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stabilising patients. One cat presented in respiratory distress and with multiple fractures following a road traffic accident. Alex quickly triaged the patient before beginning stabilisation involving oxygen supplementation, placement of an intravenous catheter and fluid therapy, pain relief and taking thoracic and limb radiographs.
Alex also hoped to gain experience applying clinical reasoning in a shelter and charity setting. The charity runs a large animal shelter that is home to hundreds of animals. The shelter is over-run and although every measure is taken to prevent disease, the population density increases the risk.
Alex also gained experience working with a shelter which was housing 70 cats experiencing ocular and nasal discharge. “For an individual cat with these clinical signs I would be asking the owner questions regarding appetite, drinking, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhoea, behaviour and lethargy but since the cats live communally, the shelter manager could not answer any of these questions. As such, my treatment programme involved some basic biosecurity, an isolation protocol and NSAID administration to cats with clinical signs.
“I was asked to provide antibiotics to add to the water source but as my clinical findings and reasoning suggested a viral cause was more likely, I explained that antibiotics are unnecessary and blanket treatment in a water source could increase antibiotic resistance and it can be difficult to reach therapeutic doses.
“This type of communication regarding antibiotics misconceptions will be common as a new graduate and I valued this educative exchange prior to graduation.
“I am very grateful for the EMS+ grant that provided the financial support to complete this placement that has been an i