A 12-year-old Labrador retriever with protein-losing enteropathy has a serum albumin of 1.4 g/dL. The veterinarian plans to start carprofen, which is more than 99% bound to plasma albumin. Which pharmacokinetic consequence is MOST likely at a standard dose?

A larger unbound fraction of the drug, increasing the risk of adverse effects

Faster hepatic conversion of the drug to an active metabolite

A smaller unbound fraction of the drug, reducing its analgesic effect

Slower absorption from the gut, delaying the onset of analgesia

Hairs plucked from the margin of a circular, scaly lesion on a kitten were placed on dermatophyte test medium (DTM) and incubated at room temperature with the cap loose. Which observation on day 6 is MOST suggestive of a dermatophyte?

A white, fluffy colony with the medium turning red as the colony first appears

A black, powdery colony with the medium turning red as the colony first appears

A dark green colony with the medium turning red a week after the colony appears

A white, fluffy colony with the medium remaining yellow for the full incubation

The owner of a 5-year-old rabbit calls because the rabbit has not eaten its hay or pellets since yesterday and has produced no fecal pellets overnight. It is sitting hunched in a corner. What should the veterinary technician advise?

Bring the rabbit in today, because this is an emergency

Give a dose of mineral oil by mouth and observe for pellets

Withhold food for 24 hours so the gut can rest and recover

Monitor at home and call back if it has not eaten in 48 hours

A 6-year-old mixed-breed dog under isoflurane for a stifle surgery has a mean arterial pressure of 52 mm Hg, heart rate of 96 beats/min, SpO2 of 98%, and end-tidal isoflurane of 2.2%. The palpebral reflex is absent and jaw tone is flaccid. Which action should the veterinary technician take FIRST?

Reduce the vaporizer setting and alert the veterinarian

Give a 90 mL/kg crystalloid bolus over 15 minutes

Increase the oxygen flow rate to 5 L/min to improve perfusion

Give atropine IV to increase the heart rate and cardiac output

A 4-year-old cat is presented with brown mucous membranes, facial edema, and dyspnea after the owner gave it one 325-mg acetaminophen tablet. Which feature of feline drug metabolism BEST explains why cats are so susceptible to this drug?

Deficient glucuronide conjugation in the liver

Deficient cytochrome P450 oxidation in the liver

Low plasma protein binding of the parent drug

Excessive renal tubular secretion of the drug

A cow has had a standing left flank laparotomy. The veterinarian wants a continuous skin closure that is fast to place and in which each pass locks against the one before it for extra security. Which pattern is MOST appropriate?

Cruciate (cross mattress) pattern

A swab from a dog's draining wound is Gram stained. The veterinary technician sees purple cocci arranged in grape-like clusters. How should the organisms be reported?

Gram-positive cocci in clusters, consistent with Staphylococcus

Gram-negative cocci in clusters, consistent with Staphylococcus

Gram-positive cocci in chains, consistent with Streptococcus

Gram-negative rods in pairs, consistent with Pasteurella

A 5-year-old spayed female ferret has bilaterally symmetrical hair loss starting at the tail base, itchy skin, and a swollen vulva. Which condition is MOST likely?

Adrenal gland disease (hyperadrenocorticism)

Hypothyroidism from atrophy of the thyroid gland

Hyperestrogenism from prolonged, unbred estrus

Insulinoma (pancreatic beta-cell tumor)

A 500-kg Thoroughbred gelding is being moved to recovery after 2 hours of isoflurane anesthesia. Which recovery practice is MOST appropriate?

Recover it in a padded, dim, quiet stall with head and tail ropes to assist it in rising

Recover it in an open grass paddock so it has room to regain its balance

Hobble its legs and keep it restrained in dorsal recumbency until it is fully awake

Stimulate it with noise and handling so that it stands as soon as the vaporizer is off

VTNE

Free VTNE Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the VTNE, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Pharmacokineticsandpharmacodynamics, Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, Nervoussystemdrugs, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Surgical Nursing, Surgicalsuiteandpatientpreparation, Surgicalteampreparation, Surgicalinstruments, Suturematerialsandwoundclosure, Sterileandcirculatingduties, Woundhealingandpostoperativecare, Oralexaminationandcharting, Dentistry, Periodontaldiseaseandthecohat, Samplecollectionandhandling, Hematology, Laboratory Procedures, Urinalysis, Parasitology, Qualitycontrolandequipment, Physicalexaminationandassessment, Diagnostic Imaging, Nutritionandnursingcare, Medicationadministrationandcatheters, Communication and Professional Support Services, Infectioncontrolandvaccination, Animal Care and Nursing, Radiationphysicsandsafety, Radiographicpositioning, Ultrasoundandadvancedimaging, Preanestheticassessmentandplanning, Premedicationandinductionagents, Intubationandinhalantanesthetics, Anesthesia, Triageandprimarysurvey, Shockandfluidresuscitation, Toxicology, Transfusion,Oxygen,Andcriticalmonitoring, Painphysiologyandrecognition, Painassessmentscales, Localandregionalanesthesia, Multimodalplansandsupportivetherapy, Services, Patienthistoryandmedicalrecords, Applied Anatomy and Physiology, Interpretationandequipmentcare, Pain Management and Analgesia.

Question 1 · Pharmacokineticsandpharmacodynamics
A 12-year-old Labrador retriever with protein-losing enteropathy has a serum albumin of 1.4 g/dL. The veterinarian plans to start carprofen, which is more than 99% bound to plasma albumin. Which pharmacokinetic consequence is MOST likely at a standard dose?
- A.A larger unbound fraction of the drug, increasing the risk of adverse effects
- B.Faster hepatic conversion of the drug to an active metabolite
- C.A smaller unbound fraction of the drug, reducing its analgesic effect
- D.Slower absorption from the gut, delaying the onset of analgesia
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. A larger unbound fraction of the drug, increasing the risk of adverse effects
Only the unbound (free) fraction of a drug is pharmacologically active and available to tissues. With low albumin, fewer binding sites are available, so more carprofen circulates free and the risk of GI, renal, and hepatic adverse effects rises. Assuming reduced binding lowers the effect reverses the relationship between binding and activity.
Question 2 · Surgicalinstruments
While preparing the instrument table for a large-breed dog, the veterinary technician notes that the surgeon has requested a No. 22 scalpel blade for the skin incision. Which scalpel handle must be placed on the Mayo stand?
- A.A No. 7 handle
- B.A No. 3L handle
- C.A No. 3 handle
- D.A No. 4 handle
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. A No. 4 handle
Blades No. 20 through 25 have the larger fitting and mount only on a No. 4 handle. The No. 3, No. 3L (long), and No. 7 handles all accept the smaller blades such as No. 10, 11, 12, and 15. A mismatched blade will not seat securely and may slip off during use.
Question 3 · Laboratory Procedures
Hairs plucked from the margin of a circular, scaly lesion on a kitten were placed on dermatophyte test medium (DTM) and incubated at room temperature with the cap loose. Which observation on day 6 is MOST suggestive of a dermatophyte?
- A.A black, powdery colony with the medium turning red as the colony first appears
- B.A white, fluffy colony with the medium turning red as the colony first appears
- C.A dark green colony with the medium turning red a week after the colony appears
- D.A white, fluffy colony with the medium remaining yellow for the full incubation
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. A white, fluffy colony with the medium turning red as the colony first appears
Dermatophytes such as Microsporum canis grow as white or buff colonies and use protein first, releasing alkaline metabolites that turn the phenol red indicator red at the same time the colony appears. Saprophytic contaminants are often pigmented (green, black) and cause a red change later, after the colony is established. Suspicious colonies are confirmed microscopically by the spindle-shaped macroconidia of M. canis.
Question 4 · Animal Care and Nursing
The owner of a 5-year-old rabbit calls because the rabbit has not eaten its hay or pellets since yesterday and has produced no fecal pellets overnight. It is sitting hunched in a corner. What should the veterinary technician advise?
- A.Give a dose of mineral oil by mouth and observe for pellets
- B.Withhold food for 24 hours so the gut can rest and recover
- C.Bring the rabbit in today, because this is an emergency
- D.Monitor at home and call back if it has not eaten in 48 hours
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Bring the rabbit in today, because this is an emergency
Anorexia with absent fecal pellets and a hunched posture indicates gastrointestinal stasis, an emergency in rabbits that can quickly lead to painful gas distension, hepatic lipidosis, and death. Treatment includes fluids, analgesia, and assisted feeding with a high-fiber recovery diet. Withholding food worsens stasis, and giving oil by mouth risks aspiration without addressing the cause.
Question 5 · Emergency Medicine and Critical Care
A 6-year-old mixed-breed dog under isoflurane for a stifle surgery has a mean arterial pressure of 52 mm Hg, heart rate of 96 beats/min, SpO2 of 98%, and end-tidal isoflurane of 2.2%. The palpebral reflex is absent and jaw tone is flaccid. Which action should the veterinary technician take FIRST?
- A.Give a 90 mL/kg crystalloid bolus over 15 minutes
- B.Increase the oxygen flow rate to 5 L/min to improve perfusion
- C.Give atropine IV to increase the heart rate and cardiac output
- D.Reduce the vaporizer setting and alert the veterinarian
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Reduce the vaporizer setting and alert the veterinarian
Inhalants cause dose-dependent vasodilation and myocardial depression, and this dog is too deep (about 1.7 times isoflurane MAC with no palpebral reflex and a flaccid jaw), so decreasing the vaporizer is the first correction; a crystalloid or colloid bolus or a positive inotrope follows as ordered if MAP stays below 60–70 mm Hg. The heart rate is normal, so an anticholinergic is not indicated, and a higher oxygen flow does not raise blood pressure. A full 90 mL/kg shock volume is inappropriate for anesthetic hypotension in a normovolemic dog.
Question 6 · Pharmacokineticsandpharmacodynamics
A 4-year-old cat is presented with brown mucous membranes, facial edema, and dyspnea after the owner gave it one 325-mg acetaminophen tablet. Which feature of feline drug metabolism BEST explains why cats are so susceptible to this drug?
- A.Deficient glucuronide conjugation in the liver
- B.Deficient cytochrome P450 oxidation in the liver
- C.Low plasma protein binding of the parent drug
- D.Excessive renal tubular secretion of the drug
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Deficient glucuronide conjugation in the liver
Cats have a limited capacity for glucuronide conjugation, so acetaminophen is shunted toward oxidation into a toxic metabolite that depletes glutathione and causes methemoglobinemia, Heinz body anemia, and facial edema. The same deficiency explains feline sensitivity to aspirin and permethrin. Cytochrome P450 oxidation actually produces the toxic metabolite rather than being deficient.
Question 7 · Suturematerialsandwoundclosure
A cow has had a standing left flank laparotomy. The veterinarian wants a continuous skin closure that is fast to place and in which each pass locks against the one before it for extra security. Which pattern is MOST appropriate?
- A.Simple continuous pattern
- B.Cruciate (cross mattress) pattern
- C.Ford interlocking pattern
- D.Cushing pattern
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Ford interlocking pattern
The Ford interlocking pattern is a continuous pattern in which each loop locks on the previous one, giving good apposition and security and making it a common skin closure in large animals. Cushing is an inverting pattern for hollow organs, the cruciate pattern is interrupted, and a simple continuous line has no locking loops and can loosen along its length if a single loop fails.
Question 8 · Parasitology
A swab from a dog's draining wound is Gram stained. The veterinary technician sees purple cocci arranged in grape-like clusters. How should the organisms be reported?
- A.Gram-negative cocci in clusters, consistent with Staphylococcus
- B.Gram-positive cocci in chains, consistent with Streptococcus
- C.Gram-negative rods in pairs, consistent with Pasteurella
- D.Gram-positive cocci in clusters, consistent with Staphylococcus
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Gram-positive cocci in clusters, consistent with Staphylococcus
Gram-positive bacteria retain the crystal violet-iodine complex after decolorization and stain purple, while Gram-negative bacteria lose it and take up the pink safranin counterstain. Cocci in grape-like clusters are typical of Staphylococcus, the most common cause of canine skin and wound infections. Streptococcus forms chains, and Pasteurella is a Gram-negative rod.
Question 9 · Infectioncontrolandvaccination
A 5-year-old spayed female ferret has bilaterally symmetrical hair loss starting at the tail base, itchy skin, and a swollen vulva. Which condition is MOST likely?
- A.Hypothyroidism from atrophy of the thyroid gland
- B.Adrenal gland disease (hyperadrenocorticism)
- C.Hyperestrogenism from prolonged, unbred estrus
- D.Insulinoma (pancreatic beta-cell tumor)
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Adrenal gland disease (hyperadrenocorticism)
Adrenal disease in ferrets causes excess sex hormone production, producing symmetrical alopecia beginning at the tail, pruritus, vulvar swelling in spayed females, and prostatic enlargement in males. Hyperestrogenism from prolonged estrus occurs in intact jills that are not bred, not in spayed females. Insulinoma causes hypoglycemia with weakness and pawing at the mouth, not alopecia.
Question 10 · Anesthesia
A 500-kg Thoroughbred gelding is being moved to recovery after 2 hours of isoflurane anesthesia. Which recovery practice is MOST appropriate?
- A.Recover it in an open grass paddock so it has room to regain its balance
- B.Hobble its legs and keep it restrained in dorsal recumbency until it is fully awake
- C.Recover it in a padded, dim, quiet stall with head and tail ropes to assist it in rising
- D.Stimulate it with noise and handling so that it stands as soon as the vaporizer is off
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Recover it in a padded, dim, quiet stall with head and tail ropes to assist it in rising
Recovering horses risk fractures, myopathy, and neuropathy, so a padded, quiet, dimly lit stall with head and tail rope assistance lets the horse stay down until it can rise in a coordinated way; the airway tube is usually kept in place until the horse swallows. Stimulating the horse to stand early produces premature, uncoordinated attempts to rise, dorsal recumbency worsens ventilation-perfusion mismatch and hypoxemia, and an open paddock offers neither padding nor control.

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