title: Best practice recommendations for prehospital veterinary care of dogs and cats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine available evidence on prehospital care in human and veterinary trauma and emergency medicine and develop best practice guidelines for use by both paramedical and nonparamedical personnel in the approach to the prehospital care of dogs and cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic evaluation of the literature gathered via medical databases searches of Medline, CAB abstracts, and Google Scholar.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a review and systematic evaluation of the available evidence, consensus guidelines on the approach to prehospital care of dogs and cats in 18 scenarios were developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the lack of current evidence in the veterinary prehospital arena, best practice guidelines were developed as an initial platform. Recommendations were based on a review of pertinent human and available veterinary literature as well as a consensus of the authors' professional opinions. It is anticipated that evidence-based additions will be made in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, 27607.
authors.forename: Rita M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hanel
authors.affiliation: The K9 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Working Group, Auburn, AL, 36830.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: The Veterinary Tactical Group, Vass, NC, 28394.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: K9 MEDIC, Walnut, CA, 91789.
authors.forename: Jo-Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.affiliation: Regional Institute for Veterinary Emergencies and Referrals, Chattanooga, TN, 37406.
authors.forename: Dennis T Tim
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, 27607.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dorman
authors.affiliation: BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tampa, FL, 33614.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gicking
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC, 27607.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gilger
authors.affiliation: The Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19146.
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, MI, 48824.
authors.forename: Sheilah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.affiliation: The Department of Clinical Sciences Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, 01536.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rozanski
authors.affiliation: The Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas, Cary, NC, 27518.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trumpatori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D032921:Consensus; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004285:Dogs; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D065447:Practice Management, Veterinary / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: VetCOT; cat; dog; first response; trauma