| Term |
|
Definition |
| a.d. |
- |
Right ear |
| a.s. |
- |
Left ear |
| a.u. |
- |
Both ears |
| Abdominocentesis |
- |
Surgical puncture
to remove fluid from the abdomen |
| ABG |
- |
Arterial Blood gases |
| ACTH |
- |
Adrenocorticotropic hormone
test; Adrenal function test |
| Addison’s disease |
- |
Insufficient adrenal cortex
function |
| Analgesic |
- |
Medication given to reduce pain |
| Anastamosis |
- |
Surgical reconnection of
intestines |
| Anemia |
- |
Low level of red
blood cells, PCV or hemoglobin |
| Anesthesia |
- |
Absence of sensation |
| Anisocoria |
- |
Unequal pupil size |
| Anorexia |
- |
Lack or loss of appetite |
| Apnea |
- |
Absence of breathing |
| ARF |
- |
Acute Renal failure |
| AUS |
- |
Abdominal Ultrasound |
| Azotemia |
- |
Elevated renal (kidney) values |
| b.i.d. |
- |
Twice a day |
| BAR |
- |
Bright, Alert and Responsive |
| BCS |
- |
Body Condition Score ( 1/9 -
severely underweight, 9/9 severely overweight) |
| BDBD |
- |
Big Dog vs. Big Dog (Dog Fight) |
| BDLD |
- |
Big Dog vs. Little Dog (Dog
Fight) |
| BP |
- |
Blood Pressure |
| Bradypnea |
- |
Slow respiratory rates |
| Bx |
- |
Biopsy |
| Cardiomyopathy |
- |
Disease of the heart muscle |
| Cataract |
- |
Opacity of the lens of the eye |
| CBC |
- |
Complete Blood Count - Blood
test |
| CHEM |
- |
Chemistries - Blood test |
| CHF |
- |
Congestive heart failure |
| CRF |
- |
Chronic Renal failure |
| CRT |
- |
Capillary refill time |
| Cushing’s disease |
- |
Excessive adrenal cortex
function |
| CV |
- |
Cardio-Vascular |
| CVP |
- |
Central Venous pressure |
| Cyanotic/Cyanosis |
- |
Abnormal blue discoloration |
| Cystocentesis |
- |
Needle puncture of the urinary
bladder |
| DCM |
- |
Dialated cardiomyopathy |
| Diabetes Mellitus (DM) |
- |
Hyperglycemia; elevated blood
glucose due to insufficient secretion of insulin |
| DKA |
- |
Diabetic ketoacidosis |
| DLH |
- |
Domestic Long Hair (Cat) |
| DMH |
- |
Domestic Medium Hair (Cat) |
| DSH |
- |
Domestic Short Hair (Cat) |
| Dyspnea |
- |
Difficult or labored breathing |
| -ectomy |
- |
Surgical removal |
| EENT |
- |
Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat |
| Emesis |
- |
Vomiting |
| Enterotomy |
- |
Surgical incision into the small
intestines |
| FB |
- |
Foreign Body |
| FeLV |
- |
Feline Leukemia Virus |
| FHO |
- |
Femoral Head Osteotomy |
| FIP |
- |
Feline Infectious Peritonitis |
| FIV |
- |
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus |
| FLUTD |
- |
Feline Lower Urinary Tract
Disease |
| FLUTD-UO |
- |
FLUTD plus urinary blockage
(usually male cats) |
| FNA |
- |
Fine Needle Aspirate |
| FUO |
- |
Fever of Unknown Origin |
| Gastropexy |
- |
Surgical fixation of the stomach
to the bodywall |
| Gastrotomy |
- |
Surgical incision into the
stomach |
| GDV |
- |
Gastric Dilation Volvus |
| Gi / abd |
- |
Gastrointestinal / Abdominal |
| Glaucoma |
- |
Increase in ocular pressure |
| HBC |
- |
Hit by Car |
| HCM |
- |
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy |
| HCT |
- |
Hematocrit |
| Hemolyzed/Hemolysis |
- |
Red; related to serum or plasma |
| HGE |
- |
Hemorrhagic gastro enteritis |
| Hx |
- |
History |
| Hyper- |
- |
High |
| Hyperglycemia |
- |
Elevated
blood glucose |
| Hypo- |
- |
Low |
| Hypoglycemia |
- |
Decreased blood glucose |
| IBD |
- |
Inflammatory Bowel Disease |
| IDA |
- |
Iron Deficiency Anemia |
| Idiopathic |
- |
Unknown cause |
| IM |
- |
Intramuscular |
| IMHA/AIHA |
- |
Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia |
| ITP |
- |
Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia |
| IV |
- |
Intravenous |
| IVDD |
- |
Intervertebral Disc Disease |
| Leukocytosis |
- |
Increase in the number of white
blood cells |
| Leukopenia |
- |
Decrease in the number of white
blood cells |
| LMOM / LM for O |
- |
Left Message on Machine / Left
Message for Owner |
| LSA |
- |
Lymphosarcoma Or Lymphoma |
| LSA |
- |
Lymphosarcoma |
| -megaly |
- |
Enlarged |
| MM |
- |
Mucous Membrane |
| MPL |
- |
Medial Patellar Luxation |
| NPO |
- |
Nos Per Os (Latin) - Nothing by
Mouth |
| NSF |
- |
No Significant Findings |
| O |
- |
Owner |
| o.d. |
- |
Right eye |
| o.s. |
- |
Left eye |
| o.u. |
- |
Both eyes |
| -otomy |
- |
Surgical incision |
| P |
- |
Patient |
| p.o. |
- |
By mouth |
| p.r.n. |
- |
pro re nata (Latin) - According
to need - Take [item] as needed |
| Pancreatitis |
- |
Inflammation of the pancreas |
| PC |
- |
Presenting Complaint |
| PCV |
- |
Packed cell volume - a measure
of red blood cells in the blood |
| PD |
- |
Polydypsia - Increase in thirst |
| PE |
- |
Physical Examination |
| PHT |
- |
Pulmonary Hypertension |
| Plasma |
- |
Part of whole blood; Straw
colored
fluid containing clotting proteins |
| PLE |
- |
Protein Losing Enteropathy |
| Pleural Effusion |
- |
Abnormal accumulation of fluid
in the
pleural cavity around the heart |
| PLN |
- |
Protein Losing Nephropathy |
| PLN |
- |
Pelvic Lymph Nodes |
| Pneumonia |
- |
Inflammation and congestions of
the lungs |
| Pneumothorax |
- |
Abnormal accumulation of air in
the chest |
| Poly- |
- |
Many |
| Proptosis |
- |
Displacement of the eye from the
orbit |
| PTE |
- |
Pulmonary Thromboembolism |
| PTS |
- |
Put To Sleep; Euthanasia |
| PU |
- |
Perianal Urethrostomy |
| PU |
- |
Polyuria - Increase in urination |
| Pulmonary Edema |
- |
Accumulation of fluid in the
lung tissue |
| q.i.d. |
- |
Four times a day |
| q.o.d. / e.o.d. |
- |
Every other day |
| QAR |
- |
Quiet, Alert and Responsive |
| R & A |
- |
Resection and Anastamosis |
| R/O |
- |
Rule Out |
| Rads |
- |
Radiographs - X-Rays |
| RBC |
- |
Red Blood Cell Count |
| RDVM or rDVM |
- |
Routine or Regular Doctor of
Veterinary Medicine
(Primary Veterinarian) |
| RMSF |
- |
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever |
| Rx |
- |
Prescription |
| s.i.d. |
- |
Once a day |
| Serum |
- |
Straw colored liquid portion of
blood with
clotting proteins removed |
| SPO2 |
- |
Pulse Oxymetry (Measure of
oxygen level in the blood) |
| SubQ / SQ / SC |
- |
Subcutaneous - Under the skin |
| Sx |
- |
Surgery |
| Sz |
- |
Seizure |
| t.i.d. |
- |
Three times a day |
| Tachypnea |
- |
Abnormally rapid respiratory
rates |
| TE |
- |
Thromboembolism |
| Thoracocentesis |
- |
Puncture of the chest wall with
a needle to obtain
fluid or air from the pleural cavity |
| Thrombocytopenia |
- |
Decrease in the number of
platelets |
| Thrombocytosis |
- |
Increase in the number of
platelets |
| TPLO |
- |
Tibial Plateau Leveling
Osteotomy |
| TPR |
- |
Temperature, Pulse and
Respiration (vital signs) |
| Tx |
- |
Treatment |
| UA |
- |
Urinalysis |
| Ucath |
- |
Urinary Catheter |
| URI |
- |
Upper Respiratory Tract
Infection |
| US |
- |
Ultrasound |
| UTD |
- |
Up to Date |
| UTI |
- |
Urinary Tract Infection |
| v/d |
- |
Vomiting / Diarrhea |
| Vx |
- |
Vaccine |