REFERENCES
Figure 2 . The patient , prior to discharge .
Conclusion
Nursing spinal patients can be very rewarding as they require multiple nursing interventions . Improving short-term recovery includes appropriate bladder management and providing adequate analgesia by ensuring pain is assessed regularly .
Recumbency care is essential to prevent decubital ulcers , and resting energy requirements must be calculated to ensure nutritional needs are met . Physiotherapy modalities , such as massage and PROM , can be continued at home by the owner to accelerate the patient ’ s recovery . Written instructions will enable the owner to refer to the plan and demonstration videos may remind them of the techniques used .
Barnes , M . P . ( 2003 ) Principles of neurological rehabilitation . Journal of Neurology , Neurosurgery , and Psychiatry . 74 ( suppl 4 ), iv3 – iv7 .
Bloor , C . ( 2013 ) The use and management of closed urinary catheters . The Veterinary Nurse . 4 ( 5 ), 264 – 275 .
Bubenik , L . & Hosgood , G . ( 2008 ). Urinary tract infection in dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation and urinary bladder dysfunction managed by manual expression , indwelling catheterization or intermittent catheterization . Veterinary Surgery . 37 ( 8 ), 791 – 800 .
Crook , A . ( 2014 ) Introduction : Pain : An issue of animal welfare . In : Pain Management in Veterinary Practice . Chichester , John Wiley & Sons , pp . 1 – 8 .
Daniels , L . ( 2010 ) Pelvic fractures – nursing considerations . Veterinary Nursing Journal . 25 ( 11 ), 23 – 25 .
Davies Veterinary Specialists ( 2018 ) Our guide to ice and heat therapy . Available from : https :// vetspecialists . co . uk / wp-content / uploads / 2019 / 04 / Fact _ Sheets _ Therapy _ Services _ Ice _ and _ heat _ therapy . pdf [ Accessed 1 September 2022 ]
Ellapen , T . J ., Hammill , H . V ., Swanepoel , M ., Strydom , G . L . ( 2018 ) The benefits of hydrotherapy to patients with spinal cord injuries . African Journal of Disability . 7 , 450 .
Giudice , E ., Barillaro , G ., Crinò , C ., Alaimo , A ., Macrì , F . & Di Pietro , S . ( 2017 ) Postoperative pain in dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy : comparison of the analgesic activity of buprenorphine and tramadol . Journal of Veterinary Behavior . 19 , 45 – 49 .
Hurlbert , R . J . ( 2000 ) Methylprednisolone for acute spinal cord injury : an inappropriate standard of care . Journal of Neurosurgery : Spine . 93 ( 1 ), 1 – 7 .
McKee , M ., ( 2000 ) Intervertebral disc disease in the dog 2 . Management options . In Practice . 22 ( 8 ), 458 – 471 .
Reflective professional development notes . To access hyperlinks to the references , scan the QR code on page 3 .
On evaluation of the care given , there are additional interventions that could be considered for future neurological patients , such as using an indwelling urinary catheter and regular urinalysis to identify a UTI early and reduce the risk of discomfort with manual expression . Use of the TENS machine could be implemented earlier to see if this reduces recovery time .
Volume 37 ( 5 ) • November 2022
29