This is an expensive piece of equipment but is important to the clinician. Much can be found out by examining the eyes carefully with a bright small torch and a magnifying glass. Sadly, however, without a good ophthalmoscope some pathological conditions will be missed. Although a slit lamp is very useful for examining dog’s eyes, it is not required for farm animals.
Equipment for Dentistry
Unlike eyes, the teeth of farm animals do not need very urgent attention. In fact, there is much to recommend a more structured approach to their treatment. As a result, the items noted below may be kept at the practice rather than carried. The only exception is the drinkwater gag which will be required urgently to enable the removal of potatoes in the oesophagus of cows.
Dental elevators
Dental elevators as used for removing wolf teeth in horses are helpful.
Dental picks
These should be strong to allow the practitioner to pick out the food matter compacted between the teeth in diastemata.
Dental rasps
A small diamond-covered rasp is required.
Drinkwater gag
These are available for both the left and the right jaws of adult cattle. Only one is required. Normally the gag for the right jaw is required for a right-handed operator.
Headlight
There are some seriously bright torches available with heavy battery packs, but these are not really required, and a headlight which is easily taken on and off is preferable.
Molar extraction forceps
Two pairs are required. They should be 20 cm long, one should be straight and the other should have the extracting jaws at right angles.
Molar spreaders
A small pair 20 cm long is required.
Mouthwashing syringe
A catheter tip 60 ml syringe is adequate for this purpose.
Small ruminant gag
These are hard to obtain. A suitable type is shown in Fig. 6.2. on page 124.
Fig. 1.1. Pig snare.
Equipment for Stitching
These items are self-explanatory. They are listed below for completeness. The clinician can manage with very few.
Artery forceps
These can be straight or curved. Several pairs are required.
Clippers
These are a luxury. However, they make stitching and wound management so much cleaner and easier, particularly in rough-haired animals. The ideal is the rechargeable battery type.
Drapes
A single sterile drape is required as a tray cloth by the ambulatory clinician, although drapes will be required for other surgery.
Dressing forceps
The ends of dressing forceps are important: they can be flat or ‘rat toothed’. A pair of each would be required.
Dressing scissors
A pair of curved, blunt-ended scissors needs to be readily available for trimming hair. However, a straight pair with pointed ends is required for a stitch-up kit. There are various different sizes.
Needle holders
There are various types. The most convenient for stitching up wounds are the combination of cutting and holding type called ‘Gillies’.
Scalpel blades
These come in different sizes and shapes for different procedures.
Scalpel handle
It is important that the scalpel handle is the same size as the blades.
Stitch-cutting scissors
These small scissors need to be available for removing sutures.
Suture material
This may be absorbable or non-absorbable. It may also be either monofilament or braided. On the whole, monofilament nylon is the non-absorbable material recommended for suturing the skin. Polyglactin is the ideal absorbable suture material.
Suture needles
These come in various shapes. They are also either cutting or non-cutting. Generally, cutting needles will be required for the skin and non-cutting needles for soft tissue.
Tissue forceps
These forceps are for lifting tissue. A minimum of two pairs is required.
Towel clips
These are not normally required by the ambulatory clinician unless surgery is going to be performed under a general anaesthetic (GA).
Swabs
Sets of sterile swabs are required for a variety of tasks.
Equipment for the Reproductive System
Parturition is an urgent event and therefore the items listed below are vital to the ambulatory practitioner.
Calving jack
This should include a set of two short calving ropes of different colours.
Calving and lambing equipment
This should include:
• long strong calving ropes
• thin lambing ropes
• three 20 cm lengths of alkathene pipe
• a calf resuscitator pump
• calving lubricant and J lube
• doxapram hydrochloride drops
• a heavy introducer
• a thin long flexible introducer
• two small eye hooks
• an embryotomy knife
• a calf feeder bag
• resuscitation equipment
• a 5 l container, containing 0.5 l sterile water containing 20 g of sodium citrate
• a small trocar and cannula
• a large plastic bloodline