The Savvy VetTech

It is getting hot outside! Heatstroke is very common during the summer and very dangerous. Remind your clients about the dangers of heatstroke. Let's take a moment to review.

Heatstroke is a very serious concern, especially in the hot summer months. Providing good client education on this subject is especially important.

Let's face it. A busy veterinary practice can be a stressful environment. Knowing the triggers for stress may help you to manage it better!

A Veterinary emergency is inevitable. Being prepared and staying calm are the most important things you can do to make sure the patient is properly treated, with the goal being to provide efficient stabilization.

Veterinary technicians play a huge role in client education. You do your best to explain things to the owner, but sometimes when things get busy, you wish you had a really great handout on the subject at hand. Here is a list of some resources for client handouts.

You may wish to share with your practice manager or veterinarian, so they are pre-approved to share or hand out when needed. The Veterinary Partner site is also a great way to brush up on those topics you have been wanting to review yourself!

A veterinary client can come in all forms. In fact, dealing with them is somewhat of an art form that you will learn over time.

Despite your best work and stellar customer service skills, you will definitely have interactions with clients that are very difficult from time to time. No matter what you do, they will not be satisfied.

As we all know, cats can be very unpredictable in the hospital setting. Here are some tips to avoid bites and scratches in fractious cats. 

When you are going to vet tech school, you are likely very busy and stressed with classes, studying, and lab activities. Many of you are also simultaneously working or taking care of kids and family life.

It can be overwhelming at times when you are juggling multiple things. 

Starting in July/August of 2018, there will be a new blueprint for the Veterinary Technician National Examination, as was announced November 2017.

Overall, the changes in percentage of questions per domain on the exam is minor.

Job risks for veterinary technicians include bite and scratch injuries. These are the most common injuries reported in the field. I always laugh to myself when the dog is giving me the eye, and the owner says, "Don't worry, he won't bite!" Famous last words. 

This post includes some tips to remember in trying to prevent this type of injury from occurring. 

There are many pieces of a pet’s history that may be valuable in helping to obtain a correct diagnosis or treatment for the pet.

The following list of questions should be asked at each visit. Some hospitals will have a questionnaire sheet for the owner to fill out when they arrive which can help to make for a more efficient visit.

It may seem shocking, but this is not the first time I have heard about a story like this.

Workplace conflict is inevitable. How you manage it and interact with others in the hospital are paramount. Workplace bullying is a real thing. Unfortunately, it is rampant within our profession.

You may have recently noticed all of the pet food recalls in the  news! And very likely you have had many of your clients ask about them during their vet visits.

We know that veterinary technicians do so many things in the practice. Where is the line between what they can and cannot legally do? The tasks vet techs can perform vary depending on the state.

Check this more thorough recently updated list of tasks by state to see what is allowed in your own state!

There are many job posting websites that you may use to find job listings (Monster, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Linkedin), but there are also veterinary specific sites you should include in your search for a new job.