Right guys,, need help again.....

Passed by specialist dog training project

only have around 10 more assigments to do (was 23...!)

i do not have a clue about this part of one assignment..... any help??? these are the questions....

How would you provide care for the following animals:::

1 - A geriatric dog requiring an enema.
2 - A recumbent cat, that refuses to eat


i have noooo dea what the 2nd one is at all - - - 1st - sorta... but any help??

I think for the first one you need a length of hose, a funnel and a jug of dilute detergent. And an assistant with steady nerves. But I could be wrong.
For the second....a vet?

i dont even know what they both are tbh..... this is why im stumped.....

all ive got is this::

Care of a recumbent cat should be: the kennels/cage the cat is in should be large enough for it to be able to stretch out. The bedding for the animals should be thick enough so it is comfortable. The cage/kennel should be out of direct sunlight but in sight of any activity. Food and water should be available, and the vet should know what food the dog likes and dislikes. Food may need to be light and very easy to digest. The food may need to even be syringed.

For the care of a geriatric dog, extra care is needed. For every 5 years of their life, a dog needs an extra 24 hours of recovering time, especially if they are stressed out. The vets need to know the animals likes and dislikes and also the animals history, like if the animal is arthritic. The dog must feel secure in its environment, its bedding must be thick so the animal is comfortable enought in its cage/kennel. It would help the dog if it had its favourite toy in with him/her as this would give the dog added security and comfort. The dog needs to have access to food and always plenty of water,


*no dissing my grammar - i know its rubbish* but i just note first then make sense afterwards....

ive put about the care of the animal but i dont feel its enough???

i also have to write about a rabbit with an abcess and horse with a vut on its leg - ive no problems with the horse or rabbit but its just these 2

Recumbent means laid down, inactive or idle doesn't it? So perhaps it means a lazy cat that refuses to eat.

Heidi

A recumbant animal is an animal that is unwilling or unable to stand for whatever reason.

Recumbant animals should be provided with extra padding to prevent decubitus ulcers (pressure sores) particularly on bony prominences such as elbows and hocks. Ideally a thick, waterproof bed would be used with a 'VetBed' on top, so that if the animal urinates the urine will seep straight through the vetbed, and the top should remain dry. They should also be turned at regularly at least every 2 - 4 hours to prevent hypostatic pneumonia which is caused by the pooling of blood in the lungs. Ideally the animal should be encouraged to lie in sternal recumbancy (on it's front) either by using sandbags or similar, and the head should also be supported, although this is not always possible. Regular coupage (impact massage to the thorax using cupped hands) 4 - 5 times daily for 5 minutes will improve thoracic circulation although this should not be carried out without a veterinary surgeon being consulted in case of contraindications such as fractured ribs etc.

Animals that have been previously active will often attempt to drag themselves around, particularly in the case of fractures or spinal cases where pain has been relieved. The environment should be large enough for the animal to lie in lateral recumbancy (on it's side) comfortably, but not so big that it has room to cause itself damage.

Most recumbant patients benefit from being placed in an area of activity as it stimulates them and relieves boredom.

Food and water need to be within easy reach. Recumbant patients may be depressed, and so hand feeding may be necessary. Animals that fail to drink sufficiently can have water added to the food, or be encouraged to drink by having water syringed into the side of the mouth. Most recumbant patients also require a highly digestible diet to meet the extra nutritional needs of stress or tissue repair.

Any faeces or urine should be removed immediately and the bedding changed to prevent urine scalds, and the animal cleaned if necessary. If the animal has diarrhoea, the hair around the rear end should be clipped. A record of defaecation and urination should be kept.

Manually moving joints within their normal range helps to prevent stiffness and improve circulation.

Recumbant animals have very little energy, and so heat production is lower than normal. Body temperature may fall to a subnormal level (normal ranges for a cat being 38.0 - 38.5). Blankets to cover the animal may be sufficient, although other methods may include hot water bottles which should be wrapped to prevent burning (a good tip I use in practise is to hold the bottle to your face, if it burns your face, then it is too hot for the animal and should definately be wrapped!), bubble wrap to cover the patient, tin foil to cover extremities, but should be removed if the patient becomes active. Infra-red lamps can also be used but these should be used with care to ensure that the animal does not become too hot.

Think I've covered pretty much most things

ohh thank you!!!!


brilliant information and i actually understand it now lol!!!!

thanks again

xxxxxx

p.s- is that what you have written or copied - can i copy and paste it for my assignment???

Yeah of course you can, most of it is from me - just the odd bits and pieces from my vet nursing manual as I knew what I wanted to say but couldn't word some of it you may just want to chop and change the wording a bit.

Just off to look at your other one for you to try and draw something up - may need to give me until tomorrow though

no problems!! thank you!!!

Geriatric patients must be treated with extra care as they are less able to adapt to change and they recover more slowly from medical or surgical interference. A good way of thinking is that for every 5 years of a pet’s age, allow 24 more hours for recovery). The key to nursing a geriatric patient is good knowledge of history and medication, security, comfort and the correct type of food with an adequate source of water.

Physical Changes in Geriatric Animals: greying, thickening of the muzzle, coarse coat, loss of stamina and strength, weakening of bones, loss of muscle, loss of sight or hearing, lowered physical tolerance to change, arthritis and joint stiffness, higher susceptibility to infection, poor tolerance to lack of fluids and impaired temperature regulation.

Mental Changes in Geriatric Animals: lowered responses to stimuli, less adaptable, increased fussiness with food and development of food preferences, less interest in activity, less obedient and disorientation.

Most of the mental changes are related to the physical changes, for example, disorientation will become worse if the animal is blind of deaf.

The animal’s history needs to be known, including any known medical conditions, current treatment and preferred food. It should always be remembered that the patient may be suffering from diseases other than what they are being seen for.

If hospitalised, the patient should be weighed daily and any weight changes recorded. Geriatric patients generally need fewer calories, but simply reducing the amount of food may result in a lowered intake of protein, vitamins and minerals. In the absence of any disease specific requirements, dietary considerations include a highly digestible and well balanced food. Some companies produce diets specifically designed for the older dog. Any changes in the diet should be introduced gradually to prevent stomach upsets. Lack of interest in food in a previous appetent is often due to a change in food, the amount offered is too great, dental disease resulting in pain when eating, or the patient has difficulty standing to eat.

Water intake should not be restricted in a geriatric patient unless it is vomiting, as dehydration can happen very quickly, and in this case intravenous fluids should be administered. Urine should be observed for normal colour and passage.

Little and often exercise is recommended for geriatric patients. Older dogs usually enjoy “pottering”. Special care should be taken if the animal is blind or deaf.

Soft bedding should be provided, ideally along with foam mattresses for animals with arthritis. Geriatrics should be kept out of draughts and if possible, somewhere not too noisy. Temperature should be monitored (in the dog normal ranges being 38.3 – 38.7) and heat used if needed (as above with the recumbent cat).

Elderly patients should be groomed regularly as they are less likely to keep themselves clean. This helps to give them a feeling of well being and provides an opportunity to check the coat and skin.

If the patient has lost it’s sight or hearing, movement should be slow and the carer should talk reassuringly at all times.

Enema
This is a liquid substance placed into the rectum and colon of an animal. Enemas are intended to distend the rectum and colon gently to initiate normal expulsive reflexes.

The basic equipment for an enema includes the enema solution, gloves, lubricant (eg K.Y Jelly) and depending on the solution used, can and tubing, prepared barium bag, syringe and catheter. Giving an enema requires two people.

After the enema has been given, dogs should be allowed free exercise to evacuate bowels.

Not sure if you needed all of that or not you may need to change that around quite a lot as most of it was copied as I’m being lazy

I have a few of those, its called being "bone idle"

Some great replies there folks!