A Word of Thank You...for Veterinary Technicians Week

I remember what it was like when I first graduated vet school.  I had been given the license to go out into the world and attempt to make use of the knowledge that four very intense years of school imparts.  I had a license to examine, consult, operate, pull teeth, remove tumors, inseminate, and any number of other weird medical and surgical procedures.  I had been blessed with the gift of bedside manner.  What I didn't have...was the technical skill.  What I lacked were the gems of knowledge that had been collected from years of working with each species.  What I lacked....was a good technician.

I wasn't new to the world of veterinary medicine.  I had begun volunteering at a local veterinary hospital when I was a teenager.  This led to a job as an assistant when I was in college.  There, with the patience of one amazing veterinarian and her loyal staff, I began learning how to give an injection, how to draw blood, how to properly restrain a dog or cat.  MAN, was I scared of cats!  The doctor would have me repeat over and over when going to a cage with a screaming/hissing cat, "It's just noise, it's just noise, it's just noise."  Thanks to their gentle prodding and nurturing direction, I began to grow confident in my own abilities.  Thank you Dr. Olson, Martha, Vanessa, and Misty. 

I left that job for the formidable years of veterinary school.  I felt capable of handling any dog or cat that would come my way....but how do you draw blood from a tapir?  How can I hold a macaw for an exam without getting my thumbnail ripped off by that powerful beak?  How do I get a fawn to nurse?  How do I get my arm up a horses butt without getting kicked?  I had a lot to learn.  How painful to my pride it was to pass out in front of the professors and technicians during a transtracheal wash.  "You'll know you're in when you feel the needle pop through the trachea."  I felt the pop...but why was the world going black?  How cruel to see an animal suffering as you redirect a needle time after time in order to try to find that vein.  This is the way we learn.  That's why we call it practice.  It was difficult knowing that the technician holding their tongue by your side could accomplish the same thing on a first try and do so nearly painlessly.  Ah, but the praise when you finally got it right.  Whew, for the joyous high fives and way-to-go's.  Ah, the comfort of a technician saying, "It took me a long time to get this, too.  Don't give up, you'll get it next time."  Thank you to amazing technicians of The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, too numerous to name but all so very patient and helpful.   

Then onward to my first real job.  Suddenly I had a group of people looking at me for direction and advice on patient care.  Now owners were looking over my shoulder as I drew blood from their pet and sucking air in through their teeth if I redirected my needle.  I even had an owner once offer to draw it herself!  Words could not describe my embarrassment and anger.  But the beauty of a high volume practice is the sink or swim mentality.  High volume meant that I had to try often and, quickly, I got good at many things.  This allowed me to focus on the art of patient handling.  I was blessed to work with a lady named Vicky.  Vicky was the cat whisperer.  She taught me that it was all in the approach and blessed me with the less is more technique.  "Don't crank down and stretch them, just comfortably enclose them with your body and lift their chin with your finger.  Comfort them and talk to them before and while you stick them.....Less is More."  What a difference I began to see in my feline patients!  They actually liked me, even after blood draws.  It was also here that I figured out the hard way that NO amount restraint is going to conquer fear aggression.  There is no need to muzzle, hold, lay on top of, etc...just to get a needle in a vein...then clean up the saliva, snot, blood, urine, feces, and worsened fear that was the result.  Fear must be treated as a primary problem.  Reschedule if necessary, but sedate first.  Treat the fear...then treat the other problems.  Oh the regret that I could have spared if I had only learned that early on.  Here I also learned the sad side of hospital care.  If the staff does not understand the problem or care for the patient/owner....the pet will not receive adequate care.  I found that by simply saying, "This dog is really arthritic...so be careful how you hold the elbow in rolling this vein."....a thick bedding would magically appear in the cage for comfort.  By saying, "Did you know that this dog was the last thing that Mrs. X's husband gave her before he died."... a bit of extra grooming or an effort to make sure the pet looked especially good for presentation to the owner would result.  I learned that the more knowledge placed into the hands of a caregiver allows the caregiver to help in the many small ways that can make a big difference.  Thank you to Vicky, Dale, Jessica, Raina, Ashley, and many others who helped me there. 

Since leaving that job and venturing out on my own as a relief veterinarian, I have since encountered many other great technicians.  Some who's gut instinct I trust just as much as my own.  Some who are excellent at pushing me to try harder to get the owner to chose the better option for the patient.  Many who make my job easier by their honed technical skills.  Thank you Kristy, Teresa, Peter, Amy S., Heather, Kim, Lynn, Tobbie, Amy R., Norma, Mel, Dusty, Esther, Andrea, and so many others who have helped me along the way. 

In my area of Tennessee, most technicians and assistants work two jobs just to make ends meet.  They work in a veterinary clinic because they love the job they do.  They work a second job, because the job they love doesn't pay their bills.  Thank you to these hard working women, who work harder and more hours/week than most men I know.  Without you, I simply could not do my job and the credit for successful outcomes in the hospital environment are due in large part to your hard work, caring, and attentiveness. 

Finally, I will part with a very short list of things that I've learned from technicians..and learned to share with technicians.  I hope you'll enjoy these little gems.

1.  With horses and cats, you will get one chance.....so make it right the first time.
2.  Never trust a blue eye.
3.  Comfort an animal in the way it is familiar.  Don't baby talk a hunting dog.  Don't thump a chihuahua. 
4.  If the owner is holding a growling dog, ask them to hand it to you butt-first and then sit down.  Allow the pet to see the owner the whole time.  This way it knows there is no reason to protect. 
5.  If a dog is cage aggressive, walk into the cage slowly backwards.  Look at the floor and not in the dog's eyes, just reach back and slowly loop the lead around it's neck and walk straight out into an open space with the dog.  Once you're walking...then you can talk and try to make friends. 
6.  When restraining a pet bird...give it something to break with it's beak. (tongue depressors work great).
7.  Some dogs just like to talk. Don't just hear the growl....read the body language.  If the language does not agree, take the dog for a short walk away from the owner and begin making friends...gaining trust goes a long way. 
8.  Keep your mouth closed when expressing anal sacs.
9.  Always prepare before you start.  Do you have your tubes, tapes, catheter, etc all there?
10.  Learn to read the owner and ask the right questions. 
        "Do you ever feed table foods?"  No, never.
        "Does she take medicines?"  Yes, twice and sometimes three times daily.
        "How do you give her the pills?"  Usually in fried chicken, butter, bologna, or icecream.