Abstract
Clinical veterinary care of cats often involves palpation of renal system organs, such as the kidney and bladder, or the pregnant uterus. Where feasible, practical training on how to perform palpation facilitates better understanding of the feline anatomy. With this in mind, we developed a training simulator that attempts to replicate the tactile sensation of feline organs (feline palpation model simulator), and then studied its efficacy. After providing practical training with the palpation model to veterinary nursing school students, we reviewed the model's effect on cognitive learning on the location of the kidneys, bladder and pregnant uterus within the abdominal cavity, and conducted a survey to assess student awareness. The results indicated that many students had difficulty understanding based solely on the descriptions in texts on veterinary medicine, and suggested that the simulator was a more effective learning tool.
