Happy National Vet Tech Week!

Thanks for all you do!

So this week is National Vet Tech Week and being a vet tech myself I thought I might share with the readers what it's like. There are many ups and downs to being a vet tech. It's hard work - long hours, low pay, dangerous, and dirty. On the upside, you get to be around cute animals all day, help animals, help people, and learn. It can be very rewarding.

I have worked as a vet tech for 5 years. For 2 years, I worked in a small practice that only saw cats and dogs. Our clinic then merged with a much larger clinic, which I worked at for 3 years. We did a lot of awesome procedures and I learned a lot. My favorite part admittedly was working with the exotic animals and learning many new things. We saw creatures I had never even heard of before.

The dangers of being bitten or scratched are always lurking as a vet tech. My biggest fear at first was birds. One day, we had a relief vet and he asked me to come into a room to hold an animal for him. To my surprise, it was a giant scarlet macaw! My heart began to pound and my palms became sweaty. It's beak was huge and it was not very cooperative. My first time restraining a bird and it has to be this one? I quickly became very good with birds of all sizes. Luckily, my list of bites is very small. The worst one being from a full grown hungry ball python.

Vet technicians have many skills.

Vet techs have to clean up a nice variety of messes - Poop, pee, vomit, blood, and other lovely body fluids. The worst kind of mess though is the one a doctor can make! Especially in surgery. Tools and instruments laying everywhere, opening several sterile packs just to find one they like. They mean well though. =)

Another hard part of the job is talking to clients. Most pet owners are great and understanding. There are a handful out there who insist on giving the vet hospital staff a hard time, however. I was once explaining to a man a dental procedure for his not so friendly dog. I mentioned that we anaesthetize them. His response was - "I don't see why you can't do it while he's awake? I mean if he bites you, then he bites you. That's your job." I didn't say much to that response... only thought to myself "No, my job is to avoid bites..."

Vet techs are extremely dedicated to helping their patients, sometimes becoming attached in the process. I had patients who came in that soon became my favorites. The rewards of helping the animals you love are wonderful. So remember to say thank you to your pet's vet technician this week!

My favorite patient "Shadow"