Triage is a vital part of emergency animal care. How does the triage process normally begin?a. With a phone callb. With a visit to the veterinarianc. With the veterinarian's examinationd. With the assistant looking over the pet
With a phone callExplanation: The triage process often begins over the telephone. A pet owner notices a problem with his or her pet and calls the veterinary hospital for advice.Reference: Section 2.1
An owner calls to see if she should bring in her cat who has just today shown some worrisome behavior. Which condition requires immediate evaluation by the veterinarian?a. Low energyb. Straining to urinatec. Drinking a lot of water d. Not eating
Straining to urinateExplanation: If a pet is straining to urinate, this requires immediate attention. Other conditions that require immediate evaluation include • Loss of consciousness • Trauma, open fractures, excessive bleeding • Penetrating wounds to the thorax or abdomen (gunshots, arrows) • Labored breathing • Seizures • History of poisoning or snakebite • Prolapse of organs • Profuse diarrhea or vomiting • Eye injuriesReference: Section 2.1
Joshua calls the veterinary office, concerned about his dog. One of the first things the assistant wants to know is if the dog is dyspneic. What question might the assistant ask to discover this?a. Is the dog unusually listless?b. Have you noticed any blood in the stool or urine? c. Does the dog have any trouble breathing?d. Do you notice the dog having any trouble walking?
Does the dog have any trouble breathing?Explanation: Animals that are dyspneic are having difficulty breathing and should always be referred to be seen immediately by the veterinarian.Reference: Section 2.1
Capillary refill time can be established by _______.a. checking the animal's gumsb. checking the animal's pulsec. checking the animal's eyes for good dilationd. looking for dryness, particularly around the nose and mouth
checking the animal's gumsExplanation: Checking the mucous membrane color, capillary refill time (CRT), assesses the cardiovascular system. Most owners are able to evaluate mucous membrane color and capillary refill time. Ask the owners to evaluate the color of their pet's gums.Reference: Section 2.1
When performing triage, to ascertain there is no emergency with thecentral nervous system, what should the assistant ask about?a. The pet's mentationb. Whether the pet seems to respond to visual stimuli c. Whether the pet is moving slowly or erraticallyd. If the pet is eating normally
The pet's mentationExplanation: You should ask about the pet's mentation. Abnormalities of the central nervous system requiring immediate evaluation include head trauma, paralysis, and prolonged seizures. Animals that are mentally depressed or abnormally hyperactive should be evaluated.Reference: Section 2.1
When an owner is administering first aid or attempting to transport an injured pet, what should be of paramount consideration?a. The owner's safetyb. The pet's comfortc. Avoiding further injury to the pet d. Speed and efficiency
The owner's safetyExplanation: The owner's safety should always be of primary concern. An animal in pain may bite its owner. Long pieces of material such as leashes, neckties, belts, or pantyhose can be used as a muzzle, if needed, to manipulate and transport injured animals in extreme pain.Reference: Section 2.1
If an animal isn't breathing, what should you counsel the owner to do?a. Focus only on getting the animal to the hospital as quickly as possible.b. Leave the pet in place and wait for help to arrive.c. Breathe into the pet's mouth deeply, filling its lungs with air once per minute.d. Tell the owner to do mouth-to-nose resuscitation, breathing into the pet's nose every three to five seconds until the pet begins to breathe or until arrival at the hospital.
Tell the owner to do mouth -to -nose resuscitation, breathing into the pet's nose every three to five seconds until the pet begins to breathe or until arrival at the hospital.Explanation: The owner should be instructed to perform mouth- to-nose resuscitation (or nose and mouth for small animals) and continue providing air once every three to five seconds until the animal breathes on its own or until arrival at the hospital. Reference: Section 2.2
Sylvia calls in and tells you that her large German Shepherd has just taken a blow and she's not sure if she's OK. You tell her first to check the pulse, and explain how. Then when there appears to be no pulse, you tell her to start chest compressions. You tell her the right place to execute them is _______.a. between the chest and the stomach, near the diaphragm b. as close to the dog's heart as possiblec. over the widest part of the chestd. at the Brachial artery
over the widest part of the chestExplanation: In large dogs, you should instruct the owner to apply compressions over the widest part of the chest. This position increases the volume of blood flow circulated with each compression. Reference: Section 2.1
What should the ratio of breaths to compressions be for animals between 21 and 125 lbs?a. 1:5 b. 1:3 c. 2:1 d. 1:1
1:5Reference: Section 2.2
An animal that's suffering from bounding, pale mucous membranes, and a low temperature is probably suffering from what?a. Shockb. Dehydration c. Body trauma d. CHF
ShockExplanation: An animal in this state is probably in shock. Shock isn't a disease but a condition brought about by a variety of different causes. It represents failure of the cardiovascular system.Reference: Section 2.2
How should an animal in shock be treated? a. With aggressive fluid therapyb. With mouth-to-nose resuscitationc. With CPRd. With thoracocentesis
With aggressive fluid therapyExplanation: All cases of shock, except for shock caused by heart disease, are treated with aggressive fluid therapy. Blood or blood substitutes may be given in addition to the commonly used electrolyte solutions. Reference: Section 2.2
An animal suffering from labored breathing and coughing, and that has cyanotic membranes, is most likely suffering from what?a. CHFb. An aortic thromboembolismc. Shockd. A central nervous system disorder
CHFExplanation: The animal is probably suffering from CHF, or congestive heart failure. Animals in heart failure usually present with labored breathing and coughing. Mucous membranes may be cyanotic. Often, a heart murmur or irregular heart rate may be detected when the thorax is auscultated.Reference: Section 2.2
If a dog is having a seizure, the assistant should _______. a. permit the ictus to passb. administer oral medicationc. restrain the dogd. muzzle the dog
permit the ictus to passExplanation: Permit the ictus to pass. The ictus is the actual seizure. The dog has no control of its jaw muscles, and therefore could injure anything put near its mouth. No attempt should be made to muzzle, administer oral medications, or to try to restrain a dog during a seizure.Reference: Section 2.2
Karina brings in her older dog, who is having trouble walking, seems to be in pain and doesn't want to move, but is otherwise alert.Her dog is probably suffering from what? a. Spinal cord injury or degeneration b. Strokec. Aortic thromboembolismd. Postictus
Spinal cord injury or degenerationExplanation: Her dog is most likely suffering from spinal degeneration, which occurs both naturally with age and because of injuries. It causes pain in movement and if severe enough, even complete paralysis. Depending on the severity, it can be treated with pain medication or in severe cases, surgery. Reference: Section 2.2
Maike brings in her dog who is presenting constricted pupils, excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and labored breathing. What should you first suspect to be going on?a. Toxicity from having ingested some poisonous substance b. An allergic reactionc. A neurological problemd. Some sort of virus or bacterial infection
Toxicity from having ingested some poisonous substance Explanation: Toxicity occurs most commonly by absorption through the skin or by ingestion. Clinical signs include constricted pupils, excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, and labored breathing. Bathing to remove the product from the hair coat and decontamination of the gastrointestinal tract are important in treating these patients.Reference: Section 2.3
Toxic substances can be removed from the stomach through the use of _______.a. emesisb. envenomizations c. metabolitesd. carbamates
emesisExplanation: Toxic material can be removed from the stomach either by inducing emesis (vomiting) or by gastric lavage. If the animal has ingested the material within the past four hours and there are no contraindications to vomiting, the owner may induce vomiting at home.Reference: Section 2.3
Rexx, a large golden retriever, has been brought into your office and is presenting anxiety and restlessness, muscle tremors, an irregular heartbeat, and occasional vomiting. The owner's 12-year-old child had been caring for the dog. What should you suspect?a. The child may have given Rexx chocolate.b. Rexx has a bacterial stomach infection, perhaps from eating old food.c. Rexx has a cardiovascular issue.d. Rexx is dehydrated because the child hasn't given him enough water.
The child may have given Rexx chocolate.Explanation: Dogs may show signs of toxicity after eating chocolate. Ingestion of toxic amounts of chocolate causes excessive stimulation of both the cardiac and central nervous systems. Affected dogs are anxious and restless. They may have muscle tremors and seizures, and often vomit.Reference: Section 2.3
Hideko comes in with a listless animal and you have the unfortunate task of telling her that her pet has passed away. You need to be particularly sensitive because of _______.a. the powerful emotional bonds that develop between owners and their petsb. the potential high costs of dealing with the deceased animal and whether Hideko will be ready for that newsc. the possibility that you or the veterinarian will be blamed for the passing of her petd. the possibility that you may lose Hideko as a client
the powerful emotional bonds that develop between owners and their petsExplanation: The intensity of the bond between pets and owners is often dramatically demonstrated in an emergency situation. You'll be dealing with pet owners faced with the sudden, severe illness of their pets. An appreciation of the intensity of this bond will help you to deal with owners during stressful times. Reference: Section 2.4
When dealing with a client who has lost a deeply beloved pet, you can counsel that _______ often helps soften the sadness.a. getting a new petb. explaining that it was the pet's time to go c. creating some sort of memorial to the pet d. trying to forget the pet and simply move on
creating some sort of memorial to the petExplanation: You might suggest that they do something to memorialize their pet. Bereaved owners often get comfort from framing a photo, writing a poem, or making a memorial donation to a local animal shelter in honor of their deceased pet. Reference: Section 2.4
Josie brings in her Australian Shepherd and says that after she came back to the car from shopping, she found her dog collapsed on the back seat. You examine the dog and see that the dog is panting, has a rapid heart rate, and has bright red mucous membranes. What should you suspect?a. Heat strokeb. Seizurec. An ingested toxin d. Coma
HeatstrokeExplanation: Animals left in cars on sunny days are in great danger. Cars heat up very quickly. You should tell Josie that her dog likely is suffering from heat stroke and never to leave her in the car unattended.Reference: Section 2.3