Veterinary Clinical Reference Guide

Overview

This skill provides veterinary medicine knowledge for building clinical tools in the Vete platform. It covers drug dosages, diagnosis codes (VeNom), vaccine schedules, lab reference ranges, and species-specific vital signs.

Target species: Dogs (Canis familiaris), Cats (Felis catus), with notes for exotic species.

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1. Drug Dosage Calculator

Common Drug Dosages - Dogs

Drug	Indication	Dose (mg/kg)	Route	Frequency	Max Duration	Notes
Amoxicillin	Bacterial infections	10-20	PO	q12h	7-14 days	With or without food
Amoxicillin-Clavulanate	Skin, UTI, respiratory	12.5-25	PO	q12h	7-14 days	Preferred for resistant bacteria
Metronidazole	Anaerobic infections, Giardia	10-15	PO	q12h	5-7 days	Give with food, avoid prolonged use
Enrofloxacin	UTI, skin, respiratory	5-20	PO/SC	q24h	7-30 days	Not in growing dogs <12mo
Cephalexin	Skin infections	15-30	PO	q8-12h	14-28 days	First-gen cephalosporin
Doxycycline	Tick-borne, respiratory	5-10	PO	q12-24h	14-28 days	Give with food, avoid dairy
Prednisolone	Anti-inflammatory	0.5-1	PO	q12-24h	Varies	Taper off, don't stop abruptly
Prednisone	Immunosuppression	2-4	PO	q12-24h	Varies	Higher dose for autoimmune
Meloxicam	Pain, arthritis	0.1-0.2	PO	q24h	Long-term	Loading dose 0.2, maintenance 0.1
Carprofen	Pain, arthritis	2-4	PO	q12-24h	Long-term	Monitor liver enzymes
Gabapentin	Neuropathic pain	5-10	PO	q8-12h	Varies	Can cause sedation
Tramadol	Moderate pain	2-5	PO	q8-12h	Short-term	Controlled substance some regions
Omeprazole	Gastric ulcers	0.5-1	PO	q24h	2-8 weeks	Give before meals
Famotidine	Gastric acid	0.5-1	PO/IV	q12-24h	As needed	H2 blocker
Maropitant	Antiemetic	1	PO/SC	q24h	5 days	For motion sickness: 8 mg/kg
Ondansetron	Antiemetic	0.5-1	PO/IV	q8-12h	As needed	For chemotherapy-induced
Diphenhydramine	Allergies, sedation	2-4	PO/IM	q8h	As needed	May cause drowsiness
Cetirizine	Allergies	1-2	PO	q24h	Long-term	Less sedating
Furosemide	Diuretic, CHF	1-4	PO/IV/IM	q8-12h	Varies	Monitor electrolytes
Enalapril	Heart failure	0.5	PO	q12-24h	Long-term	ACE inhibitor
Pimobendan	Dilated cardiomyopathy	0.25-0.3	PO	q12h	Long-term	Give 1hr before food
Phenobarbital	Seizures	2-5	PO	q12h	Long-term	Monitor serum levels
Potassium Bromide	Seizures (adjunct)	20-40	PO	q24h	Long-term	Takes 3mo for steady state
Metoclopramide	Prokinetic	0.2-0.5	PO/SC/IV	q6-8h	Short-term	Avoid with GI obstruction
Sucralfate	GI ulcers	0.5-1g/dog	PO	q8h	2-8 weeks	Give 1hr before other meds

Common Drug Dosages - Cats

Drug	Indication	Dose (mg/kg)	Route	Frequency	Max Duration	Notes
Amoxicillin	Bacterial infections	10-20	PO	q12h	7-14 days	Palatability issues
Amoxicillin-Clavulanate	Skin, UTI, respiratory	12.5-25	PO	q12h	7-14 days	Liquid form easier
Metronidazole	Anaerobic, IBD	10-15	PO	q12h	5-7 days	Bitter taste, use capsules
Enrofloxacin	UTI, skin	5	PO	q24h	7-14 days	MAX 5 mg/kg - retinal toxicity
Marbofloxacin	UTI, skin	2	PO	q24h	7-14 days	Safer fluoroquinolone for cats
Doxycycline	Upper respiratory, Bartonella	5-10	PO	q12-24h	14-28 days	Give with food, esophageal stricture risk
Clindamycin	Dental, toxoplasmosis	5.5-11	PO	q12h	14-28 days	Anaerobic coverage
Prednisolone	Anti-inflammatory	0.5-2	PO	q12-24h	Varies	Cats need prednisolONE, not prednisone
Meloxicam	Pain (acute)	0.1-0.2	PO/SC	Once	1-3 days max	Renal risk with repeated dosing
Buprenorphine	Pain	0.01-0.03	SL/IM	q6-12h	Short-term	Sublingual route in cats
Gabapentin	Pain, anxiety	5-10	PO	q8-12h	Varies	Pre-vet visit: 50-100mg 2hr before
Mirtazapine	Appetite stimulant	1.88	PO	q48h	As needed	Or 2mg transdermal q24h
Omeprazole	Gastric	1	PO	q24h	2-4 weeks	Compounded liquid
Famotidine	Gastric	0.5-1	PO	q12-24h	As needed	-
Maropitant	Antiemetic	1	SC	q24h	5 days	Injectable preferred
Furosemide	CHF, pleural effusion	1-2	PO/IV/IM	q8-12h	Varies	Start low
Amlodipine	Hypertension	0.625-1.25mg/cat	PO	q24h	Long-term	Start 0.625mg for small cats
Atenolol	Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy	6.25-12.5mg/cat	PO	q12-24h	Long-term	-
Methimazole	Hyperthyroidism	1.25-2.5mg/cat	PO	q12h	Long-term	Monitor T4 at 3 weeks
Phenobarbital	Seizures	2-3	PO	q12h	Long-term	Lower doses than dogs

Dosage Calculation Formula

Dose (mg) = Weight (kg) × Dose rate (mg/kg)
Volume (mL) = Dose (mg) ÷ Concentration (mg/mL)

Example: Dog 15kg, Amoxicillin 20 mg/kg, suspension 50 mg/mL

• Dose = 15 × 20 = 300 mg
• Volume = 300 ÷ 50 = 6 mL per dose

Drug Interactions - Critical

Drug A	Drug B	Interaction	Severity
NSAIDs	Corticosteroids	GI ulceration risk	HIGH
NSAIDs	Furosemide	Reduced diuretic effect	Medium
Metronidazole	Phenobarbital	Reduced metronidazole effect	Medium
Enrofloxacin	Antacids	Reduced absorption	Medium
Doxycycline	Calcium/Dairy	Reduced absorption	Medium
ACE Inhibitors	NSAIDs	Reduced ACE effect, renal risk	Medium
Cisapride	Ketoconazole	Cardiac arrhythmias	HIGH
Tramadol	SSRIs	Serotonin syndrome	HIGH

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2. Diagnosis Codes (VeNom)

Common Diagnoses by System

Dermatology

Code	Name (Spanish)	Name (English)
DERM-001	Dermatitis alérgica	Allergic dermatitis
DERM-002	Dermatitis atópica	Atopic dermatitis
DERM-003	Dermatitis por pulgas	Flea allergy dermatitis
DERM-004	Pioderma superficial	Superficial pyoderma
DERM-005	Pioderma profundo	Deep pyoderma
DERM-006	Sarna demodécica	Demodectic mange
DERM-007	Sarna sarcóptica	Sarcoptic mange
DERM-008	Dermatofitosis (tiña)	Dermatophytosis (ringworm)
DERM-009	Otitis externa	Otitis externa
DERM-010	Otitis media	Otitis media
DERM-011	Hot spot (dermatitis húmeda)	Acute moist dermatitis
DERM-012	Alopecia	Alopecia

Gastroenterology

Code	Name (Spanish)	Name (English)
GI-001	Gastroenteritis aguda	Acute gastroenteritis
GI-002	Gastritis	Gastritis
GI-003	Enteritis	Enteritis
GI-004	Colitis	Colitis
GI-005	Pancreatitis aguda	Acute pancreatitis
GI-006	Pancreatitis crónica	Chronic pancreatitis
GI-007	Enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal	Inflammatory bowel disease
GI-008	Obstrucción intestinal	Intestinal obstruction
GI-009	Cuerpo extraño GI	GI foreign body
GI-010	Dilatación-torsión gástrica	Gastric dilatation-volvulus
GI-011	Megaesófago	Megaesophagus
GI-012	Parasitosis intestinal	Intestinal parasitism

Cardiology

Code	Name (Spanish)	Name (English)
CARD-001	Insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva	Congestive heart failure
CARD-002	Enfermedad valvular degenerativa	Degenerative valve disease
CARD-003	Cardiomiopatía dilatada	Dilated cardiomyopathy
CARD-004	Cardiomiopatía hipertrófica	Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
CARD-005	Efusión pericárdica	Pericardial effusion
CARD-006	Arritmia	Arrhythmia
CARD-007	Soplo cardíaco	Heart murmur
CARD-008	Dirofilariasis	Heartworm disease

Nephrology/Urology

Code	Name (Spanish)	Name (English)
RENAL-001	Enfermedad renal crónica	Chronic kidney disease
RENAL-002	Insuficiencia renal aguda	Acute kidney injury
RENAL-003	Infección urinaria	Urinary tract infection
RENAL-004	Urolitiasis	Urolithiasis
RENAL-005	Cistitis	Cystitis
RENAL-006	Obstrucción uretral	Urethral obstruction
RENAL-007	Incontinencia urinaria	Urinary incontinence

Orthopedics

Code	Name (Spanish)	Name (English)
ORTHO-001	Displasia de cadera	Hip dysplasia
ORTHO-002	Luxación de rótula	Patellar luxation
ORTHO-003	Rotura de ligamento cruzado	Cruciate ligament rupture
ORTHO-004	Osteoartritis	Osteoarthritis
ORTHO-005	Fractura	Fracture
ORTHO-006	Luxación	Luxation/Dislocation
ORTHO-007	Enfermedad discal intervertebral	Intervertebral disc disease

Infectious Diseases

Code	Name (Spanish)	Name (English)
INF-001	Parvovirus canino	Canine parvovirus
INF-002	Moquillo canino	Canine distemper
INF-003	Leptospirosis	Leptospirosis
INF-004	Ehrlichiosis	Ehrlichiosis
INF-005	Babesiosis	Babesiosis
INF-006	Leishmaniasis	Leishmaniasis
INF-007	Panleucopenia felina	Feline panleukopenia
INF-008	Leucemia felina (FeLV)	Feline leukemia virus
INF-009	Inmunodeficiencia felina (FIV)	Feline immunodeficiency virus
INF-010	Rinotraqueitis felina	Feline viral rhinotracheitis
INF-011	Calicivirus felino	Feline calicivirus
INF-012	Rabia	Rabies

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3. Vaccine Schedules

Dogs - Paraguay Protocol

Age	Core Vaccines	Non-Core (Based on Risk)
6-8 weeks	DHPPi (1st dose)	-
10-12 weeks	DHPPi (2nd dose)	Leptospirosis (1st), Bordetella
14-16 weeks	DHPPi (3rd dose), Rabies	Leptospirosis (2nd), Giardia
1 year	DHPPi, Rabies	Leptospirosis, Bordetella
Adult (annual)	Rabies (required by law)	Leptospirosis
Adult (every 3 years)	DHPPi	-

DHPPi: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza

Cats - Paraguay Protocol

Age	Core Vaccines	Non-Core (Based on Risk)
8-9 weeks	FVRCP (1st dose)	FeLV (1st) if outdoor
12 weeks	FVRCP (2nd dose)	FeLV (2nd)
16 weeks	FVRCP (3rd dose), Rabies	-
1 year	FVRCP, Rabies	FeLV
Adult (every 1-3 years)	FVRCP, Rabies	FeLV for at-risk cats

FVRCP: Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia

Vaccine Reaction Severity Scale

Grade	Signs	Action
1 - Mild	Lethargy, mild fever, local swelling	Monitor, symptomatic care
2 - Moderate	Vomiting, diarrhea, urticaria, facial swelling	Antihistamines, observation
3 - Severe	Anaphylaxis, collapse, severe dyspnea	Emergency treatment, epinephrine

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4. Laboratory Reference Ranges

Complete Blood Count (CBC) - Dogs

Parameter	Units	Reference Range	Critical Low	Critical High
RBC	x10¹²/L	5.5-8.5	<4.0	>10.0
Hemoglobin	g/dL	12-18	<8	>22
Hematocrit	%	37-55	<25	>60
MCV	fL	60-74	-	-
MCH	pg	19.5-24.5	-	-
MCHC	g/dL	32-36	-	-
Platelets	x10⁹/L	175-500	<50	>800
WBC	x10⁹/L	6.0-17.0	<3.0	>30.0
Neutrophils	x10⁹/L	3.0-11.5	<1.5	>25.0
Lymphocytes	x10⁹/L	1.0-4.8	<0.5	-
Monocytes	x10⁹/L	0.1-1.4	-	-
Eosinophils	x10⁹/L	0.1-1.2	-	>2.0
Basophils	x10⁹/L	0-0.1	-	-

Complete Blood Count (CBC) - Cats

Parameter	Units	Reference Range	Critical Low	Critical High
RBC	x10¹²/L	5.0-10.0	<4.0	>12.0
Hemoglobin	g/dL	8-15	<6	>18
Hematocrit	%	24-45	<18	>55
MCV	fL	39-55	-	-
MCH	pg	13-17	-	-
MCHC	g/dL	30-36	-	-
Platelets	x10⁹/L	175-500	<50	>800
WBC	x10⁹/L	5.5-19.5	<2.5	>30.0
Neutrophils	x10⁹/L	2.5-12.5	<1.5	>25.0
Lymphocytes	x10⁹/L	1.5-7.0	<0.5	-
Monocytes	x10⁹/L	0-0.9	-	-
Eosinophils	x10⁹/L	0-1.5	-	>2.0

Chemistry Panel - Dogs

Parameter	Units	Reference Range	Critical Low	Critical High
BUN	mg/dL	7-27	-	>80
Creatinine	mg/dL	0.5-1.8	-	>5.0
SDMA	μg/dL	0-14	-	>18
Glucose	mg/dL	74-143	<50	>300
ALT	U/L	10-125	-	>500
AST	U/L	0-50	-	>200
ALP	U/L	23-212	-	>1000
GGT	U/L	0-11	-	>50
Total Bilirubin	mg/dL	0.0-0.9	-	>3.0
Total Protein	g/dL	5.2-8.2	<4.5	>9.0
Albumin	g/dL	2.3-4.0	<1.8	-
Globulin	g/dL	2.5-4.5	-	>5.5
Cholesterol	mg/dL	110-320	-	>500
Triglycerides	mg/dL	50-150	-	>500
Amylase	U/L	500-1500	-	>2500
Lipase	U/L	100-750	-	>1500
Calcium	mg/dL	7.9-12.0	<6.5	>14.0
Phosphorus	mg/dL	2.5-6.8	<2.0	>10.0
Sodium	mEq/L	144-160	<135	>165
Potassium	mEq/L	3.5-5.8	<2.8	>7.0
Chloride	mEq/L	109-122	<100	>130

Chemistry Panel - Cats

Parameter	Units	Reference Range	Critical Low	Critical High
BUN	mg/dL	16-36	-	>80
Creatinine	mg/dL	0.8-2.4	-	>5.0
SDMA	μg/dL	0-14	-	>18
Glucose	mg/dL	74-159	<50	>350
ALT	U/L	12-130	-	>500
AST	U/L	0-48	-	>200
ALP	U/L	14-111	-	>200
GGT	U/L	0-4	-	>15
Total Bilirubin	mg/dL	0.0-0.9	-	>3.0
Total Protein	g/dL	5.7-8.9	<4.5	>10.0
Albumin	g/dL	2.1-3.3	<1.8	-
T4	μg/dL	1.0-4.0	<0.5	>6.0

Urinalysis Reference - Dogs & Cats

Parameter	Dogs	Cats
Specific Gravity	1.015-1.045	1.035-1.060
pH	6.0-7.5	6.0-7.0
Protein	Negative-Trace	Negative-Trace
Glucose	Negative	Negative
Ketones	Negative	Negative
Bilirubin	Negative-1+ (dogs)	Negative
Blood	Negative	Negative
WBC	0-5/hpf	0-5/hpf
RBC	0-5/hpf	0-5/hpf
Bacteria	Negative	Negative
Crystals	Varies	Varies
Casts	0-2/lpf hyaline	0-2/lpf hyaline

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5. Vital Signs Reference

Dogs by Size

Parameter	Small (<10kg)	Medium (10-25kg)	Large (>25kg)
Heart Rate (bpm)	100-160	80-120	60-100
Respiratory Rate (/min)	15-40	15-30	10-30
Temperature (°C)	38.0-39.2	38.0-39.2	38.0-39.2
Capillary Refill Time	<2 sec	<2 sec	<2 sec
Blood Pressure (mmHg)	110-160/60-90	110-160/60-90	110-160/60-90

Cats

Parameter	Adult	Kitten
Heart Rate (bpm)	140-220	180-260
Respiratory Rate (/min)	20-42	20-40
Temperature (°C)	37.8-39.2	37.8-39.2
Capillary Refill Time	<2 sec	<2 sec
Blood Pressure (mmHg)	120-170/80-100	-

Pain Scoring Scale (0-10)

Score	Description (Spanish)	Signs
0	Sin dolor	Normal behavior, eating, sleeping
1-3	Dolor leve	Slight behavior change, mild guarding
4-6	Dolor moderado	Reluctant to move, vocalizing, appetite decreased
7-9	Dolor severo	Crying, aggressive when touched, not eating
10	Dolor máximo	Unresponsive, shock-like state

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6. Quality of Life Assessment (HHHHHMM Scale)

Scoring Guide (0-10 each, total 70)

Factor	Spanish	Description	Score Guide
Hurt	Dolor	Pain level and management	0=severe uncontrolled, 10=no pain
Hunger	Hambre	Eating adequately	0=refusing food, 10=eating normally
Hydration	Hidratación	Fluid intake	0=severe dehydration, 10=well hydrated
Hygiene	Higiene	Cleanliness, skin condition	0=severe soiling, 10=clean/well-groomed
Happiness	Felicidad	Mental state, interaction	0=unresponsive, 10=bright/engaged
Mobility	Movilidad	Ability to move	0=cannot stand, 10=walks/runs normally
More good days than bad	Más días buenos	Overall quality	0=no good days, 10=mostly good days

Interpretation

Total Score	Interpretation	Recommendation
0-17	Very poor quality of life	Discuss euthanasia
18-34	Poor quality of life	Intensive palliation or euthanasia
35-52	Acceptable quality of life	Continue treatment, reassess weekly
53-70	Good quality of life	Continue current care

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7. Emergency Reference

Critical Values Requiring Immediate Action

Finding	Action
SpO2 < 90%	Oxygen supplementation
Temperature > 40.5°C	Active cooling
Temperature < 36°C	Active warming
Heart rate < 60 (dog) / < 100 (cat)	Atropine, consider pacing
Glucose < 50 mg/dL	Dextrose 50% diluted
Potassium > 7 mEq/L	Calcium gluconate, insulin/dextrose
Blood pressure < 80 mmHg systolic	Fluid resuscitation, pressors
PCV < 15%	Blood transfusion
Platelet count < 30,000	Transfusion, investigate cause

Emergency Drug Doses

Drug	Dose	Route	Indication
Epinephrine	0.01-0.02 mg/kg	IV/IO	Anaphylaxis, cardiac arrest
Atropine	0.02-0.04 mg/kg	IV	Bradycardia
Dexamethasone	0.5-1 mg/kg	IV	Anaphylaxis, shock
Diphenhydramine	2 mg/kg	IM/IV slow	Anaphylaxis
Diazepam	0.5-1 mg/kg	IV	Seizures
Calcium gluconate 10%	0.5-1 mL/kg	IV slow	Hypocalcemia, hyperkalemia
Furosemide	2-4 mg/kg	IV	Pulmonary edema

CPR Reference (Dogs & Cats)

Parameter	Small (<10kg)	Medium/Large Dogs	Cats
Compression rate	100-120/min	100-120/min	100-120/min
Compression depth	1/3-1/2 chest width	1/3-1/2 chest width	1/3-1/2 chest width
Hand position	Lateral chest	Lateral or dorsoventral	Lateral chest
Ventilation ratio	30:2	30:2	30:2

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8. Common Conversion Formulas

Temperature: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32
Weight: 1 kg = 2.205 lbs
Volume: 1 mL = 1 cc = 20 drops
Fluid rate: mL/hr = (mL/day) ÷ 24

Body Surface Area (dogs): BSA (m²) = (kg^0.75) × 0.1
Body Surface Area (cats): BSA (m²) = (kg^0.75) × 0.1

Maintenance fluids: 60 mL/kg/day (dogs), 45-60 mL/kg/day (cats)
Dehydration correction: mL = weight(kg) × % dehydration × 10

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Usage in Vete Platform

For Dosage Calculator

// Use drug tables to power the calculator
const dosage = calculateDose(
  weight: number,     // kg
  drug: string,       // from drug table
  species: 'dog' | 'cat'
)
// Returns: { doseMin, doseMax, unit, route, frequency, warnings }

For Lab Result Interpretation

// Compare against reference ranges
const interpretation = interpretLabValue(
  parameter: string,  // e.g., "BUN"
  value: number,
  species: 'dog' | 'cat'
)
// Returns: { status: 'normal' | 'low' | 'high' | 'critical', range, advice }

For Vaccine Scheduling

// Generate vaccine schedule
const schedule = generateVaccineSchedule(
  species: 'dog' | 'cat',
  birthDate: Date,
  riskFactors: string[]
)
// Returns: array of { vaccine, dueDate, notes }

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This reference is based on standard veterinary medicine practices. Always consult current literature and local regulations for specific cases.