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Shelter Medicine
- 1. Pediatric Spay/Neuter
- 2. Giving a Basic Health Exam - Facilities and Procedures
- 3. Examination of the Eyes
- 4. Understanding Shelter Medicine
- 5. Zoonosis
- 6. Determination of Sex of an Animal
- 7. Restraint During a Veterinary Exam
- 8. Sanitation in the Animal Shelter
- 9. Examination of the Head and Mouth
Giving a Basic Health Exam - Facilities and Procedures
Dr. Lila Miller, D.V.M., ASPCA Sr. Director Animal Sciences & Vet Advisor
GIVING A BASIC HEALTH
EXAM
FACILITIES AND PROCEDURES
A good basic
health exam should be conducted in an area that has been set
aside specifically for the care and handling of animals. It
should be the only activity conducted in that space.
The room itself
should be large enough for the animal, the technician and at
least one other person (for restraint) to move around
easily.
The room should be
completely cleaned and disinfected on a routine basis after
each examination period. The floor should have drains so it can
be thoroughly hosed and bleached daily.
It should also be
well lit, bright and cheerful, with a bulletin board for
special notes about treatments, etc.
It would be
preferable to have a separate treatment room for animals with
contagious disease, but this is not always possible given the
limited resources of many shelters. If the room is large
enough, there should be another area set up with a table for
treatments.
The room should be
equipped with all the necessary equipment and drugs to minimize
having to leave the room to obtain supplies. If drugs and other
medical supplies are stored in a separate, central location,
the examination room should be stocked at the beginning or end
of the day, before mass examinations begin.
If staffing
permits, it is probably best to have the technician remain in
the exam room while other personnel bring the animals to the
room. This allows the technician to focus solely on
examinations.
Examinations
should be a priority function in the shelter. Animals should be
triaged, categorized, isolated and entered into the system as
soon as possible after their arrival to try to prevent the
spread of disease.
Many shelters
perform euthanasia in the same room where examinations are
conducted. This should be avoided if possible for control of
disease spread, and to avoid having to juggle the two functions
due to space considerations. (If the same person performs both
functions, it may be better psychologically to not be in the
same room all day anyway!)
Exams may be
conducted continuously during the day as animals are brought in
to the shelter, or during exam periods when animals are brought
to the technician during specified times only. This is usually
a resource decision.
© 2000 ASPCA
Courtesy
of
424 East 92nd Street
New York, NY 10128-6804
www.aspca.org
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Examination of the Eyes
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