VTNE Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: B

8.8 mL: This uses the weight in pounds (44 × 2 = 88 mg ÷ 10); the dose is per kilogram, so pounds must be converted first.

4 mL: Correct. 44 lb ÷ 2.2 = 20 kg; 20 kg × 2 mg/kg = 40 mg; 40 mg ÷ 10 mg/mL = 4 mL.

0.4 mL: This is a decimal-place error — one-tenth of the correct volume, which would underdose the patient.

2 mL: 2 mL contains only 20 mg, which is 1 mg/kg — half the ordered dose.

Volume (mL) = weight (kg) × dose (mg/kg) ÷ concentration (mg/mL). Convert lb to kg by dividing by 2.2.

Answer: C

Scrub in back-and-forth strokes across the whole clipped area: Back-and-forth strokes drag bacteria from the dirty periphery back over the incision site.

Start at the edges of the clip and work in toward the incision: Working from the periphery inward carries contamination from less clean areas onto the incision site.

Start at the incision site and work outward in circles: Correct. The scrub begins at the planned incision and moves outward in concentric circles (or parallel lines), never returning to the center with a used sponge.

Reuse one gauze sponge for the entire scrub to save supplies: Each sponge is discarded once it reaches the periphery; reusing it recontaminates the center.

Surgical prep: clean to dirty — incision site outward, a new sponge for each pass, never back to the center.

Answer: D

208: The 200 quadrant is the left maxilla; 208 is the left maxillary fourth premolar.

104: 104 is the right maxillary canine tooth (04 = canine).

408: The 400 quadrant is the right mandible; 408 is the right mandibular fourth premolar.

108: Correct. Quadrant 1 is the right maxilla and tooth 08 is the fourth premolar in the dog, so the right maxillary carnassial is 108.

Triadan quadrants: 1 right maxilla, 2 left maxilla, 3 left mandible, 4 right mandible. Canine = 04, first molar = 09; dog upper carnassial = 08.

Answer: B

Vitamin C, causing scurvy with bleeding gums and joint pain: Cats synthesize their own vitamin C; scurvy is a concern in guinea pigs, not cats.

Taurine, causing dilated cardiomyopathy and blindness: Correct. Cats are obligate carnivores that cannot synthesize enough taurine; deficiency causes dilated cardiomyopathy and central retinal degeneration.

Fiber, causing chronic diarrhea and weight loss: Fiber deficiency is not the classic risk of feeding dog food to cats; dog foods usually contain adequate fiber.

Carbohydrate, causing hypoglycemia and seizures: Cats have a low dietary carbohydrate requirement; dog food generally contains more carbohydrate, not less.

Cats need dietary taurine (plus arachidonic acid and preformed vitamin A) — dog food is not appropriate for cats.

Answer: B

Hyperventilation; reduce the oxygen flow rate: Hyperventilation lowers ETCO2 below 35 mm Hg; a rising value indicates the opposite.

Hypoventilation; notify the vet and assist ventilation: Correct. Normal ETCO2 is about 35–45 mm Hg; 62 mm Hg indicates hypoventilation (often from anesthetic depression), which is corrected with assisted ventilation and possibly a lighter plane.

A normal reading for isoflurane; no change in management is needed: 62 mm Hg is well above the normal range of about 35–45 mm Hg.

An esophageal intubation; extubate immediately: Esophageal intubation produces near-zero ETCO2, not an elevated value.

ETCO2 ≈ 35–45 mm Hg is normal. High = hypoventilation (bag the patient); near zero = disconnection, esophageal tube or arrest.

Answer: A

Hypoglycemia from a surge of insulin release: Correct. In dogs, xylitol triggers rapid insulin release, causing hypoglycemia within minutes to hours; liver injury may follow later.

Hyperglycemia from the sugar in the gum: Sugar-free gum contains no sugar; xylitol causes the opposite effect — low blood glucose.

Methemoglobinemia with brown mucous membranes: Methemoglobinemia is the classic toxicity of acetaminophen in cats, not xylitol in dogs.

Acute kidney injury within the first 30 minutes: Early acute kidney injury is characteristic of grape/raisin or ethylene glycol toxicity, not xylitol.

Xylitol in dogs = insulin surge → hypoglycemia (check BG early and often), with possible delayed hepatic necrosis.