Abbreviations in Veterinary Medicine

• AAFCO:  Association of American Feed Control Officials  -set standards for feed and it's labelling
• ACE:  angiotensin-converting enzyme
• ACT:  activated clotting time
• ACTH:  adrenocorticotropic hormone
• ADH:  antidiuretic hormone
• ADR:  Ain't Doin' Right 
• AD:  right ear
• AI:  artificial insemination
• ALARA:  as low as reasonably attainable  -what you want your x-ray exposure to be
• ALP:  alkaline phosphatases
• ALT:  alanine aminotransferase
• APPT:  activated partial thromboplastin time
• ARF:  acute renal failure  -sudden onset, kidneys appear swollen
• AS:  left ear
• AST:  Aspartate aminotransferase
• AU:  both ears
• AVMA:  American Veterinary Medical Association
• BID:  twice a day
• BM:  bowel movement, poop
• Bpm:  beats or breaths per minute (measure of heart or respiratory rate)
• C  calculus/tartar (on dental chart, graded C/H, C/M, C/S)
• C1, C2, etc:  cervical vertebrae -they are numbered with C1 being the closest to the skull
• cc:  cubic centimeters  -same as a mL
• CCD:  canine cognitive disorder  -doggie alzheimer's
• C/H:  calculus heavy (on dental chart)
• CHF:  congestive heart failure
• CL:  corpus luteum  -produces progesterone and maintains pregnancy
• C/M:  calculus moderate (on dental chart)
• cm:  centimeter  -metric system unit of measurement, 2.5 cm = 1 inch
• CNS:  central nervous system  -the brain and spinal cord
• CP:  corporal proprioception  -a test of the nervous system; one test is to pick up a dog's foot and put it down so the toes are under the foot, a normal response would be for the dog to immediately turn his foot back to a natural position
• CRF:  chronic renal failure  -slow onset, kidneys appear lumpy and shrunken
• CRI:  constant rate infusion  -administration of a drug in little bits over a long period of time, usually done via an IV drip
• CRT:  capillary refill time  -a test of perfusion where pressure is applied to an area like the gums and then released; the skin should blanch and then return to pink within 2 seconds
• C/S:  calculus slight (on dental chart)
• CVP:  central venous pressure  -measurement of blood pressure at a central vessel such as the vena cava, usually done through the jugular
• D:  diarrhea 
• DA2PP:  distemper, adenovirus (two types), parvovirus, and parainfluenza  -common multi-vaccination for dogs
• DER:  daily energy requirement  -much like BMR for humans, its the calories required to sustain life at rest, helps in determining amount of feed to give
• DMSO:  dimethyl sulfoxide  -a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
• DTM:  dermatophyte test media  -a culture test used to diagnose ringworm
• Dz:  disease
• EDTA:  ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid  -an anticoagulant added to some blood collection tubes, usually those with a puple top
• EEE:  Eastern Equine Encephelitis
• EH:  enamel hypoplasia/hypocalcification  -when the enamel doesn't form properly on the teeth such as in dogs exposed to high fever (esp. Distemper) as puppies when the enamel is forming
• ELISA:  enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay  -a type of rapid test that a vet can often do in the office and have the result in 10 to 15 minutes
• EOD:  every other day
• EPO:  erythropoetin  -a chemical released by the kidneys that spurs new red blood cell growth
• ETCO2:  end tidal carbon dioxide  -a measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide being breathed out by an animal, usually under anesthesia
• F:  female
• F1:  furcation detected (on dental chart)
• F2:  probe passes into furcation (on dental chart)
• F3:  probe passes through furcation (on dental chart)
• FAD:  flea allergy dermatitis or foreign animal disease  -allergic reaction to a flea bite, or an animal disease that is not usually encountered in the area where it was found, could be a vector for terrorism
• FDT:  fluoroscein dye test -used to find ulcers or wounds on the eye
• FE:  furcation exposure (on dental chart, graded F1, F2. F3) 
• FeLV:  feline leukemia virus vaccine
• FFD:  focal film distance  -the distance from the x-ray source to the film
• FIA:  feline infectious anemia 
• FIP:  feline infectious peritonitis  
• FIV:  feline immunodeficiency virus  -kitty AIDS
• FLUTD:  feline lower urinary tract disease  -conditions of the lower urinary tract in cats such as bladder infections, blocking, etc
• FORL:  feline odontoclastic resporptive lesion  -condition in cats where the tooth is absorbed by the body
• FRL:  feline resorptive lesion  -condition in cats where the tooth is absorbed by the body
• Fx:  fracture
• g:  gram  -unit of weight, roughly equal to that of a small paperclip
• GDV:  gastric dilatation and volvulus  -a life-threatening condition where a dog's stomach fills with gas and then twists around, cutting off circulation and causing tissue death
• GH:  gingival hyperplasia (on dental chart, graded H1, H2, etc)
• GI:  gastrointestinal  -the organs of digestion from the stomach to the anus
• GR:  gingival recession  (on dental chart)
• gr:  grain  -a unit of measuring weight, there are about 60mg in a grain
• H1:  gingival hyperplasia, 1mm
• H2:  gingival hyperplasia, 2mm, etc
• Hb:   hemoglobin  -the chemical in the blood that carries the oxygen
• HCT:  hematocrit -same as PCV. measures what percent of the blood is RBC's
• HR:  heart rate (number of beats per minute)
• Hx:  history
• IACUS:  Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee  -oversees animal welfare issues in research facilities
• ID:  intradermal  -(injections) made directly into the skin (as opposed to under it), usually for allergy testing or administration of a pain blocking agent
• IM:  intramuscular  -(injections) made into the muscle, usually the tricep (upper arm), quadricep or hamstring (upper leg), or epaxial (back)
• IMHA:  immune mediated hemolytic anemia  -an anemia caused by the body attacking it's own red blood cells (RBC's)
• IO:  intraosseus  -(injections) into bone such as the hip, femur (upper leg), or tibia (lower leg)
• IP:  intraperitoneal  -(injections) into the abdominal cavity
• Iso:  isoflurane  -a type of gas anesthetic
• IV:  intravenous  -in a vein or vessel
• kg:  kilogram  -a measure of weight, there are 2.2 pounds in 1 kilogram
• kVp:  kilovoltage peak  -a setting used for taking radiographs, effects the contrast in the resulting image
• L:  liter  -one-thousand mL, about the same as a quart 
• L1, L2, etc:  vertebrae of the lower back, numbered
• lb:  pound  -a measurement of weight, there are 2.2lbs in a kg
• LH:  luteinizing hormone -promotes ovulation and corpus luteum conversion in females and stimulates testosterone production in males
• LI:  large intestine
• LRS:  lactated ringers solution  -a type of fluid used both subcutaneous (under the skin) and IV
• M:  mobility (on dental chart, graded M1, M2, M3) 
• M:  male
• MAC:  minimum alveolar concentration  -a measure of the amount of an anesthetic gas that's required to render an animal unconscious
• MCHC:  mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration  -the average amount of hemoglobin contained in the red blood cells, tells you if the RBC's arepale in color or not; light cells have less hemoglobin and are often indicative of young RBC's
• MCV:  mean corpuscular volume  -the average size of the red blood cells in a sample, large cells indicate more young RBC's
• mg:  milligram  -one one-thousandth of a gram (g) 
• MIC:  the lowest concentration of an antibiotic that is effective, usually in laboratory conditions, used to determine dosage requirements
• mL:  milliliter  -one one-thousandth of a liter (L), a milliliter of water weighs about a gram (g)
• mm:  millimeter -a tenth of a centimeter (cm)
• mm:  mucus membranes  -often the areas on animals where color can be observed or a CRT can be taken such as the gums, tongue, prepuce, conjunctiva, etc
• MPD:  maximum permissible dose  -max amount of radiation a person should be exposed to in a year, 5 REM for occupationally exposed persons, 0.5 REM for everyone else
• MREM:  millirem  -one one-thousandth of a REM
• MSDS:  Material Safety Data Sheet  -the safety information about chemicals used in a workplace that must legally be accessible to anyone who uses the chemical as part of their job
• NM:  neutered male
• NSAID:  non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug  -like Tylenol or aspirin in human medicine
• O:  missing (on dental chart)
• o:  owner
• OCD:  osteochondritis dissecans  -a condition where a piece of cartilage in a joint (usually the knee) tears and floats around causing pain
• OD:  right eye
• OS:  left eye
• OSHA:  Occupational Safety and Health Act -a set of laws designed to provide a safe workplace for employees
• OTC:  over the counter  -a medication or other product that's available in stores without the need for a prescription
• OU:  both eyes
• oz:  ounce  -equal to 2 tablespoons or 30mL
• p:  patient 
• P1:  the most proximal phalanx (bone of the finger/toe/digit)
• P2:  the middle phalanx (bone of the finger/toe/digit)
• P3:  the most distal phalanx (bone of the finger/toe digit)
• PCV:  packed cell volume  -a test to find out what percentage of the blood is red blood cells, it can help diagnose anemia among other things
• PDA:  patent ductus arteriosis  -a condition where a hole in the heart that's normal in fetuses persists in an infant or adult; usually results in a "washing machine" type of heart murmur
• PLR:  pupillary light reflex  -a test of the nervous system; a light is shined in the eye and the pupil is observed for contraction
• PO:  per os  -by mouth 
• PNS:  peripheral nervous system  -nerves that come after the brain and spinal cord
• prn:  as needed
• PSS:  portosystemic shunt  -a condition where a blood vessel allows blood to detour around the liver so that it does not get filtered and toxins build up in the blood
• pu/pd:  increased urination, increased thirst 
• q4h:  every four hours
• q8h:  every eight hours
• QID:  four times a day 
• Qt:  quart  -a measure of volume that's about the same as a liter (L)
• RBC:  red blood cell  -carries oxygen to tissues and carbon dioxide away from them
• RE:  root exposure (on dental chart)
• REM:  Roentgen equivalent man  -used to express dosage of radiation exposure
• RER:  resting energy requirement  -similar to BMR for humans, it tells you the number of calories an animal would need to survive (not including any exercise); used to determine amount to feed
• RR:  respiratory rate (number of breaths in a minute)
• Rv:  rabies (virus)  -often refers to the vaccine
• SC:  subcutaneous  -(injection) under the skin
• SE:  side effects
• SF:  spayed female
• SG:  specific gravity  -a measurement of how diluted or concentrated a liquid is such as in urine or blood
• SI:  small intestine
• SID:  once a day
• SQ:  subcutaneous  -(injection) under the skin
• STT:  Schirmer Tear Test  -a test for dry eye
• Sx:  surgery
• T:  temperature
• T1, T2, etc:  thoracic vertebrae  -the vertebrae with ribs attached, numbered with the one closest to the neck being T1
• TBW:  total body water  -the total amount of water in the body
• TID:  three times a day
• TPN:  total parentral nutrition  -providing nutrients to hospitalized patients intravenously when they cannot take it in through the digestive tract
• TPR:  temperature, pulse, and respiration  -vital signs
• Tx:  treatment
• UA:  urinalysis  -a test to look for crystals, bacteria, and other indications of disease
• URI:  upper respiratory infection  -a cold
• UTI:  urinary tract infection
• V:  vomiting
• VC:  vena cava  -the largest vein in the body, it drains into the heart
• VEE:  Venezuelan equine encephalitis  -zoonotic
• VI:  volume infused  -amount of fluids administered by a fluid pump
• Vx:  vaccinate/vaccination/vaccine
• VTBI:  volume to be infused  -amount of fluid set on a pump to be administered to the patient
• W:  wear (on dental chart)
• WBC:  white blood cell(s)  -the cells involved in protecting the body from infection
• WEE:  Western  Equine Encephalitis
• WNL:  within normal limits
• X:  extraction (on dental chart)