VTNE Veterinary Technician practice questions with answers

Answer: A) Insulin glargine, a long-acting insulin analog

Long-acting insulins such as glargine (and PZI) are common choices for long-term management of diabetic cats. Short- and rapid-acting insulins (regular, aspart) are reserved for in-hospital DKA treatment, and NPH acts too briefly in cats.

• ACorrect. Glargine is long-acting and widely used twice daily in cats, often with a low-carbohydrate diet. Along with protamine zinc insulin (PZI), it is a common first choice for long-term feline management, and some studies link it to good remission rates.
• BIncorrect. Regular insulin acts quickly but briefly. It is mainly used in hospital, as a CRI or by IM injection, to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, not for home maintenance.
• CIncorrect. NPH acts too briefly in cats to give adequate glycemic control with twice-daily dosing, so longer-acting insulins are preferred.
• DIncorrect. Aspart is a rapid-acting analog that has been studied for in-hospital DKA treatment. Its short duration makes it unsuitable for long-term twice-daily maintenance.

Answer: D) Proton pump inhibitor

• AIncorrect. It's a PPI.
• BIncorrect. It's a PPI.
• CIncorrect. It's a PPI.
• DCorrect. It reduces stomach acid.

Answer: B) Hemostats

• AIncorrect. Those grip needles.
• BCorrect. They clamp bleeding vessels.
• CIncorrect. Those hold drapes.
• DIncorrect. Those hold tissue back.

Answer: A) A border of about 1 inch along all outer edges of the opened wrap

Once a sterile wrap is opened to form a sterile field, about the outer 1 inch along its edges is considered non-sterile. Sterile items should be placed or dropped well inside that border.

• ACorrect. By convention, an imaginary border of about 1 inch along the edges of an opened sterile field is treated as non-sterile, so sterile items are kept away from the edges. Anything below table height is also non-sterile.
• BIncorrect. The accepted non-sterile margin is about 1 inch, not 6 inches. A 6-inch margin would make much of a small field unusable.
• CIncorrect. The edges of an opened field are always treated as non-sterile because they are close to non-sterile surfaces and to the hands that opened the pack.
• DIncorrect. The non-sterile margin runs along every edge of the field, not just the corner that was touched while opening.

Answer: A) The film or sensor cannot be placed parallel to the tooth roots because of the shape of the mouth

The bisecting angle technique is used when anatomy keeps the film/sensor from being placed parallel to the tooth, as with the maxillary and rostral mandibular teeth. The beam is aimed perpendicular to the line that bisects the angle between the tooth's long axis and the film.

• ACorrect. In dogs and cats, the lack of a deep palatal vault and the shape of the jaws keep the film/sensor from sitting parallel to most teeth (everything except the caudal mandibular teeth). Bisecting the angle between tooth and film, and aiming the beam perpendicular to that bisecting line, gives an image of accurate length.
• BIncorrect. The problem is the angle between the film and the tooth, not the size of the film. A size-appropriate sensor still can't be placed parallel to the maxillary teeth.
• CIncorrect. The bisecting angle technique is an intraoral method: the film/sensor goes inside the mouth, against the palate or the mandibular teeth.
• DIncorrect. The technique is chosen to correct image geometry (avoid elongation or foreshortening), not to lower the dose. Patients are still anesthetized, and staff still follow radiation safety rules.

Answer: D) Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia

Spherocytes form when macrophages partly remove antibody-coated red-cell membrane, so in an anemic dog they point to immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. They are less useful in cats because feline red cells normally show little central pallor.

• AIncorrect. Dehydration raises the PCV and total protein by reducing plasma volume. It does not change red-cell shape or produce spherocytes, and it would not explain anemia.
• BIncorrect. Lead poisoning is classically linked to basophilic stippling and nucleated red blood cells without a matching degree of anemia. Spherocytes are not its hallmark.
• CIncorrect. Iron deficiency causes microcytic, hypochromic red cells (low MCV and MCHC). Fragmented or abnormal forms such as keratocytes and schistocytes may also be seen. Iron deficiency does not cause spherocytes.
• DCorrect. In IMHA, antibodies coat the red cells. Macrophages remove pieces of the coated membrane, leaving small, dense, spherical cells with no central pallor. Spherocytes are a recognized diagnostic criterion for IMHA in dogs.

Answer: A) Vessels and nerves

• ACorrect. Cutting it causes pain and bleeding.
• BIncorrect. The quick is inside.
• CIncorrect. It's inside the nail.
• DIncorrect. It's inside every nail.

Answer: A) Squeeze chute with the head held in a head catch

Cattle are routinely restrained in a squeeze chute with a headgate (head catch), which controls both the head and the body. Muzzles and twitches are restraints for other species, and hobbles alone don't contain the animal.

• ACorrect. A squeeze chute with a headgate (head catch) holds the body and head of the cow in place. This gives safe access to the head and neck for exams and injections while limiting the animal's movement and the risk of injury to handlers.
• BIncorrect. Hobbles can help keep a cow from kicking, but they don't control the head or body. Using them in open pasture leaves both the cow and the handlers at risk.
• CIncorrect. A basket muzzle is a dog restraint. It does nothing to stop a large bovine from moving, and a loose pen gives no physical containment.
• DIncorrect. A lip twitch is an equine restraint technique. It isn't the standard way to restrain cattle and doesn't give the body containment a chute provides.

Answer: A) 10–30 breaths/min

• ACorrect. Panting raises it.
• BIncorrect. That's too fast at rest.
• CIncorrect. That's too slow.
• DIncorrect. That's too fast.

Answer: D) Better resolution but less depth

• AIncorrect. Ultrasound uses sound.
• BIncorrect. That's lower frequency.
• CIncorrect. They produce images.
• DCorrect. Lower frequencies penetrate deeper.

Answer: A) Mask and chamber inductions stress the patient and expose staff to waste anesthetic gas

Injectable induction is preferred because mask and chamber inductions are stressful, slow to secure the airway, and expose staff to waste anesthetic gas. If a mask or chamber must be used, a well-fitting mask or a scavenged commercial chamber reduces exposure.

• ACorrect. Mask and chamber inductions are often stressful for the patient. They also release inhalant into the room, and NIOSH has measured high waste gas levels near staff during these inductions. Injectable induction avoids both problems.
• BIncorrect. It is the other way around. Inhalant inductions are slower, and the airway is not secured by intubation until the patient reaches a deep enough plane.
• CIncorrect. Because inhalant induction is gradual, the patient may spend longer in the excitement stage. That is one reason injectable induction is preferred.
• DIncorrect. These inductions are routinely done with isoflurane or sevoflurane in oxygen. Nitrous oxide is not required.

Answer: A) About 200 to 300 mL/kg/min

• ACorrect. High flow removes exhaled CO2.
• BIncorrect. That's rebreathing maintenance.
• CIncorrect. Flows depend on size.
• DIncorrect. Flow is required.

Answer: B) Cool the area with cool water and protect it

• AIncorrect. That isn't recommended.
• BCorrect. Seek veterinary care.
• CIncorrect. That can damage tissue.
• DIncorrect. That raises infection risk.

Answer: D) Partial mu-receptor agonist with high affinity but lower intrinsic activity

Buprenorphine is a partial mu-opioid agonist: it binds strongly but has a lower maximum effect than full mu agonists. Butorphanol is a kappa agonist/mu antagonist, and naloxone is a pure antagonist.

• AIncorrect. This describes full mu agonists such as methadone, hydromorphone and morphine. Buprenorphine's maximum effect is lower than that of pure mu agonists.
• BIncorrect. This describes butorphanol, an agonist-antagonist that relieves pain through kappa agonism and blocks mu receptors.
• CIncorrect. This describes naloxone, which is used to reverse opioids and provides no pain relief.
• DCorrect. Buprenorphine is a partial mu agonist. It binds the receptor strongly but has lower intrinsic activity than morphine, so it has a ceiling effect and a long duration of action.

Answer: C) Listen without interrupting and acknowledge the client's frustration with the bill

With an upset client, first listen and acknowledge the concern to calm the situation. Only then review the charges or bring in the right staff according to practice policy.

• AIncorrect. Changing charges without authorization goes against practice policy, and it skips finding out what the client is actually concerned about.
• BIncorrect. Explaining charges before the client has been heard comes across as defensive and tends to escalate the conflict. Explanations come after the concern is understood.
• CCorrect. Active listening and empathetic acknowledgment are the first step in de-escalation. After that, the technician can review the estimate and bring in the veterinarian or practice manager as needed.
• DIncorrect. Deflecting the client and postponing the conversation dismisses their concern and usually makes them more frustrated.