Relatório de estágio curricular obrigatório: área de clínica médica de pequenos animais

Abstract

This study aims to describe the activities carried out during the mandatory curricular internship in small animal internal medicine, conducted at the Veterinary Hospital Institute of the University of Caxias do Sul, in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The internship took place from Monday to Friday, between August 4 and October 23, 2025, totaling 420 hours, under the supervision of veterinarian Msc. Manoela Maria Bianchi and the guidance of Professor Dr Luciana Laitano Dias de Castro. This report includes a description of the hospital facilities, infrastructure, and technical team, as well as the main clinical cases and activities performed and observed during the internship period. Additionally, two clinical cases are presented: the first involving chronic kidney disease in a feline patient, and the second describing mammary carcinoma in a canine. During the internship, a total of 101 animals were attended, with a higher prevalence of dogs (n = 67; 66.34%) and mixed-breed animals (n = 34; 50.75%). A total of 648 procedures were performed, the most frequent being peripheral venous access (n = 148), followed by drug administration (n = 133). The most commonly affected system was the integumentary system and its appendages, with 24 cases (25.53%), mainly canine atopic dermatitis, followed by the digestive system and associated organs, with 21 cases (22.34%). The reported clinical cases included chronic kidney disease in an elderly cat, with cervical ventroflexion secondary to hypokalemia, and adenosquamous mammary carcinoma in an elderly female dog that had been spayed late in life. The internship was essential for the development of clinical reasoning, providing valuable practical experience and fostering the skills required for professional practice, representing a crucial step in the completion of academic training. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]