The Savvy VetTech

Did you know the dorsolateral neck muscles is the best site for giving injections to pigs? This area has the thinnest layer of fat, and the muscle is closest to the skin.

For mammals the gestation period is the time in which a fetus develops, beginning with fertilization and ending at birth. The duration of this period varies between species. Here is an infographic for the different animal gestation periods.

So you may already have a list of New Year's Resolutions for your personal life. (Are they the same as they were last year? Mine usually are.) But what about for your career and your general happiness?

This article makes a good point. Even I did a Twitter Chat on Compassion Fatigue because it has become such a hot topic. It is important that the issues of suicide and depression are being talked about, but focusing on this issue at a constant could make it seem that vet med is a real downer. Instead of getting swept up in the negatives in our profession, it suggests that we try to focus on more of the positives! Think about what it is you love about your job. 

I love that every day is different. There are always different cases to see and I still learn something new every day! I even saw a dog with narcolepsy the other day (I have never seen that before, and thanks to the neurologist for diagnosing it)! And I think about the clients that really depend on us to help their pets- they truly appreciate our services and would be lost without us. I am thankful that this profession, even in times of recession, still seems to hang on. There will always be more pets that need us. And I love that in vet med there are different opportunities and avenues to explore if you really do get tired of doing one type of job.

I concur that getting too wrapped up in the stresses could be a real issue. Know the warning signs and risks for compassion fatigue, and take steps to prevent it, but don't dwell on the negative. Take steps to make your job more enjoyable. Do you have any thoughts on this topic?

What are the best Vet Tech Schools?  This article lists what they consider to be the best 2 and 4 year veterinary technician programs. Did yours make the list? School ranks were determined based on several criteria including graduation rate, student-teacher ratios and financial-aid. 

“Jackie,” a 4-year old Maltese mix presents to your clinic after ingesting a full milk chocolate bar about 20 minutes ago. This means he consumed about 1.55 ounces according to the package the owner brought.

This link is for a free download from atdove.org regarding blood products, what they are for, what they contain, expiration, and easy to follow flow charts about them. What an easy way to review and remember the details on various blood products! Thank you atdove.org!  Go get them!

Take this quick poll and see how sharp your x-ray reading abilities are at this time! 

Guess the Foreign body in these animals!

Here is an infographic for Vet Techs on the Canine Red Blood Cell Morphology review. Below is a summary of terms used to describe red blood cell morphologic features, and the changes associated with.

Christmas is a time to celebrate family, and there’s an important part of the family that people sometimes forget – the pets! Cats, dogs, fish, snakes, birds, or whatever variety of animal you have, remember to include them in the celebrations as well. They may not know it’s Christmas time, but you don’t give presents to make others happy, you give them because it makes you happy. Giving to your pets works just as well as giving to other humans. Check out these ideas for the pets and pet lovers in your life.

We hear a lot about dog and cat days, but horses have their own days too! December 13th is the National Day of the Horse.

I found a short post about this special day from the AzVMA website from last year to see what it's all about.  

According to the article, the idea behind this national day is that it "encourages a dialog about the importance of horses in our culture, the importance of humane treatment of both domestic and wild horses, and the physical and emotional benefits of owning horses."

Did you know hypercapnia is synonymous with hypoventilation, this is when a patients CO2 goes up. The most common cause of increased ETCO2 is hypercapnia secondary to anesthetic-induced hypoventilation. Normal ETCO2 levels are 35-45 mmHg.

@VetTechPrep I just passed my boards today, and you guys helped make it possible. I can't thank you enough <3

— Cristy Gaffigan (@ImGaff) December 8, 2016

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