organisms

Offers key objectives, technician tip boxes, case examples and a glossary of key terms

A companion website provides images from the book for download, instructor questions and answer key to multiple choice questions in the book

Many thanks to Wiley-Blackwell for offering this review copy!

A lot of information is packed into this book’s 264 pages. Combining the clin path and lab techniques makes sense and provides a symbiotic relationship. The chapters are organized well and consist of learning objectives and key terms in the beginning, followed by case examples and some introductory paragraphs. The rest of the chapter is then in an outline form that is thorough and easy to follow. Highlighted boxes noted as “technician tips” provide valuable information through a Pearls of Practice format. Full color photos with information also provide another level of comprehension.

What makes this book stand out from the others is the case studies, complete with interpretation and comments to ensure that the technician understands what is happening.

Some chapters have multiple choice questions at the very end to further cement the objectives and make the technician think critically. Answers to the quiz and further questions can be found at http://www.wiley.com//legacy/wileychi/bager/.

Accurate results can only be gotten if the sample is prepared correctly; Chapter One – Getting Started covers proper ways to obtain and package blood, urine, and feces. Basic use of a centrifuge, microscope, stains, and blood tubes are also discussed, along with a section on laboratory safety.

Chapter Four – Clinical Chemistry explains how to prepare a sample for chemistry analysis, what normal and abnormal values are, and what the clinical significance is for those abnormal results. Chapter Five – Urinalysis does the same as Chapter Four but with urine.

The reason I mention both of those chapters is that I believe this will be an invaluable resource to any technician; because knowing the “why” is just as important as knowing the “how to”. The information is presented clearly and concisely, and technicians can refer to the chapters repeatedly to reinforce their knowledge.

Chapter Seven – Minimizing Laboratory Errors is the final, particularly important chapter. Errors in research are inevitable, but knowing how to properly plan and be aware of how they happened is an invaluable skill. QC and QA procedures are discussed, as well as the several types of errors.

Further reading sources are cited at the end of each chapter, and there is a glossary at the back of the book.

This first edition will be welcomed by those looking for a fresh aspect on clinical pathology. Want your own copy? You can pick it up here.

Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses by Julie Shaw and Debbie Martin

February 24, 2015 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 0 Comments

Thanks to Wiley-Blackwell for offering me this textbook in exchange for an honest review.

This comprehensive textbook contains nine chapters and three appendices, and is geared towards the veterinary technician, rather than the veterinarian. Oftentimes, it’s the technician that assesses the patient before the doctor enters the room and can be indispensable in offering guidance and advice to weary pet owners. The chapters read as follows:

The role of the veterinary technician in animal behavior
canine behavior and development
feline behavior and development
the human-animal bond
communication and connecting the animal behavior team
learning and behavior modification
problem prevention
specific behavior modification techniques and practical application for behavior disorders
introductory neurophysiology and psychopharmacology

As you can see, there is a chapter for everything, with the final one discussing medications as a last resort. The chapters can be read progressively or referred to here and there to educate a client on a particular issue. The focus here is to understand the patient and correct unpleasant habits in a way that the pet will accept, without cruelty or harsh discipline. The book advises that shock collars or physical punishment is not akin to learning, and so is not the best method to use.

Also extremely helpful is the chapter about communication and connecting the behavior team. Occasionally there will be that animal that will not resolve its behavior, no matter how hard the owner tries. If euthanasia is being considered, there will be many different ways the owner may react, and the book goes through the stages of grief and how to help the owner through this challenging time.

The book is accompanied by many color photos, graphs, tables, and diagrams illustrating the text and adding another level of understanding. Here is an example of a schematic that gives a great deal of information at a glance:

Flowcharts are typically easy to read, and this one also has notes at the bottom that correlate with the numbers in the red circles. Both beginning and experienced behavior techs will appreciate what this book has to offer–and their patients will too!

The appendices (found after chapter 9) are broken down into Forms and Questionnaires, Training Exercises, and Samples and Letters. There is also a companion website that offers handouts, review questions, and additional images.

There is a lot packed into this text, and technicians will be better able to assist the veterinarian after becoming familiar with the material covered. Even if the technician is not part of the full-time behavioral staff, they will be able to educate the client thoroughly and become more adept at handling patients. Wiley has created another indispensable book for the veterinary technician! You can pick up your copy here.

Pain Management for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses by Mary Ellen Goldberg

January 11, 2015 / Kyle Wendy Skultety / 0 Comments

Many thanks as always to publisher Wiley-Blackwell for offering this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Managing pain in a species that cannot speak is often challenging. Veterinary technicians and nurses are on the front lines of patient care and can be the advocates to relieve suffering and speed healing. After studying Pain Management for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses, the reader will become better schooled at seeing signs of pain, obvious or not; and be able to work with the veterinarian to administer medication and make their patient comfortable. The textbook is formatted logically; first you will read about the advancement of pan management in recent thinking, then learn about careers devoted solely to the relief of pain. how to recognize pain in companion animals, the physiology of pain, analgesics, blocking techniques, surgical pain management, analgesia for emergency and critical care patients, chronic pain management, analgesia for shelter medicine, equines, livestock, exotics, zoo and wildlife animals, nutrition considerations for painful dogs and cats, the role of the technician in physical rehab and alternative therapies, and finally, pain management in end-of-life care.

This topic is covered very thoroughly from every angle. There are many books out there that will cover companion animals only, but neglect zoos or wildlife. Some veterinary technicians will encounter wildlife at some point in their career, and it helps to have some knowledge to better perform as a patient advocate. I especially enjoyed the chapter on acupuncture and alternative medicine as this is slowly coming to the attention of veterinary personnel.

This book will hold the interest of both the experienced and new veterinary technician and will be referred to repeatedly as new skills are needed. The area of pain management is continually evolving, and this is the newest in its field, published in November 2014. Another first: this is the only book edited BY veterinary technicians FOR veterinary technicians. There are many color photos to aid learning, and there is also a companion website with review questions, charts, and protocols.

This book filled a niche that was sorely lacking in information. Pet owners and wildlife rehabilitators can rest easy knowing that there is a new source for educating the most important patient advocate–the veterinary technician. Kudos to Wiley for continuing to be the leader in education for techs and nurses. This book is a must add to the bookshelf of any veterinary practitioner who is serious about patient care.

You can pick up your own copy here.