Last week, our community engaged in energetic discussions around the nuances of blood collection tubes, highlighting how small details can impact lab results. Members shared experiences and tips for using different types of tubes. Another recurring theme was strategies for administering medication calmly. These conversations underscored the importance of both technical knowledge and patient management skills in our field.
This Week’s Hot Topics
Quick quiz: green-top vs purple-top tubes
This thread delves into the distinctions between green-top and purple-top blood collection tubes. It’s a fascinating look at how these differences can affect test outcomes, a crucial detail for any veterinary assistant to grasp. Read more here
Go-to tools for calm dosing
Here, members discuss their preferred tools and techniques for administering medication without causing stress to the animals. It’s a practical exchange that could make a real difference in your daily routine. Read more here
Thanks for staying connected with us. Looking forward to another week of learning and sharing together.
Had a “tall housecat” call last month at 2 a.m — turned out to be a skinny coyote; now I ask callers “ears pointed or rounded?” and “tail long or bobbed?”, and if no photo, compare height to a mailbox (2 a.m. adds inches). Anyone else keep a one-page ID sheet in the truck as a backup?
Quick example: we cut retakes by setting tooth/angle-specific presets in our imaging software and staging Rinn‑style sensor holders with color‑coded bite blocks for each quadrant before the first case; it saves about 20–30 seconds per shot and keeps glove changes down in a busy room. Caveat: with small‑breed or brachycephalic patients, switch to a tab and use the software’s “positioning preview” to frame before full capture. @Jules also nailed the hygiene point — sleeved sensors get a fast isopropyl wipe on the holder between patients to keep the line moving.
Biggest saver for us last week: if you’re pulling both chem and CBC, go green-top before purple and don’t reuse the needle — one EDTA crystal and your K+ and Ca are trash. Then label, fill to the line, and “invert 8–10 times” gently; overdoing it just hemolyzes. For ionized Ca, skip the tube and use a balanced heparin syringe anaerobically — anyone else see fewer redraws after switching?