Vet Med: Initial Stabilization for the Vet Tech

What comes after triage? Stabilization! Learn how to stabilize your most critical patients as a veterinary technician. From emergency intubation, to fluid resuscitation, and more.
Please like and subscribe for more vet med videos!
/ @jenniferlyonsvts
/ jenniferlyonsvts

[@caroar6]

One of the best explanations of ER vet med topics I've seen, thank you for being so thorough. Can't wait for future videos.

[@jenniferlyonsvts]

Thank you so much! If you have any topics you’re dying to hear about please let me know!

[@lesleycoviello4285]

Thanks so much for this! Love it! Please make more content! You are very professional and informative.❤

[@jenniferlyonsvts]

Thank you so much!

[@Kittn_Kat]

I have been a ER vet tech for ten years After taking a break for a few years in emergency vet med I was ready to go back. Your videos have been a great refresher! Thank you!

[@lyondumonde9033]

Thank you for your channel.

[@jenniferlyonsvts]

My pleasure!

[@RedandBlackS10]

Thank you so much for all your videos! I like the playlist you made. I'm getting ready to go for Vet Assistant and it's been so helpful!

[@jenniferlyonsvts]

Thank you so much and good luck!

[@oliviamcveigh900]

What is respiratory arrest? I think I witnessed that…I just started working at an emergency practice and not sure what everything is yet but trying to learn as much as possible to do the best I can for the animals

[@jenniferlyonsvts]

Respiratory arrest is the term used when the respiratory system fails before cardiac system, which is common in pets without underlying heart disease.

[@christiroberts9667]

Hi Jen!!! Would you mind giving me some more examples of which patients are hyperthermic vs febrile / when to cool down and when not to? I’m in GP now, but I do see these emergencies come on here and there and just want to make sure I have 100% understanding. LOVE these videos I’ll be following every week 🤗

[@jenniferlyonsvts]

Hey Christi! I hope you’re doing well! Thanks for watching! So, determining if your patient is hyperthermic vs has a true fever will primarily be done by history, exam, and bloodwork. Patients with true fever are likely to have a more chronic, less acute, history, they’ll have bloodwork abnormalities consistent with infection such as a leukocytosis and neutrophilia, and hopefully you’re able to locate the source of infection. So, think of simple infections like cat bite abscesses, all the way to severe infections like septic abdomens. Hyperthermic patients who are warm due to a) exposure (heat stroke), b) exercise (running or seizures), c) pathological (malignant hyperthermia) will have more of an acute history (such as known heat exposure, recent exercise history, recent anesthesia in the examples above). But it’s a great question! It can take some time to determine if a patient is truly febrile. That’s where a good history can make all the difference. In the emergency setting I will typically cool patients with histories consistent with hyperthermia, and will let patients who are stable and have more chronic histories be seen by a clinician before cooling if temp is not above 107. But, I do try to bump them up to the top of the triage list.

[@_fukunicorn_164]

What if the pet has dehydration and anemia? What does the PCV look like?

[@jenniferlyonsvts]

PCV's can be artificially high with dehydration, to the point that some patients may have a low normal PCV on admission but after rehydration may become anemic. If you have a patient with a low normal PCV but a high TP it may indicate impending anemia after rehydration.