Valuable Lessons

I have now been a vet tech for almost 2 years. During this time, I've worked at 4 different clinics (3 of which were with Banfield), and have observed at several others. I've worked with 12 different vets, multiple other techs, and have interacted with countless clients. Throughout my time as a tech, I have learned several things, pertaining to both veterinary medicine and life in general.

• It's important to be good at multi-tasking.
• Everybody has different levels of understanding. Sometimes you have to explain things like you're talking to a 3-year-old. (without sounding too condescending)
• No matter how often you correct some people, they will still insist on saying "spaded" and "Lyme's disease."
• Sometimes you just have to fake a smile and move on with life.
• You can't please everybody; some people are just mad at the world.
• It's okay to cry.
• Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes.
• If you say "catheter" instead of "IV catheter", people automatically assume you're talking about a urinary catheter, and then a whole bunch of confusion ensues.
• Some people will do anything to get drugs.
• Communication is VERY important.
• Meals don't have to take place at the same time every day.
• Always check your pockets before leaving work.
• It's important to observe body language.
• Sometimes conflict is unavoidable.
• Invest in good footwear.
• Patience is key when dealing with angry cats. Quick reflexes and a good hold on the scruff also help. (The same can be said of angry clients.)
• Good dental hygiene is essential.
• You don't always get answers.
• Any animal will bite if it is hurt or scared. Even if the owner says, "oh, he's nice, he'll never bite anyone."
• There are about a dozen different breed names for a pitbull.
• Life isn't fair.
• Always keep a lint roller handy.
• Sometimes life gives you a lot of crap; you just gotta clean it up and move on.
• Everybody makes mistakes.
• Sometimes it's best to just quietly observe.
• You're not always appreciated for what you do, but that's not why you do it.
• Embrace your scars; they help make you who you are.
• The greatest thing in this world is holding a purring kitten.
• There's always something more to be learned.

I'm sure there are many more lessons in the years to come, but this is just a small portion of what I've learned so far. I only hope that I never stop learning and seeking to know more.

New experiences

Some people have been bugging me to start blogging again. So here it is, my first post of the year.

Recently, I uprooted my life and moved 7 hours away to Marquette, MI. I like it here. The weather is beautiful (at least for right now), the lake (Lake Superior, that is) is amazing, and my new job rocks.

I'm currently working at a little private practice vet clinic in Negaunee, and it's so different than working for a corporation. For starters, it's pretty much stress-free. Once in a while something stressful happens, but you get that with any job. I'm not constantly stressing myself with what I need to be doing at that particular moment, because I can finish one task completely without worrying about what to do next. I see something that needs to be done, I do it. And there's a lot more down time. Time to think, breathe, eat, and relax a little bit before the next few appointments come in. For the time being, no one has yelled at me. I don't know if it's just because of the area or what, but people in general seem to be a lot nicer. Clients are more compliant, and if they're not happy, they simply leave and go to a different clinic. For the most part, no yelling. So that's nice. Another thing I love about working there is that I'm the only tech on staff. At least for right now. So that means I get to do things my way, to a certain extent. I can wrap surgery packs how I want to wrap them; I can set up fecal floats how I want to set them up; and if I want to place an IV catheter in the back leg, well, it's more difficult by far, but if I want to do that then I can. It's kinda fun.

One thing that I get a lot more experience with at this clinic is exotics. Ya know, birds and rodents and reptiles and stuff. A few days ago, this lady came in with three birds. Two of them were pretty small, and then she brings in this big cage with a blue and gold macaw in it. I'll be honest, I'm not much of a bird person, so it was slightly intimidating to me, having never dealt with that species before. Thankfully, it was a nice bird. He did squawk a lot, and chewed a hole through the towel I was holding him with, but I left the room without any personal injuries. So that's a plus. 

I'm learning all kinds of new things, like guinea pigs can get Bordetella (kennel cough). And I'm also getting some practice at interpreting radiographs, which isn't necessarily essential to my career as a vet tech, but it helps to know what's going on. Plus, it's fascinating. I helped with tail docking and dewclaw removals of six boxer puppies the other day, which is something I've never done before. Never seen it performed either. Frankly, I'm not a fan of either procedure, but it was for a breeder, and they have breed standards or whatever. The puppies were 3 days old, so it's not like they'll remember it. Their bones weren't hardened either. I've also gotten peed on three times in the past week. As much fun as it is to be a vet tech, it's certainly not very glamorous. And not for the faint of heart.

So that's my new life in a nutshell. I'll be starting school in January, but until then, hopefully I'll have time to keep blogging. :)