Life and Veterinary Adventures

Lately I've been feeling very burnt out as a veterinary technician. I was just fired from a clinic that I loved (by people who ran it terribly). I've never been fired before. I felt like I just wasn't being heard at all. My ideas meant nothing to them until they thought of the same ideas months later. They didn't understand how stressful it got being one of only two technicians (with no full-time assistants) and juggling helping reception, posting to the clinic's social media pages, helping a new practice manager (who has no experience in that role), and managing rescue groups and clinic pricing. All of this left me feeling pretty empty, especially with how little us technicians make and how unappreciated we can be. I started to look for jobs in other fields to hopefully be less stressed out and to make more money. I was actually offered a sales and marketing job, but ended up turning it down. I started to miss helping dogs (and I guess the cats, too) so I sign...

Last month I started a new job. While I really liked the hospital I was working at, it had a few too many management and employee issues that it couldn't quite sort out. It also left me feeling very stressed and drained. I was lucky to get an offer to work at a practice with a vet I used to work with at my last job. Everyone at my new job is very friendly and appreciative. I actually get to sit down and have a break during long shifts, and the practice is closed 2 days a week. I'm so happy I made the switch. I'm far less stressed out, and I'm not completely drained of energy when I get home from work. (My scrubs aren't ugly and I get to work with one of my favorite area rescue groups, too!) Hooray for new beginnings!

Surprise, surprise... I've been ignoring my blog again. I think I'm going to cue up a few posts to prevent any more cobwebs from forming over here. So I last left you with a post about Cookie having some GI upset. It actually continued for about a month, while I experimented with different medications and continued to use some, until a vet I worked with suggested to change her diet. I had not thought about that because she had been eating the same puppy food for months with no issues. I gradually transitioned her to a new food with a different major protein, and sure enough, I saw an improvement. (I'll spare you the details.) I discontinued her meds, and she's been back to her old self ever since. Cookie just turned 1 year old this past month! Her big sister, Honey also had a birthday and turned 3. They grow up so fast...

I've been at my job for one year now. I've learned so much in that year that I didn't learn in school. I've become much more confident in my technical skills as well. Everything really just takes time, patience, and practice. I'm not afraid to try to place a catheter in a dehydrated kitten anymore. I'm not too much of a wimp to place a muzzle on an aggressive dog (within reason, of course) and surgery isn't nearly as scary as it once was. I've been lucky enough to work with some really amazing vets, techs, and kennel staff, who have made the transition from school to work not so bad. Don't get me wrong, there are days that are really difficult and make me question my career choice. Sometimes I just have too much on my plate and get overwhelmed. Sometimes I feel like I just don't make enough money for the things I have to put up with. At the end of the day, I just have to remind myself that it's not always about the money and that I...

This blog has taken quite the hiatus (and I can't promise I'll get better at updating it). Here's what I've been up to since I last posted: I passed the VTNE last December! Preparing for that test was one of the most stressful things I've had to do, but all my hard work paid off and I got my little certificate in the mail a couple months later. Since my college is so small, they only hold graduation ceremonies for 3 cohorts at a time. So, even though I graduated last August, my ceremony was in the spring. My mom and my Nana Toni traveled from WI to see me walk across the stage and get my diploma. We also went out to eat at one of my favorite local spots, Bite Cafe, after we got back to the city. I'm so thankful to have such strong ladies to look up to. I couldn't have done it without their support. My mom and I took a little vacation in the Florida Keys to celebrate. It was so fun and relaxing and it was nice to spend some quality time with my m...

Since my last post, I spent about a month searching for a job. After a few interviews (and job offers) I settled on what happens to be my favorite practice in Chicago. It's a new non-appointment practice in the West Loop. I've shadowed at this practice while still in school, and I knew I really wanted to work here. They weren't hiring until I stumbled upon a Craigslist ad they had posted. I obviously applied right away! I've been working here for about 3 weeks now. At first, it was really stressful learning the ropes and being efficient at the same time. Everything is paperless, so if we do anything, we have to make sure to log it into the computer and put in the charges. I'm also responsible for calculating and prescribing out medications (usually for parasites) which is something I haven't had much practice at since Pharmacology class. I'm also new to digital x-ray, ultrasound, and laser therapy. I've thankfully had some practice with Cornerstone ...