Proper collection of blood samples for diagnostic and monitoring purposes is an important part of the job of the veterinary nurse. Acid/base and blood gases are routine tests performed in veterinary emergency and critical care settings around the world today. Increasingly this technology is becoming incorporated into the daily lives of veterinary professionals even outside of this setting, such as general practice. In this talk we will discuss the process of sample collection, sample handling and the parameters derived from this test so that you can gain confidence in alerting your vets, with accuracy, when a problem is looming.

Malassezia dermatitis is caused by the commensal yeast Malassezia pachydermatis. When dogs suffer from predisposing conditions such as allergic skin disease, cornification disorders, chronic or recurrent inflammatory skin diseases, it can become pathogenic. Identification of the underlying causes is the key to management success.

Disseminated Intravascular coagulation (DIC) is an uncommon but complex disease process with a high mortality. Paramount to success is early detection and invention...