The Savvy VetTech

Is a neat/tidy appearance part of professionalism in our industry? I think back to one day at work at the clinic when a colleague of mine was frantically searching for a lint roller.

She was really upset that she had a lot of fur on her clothes. Another colleague commented on how it was okay to be covered in fur since we work with animals.

The veterinary industry is diverse ‒ many different types of companies support the veterinary profession: diagnostic laboratories, pet nutrition companies, pharmaceutical firms, poison control agencies, insurance firms and distributors are just a few examples.

First, before you start studying, make sure you have planned when you’re going to take the exam. The answer for when you should start your studies depends on your test date. 

Recently, I was talking to a veterinary friend of mine and mentioned how I am overdue for a haircut and a pedicure to which she replied, “sounds like you could really use some self-care!” I was so confused.

How could that be self-care? Wasn’t just the minimum to keep up? And my questions spiraled from there. Was self-care even well-defined? Was it more than just a buzzword? Why does it matter? And perhaps, most importantly, is it even possible in the veterinary industry?

Have you noticed a change in the temperature this past month? If you’ve either spent any time outside or if you’ve watched the news lately, you’re probably aware that there have been many heat waves recently.

Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about the importance of awareness about bullying in veterinary medicine. There are many articles and resources on the detrimental effects of bullying and how to identify and overcome it.

It is not uncommon in our industry for veterinary technicians to consider transitioning into practice management roles. Not only do technicians have medical knowledge but they also handle a lot of the education, training and communication aspects of the day-to-day work in clinic.

Sometimes, technicians work on building the schedule, and doing the ordering and keeping track of inventory so they are familiar with aspects of running a veterinary business.  Based on this diverse skill set, transitioning into a veterinary practice management (PM) role may seem like a natural next step...but what are some questions to ask yourself before making the switch?

Have you heard of CrossFit^®? How about Orangetheory^®, Beachbody^®, aerial yoga  or Couch to 5K? While all of these workout programs are different, there is one major similarity: they can all improve mental health.

When I was working as a vet tech, I experienced a multitude of challenges. Maybe you have experienced some of these too. Between trying to make sure that all pets were cared for and that clients felt comfortable to making sure we all stayed safe and on schedule, I felt that getting through each day successfully was a real accomplishment.

Despite many similarities, there are important life cycle differences between the species. Do you know what they are?

Most of us are familiar with heartworm disease testing in dogs. But do you know to obtain the sample and run the test for cats?

Thankfully, testing for heartworm disease in cats is fairly similar to testing for heartworm disease in dogs, but there are some key differences when it comes to restraint, site of sample collection, supplies and the test itself.