References
How to: ovine clinical examination update
Abstract
When asked to consider the core activities of a large animal practitioner, many would conjure up images of vets standing at the back end of a cow performing rectal palpation, or ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis. However, the essential skill in any large animal practitioner's toolbox is the ability to perform a thorough and accurate clinical examination. This article discusses approaches to the ovine clinical examination, the nuances and differences expected for rams and neonates.
The ability to perform a thorough, detailed clinical examination is a key skill for any veterinary surgeon. This article discusses an approach to the examination of the individual ram or ewe from arrival on farm through to completion of the clinical examination.
Personal protective equipment is required; typically consisting of disinfectable wellington boots (with the option of steel toe capped variants available), waterproof trousers and top (the author prefers KiwiKit for its durability, neoprene sleeves on the top and padded knees on the trousers) plus a boiler suit if desired. Personal protective equipment should be freshly laundered, new or be disinfected on arrival at the farm (the author recommends FAM30 (Evans Vanodine) as an iodophor disinfectant with bactericidal, viricidal and fungicidal properties at a 1:49 dilution (Evans Vanodine, 2022)), the exception to this is if tuberculosis is suspected, when a 1:14 dilution should be used (DEFRA, 2024). Vets should be aware of, and advise farmers, that this higher concentration came into effect in March 2024, and replaces the old dilution rate of 1:20. Nitrile or latex gloves should be worn in all scenarios.
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