Triage
Literally means “to sort” – in this practice you are gaining information by looking at the patient and seeing what their needs are.
- If it is more than one you are gaining insight on who needs attention first.
- Looking at any obvious externally wounds/etc. Musculoskeletal/ Respiratory/ cardiovascular- perfusion times etc. you gain most of this information in seconds. And it's important to always think ahead.
- One thing to note that with animals, the main difference in assessing a patient (animal) is that we have the option of humane euthanasia- unlike our counterpart humans. It's very important to keep that in mind. This should ALWAYS be done by a professional as your very first option to ensure that the animal is treated in a humane way. If you are unsure about anything, please contact a vet.
- Vet client relationship- important!
Common injuries seen on homestead
- Wound/puncture/scrape
- Bumblefoot
- Frostbite
- Abscess
- Bloat/colic
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Heat stroke
- Hot spots
- Eye injury
- General lameness/gait assessment
First aid kit for goat/sheep/chicken/duck/horse/cow
- Bandage supplies- gauze, vet wrap (coban) , bandage tape
- Gloves
- Thermometer
- Vaseline
- lube
- Chlorahexadine
- Iodine
- Needles/syringes
- Epsom salt
- Tweezers
- Electrolytes
- Red top tubes
- Scissors
- Drench gun
- OTC meds- Benadryl/famotidine/Pepcid/vitamin C /LA200/penicillin
- Heat lamp
- Bloat release
- Bloodstop powder
- Stethoscope- all animals
- Wire cutters
- Clean bucket- I like metal
- Hair blow dryer
- Cold pack
- Pocket knife
- linament
- Flashlight
- Pen and paper
- Banamine
- Drawing Salve
- VetRx
- Ophthalmic Ointments
Resources
Backyard Poultry Medicine & Surgery
Horseman’s Veterinary Encyclopedia
First Aid for Horses