The short answer
This guide holds 12 original practice questions, written by our desk, on animal care and nursing topics: indirect blood pressure measurement, lead II ECG basics, wound healing and lavage, bandage layers, urinary catheter choice, fluid overload, and low-stress cat handling. Each question has four options, one keyed answer, and a short rationale tied to a cited article. None of these items come from the VTNE or from any AAVSB practice material. The American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) publishes a content outline and describes the examination as covering 10 domain areas. The page we fetched does not give this domain's name or its share of the exam, so this guide does not state them.
Key takeaways
- Sierra and Savino, writing in Today's Veterinary Nurse, describe Doppler and oscillometric monitoring as the most commonly used indirect blood pressure methods and call direct arterial monitoring "considered the gold standard" [2].
- The same article reports that cuff size matters for accuracy, giving cuff width as 40% of limb circumference in dogs and 30% in cats [2].
- Durham explains that on an ECG the P wave reflects atrial depolarization, the QRS complex ventricular depolarization, and the T wave ventricular repolarization [3].
- Jaeger lists four wound classes (clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated, dirty) and cites a lavage pressure of 7 to 8 psi as the desirable range [4].
- Champion and Cheek state that Foley catheters are preferred for indwelling urinary catheterization [6].
- Hughston identifies tachypnea, clear nasal discharge and crackles during fluid therapy as signs that should raise suspicion of overhydration [7].
About these questionsPractice questions written by our editorial team for study purposes. These are not real VTNE items and are not affiliated with AAVSB.
The care and nursing domain on the AAVSB outline
AAVSB publishes a VTNE content outline and describes it as "one of the most important materials to review before taking the VTNE" [1]. According to its study page, the exam and its online practice tests are organized around 10 domain areas, and the species covered follow the AVMA accreditation list of essential and recommended student skills [1]. The fetched AAVSB page does not name individual domains or give their weights, so we do not report either here.
Every content source behind these questions is a Today's Veterinary Nurse article from one publisher, NAVC. That gives a useful slice of the subject, not all of it. This set contains no questions on species-specific normal temperature, pulse and respiration values, venipuncture sites, injection routes, large animal or exotic care, vaccination, euthanasia, or record keeping. The cited sources do not address large animal care, vaccination or euthanasia.
Blood pressure and electrocardiography
Question 1
A technician wants one noninvasive reading that reports systolic, mean and diastolic pressure as well as pulse rate. Which method provides all four values?
- A. Doppler ultrasonography
- B. Oscillometric monitoring
- C. Palpation of the femoral pulse
- D. Capillary refill time
Answer: B. Sierra and Savino report that oscillometric devices give systolic, mean and diastolic values along with pulse rate. They add that Doppler readings in awake small animals are generally taken as an estimate of systolic pressure only [2].
Question 2
During a Doppler measurement on a cat, the cuff chosen is narrower than recommended for the limb. What effect on the reading does the cited article describe?
- A. No meaningful change in the reading
- B. A falsely low reading
- C. A falsely high reading
- D. A mean pressure in place of a systolic pressure
Answer: C. The authors wrote, "A cuff that is too small falsely elevates the reading," while an oversized cuff falsely lowers it [2].
Question 3
A table of normal adult values cited in Today's Veterinary Nurse lists several ranges. Which range does it give for systolic arterial pressure in cats?
- A. 50 to 80 mm Hg
- B. 55 to 75 mm Hg
- C. 90 to 140 mm Hg
- D. 80 to 140 mm Hg
Answer: D. The table in that article lists feline systolic pressure as 80 to 140 mm Hg. It gives 90 to 140 mm Hg as the canine systolic range, 55 to 75 mm Hg as feline diastolic and 50 to 80 mm Hg as canine diastolic [2].
Question 4
On a lead II tracing, which waveform reflects depolarization of the ventricles?
- A. QRS complex
- B. P wave
- C. T wave
- D. P-Q interval
Answer: A. Durham describes the QRS complex as the ventricular depolarization waveform, with the P wave reflecting atrial depolarization and the T wave ventricular repolarization [3].
Question 5
An ECG strip is recorded with the paper moving at 25 mm/sec. Across a span of 30 large (5-mm) boxes, a technician counts 9 QRS complexes. What heart rate does this give?
- A. 45 bpm
- B. 90 bpm
- C. 180 bpm
- D. 270 bpm
Answer: B. Durham explains that 30 large boxes equal 6 seconds at 25 mm/sec, so the complex count is multiplied by 10, giving 90 bpm here. At 50 mm/sec the same span is 3 seconds and the multiplier becomes 20 [3].
Question 6
Why is atrial repolarization not visible on a routine ECG tracing?
- A. It produces no electrical activity
- B. It happens before the sinoatrial node fires
- C. It appears only in leads other than lead II
- D. It is hidden by the QRS complex
Answer: D. According to Durham, the QRS complex obscures atrial repolarization, so no separate waveform for it appears [3].
Wound care, bandaging and urinary catheters
Question 7
Which phase of wound healing starts at the moment of injury and typically lasts 3 to 5 days?
- A. Inflammation and debridement
- B. Proliferation and repair
- C. Maturation and remodeling
- D. Secondary closure
Answer: A. Jaeger describes inflammation and debridement as the first phase, running 3 to 5 days from injury, during which white blood cells begin clearing the wound. Secondary closure is a closure method, not a phase [4].
Question 8
A contaminated laceration is being flushed before debridement. Which irrigation pressure does the cited wound care article describe as desirable?
- A. 1 to 2 psi
- B. 15 to 20 psi
- C. 7 to 8 psi
- D. 40 to 50 psi
Answer: C. Jaeger cites 7 to 8 psi as enough to remove debris without damaging tissue or pushing bacteria deeper. She names a 1-L fluid bag with a venoset and a 16- to 22-gauge needle, in a pressure bag at 300 mm Hg, as the most reliable way to reach it [4]. A separate article in the same publication describes a 20-mL syringe with an 18-gauge needle or catheter [5].
Question 9
In a modified Robert Jones bandage, which material forms the secondary layer?
- A. Elastic adherent wrap
- B. Cast padding
- C. Petroleum-impregnated gauze
- D. Umbilical tape
Answer: B. Jaeger lists cast padding as the secondary layer of a modified Robert Jones bandage, applied distal to proximal with 50% overlap. In her account, elastic wrap is a tertiary material, petroleum gauze is a nonadherent primary dressing, and umbilical tape secures tie-over bandages [4].
Question 10
A female dog needs a urinary catheter left in place to measure urine output. Which catheter type does the cited article prefer?
- A. Red rubber catheter
- B. Peripheral IV catheter
- C. Penrose drain
- D. Foley catheter
Answer: D. Champion and Cheek state that Foley catheters are preferred for indwelling use because the silicone is softer and the balloon seats against the bladder neck to limit leakage. They describe red rubber catheters as suited to intermittent catheterization and note that they commonly leak [6].
Fluid therapy and patient handling
Question 11
A dog on IV crystalloids becomes tachypneic, develops clear nasal discharge and has crackles on thoracic auscultation, and its weight is more than 10% above admission weight. What do these findings suggest, according to the cited fluid therapy article?
- A. Fluid overload
- B. Worsening dehydration
- C. Hypovolemic shock
- D. An expected response to normal fluid rates
Answer: A. Hughston writes that these signs, especially with weight gain, should raise suspicion of overhydration, and that IV fluids should be stopped and the veterinarian notified immediately. She describes chemosis as a late sign [7].
Question 12
Which effect of using a towel during feline handling does the cited behavior article describe?
- A. It allows the front legs to be stretched over the table edge for jugular access
- B. It keeps the cat's head uncovered at all times
- C. It gives grip, warmth and security while reducing overall restraint
- D. It is applied only after the cat has been scruffed
Answer: C. Rayburn reports that a towel gives cats something to grip, helps them feel secure, lets them hide their heads, and allows control without more restraint. She advises against stretching the front legs over the table side and presents towel wraps as a way to avoid scruffing [8].
