scott@vtx-cpd.com
Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Replying to Asimina Pantazoni 25/07/2024 - 12:50
Hi Mina,
I hope you are well and enjoying the course.
Choosing the Foley Catheter Size
The Fecal Management System uses soft silicone catheters that come in sizes 20Fr, 24Fr, and 28Fr, retained by an air-inflated low-pressure balloon. The catheter size is determined by the size of the patient:
20Fr for small and medium-sized dogs
24Fr for medium and large-sized dogs
28Fr for extra-large dogsMaking Additional Holes
Generally speaking, I don’t make additional holes in the catheter. I tend to use the Myla system, which has some excellent guidelines on their website. I’ve included the links to both resources below.
https://www.milainternational.com/fecal-management-system.html
https://cdn.qr-code-generator.com/account9144478/41453009_1.pdf?Expires=1722342518&Signature=G48Svm4cIBnt3qt1~jGWsNO3VG54b97mgBN7FhAOJ-AqnLpFmsFwa3v~sHG9hvVsrZCQZzm-IIlFtlUEtlF6h-rxMQ2kL~kmuYOrCZuhW2EeiBrja~KIhLNXKuMg0uScgsGy~KifcqCO~-qz-SFc3haVAUi0IoVvsCz~MpoGdUAnvUa9Dk4foQu79kqRAf1IMwz17MK7qKWo33sCX6MfaSh9aS9mAynlrc-ozhyb4-ufvBRtBqQKu9bL0P61TgSE2NBp7wVRraVtEReb5I70anGnzMgWDZFhk3PZaVeUFrtMkOA0HFfND~6BbdOhV-ctN8uR1WmsD3uDnwl~PPXNug__&Key-Pair-Id=KKMPOJU8AYATRPreventing Rectal Necrosis
The main thing regarding rectal necrosis is regular deflation of the balloon. To prevent rectal necrosis, it is advisable to move the catheter slightly in or out every few hours. Moving the catheter 1-2 cm every 4 hours can help prevent pressure sores and improve comfort for the patient.
Checking for Overinflation
To check if the catheter balloon is overinflated:
Follow Manufacturer’s Guidelines: Always adhere to the recommended inflation volume specified by the catheter manufacturer.
Feel for Resistance: After inflating the balloon, gently pull back on the catheter. It should feel snug but not overly tight.
Monitor Patient Comfort: Observe the dog for signs of discomfort or straining, which could indicate overinflation.
Deflation and Re-inflation: If unsure, deflate the balloon and reinflate it with the minimum recommended volume, then gradually increase if necessary.
Experience does play a role, but always err on the side of caution and use the least amount of inflation required to secure the catheter.Thank you for your questions, and I hope this helps!
Best regards,
ScottReplying to Lacey Pitcher 27/07/2024 - 23:23
Hey Lacey.
I agree that open conversations are crucial. Sometimes, in our efforts to remain professional, we might hold back on expressing our opinions and emotions. This has made me reflect on the common question owners ask: “If this were your pet, what would you do?” I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we should answer that.
Personally, my response to this question has evolved over time. I now strive to be as honest and open as possible in my conversations with owners. I find that being more transparent and sharing my genuine thoughts helps build trust and provides better support for pet carers making tough decisions.
Best regards,
Scott 🙂
Replying to Inge B. 22/07/2024 - 13:29
Hey pal!
Thank you so much for your really interesting response and insights. From my own experience, I agree that many people have preconceived notions about what chemotherapy will mean for their pets. Most of the time, we need to educate them on what chemotherapy actually entails for dogs and cats. I also believe that, in general, pet owners do not commonly regret their chemotherapy choices.
For me, the most important part of all of this is listening. As veterinary professionals, we often fail to fully understand the owners’ actual concerns, which can be very different from our own worries. Personally, at the end of every consultation, I always ask owners, “What are you most worried about?” The answers always surprise me and are extremely important. Often, they express concerns like, “I’m just really worried that my pet is going to die.” It’s a genuine fear for them, and we need to acknowledge and listen to that.
Thank you again for everything.
Best regards,
Scott x
Hello pal!
Thank you so much for your brilliant session. I wondered if you have any experience of using the MILA Tunneler for the retrograde placement of MILA Length-Adjustable Esophagostomy Tubes?
I have never used these before, but they are using them at my new job and are really cool!
Scott 🙂
Great questions!
I hope you are enjoying the course.
I look forward to hearing Jon’s thoughts.
Scott 🙂
Replying to Rosie Marshall 25/07/2024 - 16:22
Hi Rosie,
Welcome! It’s great to have you here. I have similar opinions about my dentistry teaching for sure, and I found that when I started in practice, it was what I was doing most of the time. I’m very happy to admit that I have limited knowledge about dental work nowadays, but I’m really happy to be involved in conversations about gingivostomatitis, so please feel free to share any insights or questions.
Thanks again for joining the course—we really appreciate your support!
Best regards,
ScottReplying to Ingrid T. 26/07/2024 - 11:52
Hi Ingrid,
Welcome! We’re really lucky to be able to work with you. Thank you so much for joining us. I’m really excited about the course and love your passion for dentistry.
Best regards,
Scott 🙂
Replying to Rosanna Vaughan 25/07/2024 - 13:02
Hello Rosanna!
Welcome back to practice! It’s great to hear that you’re excited to get back into the swing of things, especially with dentals. Dental radiographs are such a game-changer for performing high-quality dental work.
If you ever have any questions or need advice on dental procedures or radiography, feel free to reach out.
Best,
Scott
Hey Inge.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Really interesting!
Do you find that many of your pet carers often regret going down the route of chemotherapy?
Scott x
Replying to Jon H. 18/07/2024 - 20:54
Hiya,
Honestly, I don’t normally read so many surgery-related journals. It just so happened that when I went on to the most recent Journal of Small Animal Practice, the early view articles were almost all surgically based, and I felt like I had to get involved. So, it’s not typical for me to be so up-to-date with the recent surgical literature.
Best,
ScottReplying to Jon H. 18/07/2024 - 20:46
Thanks for sharing this, Jon. I certainly am becoming more comfortable using it with oral and nasal bleeding, but I must admit I’ve never applied it topically anywhere else. I did speak to an emergency and critical care specialist who had once instilled it into a thoracic cavity due to ongoing bleeding from there. I believe there may be some human medicine precedents for using it in that way, but I haven’t been brave enough to try it topically in other settings.
Interestingly, since starting work in Canada, we’ve been using Yunnan Baiyao a lot more for bleeding. It seems to be a popular option here, though it is an oral, not a topical, treatment. This study provides some insightful data on its use:
A prospective evaluation of oral Yunnan Baiyao therapy on thromboelastographic parameters in apparently healthy dogs.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2018 May;28(3):221-225. doi: 10.1111/vec.12712.Abstract:
Objective: To determine the effect of Yunnan Baiyao (YB) on hemostatic parameters measured by thromboelastography (TEG) in healthy dogs administered 1 capsule of YB orally twice daily for 1 week.Design: Prospective study of client-owned dogs at a small animal specialty hospital.
Setting: Private referral center.
Animals: Eighteen client-owned adult dogs weighing at least 15 kg.
Interventions: Dogs had a baseline TEG performed and then each dog was administered 1 capsule of YB twice daily by mouth for 1 week and the TEG was reevaluated. Any side effects attributed to YB were noted at this time.
Measurements and main results: All 18 enrolled dogs completed the study. Dogs that received 1 capsule (250 mg/capsule) of YB orally twice daily had significantly increased G as well as A30 and A60 values. There was also a significantly decreased LY30 and LY60 values after 1 week. The YB appeared well tolerated as only one dog developed mild diarrhea.
Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that YB at 1 capsule orally twice daily in healthy medium to large breed dogs increases the strength of the clot as measured by TEG and that YB was apparently well tolerated in the study population reported here. Larger prospective studies in different disease states are warranted to further evaluate these preliminary findings.
Replying to Jon H. 18/07/2024 - 20:43
This is the problem when you get a medic meddling in surgical things!
Scott:)
Replying to Jon H. 18/07/2024 - 20:40
Hi Mark and Jon,
Thank you so much for your brilliant and comprehensive reply, Jon. I just wondered what your thoughts were regarding the placement of drains pre-operatively in septic cases, especially when these cases present in the middle of the night and you want to stabilize them before surgery.
Would you ever recommend placing a drain to remove some of the fluids as part of the pre-surgery medical management? I did have a look in the literature but wasn’t able to find a huge amount about this topic.
Best regards,
Scott
Replying to Rosie Marshall 18/07/2024 - 11:49
Hey!
I think often the combination of therapies also works well. For instance, some cats will respond to a combination of diet and chia seeds. Speaking to a number of feline specialists, they are definitely moving away from alendronate for longer-term use, and I am too.
I would definitely recommend trying some of these other strategies. One of the biggest things is that cats tolerate steroids so well compared to dogs, making it easier to justify their longer-term use.
Best regards,
Scott
Replying to Ariane N. 15/07/2024 - 09:54
Thanks so much.
Really helpful!
Have a great week.
Scott 🙂
-
AuthorPosts