Clinical Skills (Required animals: dogs and cats)
Explain the care of recumbent patients
Description
Demonstrate the care of hospitalized recumbent patients
Educate and demonstrate to clients at-home care of recumbent patients, including physical therapy and positional rotation
Criteria
Care of hospitalized recumbent patients
Provide appropriately cushioned and clean bedding.
Rotate lateral recumbency.
Inspect the skin for sores and ulceration regularly.
Ensure nutrition and hydration.
Utilize devices to assist with range-of-motion exercises or assisted walking.
Check blood pressure to ensure organ perfusion.
Recognize and address pain as needed.
Home care of recumbent patients
Explain to clients the precautions required to ensure comfort and cleanliness.
Explain to clients how to identify and treat skin ulcers.
Repetitions needed for successful performance: 2
Animal Usage: Clinical procedures shouldn’t be performed on animals more often than once every three days, and no animal may be used for more than three total procedures unless the attending veterinarian determines that there’s a medical reason to perform the procedure. Students are allowed a maximum of two attempts per procedure per animal.
Materials Submitted for Evaluation
A typed detailed description in your own words of care requirements for hospitalized recumbent patients. Include all body systems affected and how to monitor/assess them. Include consideration for short-term recumbency post-anesthesia versus long-term recumbency due to paralysis.
A typed detailed description in your own words of care requirements for recumbent patients at home. This should be somewhat different than the above description. You need to discuss the information you would provide to an owner on how to care for their recumbent pet.
You’ll need to cite your sources in APA format for this skill
Patient Use Log
