Kirk and Bistner's Handbook of Veterinary Procedures and Emergency Treatment

Section 1: Emergency Care Prehospital management of the injured animal Initial emergency examination, management, and triage Emergency diagnostic and therapeutic procedures Pain: assessment, prevention, and management Emergency management of specific conditions Section 2: Patient Evaluation and Organ System Examination Patient evaluation The medical record The organ system examination Section 3: Clinical Signs Abdominal enlargement with ascites Abdominal enlargement without ascites Aggression Alopecia (See hair loss) Ataxia (See incoordination) Blindness (See vision loss) Blood in urine: hematuria, hemoglobinuria, myoglobinuria Coma: loss of consciousness Constipation (obstipation) Cough Coughing blood: hemoptysis Deafness or hearing loss Decreased urine production: oliguria and anuria Diarrhea, acute-onset Diarrhea, chronic Difficulty breathing or respiratory distress: cyanosis Difficulty breathing or respiratory distress: dyspnea Difficulty swallowing: dysphagia Hair loss: alopecia Hemorrhage (See spontaneous bleeding) Icterus (See yellow skin) Incoordination: ataxia Increased urination and water consumption: polyuria and polydipsia Itching or scratching: pruritus Jaundice (See yellow skin) Joint swelling: arthropathy Loss of appetite: anorexia Lymph node enlargement: lymphadenomegaly Pain Painful urination: dysuria (See straining to urinate) Painful defecation: dyschezia (See straining to defecate) Rectal and anal pain (See straining to defecate) Regurgitation Seizures (convulsions or epilepsy) Sneezing and nasal discharge Spontaneous bleeding: hemorrhage Straining to defecate: dyschezia Straining to urinate: dysuria Swelling of the limbs: peripheral edema Uncontrolled urination: urinary incontinence Vision loss: total blindness Vomiting Vomiting blood: hematemesis Weakness, lethargy, fatigue Weight loss: emaciation, cachexia Yellow skin or mucous membranes: icterus (or jaundice) Section 4: Diagnostic and

"From the perspective of using a book day-to-day as a reference for procedures, it is great"

Veterinary Record, January 2012



"This handbook is designed to provide a wide range of veterinary information in an easy-to-access format.The overall focus of this book is as the title descirbes, however a large portion of the text is also a resource for consultation and physical examination advice, as well as a diagnostic aid for both emergency and non-emergency conditions..."Kirk and Bistner's handbook of veterinary procedures and emergency treatment" is directed to the veterinary technican, but is obivously handy reference for the experienced practitioner...if used more extensively will become a vauable resource for refreshing one's basic skill and knowledge in a general or emergency clinical setting."

Australian Veterinary Journal, September 2012