USER-ALT Samantha Aumann and Miryam Reems , BluePearl Veterinary Partners , Tampa , Florida
Stored packed red blood cells ( RBCs ) may undergo haemolysis over time and , while intermittent mixing in the additive solution may prevent such deterioration , it also carries the risk of causing iatrogenic damage . The authors evaluated the haemolytic effects of mixing frequency and storage position on canine RBCs over a 28-day period . They found no evidence of statistically significant levels of haemolysis in canine blood samples less than 28 days old , suggesting that positioning and mixing frequency were irrelevant up to this point . Some haemolysis did occur after 28 days , but the results gave no useful indicators of best practice when storing blood .
Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / vec . 13164
Effect of veterinary technicians and support staff on productivity in US veterinary practices
USER-ALT Frederic Ouedraogo and others , American Veterinary Medical Association
The numbers of veterinary technicians ( i . e . veterinary nurses ) and other support staff employed in first opinion small animal and mixed practices in the USA has grown substantially in recent years . The authors examined the impact of staff employed in non-veterinarian roles on the revenue and productivity of US practices . Their findings suggest that setting an optimal ratio of support staff to veterinarians will ultimately improve productivity , lower costs , increase technical efficiencies , improve service quality and augment pet healthcare delivery .
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association https :// doi . org / 10.2460 / javma . 21.11.0482
Management of acute diarrhoea in dogs using a high-fibre diet
USER-ALT Michael Lappin and others , Colorado State University , Fort Collins
Providing diets with an increased concentration of dietary fibre is thought to be beneficial in dogs with large bowel diarrhoea . The authors compared the effects of a diet with high concentrations of both soluble and insoluble fibre against a more standard diet in 52 dogs with acute colitis at an animal shelter . On completion of the study , the proportion of dogs producing loose stools with a faecal score above 4 was significantly higher in the standard diet group . Their findings confirmed that highfibre diets can be useful in the management of acute diarrhoea in dogs .
Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine https :// doi . org / 10.1111 / jvim . 16360
14 Veterinary Nursing Journal