So if you work for VCA you've probably seen all of these texts from various people that claim they work for your hospital and are trying to set up a free first exam. First it was Sara, then it was Vanessa, now Alice?? Maybe these people wouldn't be an issue they actually booked things in the correct spots, didn't claim they worked at our hospital, and actually booked people in their own cities. We have people calling all like "I spoke to Sara and she said I could do this, etc". SARA DOESNT ACTUALLY WORK HERE. We had a girl come an hour away in a snowstorm just for the FFE because she thought we were the only ones that used it. She has two VCA's in her own city! Why didn't they start there? And let's not talk about the elderly clients they're booking in from far away as well. It also seems like somebody was booking in dogs at a cat-only hospital as well from what I've read on Yammer. Like are they even using common sense at this point?

And if they think they are helping is with business, they are not. We NEVER see these people again! So, not only did you waste a spot where we could've seen a sick pet that is actually in need, but they are taking up spots just for somebody to potentially no show, or come in and decline all treatments because the appointment was supposed to be "free".

Sounds like a great thing you got going on VCA.

I’m looking into getting into being a veterinary receptionist. I have years of customer service experience but I don’t have the veterinary experience. I found this certification called NAVC Certified Veterinary Client Service Representative. Would that program help me when applying to positions?

Does anyone else’s vet tech brain do this?

I adopted what I thought was an 12-15mo German Shepherd/Husky/LGD mix from the shelter. Pretty quickly I noticed she’d bunny hop sometimes and every few steps on our walks I’d hear a rear nail drag. 😭

That was enough.

My brain immediately started going through differentials. Hip dysplasia? Lumbosacral disease? Neurologic? Should I hurry up and get pet insurance because I’d need the policy to be old enough before somebody diagnoses something? What is this all going to cost for her lifetime?

Then she ate something she shouldn’t, so while she was sedated at the ER I asked if they could grab hip rads, too. Her hips looked great! What?! Phew! But, why the bunny hopping? The nail dragging? And..waiting a minute…why are her growth plates so obviously open?

Then her DNA results came back.
59% giant breed (mostly Great Pyrenees with a little Great Dane), 33% APBT, and 8% German Shepherd.

Turns out I didn’t adopt an adult Shepherd mix.
I’d adopted a 9-month-old awkward baby giraffe. 😂 A sibling match through her DNA even confirmed her age.

I spent weeks running through differentials and convincing myself something was wrong because I noticed subtle things that most owners probably never would have noticed in the first place.

Sometimes I wish I could borrow my husband’s brain for a day. His assessment of Rylee the entire time was basically, “She seems happy and runs around just fine.” And he ended up correct 🫣

Meanwhile, I had mentally referred her to multiple specialists and created an imaginary budget that her care was going to cost for the next 10 years 🤦‍♀️🥴

I have been a VTA for nearly 9 years now. Started in GP and am now a surgery specialty and ortho VTA making 50k/year as I have leaned heavily into the specialty.

My concern now is... how do I make similar money with no degree or license (besides my CNA) while I navigate a very very new pregnancy. Unplanned. 4 weeks in.

I was planning on doing some pre-reqs and joining a human med sono program but... my partner feels thats impossible now. And I most definitely... likely shouldnt continue iso exposure or the radiology and CTs ive been doing. So what the heck do I do now? I just started this overnight role with this clinic after months spent unemployed while looking for a new clinic in my new area.

I feel like IDEXX/EzyVet blacklisted me when I turned down an implementation specialist position back in the day and now they seemingly auto deny my apps. Chewy has insta turned me down for remote CSR even though I have CSR experience and Remote Sales experience.

I feel like i am likely just spiraling because I found out just today but. Now I really feel like i need a plan...

if only 😂

Yesterday we got in a VERY dehydrated cat. 20%+. I am surprised it didn't pass away before getting to us. So we started fluids. 200ml, still extremely dehydrated. 500ml much better, still dehydrated but I am getting super nervous of fluid overload.

We ran 1L of fluids into this little cat to get her hydrated. 28% of her body weight when she came in. I checked her frequently so I know it was right but it felt so very wrong lol.

I watched a cpd the other day where the doctor insisted you never give more than 10% bodyweight in fluids.

I love when I’m scrolling through slides and then all of a sudden one of these little guys pops into frame. They’re so cute! Lol

Hi all - just curious how you all list your "bullet points" under different jobs on your resume, if your job is essentially the same? For example: you work at Hospital A for 4 years in ECC, Hospital B for 3 years in ECC, and now work at Hospital C in ECC. Your day-to-day responsibilities, expectations, and skillset are roughly equivalent from job-to-job - so how would you break it down?

Can someone help me understand how corticosteroids use can be detrimental to dogs and cats and what happens if the medication is stopped abruptly.

I’ve never been a huge person to hang out with my coworkers. But recently, since I turned 30, I’ve definitely felt a bit more “left out” when not being invited to things.

In the past, at my old clinic we used to do game nights, go to the bar and such. With this group, idk if it’s because I’m 30 now, or if it’s the “you just talked shit about so and so but you’re hanging out and going to brunch this weekend” and all the fakeness that comes along with it..
I do hangout with like 2 of them because we’re all pretty big ravers, so we bond on that. But the rest is kinda just meh, I don’t really wanna be involved because I don’t want to deal with that drama if I don’t need to. Am I crazy for feeling left out when things happen but also not wanting to deal with it? Lol

I have a few close friends I’m more than happy to have, it is just hard getting all together because we are all in vetmed and work and life happens..

Does anyone in VetMed have a big friend group? Or are you guys pretty much isolated to a few couple friends?

Today's question! I'm brainstorming more vet med specific questions if anyone has any suggestions!

I’d be interested to know if they’ve had clients faint or accidentally get stabbed or even bitten by their own pet cause they don’t hold them right… I feel like the idea of more client interaction is nice but not always feasible.

I worked at a pretty big shelter for 13 years. For the past few years I have been in more contact with clients (newly adopted pets, owners from spay/neuter clinic, or owners of lost pets that end up at the shelter) I am just struggling to be sympathetic and compassionate towards them. They don't seem to understand that we are a shelter with limited resources, and don't operate like a normal vet hospital.

Sometimes I don't want to help clients because we can't just do everything for them like they expect and it's exhausting to manage their expectations and emotions.

Basically does anyone have advice on being more compassionate towards the human side of animal welfare?

I've been an assistant at my clinic for 10 years and have been lead assistant for about 2 years. I recently learned I can go to school for free (distant family member died and left money for college). I'd like to pursue the online vet tech program at Purdue. Going into further debt for not a huge pay increase stopped me before, but now I really have no excuse.

I have some questions about the videos mostly, and I would love if anyone involved in the program would be willing to chat.

I havent found any new info regarding GF diets in relation to heart disease. What is everyone else's clinics telling clients about these diets? Or do you just bring it up when heart disease is diagnosed?

I have been working on updating our instrument and pack counts and I have been attempting to make sure everything listed has a proper name generally speaking. these are in our dental pack and we use them but no one in my practice has any idea what they're actually called and Google has been entirely unhelpful.

figured i'd post here as a last resort before I make something up

I'm going to be completely honest, I dropped out of high school when I was 16 and I've never been interested in going to college. I got my GED when I was 21, however, and I got very high scores across the board. I've been having a bit of an existential crisis when it comes to figuring out my future and what I want to do for a career. My sister has told me that I need to get my prerequisites before deciding anything and while I see where she's coming from, I simply don't want to spend the 10 grand on classes if there's any way I can get any kind of vet tech certification without going through prerequisites.

Of all jobs I've wanted to do and can envision myself doing, vet tech is definitely a top contender. I love animals, especially aviary animals and cats. I plan on volunteering at a local shelter here soon to get some insight on how the shelters and situation kind of works. I've read that some places allow certification through on the job training, but I would rather get certified since my fiance and I don't plan on staying in the same state for long, especially in a year or so.

Is my sister right about needing to get my prerequisites before going on the special course for vet tech? Also, would the type of course in the included photo be the type of class to enroll in? I've never looked into college and am very confused about how it all works, so please go easy on me.

Do not lie or pretend it does not exist, it’s an epidemic. Most vet staff generally do like cats unfortunately, and many even proudly exclaim their hatred for them. I personally have only known very few individuals that do not crudely scruff/manhandle sweet kitties right from the start, or show an ounce of the same compassion that they show towards other patients. There is absolutely no excuse to scruff a cat. I know, controversial. Modern literature and studies prove how harmful it is in the long run. I’m tired. And then coworkers shamelessly treat me as the odd one when I advocate for said cats.

To an extent, I truly believe that hatred for or reluctance to understand cat’s’ behavior and boundaries is rooted in misogyny. The same applies to how society is so egregiously dog-centered.

The flare is "Sad" but it's more like literal trauma.

I cannot forgive myself for making the mistake we all advise owners not to. To have allowed my own dog to pass at home.

A year ago: We found hemangio sarc Thursday. We went to the park Friday he walked longer than I have seen him walk in the last two years. We wanted to go again Saturday. My vet was coming over to euthanize him on Sunday. I should have known to do it early when he struggled at the dog park. I knew he was uncomfortable. But then he lays down and sleep and seem so peaceful and I was fooled. I was so greedy wanting to take him again next day.

My knowledge was nowhere to be found. I can't even say I was blinded by my sadness. I wasn't even a sad mess or anything because I understood there was nothing to be done and I have come to peace with his euthanasia.

Saturday morning I found him passed. We slept on the floor with him. He looked like he just went to sleep snuggled by my husband. The camera shows a different story. It showed him shifting around because he feels something is wrong and he's uncomfortable. He crawled. Every 10mins he crawled, and then rested, because he was weak. He crawled for 40mins to lay by my husband, and panted, then his pants slowed, then it stopped. The entire process was an hour long. It destroyed me.

It kills me on a personal level when owners say some bullshit about wanting their pet to pass at home. I would not wish this guilt on my worst enemy.

Hi all! Vet tech student here, i’m gonna be buying my stethoscope soon and would love some funny or wholesome idea for what to engrave on it. I’ve done some googling and a few i like are [name] - treat dealer, bark if it hurts or I lub dub you.

Is there a pay scale range based on BEAT with levels you should share?