Routine and advanced consultations
VNs can perform routine consultations for tasks such as nail clipping( Figure 2) and anal gland expression, but these should not simply be a‘ tick-box’ exercise; every appointment is an important chance to touch base with the client and patient, and provide well-rounded veterinary care. qualifications and continuing professional development( CPD) courses, such as those on behaviour, nutrition, physiotherapy or medical conditions, will allow VNs to offer dedicated consultations in these areas. Learning more about an area of interest and then offering consultations in these areas can provide VNs with a greater sense of purpose and career satisfaction, which may also improve retention within the profession. Practices benefit from VNs who are employed for longer and can nurture long-standing client relationships, and clients and their pets benefit from a wider range of nursing consultations.
Weight management and nutrition
A survey carried out in 2024 by UK Pet Food looked at over 20,000 dogs, of which 50 % were identified as overweight [ 4 ]. This indicates that a large number of dogs visiting veterinary practices need to lose weight to achieve a healthy body condition score( BCS), and clients are likely to benefit from some help with this.
Figure
2. Crucial clinical signs may be observed in an animal during routine appointments for preventative healthcare such as nail clipping.
Routine VN consultations are not only important for patient welfare; they are also opportunities for regular health checks and, during such checks, abnormal clinical signs may be identified by the VN. For example, during a standard nose-to-tail examination, abnormal clinical findings could include anything from lesions and lumps to an abnormal heart rhythm and muscle wastage, or anything in between. While the VN should be careful not to suggest a diagnosis, the patient in question can be swiftly referred to the VS. In this way, VN-led clinics can maximise practice-wide care and help identify underlying disease processes at the earliest opportunity.
Sometimes clinical signs can go unnoticed by clients at home and become apparent only during observations or questioning by a VN during a consultation, such as when taking a patient ' s history. One common example is mobility issues in geriatric patients, as these changes tend to happen gradually, so they can easily be missed by clients. Once a VN starts a discussion with the client, mobility issues in their pet may be highlighted, which may present an opportunity for referral to the VS. Without the health check provided by the VN, these early signs could continue to go unnoticed.
A substantial number of advanced qualifications are available for VNs, enabling those with passion and drive to further explore their areas of interest. Some
Many pet owners struggle to help their pets maintain a healthy BCS. The reasons for this are numerous, but they can include the owner not understanding the guidelines for their pet ' s food, feeding their pet the wrong food and feeding their pet too many treats. Unfortunately, some feeding guidelines can be unclear, and if a VN finds the guidelines difficult to decipher, it is likely a client may misunderstand them and inadvertently feed their pet too much.
Furthermore, feeding guidelines are just that: guidelines. Not all animals will need the same amount of food for their weight as others of the same species. VNs can help by calculating a pet ' s resting energy requirement( RER), taking into account life-stage factors and ensuring the patient ' s nutritional needs are met. UK Pet Food provides a range of tools for veterinary professionals and clients to use, and has also published a portion control fact sheet [ 5 ], which may be useful for clients who are unsure how much to feed their pet.
There are lots of dietary products on the market and it can be difficult for clients to understand which is right for their pet. They may, therefore, need advice about which food is best to feed their pet and why. Unfortunately, the internet is full of claims about animal nutrition that have little or no supporting evidence, so it is important that clients can trust their veterinary practice for good, sound, science-backed advice, and VNs are perfectly positioned to provide this. As veterinary professionals, we should ensure our recommendations follow evidence-based research rather than personal opinions. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association( WSAVA) Global Nutrition Committee created nutritional guidelines in 2011( last updated in 2021) to aid pet owners and veterinary professionals in choosing diets [ 6 ].
24 Veterinary Nursing Journal