Episode Details

I'm kicking off a new mini-series on the podcast in this episode, and something we've actually never done before in almost 3 years and 130 episodes! 

We're going to spend the next few episodes talking about bloodwork - specifically, the common changes we see, why we see them, and what this all means for us as nurses.

Why? Because too often, we look at our results, feel like we're not quite 100% sure what we're really looking at, and then hand them to the vet for them to make the decisions.

And while yes, it is absolutely their job to make those decisions, there's a TON of nursing information we get from those results too - we just need to know how to decipher them.

So that's what we're going to start doing over the next few episodes - and today we're starting with calcium.

We see this go wrong more often than we think - from patients with cancer, kidney disease, endocrine disease, reproductive disorders, toxin ingestion and much more. And that one little mineral can cause significant, and sometimes even life-threatening, changes for our patients.

I know calcium can feel like one of those topics that's all A&P and lots of boring science, and you're probably expecting your eyes start to glazing over by the second sentence - but stick with me, because I promise you, I'm going to keep the theory to what you actually need to know so you can nurse your patients effectively.

Across the next 30 minutes or so we'll chat about where and how calcium is balanced in the body (and why it goes wrong), the different types of calcium we measure and why, how to take samples that you can actually trust, and then - most importantly - our patients. We'll look at hyper- and hypocalcaemia, what we see, how to nurse these patients, and the skills we need to use in the process.

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This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.