Your FREE VTNE Flashcards 2026 – 200+ Cards

Animal Care & Nursing — 30 of 150 scored items (20%).

About 100.5–102.5°F.

About 100.5–102.5°F (same range as the dog).

60–140 beats/min (smaller dogs are faster).

140–220 beats/min.

10–30 breaths/min at rest.

20–40 breaths/min at rest.

Temperature, Pulse, Respiration — the core vital signs.

Less than 2 seconds; pink mucous membranes.

A patient's species, breed, age, sex, and reproductive status — recorded at intake.

About 5%; skin tents around 6–8%; shock signs by 10–12%.

% dehydration (as a decimal) × body weight (kg) = deficit in liters.

0.08 × 20 = 1.6 kg ≈ 1.6 L (1,600 mL) to replace.

Roughly 40–60 mL/kg/day.

Skin turgor (tent), mucous-membrane moisture, CRT, eye position, and pulse quality.

Anemia or poor perfusion (shock, blood loss).

Sepsis, toxicity, or early shock (vasodilation).

Use the least restraint that achieves the task; read body language; protect patient and team.

A 1–9 (or 1–5) scale rating an animal's fat/muscle; 5/9 is ideal.

Rapid rewarming causes peripheral vasodilation and a drop in core temperature/BP.

The cephalic vein (foreleg); the lateral saphenous (hindlimb) is an alternative.

At least every few hours for swelling, heat, pain, or phlebitis; replace per protocol (often 72 h).

Pressure-induced skin damage in recumbent patients; prevent by turning every 4 hours and padding.

Primary (contact), secondary (padding/absorbent), tertiary (outer protective/holding) layer.

Swelling, cold or cool toes, chewing at it, or splayed toes — remove and replace.

About 1–2 mL/kg/hour.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) — elevated in glaucoma.

Over a peripheral artery (forelimb, hindlimb, or tail base); cuff width ~40% of the limb circumference.

The heart's electrical activity; lead II is standard for rhythm.

Assess → identify problems → plan → implement → evaluate the patient's nursing care.

Free-catch midstream; cystocentesis is preferred for culture (sterile).

Collecting urine directly from the bladder with a needle — the sterile method, best for culture.

1,000 mL/day ≈ 42 mL/hr.

Hand hygiene between patients; clean, disinfect, and isolate appropriately.

Sternal = on the chest; dorsal = on the back; lateral = on the side.

Rapid weight change reflects fluid balance (gain = overload, loss = dehydration).

The loose skin over the dorsal neck/back (scruff region).

Quiet, effortless breathing; increased effort or open-mouth breathing signals distress.

Chest and abdomen move oppositely — a sign of respiratory compromise.

Electrolyte and glucose needs; LRS for resuscitation/maintenance, dextrose-containing for hypoglycemia.

Large-volume or multiple samples; the jugular vein is large and accessible.

Delivering IV fluids/drugs at a precise, set rate (mL/hr).

Calculating resting energy requirement (RER) and assisting feeding tubes for inappetent patients.

The baseline daily calorie need at rest; a common estimate is about 70 kcal/day for each kg of body weight raised to the 0.75 metabolic exponent.

Pulmonary edema, chemosis, serous nasal discharge, weight gain — slow or stop fluids.

A drug that binds a receptor and produces a response.

A drug that binds a receptor and blocks the response (e.g. naloxone).

A drug that produces a submaximal receptor response (e.g. buprenorphine).

Two drugs together produce an effect greater than the sum of each alone.

Dose (mg/kg) × weight (kg) ÷ concentration (mg/mL) = volume (mL).

Divide pounds by 2.2.

% × 10 = 20 mg/mL.

10 × 5 = 50 mg; 50 ÷ 50 = 1 mL.

Naloxone.

Atipamezole.

Flumazenil.

Constant rate infusion — a drug delivered continuously in IV fluids at a calculated rate.

Hydromorphone, morphine, fentanyl, methadone — high abuse with accepted medical use.

Locked cabinet, perpetual log at every use, regular DEA reconciliation.

Atropine and glycopyrrolate raise heart rate and dry secretions; treat bradycardia.

Dexmedetomidine, xylazine — sedation + analgesia; cause bradycardia; reversed by atipamezole.

Propofol, ketamine, alfaxalone, etomidate.

Carprofen, meloxicam, robenacoxib, deracoxib.

Stacked risk of GI ulceration and kidney injury.

Bactericidal kills bacteria; bacteriostatic inhibits their growth.

PO (oral), IV, IM, SC/SQ, IO (intraosseous), topical.

What the body does to a drug: absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME).

What the drug does to the body (its mechanism and effects).

An initial larger dose to reach therapeutic levels quickly.

The time after the last drug dose before a food animal's products are safe for consumption.

The label/package insert; some need refrigeration or protection from light.

The ratio of toxic dose to effective dose — a wider index means a safer drug.

Furosemide — removes fluid in congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema.

A corticosteroid (glucocorticoid) — anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive; not with an NSAID.

A drug that induces vomiting; apomorphine (dogs) and dexmedetomidine (cats).

The absence of microorganisms; aseptic technique prevents surgical-field contamination.

Move clean → dirty: scrub from the incision outward, never back to the center.

Outside the operating room; the final sterile prep is done in the surgical suite.

Chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine, alternated with alcohol.

Steam at about 121°C (250°F) and 15 psi for the validated time.

A biological (spore) indicator — Geobacillus spores; tape only proves exposure.

That a pack was processed (heat-exposed) — NOT that it is sterile.

Ethylene oxide gas (must be aerated) or hydrogen peroxide plasma.

No — moisture causes strike-through contamination; a wet, torn, or unsealed pack is contaminated.

Has scrubbed, gowned, gloved; touches only sterile items in the field.

Opens supplies onto the field, adjusts equipment, manages records; never reaches over the field.

Manual rinse → ultrasonic cleaning → lubricate → pack → sterilize.

A device that uses cavitation (sound waves) to remove debris from instrument crevices.

In the open (ratcheted-open) position so the box lock is reached.

A sterile instrument tray positioned over the patient for the surgeon's immediate use.

Hemostats clamp vessels; needle holders grip suture needles (often with a tungsten insert).

Removal of dead or contaminated tissue from a wound.

Absorbable (e.g. PDS, Monocryl) dissolves in tissue; non-absorbable (e.g. nylon) is removed or stays permanently.

About 10–14 days post-op (after healing).

The outer 1 inch (edge) of a sterile drape/table is considered non-sterile.

Anything below waist/table level is non-sterile, even if it was sterile.

Risk of airway obstruction, hypothermia, hemorrhage, and pain after the procedure.

Antiseptic is used on living tissue (skin); a disinfectant is used on surfaces/equipment.

Counting sponges/instruments before and after surgery to ensure nothing is retained.

Combining premed + induction + inhalant + analgesia at lower doses for safety.

Minimum alveolar concentration — the inhalant level preventing movement in 50% of patients.

It lowers the inhalant MAC needed, improving safety.

Isoflurane and sevoflurane.

Endotracheal intubation with a cuffed tube placed in the trachea.

Visualization, capnography (a CO₂ waveform), chest rise, and condensation in the tube.

Just enough to prevent a leak at ~20 cmH₂O — not over-inflated.

Stage III, the surgical plane (light–medium).

Overdose — respiratory and cardiac arrest, fixed dilated pupils; an emergency.

About 35–45 mmHg.

Hypoventilation — assist or control ventilation (bag the patient).

Disconnected/displaced ET tube or cardiac arrest — check immediately.

At or above 95%.

Hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO₂), non-invasively.

Above 60 mmHg to perfuse the kidneys and brain.

Bradycardia — often treated with an anticholinergic (atropine/glycopyrrolate).

Hypothermia — it slows recovery and drug metabolism; actively warm the patient.

The adjustable pressure-limiting valve venting excess gas; never leave it fully closed.

Pressure builds up and can cause barotrauma (lung rupture) — a fatal error.

Removes exhaled CO₂ from a rebreathing circuit; it expires and changes color when used up.

Rebreathing for patients > ~7 kg; non-rebreathing for small patients (< ~7 kg).

Giving 100% oxygen before induction to build an oxygen reserve.

The eye rotates ventromedially (down and in); a central eye can mean too light or too deep.

Delivers pure oxygen quickly, bypassing the vaporizer (dilutes anesthetic — use with care).

Screening organ function (kidney, liver) and PCV/TP before anesthesia to lower risk.

It may protrude with deepening anesthesia; assessed as part of depth monitoring.

Absence of breathing — under anesthesia, ventilate the patient and lighten the plane.

To reduce the risk of vomiting and aspiration (fast adults; do not fast neonates/very young).

Lavender (purple) EDTA — preserves cells for the count and blood smear.

Green heparin tube.

Red or serum-separator (SST) — must clot fully before spinning.

Gray — sodium fluoride (antiglycolytic).

Light blue — sodium citrate (1:9 ratio).

Packed cell volume (hematocrit) — the % of blood that is red cells, by microhematocrit spin.

About 37–55%.

About 30–45%.

The thin layer of WBCs and platelets between packed red cells and plasma in a spun tube.

Dehydration.

Blood loss.

With a refractometer, reading the plasma in a spun hematocrit tube.

Physical (specific gravity), chemical (dipstick), and microscopic (spun sediment).

Urine concentration — the kidney's ability to concentrate; read by refractometer.

Blood in the urine.

Floating parasite eggs to the surface of a dense solution to identify them.

Motile protozoa such as Giardia.

A Romanowsky stain such as Diff-Quik.

An immature red blood cell; an increase indicates a regenerative (responding) anemia.

Refractive index — used for urine specific gravity and plasma total protein.

A single-cell-thick area to evaluate cell morphology and do a differential count.

Prolonged EDTA contact distorts cell morphology over time.

Quality control — running known controls so instrument results stay accurate.

Roundworm (Toxocara), hookworm, whipworm, and Taenia/tapeworm.

Roughly 70–120 mg/dL in dogs and cats (stress can raise feline values).

Elevated BUN and creatinine — a sign of impaired kidney function or dehydration.

Elevated bilirubin — liver disease, bile-duct obstruction, or hemolysis.

The quadrant: 1 upper-R, 2 upper-L, 3 lower-L, 4 lower-R (permanent).

5 upper-R, 6 upper-L, 7 lower-L, 8 lower-R.

The canine is always 04; the first molar is always 09.

The right maxillary (upper) permanent canine.

The left mandibular (lower) first molar.

42 permanent teeth.

30 permanent teeth.

Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment — charting, scaling, polishing, probing, dental radiographs.

Subgingival scaling (below the gumline) — visible tartar removal is cosmetic by comparison.

Scaling leaves microscopic scratches that let plaque reattach; polishing smooths them.

Keep the tip moving with water spray to avoid thermal damage to the tooth pulp.

Plaque is a soft bacterial biofilm; calculus is mineralized (hardened) plaque.

Reversible inflammation of the gums — the earliest stage of periodontal disease.

The upper fourth premolar (108/208) and lower first molar — large shearing teeth.

Most dental disease is below the gumline and invisible without X-rays.

Measuring the depth of the gingival sulcus/pocket around each tooth.

Rapidly sorting patients by urgency so the most critical are treated first.

Inadequate tissue perfusion and oxygen delivery.

Tachycardia, bounding-then-weak pulses, pale membranes, prolonged CRT.

Hypotension, hypothermia, weak pulses, collapse.

Titrated IV crystalloid boluses, oxygen, and warming.

Up to ~90 mL/kg, given in titrated boluses (e.g. a quarter at a time).

Up to ~60 mL/kg, in titrated boluses.

Cats are often bradycardic and hypothermic rather than tachycardic.

C-A-B: Compressions first, then Airway, then Breathing.

100–120 per minute.

One-third to one-half the width of the chest, with full recoil.

About 10 breaths per minute; avoid hyperventilation.

Every 2-minute cycle, to avoid fatigue.

Low-dose epinephrine, every other 2-minute cycle.

Atropine.

Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) — improving perfusion.

An IV fluid of water + electrolytes (e.g. LRS) that distributes into the interstitium.

An IV fluid of large molecules (e.g. hetastarch) that stays intravascular by oncotic pressure.

Lactated Ringer's (LRS), Normosol-R, 0.9% saline.

Direct pressure first; then a pressure bandage; a tourniquet only as a last resort.

Gastric dilatation-volvulus — a life-threatening twisted, gas-distended stomach (bloat).

Stabilize/immobilize the joint above and below; minimize movement; treat for shock and pain.

Flow-by, mask, nasal cannula, oxygen cage, or an intubated patient.

Airway, Breathing, Circulation — assessed and addressed first in any emergency.

Decreased circulating blood volume — a cause of hypotension and shock.

Treating severe anemia by restoring oxygen-carrying capacity.

To prevent a transfusion reaction; cats especially must be typed (type B reacts strongly).

Type A (most domestic cats); type B is less common but reacts strongly.

Instinct (prey/survival), so technicians must read subtle behavioral signs.

Hunched/guarded posture, reluctance to move, decreased appetite, restlessness, vocalizing, guarding a body part.

They go quiet, hide, and withdraw rather than vocalize.

The Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS).

It standardizes assessment so every team member scores pain the same way over time.

Combining drugs acting on different pain-pathway points (opioid + NSAID + local) at lower doses.

Giving analgesia before the painful stimulus to prevent wind-up (central sensitization).

Central sensitization — the nervous system amplifies pain when it isn't controlled early.

Centrally (brain and spinal cord) on opioid receptors.

Peripherally at the tissue — they inhibit COX and reduce inflammatory prostaglandins.

A local anesthetic (e.g. lidocaine, bupivacaine) numbing a specific nerve or area.

Confirm hydration and normal kidney/liver values; never with a steroid or second NSAID.

Tachycardia, hypertension, dilated pupils — supportive, not a replacement for behavior.

Lidocaine has faster onset/shorter duration; bupivacaine has slower onset/longer duration.

Soft bedding, warmth, gentle handling, and a quiet space reduce stress and perceived pain.

Recognize and report pain, score it consistently, and help implement the veterinarian's plan.

Name the entrance surface first, the exit surface second (follows the beam path).

Beam enters the ventral (belly) surface, exits dorsal; patient on its back.

Beam enters the dorsal surface, exits ventral; patient on its sternum.

Beam penetration and contrast (higher kVp = more penetration, lower contrast).

The number of X-rays produced — and therefore film density (darkness).

As Low As Reasonably Achievable — the radiation-safety principle.

Time (minimize), distance (maximize), and shielding (lead).

Lead gown, thyroid shield, lead gloves, and a dosimetry badge.

On the collar/torso outside the lead apron, to monitor exposure.

It exposes personnel to the primary beam; use sedation, sandbags, and positioning aids.

Restricting the X-ray beam to only the area of interest — improves image quality and lowers exposure.

Absorbing scatter radiation to improve contrast on thicker body parts.

A film that is too light (underdeveloped/underexposed).

A film that is too dark.

The side of the patient placed down (against the table/cassette).

Readiness to be a credentialed veterinary technician; required by most U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

The AAVSB (American Association of Veterinary State Boards), through its vendor PSI.

150 scored items (plus 20 unscored pilot items = 170 total).

Diagnose, prescribe, perform surgery, or give a prognosis — reserved for the veterinarian.

Nursing care, anesthesia, lab tests, radiographs, sample collection, and administering prescribed treatments.

Each state's veterinary practice act.

A disease that spreads between animals and humans (e.g. rabies, leptospirosis, ringworm).

Confirm consent, support the process, arrange aftercare, and offer grief support.

Signalment, medical history, and the primary (presenting) complaint.

They are a legal document of the care provided and protect the patient and practice.

Client agreement to a procedure after understanding its purpose, risks, and cost.

Nutrition, behavior, preventive care, medication side effects, dental health, and zoonosis.

Honesty, animal welfare, confidentiality, competence, and staying within scope.

Injuries inconsistent with the history, repeated unexplained trauma, neglect — report per law.

Gather and document information, then refer diagnosis/prescribing to the veterinarian.

It prevents medical errors, ensures continuity of care, and supports patient safety.