Virtual Notebook

Veterinary Assistant Notes

~COMMON SPECIES~
Dog Canis Canine
Cat Felis Feline
Horse Equis Equine
Cattle Bos Bovine
Sheep Ovis Ovine
Goat Capra Caprine
Pig Sus Porcine
Bird Avis Avian
Mouse Mus Murine
Rat Rattus Murine

~DIRECTIONAL TERMINOLOGY~
Caudal- towards the tail
Cranial- towards the head
Deep- further from the surface
Superficial- closer to the surface
Dorsal- along the back
Ventral- along the belly
Distal- furthest from the body
Proximal- closest to body
Anterior- front of the animal
Posterior- rear of the animal
Median- divides animal into equal L/R halves
Sagittal- parallel to median plane
Transverse- divides cranial + caudal planes
Lateral- far side of the animal
Medial- near side of animal

~PREFIXES~
Brady- slow
Dys- bad, difficult, painful
Epi- upper
Erythr- red
Hemi- half
Hemo- blood
Hyper- above, increased
Hypo- below, decreased
Infra- below, beneath
Intra- within
Meta- beyond
Poly- many
Sub- below, under, decreased
Super- above, increased
Supra- above, increased
Tachy- fast
Trans- across
Ultra- above, increased
Audi/0- hearing
Bio- life
Brachi- arm
Brochi- bronchus
Carcin- cancer
Cardi/o- heart
Cephal- head
Col- colon
Cyt- cell
Dent- teeth
Derm- skin
Encephal- brain
Grastro- stomach
Gyneco- female
Hemat- blood
Laparo- abdomen, loin, flank
Lympho- lymph vessels
Mammo- mammary gland
Naso- nose
Opthalmo- eye
Oto- ear
Steth- chest
Thoraco- thorax
Trache- trachea

~SUFFIXES~
-algia: pain
-cyte: cell
-ectomy: surgical removal
-graphy: recording of
-iasis: infestation, infection
-ism: state, condition
-itis: inflammation
-lysis: destruction of
-megaly: abnormally large
-ology: study of
-ologist: specialist
-oma: tumor
-osis: abnormal condition
-oxia: oxygen
-pathy: disease
-penia: deficiency
-phagia: swallowing
-plegia: paralysis, stroke
-pnea; breathing
-sclerosis: abnormal hardening
-scope: instrument for viewing
-sepsis: infection
-spasm: involuntary contraction
-stasis: constant
-stenosis: narrowing
-tomy: incision
-toxin: poison

~MEDICAL ABBREVIATIONS~
Ad lib: as much as desired
SID: once a day
BID: twice daily
TID: three times daily
QUID: four times daily
QH: every hour
W/O: without
STAT: immediately
N: normal
DSH: domestic short hair
DLH: domestic long hair
Dx: diagnosis
Hx: history
Rx: prescription
Sx: surgery
FeLV: feline leukemia
FIA: feline infectious anemia
FIP: feline infectious pentonitis
ECG: electrocardiogram
ICU: intensive care unit
cc: cubic centimeter
ml: milliliter
wt: weight
HR: heart rate
PCV: packed cell volume
SG: specific gravity
TPR: temp, pulse, respiration
UA: urinalysis
IM: intramuscular
IP: intraperitoneal
IV: intravenous
Sub-Q: subcutaneous
rbc: red blood cell
wbc: white blood cell
DVM: doctor of veterinary medicine
PE: physical examination
CNS: central nervous system
GI: gastrointestinal
DOA: dead on arrival
DOB: date of birth
V/D: vomiting and diarrhea
NSF: no significant findings

~TYPES OF BONES~
Short: cube shaped, found by joints, give flexibility. Ex- carpals, tarsals
Flat: plate, usually protects vital organs. Ex- scapula, ribs, skull
Irregular: complex shaped. Ex- vertebrae
Sesamoid: small, seed shaped. Ex- patella, proximal and distal sesamoids
Long: bone is longer than is wide. Ex- femur, tibia, humerus
Axial Skeleton: skull, vertebrae, ribs
Appendicular Skeleton: limbs

~SKELETAL SYSTEM VOCABULARY~
-Appendicular Skeleton: consists of fore and hind limbs
-Axial Skeleton: consists of the skull, ribs, and vertebrae
-Comminuted Fracture: bone shatters into many pieces
-Compound Fracture: bone breaks through the skin
-Diaphysis: body of a long bone
-Endosteum: thin inner layer of bone covering, lines medullary cavity
-Epiphysis: enlarges ends of long bone
-Fissure Fracture: break along the axis of the bone
-Flat Bone: plate of bone
-Greenstick Fracture: break on one side of the bone, usually due to bending force
-Irregular Bone: complex and irregular shaped bone
-Long Bone: bone longer than wide
-Medullary Cavity: space within the bone filled with marrow
-Metaphysis: joining point of epiphysis and diaphysis
-Ossification: process by which tissue and cartilage become bone
-Periosteum: thin outer layer of bone covering
-Sesamoid: small, seed like bone imbedded in tendon
-Short Bone: cube shaped bone
-Simple Fracture: bone doesn't break through skin
-Skeleton: framework of structures that support the body
-Synovial Joint: freely movable joint
-Transverse Fracture: break completely across the bone
-Anatomy: bodily structure
-Physiology: functions of living organisms and their parts