Dedication v About the Author xxii About the Primary Author of Video Content xxiii Preface xxiv Acknowledgments xxvi About the Companion Website xxviii PART 1 Examining the Feline Patient 1 Setting the Stage: Feline-Friendly Practice 3 1.1 Challenges Faced in Feline Practice, 3 1.2 Finding Solutions to Increase Cat Visits: The Emergence of Feline-Friendly Handling Practices, 5 1.3 Key Principles of Feline-Friendly Practice, 7 1.4 The Role of Sound, 17 1.5 The Role of Tactile Stimulation, 19 1.6 The Role of Scent, 20 1.7 The Role of Advance Preparation, 22 1.

8 Examination Room Etiquette: Accessing the Cat, 22 1.9 Recognizing Body Language, 25 1.10 Feline-Friendly Handling, 27 1.11 Other Feline Handling Tools, 32 1.12 The Hands-Off Physical Exam, 36 2 Patient Identification and Assessing the Big Picture: The Body, the Coat, and the Skin of the Cat 39 2.1 Forms of Identification, 39 2.2 The Role of Nutrition in Maintenance of Feline Health and Body Condition Score (BCS), 41 2.3 Assessing Hydration, 47 2.

4 First Impressions and Coat Inspection, 50 2.5 Identifying Coat Colors and Coat Patterns, 53 2.6 Assessing Coat Quality, 60 2.7 Inspecting the Skin, 67 2.8 Inspecting the Claws, Paw Pads, and Toes, 74 2.9 Inspecting the Mammary Chains, 76 2.10 Additional Tools that Facilitate Inspection of the Skin, 78 3 Examining the Head of the Cat and Associated Vital Structures 82 3.1 Skull Shape, 82 3.

2 Facial Symmetry, 86 3.3 The Eyes and Accessory Structures, 89 3.4 The Ears, 129 3.5 The Nose, 141 3.6 The Vibrissae, 145 3.7 Extraoral Examination, 145 3.8 The Intraoral Examination, 152 4 Examining the Endocrine and Lymphatic Systems of the Cat 169 4.1 Evaluating the Thyroid Gland, 169 4.

2 Assessing the Lymphatic System, 174 5 Assessing the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems of the Cat 180 5.1 Introduction to the Thoracic Cavity, 180 5.2 The Feline Cardiac Patient, 181 5.3 Assessing the Cardiovascular System Prior to Auscultation, 185 5.4 Cardiothoracic Auscultation, 188 5.5 The Feline Respiratory Patient, 198 5.6 Assessing the Respiratory System Prior to Auscultation, 202 5.7 Understanding Normal Airway Sounds, 210 5.

8 Auscultating the Airway, 211 5.9 Understanding Adventitious Airway Sounds, 211 5.10 Using Airway Sounds to Corroborate Percussive Findings, 212 5.11 Purring as an Obstruction to Auscultation, 212 5.12 Veterinary Wearables for Vital Signs, 212 5.13 Other In-House Support for Vital Signs, 214 6 Examining the Abdominal Cavity and External Genitalia of Cats, with a Brief Introduction to Pregnancy and Neonatal Norms 218 6.1 Overview of the Digestive Tract as it Pertains to Presenting Complaints, 218 6.2 The Esophagus, 229 6.

3 Visual Inspection of the Abdomen, 229 6.4 Superficial Palpation and Auscultation of the Abdomen, 230 6.5 Deep Palpation of the Abdomen, 234Contents xiii 6.6 The Upper Urinary Tract, 249 6.7 The Lower Urinary Tract, 254 6.8 The Male Reproductive Tract, 263 6.9 The Female Reproductive Tract, 269 6.10 Neonates, 276 7 Examining the Musculoskeletal System of the Cat 284 7.

1 Muscle Condition Score (MCS), 284 7.2 The Skeleton as a Whole, 287 7.3 Key Components of the Axial Skeleton to Appreciate on Physical Examination, 288 7.4 Key Components of the Appendicular Skeleton to Appreciate on Physical Examination, 291xiv Contents 7.5 A Deeper Dive into the Appendicular Skeleton: The Forelimb, 304 7.6 A Deeper Dive into the Appendicular Skeleton: The Pelvic (Hind) Limb, 311 8 Evaluating the Nervous System of the Cat 325 8.1 Assessing Mentation and Differentiating it from Behavior, 325 8.2 Assessing Posture and Abnormal Head Positions, 328 8.

3 Assessing Coordination, Gait, and Voluntary Movement: Paresis Versus Paralysis, 333 8.4 Assessing Postural Reactions, 335 8.5 Dyskinesias, 338 8.6 Evaluating Spinal Reflexes, 338 8.7 Assessing Cranial Nerves, 341 8.8 Assessing Nociception, 346 PART 2 Examining the Canine Patient 9 Setting the Stage: Dog-Friendly Practices 353 9.1 The Human-Animal Bond and Addressing the Clinical Challenge of When that Bond Breaks, 353 9.2 The Low-Stress Handling Movement, 355 9.

3 Fear Free Certification, 357 9.4 The Dog-Friendly Clinic Scheme, 357 9.5 A Fresh Start: Building Dog-Friendly Practices into the Clinic, 358 9.6 Considerations About White-Coat Syndrome, 360 9.7 The Role of Scent, 361 9.8 The Role of Advance Preparation, 363 9.9 Examination Room Etiquette: Setting the Tone for Initial Veterinary Interactions with the Dog, 363 9.10 Recognizing Body Language, 365 9.

11 Creative Approaches to Challenging Interactions with Canine Patients, 371 9.12 Other Canine Handling Tools, 372 9.13 The Hands-Off Canine Physical Exam, 376 10 Patient Identification and Assessing the Big Picture: The Body, the Coat, and the Skin of the Dog 379 10.1 Forms of Identification, 379 10.2 Body Condition Scoring, 380 10.3 Assessing Hydration, 388 10.4 Patient Signalment, Breed Designation, and Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL), 390 10.5 First Impressions and Coat Inspection, 391 10.

6 Identifying Coat Colors and Coat Patterns, 393 10.7 Assessing Coat Quality, 399 10.8 Inspecting the Skin, 404 10.9 Primary Skin Lesions in Canine Patients, 408 10.10 Secondary Skin Lesions in Canine Patients, 412 10.11 Miscellaneous Skin Lesions, 414 10.12 Hyperkeratosis, 416 10.13 Skin Folds, 416 10.

14 Nails and Paw Pads, 419 10.15 Skin Incisions, 423 10.16 Mammary Glands, 423 11 Examining the Head of the Dog and Associated Vital Structures 427 11.1 Skull Shape and Associated Welfare Concerns, 427 11.2 Facial Symmetry, 434 11.3 The Eyes and Accessory Structures, 436 11.4 The Ears, 462 11.5 The Nose, 471 11.

6 The Vibrissae, 474 11.7 The Extraoral Examination, 475 11.8 The Intraoral Examination, 481 12 Examining the Endocrine and Lymphatic Systems of the Dog 498 12.1 Evaluating the Canine Thyroid Gland, 498 12.2 The Typical Presentation of Thyroid Neoplasia in the Dog, 499 12.3 The Pathophysiology of Canine Hypothyroidism, 499 12.4 The Typical Presentation of a Hypothyroid Dog, 500 12.5 The Atypical Presentation of a Hypothyroid Dog, 501 12.

6 Assessing the Lymphatic System, 501 12.7 Examining the Submandibular Lymph Nodes, 502 12.8 Examining the Superficial Cervical or Prescapular Lymph Nodes, 502 12.9 Examining the Popliteal Lymph Nodes, 502 12.10 Feeling for Lymph Nodes that are not Typically Present in Healthy Patients, 503 13 Examining the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems of the Dog 506 13.1 Introduction to the Thoracic Cavity, 506 13.2 Congenital Heart Disease in the Dog, 506 13.3 Acquired Heart Disease in the Dog, 509 13.

4 Assessing the Cardiovascular System Prior to Auscultation, 512 13.5 Cardiothoracic Auscultation, 516 13.6 The Canine Respiratory Patient, 523 13.7 Assessing the Respiratory System Prior to Auscultation, 529 13.8 Understanding Normal Airway Sounds, 531 13.9 Auscultating the Airway, 531 13.10 Understanding Adventitious Airway Sounds, 532 13.11 Using Airway Sounds to Corroborate Percussive Findings, 532 13.

12 Panting as an Obstruction to Auscultation, 533 13.13 Veterinary Wearables for Vital Signs, 533 13.14 Other In-House Support for Vital Signs, 533 14 Examining the Abdominal Cavity and External Genitalia of Dogs, with a Brief Introduction to Pregnancy and Neonatal Norms 536 14.1 Overview of the Digestive Tract, 536 14.2 The Esophagus, 541 14.3 Visual Inspection of the Abdomen, 543 14.4 Auscultation of the Abdomen, 544 14.5 Superficial Palpation of the Abdomen, 544 14.

6 Deep Palpation of the Abdomen, 548 14.7 Examining the Perineum and Performing the Rectal Examination, 557 14.8 The Upper Urinary Tract, 560 14.9 The Lower Urinary Tract, 562 14.10 The Male Reproductive Tract, 567 14.11 The Female Reproductive Tract, 573 14.12 Neonates, 579 15 Examining the Musculoskeletal System of the Dog 585 15.1 Muscle Condition Score (MCS), 585 15.

2 The Skeleton as a Whole, 587 15.3 Key Components of the Axial Skeleton to Appreciate on Physical Examination, 587 15.4 Key Components of the Appendicular Skeleton to Appreciate on Physical Examination, 589 15.5 A Deeper Dive into the Appendicular Skeleton: The Forelimb, 596 15.6 A Deeper Dive into the Appendicular Skeleton: The Pelvic (Hind) Limb, 603 15.7 Hygromas, 614 16 Evaluating the Nervous System of the Dog 619 16.1 Assessing Mentation and Differentiating it from Behavior, 619 16.2 Assessing Posture and Abnormal Head Positions, 622 16.

3 Assessing Coordination, Gait, and Voluntary Movement: Paresis Versus Paralysis, 626 16.4 Assessing Postural Reactions, 627 16.5 Dyskinesias, 631 16.6 Evaluating the Spinal Reflexes, 632 16.7 Assessing Cranial Nerves, 634 16.8 Assessing Nociception, 638 Accompanying Video(s), 642 References, 642 Appendices 643 Appendix I: Reference Intervals for Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration (TPR).