Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics (EPUB)

Optimizing Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics: A Practical Guide to Low-Cost Quick Assessment Tests

Revolutionizing the Approach to Veterinary Medicine

Traditionally, clinicians have been taught to adopt the gold standard approach to medicine, but recent advances in veterinary medical care and associated technologies have led practitioners to question whether this one-size-fits-all approach is truly the best. In reality, the gold standard of care is not always advisable or possible, and veterinarians often encounter obstacles that limit their approaches to case management.

Cost of Care: A Significant Constraint

One of the significant constraints in veterinary medicine is the cost of care, which requires practitioners to rethink which diagnostic tests are essential. Not every patient requires a complete blood count (CBC), chemistry profile, urinalysis, and fecal analysis to obtain diagnostic value. Instead, the best approach to case management should be determined by the situation, the context, the patient, and the client.

Introducing Quick Assessment Tests (QATs)

Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics outlines entry-level, in-house diagnostic blood, urine, fecal, and body cavity fluid tests, including how to perform them and the breadth and depth of patient-specific data that can be gleaned from QATs.

Patient Care Considerations and Communication Strategies

The book provides a thorough introduction to patient care considerations and communication strategies that facilitate cost-conscious shared decision-making.

Hematology and Quick Assessment Tests (QATs)

Comprehensive explorations of QATs in hematology include:

• Packed cell volume (PCV)
• Total solids (TS)
• Buffy coat analysis
• Blood smears
• Blood glucose
• Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
• Saline agglutination tests
• Activated clotting time

Urine Analysis and Quick Assessment Tests (QATs)

Practical discussions of QATs involving urine include:

• Urine color
• Dipstick analysis
• Specific gravity (USG)
• Urine sediment analysis

Fecal Analysis and Quick Assessment Tests (QATs)

Pragmatic evaluation of fecal analysis includes:

• Fecal color
• Fecal volume, consistency, and odor
• Saline smears or wet mounts
• Fecal flotation

Body Cavity Fluid Analysis

Detailed discussions on body cavity fluid analysis provide valuable insights for veterinarians.

Real-World Applications: Case Vignettes and Q&A

Sample case vignettes, complete with question and answer (Q&A) sections, provide real-world examples of how to apply QATs in everyday practice.

Low-Cost Veterinary Clinical Diagnostics is the perfect resource for veterinary practitioners, veterinary technicians, veterinary and veterinary technician students seeking to maximize diagnostic value in cases where care is cost-prohibitive.

Book Details:

Published by Wiley-Blackwell, 1st edition (February 22, 2023)

Language: English

Hardcover: 368 pages

ISBN-10: 1119714508

ISBN-13: 978-1119714507