Tails from a Vet Tech

**Trigger warning**: This episode may contain subject matter that some listeners might find distrurbing. There is brief discussion of animal abuse, child abuse, and sexual violence while on the topic of veterniary forensics. Listener disgression is advised.

This week, Tabitha talks to Dr. Michelle Gonzalez about her career path which led her to opening Rascal Charities, a non-profit created to help animals in need throughout the state of Ohio and her interest in veterinary forensics. 

We talk about how shelters and veterinary professionals can work together to benefit animals and the community as well as dig into the interesting world of veterinary forensics and how it can greatly benefit the lives of animals and humans.

Dr. Michelle Gonzalez
Dr. Gonzalez was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and was raised in Rio Piedras (suburb of San Juan). She was involved in television from a young age but her passion had always been to become a veterinarian. After a year of undergraduate studies in Puerto Rico, she finished her B.S. in Zoology at Michigan State University. Michelle obtained my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at The Ohio State University in 1999 and then completed a 1-yr Internship in Medicine, Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She worked in private practice for 6 years before starting her own practice, a mobile clinic offering sterilization and wellness services to rural areas in Ohio. The mobile clinic rapidly grew into accessible and affordable care for individuals in need of help for their pets, as well as the ability to offer services and procedures beyond routine care. Michelle is very involved in many aspects of companion veterinary medicine including education, shelter assistance and help to animals that are victim of cruelty and neglect. She have a passion for what she does and is always looking for ways to do more for the animals and the community. Michelle completed a master’s degree in Veterinary Forensics from the University of Florida in 2017 and a master’s in Forensic Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University in January of 2022. She is currently enrolled at the University of Florida Forensic Science program. Her goal is to provide forensic services for crimes to and involving animals and assist with education in cruelty and neglect.

Rascal Charities is a 501c3 organization that provides financial assistance to individuals in the State of Ohio for medical and surgical services provided by the Rascal Unit. Information on the organization and links for tax deductible donations can be found on our website at www.rascalcharities.org

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On today’s episode, Tabitha talks to “The Cat LVT”, Ellen Carozza, about, you guessed it, cats! We chat about our love for cats, how they are often misunderstood, how you can advocate for the cats in your care, pediatric kitten care, and more!

Ellen Carozza is a Licensed Veterinary Technician since 1996 who has worked exclusively with feline patients since 2002, Ellen (The CAT LVT)  currently resides at NOVA CAT CLINIC in Arlington, VA and is one of the founders of the Chris Griffey Memorial Feline Foundation, a 501(c)3 dedicated to the critical feline neonate and pediatric cases.

In addition to her full time career as a Licensed Veterinary Technician, and her “mother of kittens'' role with the foundation, she also lectures on the veterinary circuit. Known for her no-nonsense attitude and practical methods of teaching, Ellen has co-authored several guidelines with the American Association of Feline Practitioners as well as the International Society of Feline Medicine. She has been featured in “AAHA Trends Magazine”, “Today’s Veterinary Nurse”, “Vet Girl on the Run'' as well social media news outlets such as “LOVE MEOW “and “The DODO .”  She was featured as Jackson Galaxy's Cat Camp “camp nurse” before COVID teaching their veterinary nursing courses for cats as well as being a long time mentor to  Hannah Shaw, The Kitten Lady to name a few with her work on saving critical kittens instead of euthanasia. 

Ellen is also one of the three members of the AVTCP organization committee that created the AVTCP Feline subspecialty and holds the title of VTS (CP-Feline) in North America. 

Aside from not having enough hours in the day, her latest big adventure brings her expanding the CGMFF’s work to Otavalo, Ecuador in November 2022 along with CHASE where they will be providing charitable veterinary services to the local community. 

 After a long day at work, Ellen comes home to four cats of her own amazing cats; St. Ambrose, Michelle, Loki and Brother Noggin as well as a tolerant husband and daughter that still don’t understand her obsession over cats.

Support Ellen:
https://criticalkittens.org

https://www.facebook.com/thecatlvt

https://www.instagram.com/thecatlvt/

Not One More Vet:
https://www.NOMV.ORG

Not One More Vet - Race Around The World (Donation)
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5BQGXT8YNKUH4

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Happy Pain Awareness Month! On today’s episode, Tabitha talks to pain and rehab veterinary technician, Kirsty Oliver, about the importance of multimodal pain management, rehab, and what you can do in your practice or shelter to learn more, advocate for your patients, and be a multimodal animal pain warrior. Kirsty drops so much wisdom in this episode and announces an exciting new resource available to animal professionals to help our canine and feline friends with arthritis.  

Kirsty Oliver (VN, DipAVN (Surgical), CVT, CCRP, CVPP, VTS)
Rehabilitation Practitioner Kirsty Oliver earned her Veterinary Nursing Degree from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the U.K., and passed her National Veterinary Technician Exam in 2004 after relocating to New Jersey. In 2005, she became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner following completion of the University of Tennessee & NE Seminars program.  In 2010, she became certified in veterinary pain management through the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. Kirsty Oliver joined the VSC/VSCR family in 2016 after spending 14 years at a large veterinary hospital in New Jersey. Having dedicated the first half of her career to nursing surgical & orthopedic patients she has spent the last 16 years devoted to rehabilitation. In 2018, she obtained her VTS in physical rehabilitation with the APRVT (Academy of Physical Rehabilitation Veterinary Technicians) & added CCMT (Certified Canine Manual Therapy) in 2021. Kirst’s specialty and keen interest in manual therapy & myofascial work ensures that her cat and dog patients are moving at their best. 

NC State Certified Companion Animal Therapist Program
https://www.ncsuvetce.com/instructor/kirsten-oliver/

Canine Arthritis Management
https://caninearthritis.co.uk/

IVAPM.ORG
https://ivapm.org/

Pain Trace
https://paintrace.com

Not One More Vet
https://www.nomv.org/

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We have all felt insecure at work; sometimes, these insecurities can hold us back. This week I talk to RVT Liz Waynick, about her experience with being insecure as a veterinary technician.  She shares how this insecurity resulted in her working at clinics where she was set up to fail and almost leaving the veterinary field altogether. She also shares her challenges in finding a veterinary practice that was a good fit for her, and more.

Liz Waynick (RVT), grew up all over the Midwest but has settled in Northeast Ohio. She’s been an RVT since 2010 and spent most of the beginning of her career in a general practice setting. She currently works at a Veterinary Cardiology practice and writes articles geared towards pet owners. She shares her home with her two cats (Heathcliff and Tyra), her box turtle Amelia, and her Russian tortoise Littlefoot.

Healthcliff the cats’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/heathcliff.the.cat/

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This week, Tabitha is joined by RVT Robin Post, co-founder of Animal Fix Clinic. Animal Fix Clinic believes every animal and every family deserves the best veterinary care. They offer spay and neuter surgeries and other essential surgical care, all at sliding-scale pricing. They are also working to change the myth that low cost care means low quality care (ie not using pain medications, managing pain and anxiety, etc) and are one of the first low cost fear free certified practices! 

Robin and I discuss the challenges her clients face and address the myth that if people can not afford pets, they don’t deserve them as well as offer advice for other animal professionals who are working in similar situations. 

Robin Post, RVT, started her medical career as a veterinary assistant in the shelter medicine department of the San Francisco SPCA. She then assumed a supervisory role in the SF SPCA spay/neuter clinic. Before joining Animal Fix Clinic, Robin was the supervisor of Off-Site Spay-Neuter Services, where she coordinated large off-site spay/neuter clinics for the public and helped develop spay/neuter programs at municipal shelters. Robin provides training to local HVHQSN clinics to teach best practices in a high-volume setting as well as other life-saving surgeries.  She is also a reserve field technician for HSVMA–RAVS,  Robin is also a Level 2 Fear Free Certified Professional.

Episode Documentation: CRI Guide

Support Robin: Animal Fix Clinic

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We call it practicing veterinary medicine because we are always improving. The use of inhalant chambers has been around for a long time, and some believe that this technique is safer for the staff and the animal, however, we now know so much more about the physiological and psychological risks this technique poses to both animals and humans along with alternatives.  

This week, Tabitha is joined by Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, VTS to discuss why we should ban the box.  We will discuss the risks of using this technique with both humans and animals, safer and stress-reducing alternatives, and how to help advocate for this change. 

Tasha McNerney, BS, CVT, VTS
Tasha is a Certified Veterinary Technician form Glenside, PA. She is also a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and works closely with the IVAPM to educate the public about animal pain awareness. Tasha became a veterinary technician specialist in anesthesia in 2015. Tasha loves to lecture on various anesthesia and pain management topics around the globe and was recently named the VMX 2020 speaker of the Year for veterinary technicians. Tasha has authored numerous articles on anesthesia and analgesia topics for veterinary professionals and pet parents. In her spare time Tasha enjoys reading, spending time with her husband and son, and recording the Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds Podcast. 

Ban The Box Handout
Ban the Box -  Tabitha Kucera CCBC, RVT, KPA-CTP (PDF)

References

Ban The Box References

Support Tasha:

Veterinary Anesthesia Nerds Podcast: http://www.veterinaryanesthesianerds.com

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Collaboration. It's a key part of being an ethical dog trainer, veterinary, shelter, or daycare worker. One of the best ways to uphold this standard is to seek help and advice from those who have more experience and education than us. This is where receiving criticism comes in. It can be difficult and this week, I will be discussing the importance of taking criticism and why it is a life skill with Yona Rapport. 

“As a community growing each year, it’s important that we all uphold similar standards of practice. There is a balance to be had between rigid but flexible, steadfast but open to improvement, respecting the ‘experts’ but always thinking critically so that we never find ourselves blindly following this guru or that. We cannot let perfection be the enemy of the good; almost all progress graphs have hills and valleys from day to day. Learning is messy because humans are messy. Our job is to seek people who help us to zoom out on that graph and verify the steady up-trend of progress over time.” – Yona Rapport 

Yona Rappaport, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP
Yona is the owner and operator of Science at Play Dog Training, Behavior and Gear, Health Department Behavior Technician at Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA, social media manager for Humane Dog Training Advocates and Shelter Playgroup Alliance volunteer. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge of effective, ethical, evidence-based  training with clients and their dogs. Science at Play leashes focus on the right item for the individual with many options to achieve the lightest line possible. In addition to standard leashes for pet parents, she also designs and tests specialty equipment for use in a number of settings such as shelter specific leashes made to reduce stress on dogs and increase safety for handlers in a kennel setting.

Support Yona
Her leashes are great! https://www.scienceatplay.net/
https://www.shelterdogplay.org
https://www.humanedogtrainingadvocates.com/

This weeks episode Sponsor
Galaxy Vets - https://www.galaxyvets.com/

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This week, I welcome Melody Martinez to discuss career paths for veterinary professionals.

We talk about what being a veterinary technician has taught us and how we have used what we have learned to find and follow our passion to create opportunities and strengthen our field. We have unlimited opportunities as veterinary technicians. As Melody said “No one should feel the job that they have is the only thing that there is because it isn’t, our job trains us to do everything” 

Melody Martínez is Certified Veterinary Technician and the first generation daughter of Afro-Caribbean, working-class immigrants from the Dominican Republic. She grew up in Massachusetts and began her veterinary career in 2007. Melody has worked in small animal general practice, emergency and critical care, and as a Senior Animal Caregiver at Farm Sanctuary, where she oversaw the medical care and husbandry needs of 800 rescued farmed animal residents at their New York shelter. 

In 2015, she pivoted to a career in nonprofit management, community organizing, and fundraising with organizations dedicated to racial and economic justice. Melody currently works as a racial equity and organizational change management consultant at Acorde Consulting. She provides organizations with trainings, assessments, and executive coaching to advance their diversity, racial equity, and inclusion efforts. She helps teams address conflict and create the healthier internal climate that is necessary for truly powerful work to take place. As a result, she has supported dozens of mission-driven organizations in making meaningful shifts to workplace culture and in becoming more values-aligned. 

Melody continues her work in veterinary medicine as a relief technician. She volunteers regularly by mentoring K-12 students interested in veterinary medicine, and by providing medical support at animal sanctuaries and organizations that increase access to veterinary care for people experiencing poverty or homelessness with animals. She serves on the board of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA) as the Chair of the Social Justice Committee.

Melody is also a board member at the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA)  where we're trying to create the conditions necessary to ensure our profession can fully benefit from the presence and contributions of Black, Indigineous, and people of color (BIPOC).

Support Melody:  
Acorde Consulting - https://www.workwithacorde.com
MCVMA - https://mcvma.org/

This weeks episode Sponsor:
Galaxy Vets - https://www.galaxyvets.com/

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This week we welcome Yvonne Brandenburg and Jordan Porter to discuss upping your Vet Tech game. Navigating through such a young field can sometimes feel like a lot, all three of us share tips and tricks to keep your tech game current. Tips in regards to advocating for yourself, how to ask for a raise, right on through resume and job interview suggestions. Sharing your knowledge is important to growing the field and that's how you can truly live your dream.

Yvonne Brandenburg, RVT, VTS SAIM and Jordan Porter, RVT, VTS SAIM met through their passion for veterinary internal medicine and their membership in the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians.

Yvonne and Jordan created Internal Medicine For Vet Techs in 2019 from a passion for learning and improving the veterinary profession. Since then they’ve hosted the weekly Internal Medicine For Vet Techs Podcast and provide RACE-approved CE through their Internal Medicine For Vet Techs Membership. Their goal is to help techs by creating a community for technicians to become the Rock Star Techs within each of us.

Yvonne and Jordan want technicians to thrive, to reach their goals, and to push the industry to new heights.

Find them at www.internalmedicineforvettechs.com
Or listen on apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/internal-medicine-for-vet-techs-podcast/id1483584801

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Many people experience the overwhelming feeling that they don’t deserve their success, they doubt their abilities, and may feel that overworking is the only way to meet expectations. It’s important for you to know that you are not alone in these feelings and to be kind to yourself. 

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Breedlove about Imposter Syndrome (Imposter Phenomenon). We talk about what it is, who experiences it, symptoms, and how to overcome it. 

Meghan Breedlove Bio:
Meghan Breedlove is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Ohio. She graduated with her Masters in Human Development and Family Science with a specialization in Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University. She also graduated from Arizona State University with a Masters in Clinical Counseling and is currently a doctoral candidate in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at The Ohio State University. Her dissertation is focused on using restorative justice practices to repair harm and resolve conflicts among individuals in school settings. 

Meghan has worked with couples, adults, teenagers, and families in various settings. She has experience empowering clients to resolve relationship issues and family conflicts, navigate major life transitions, explore values and career interests, build communication skills, and cope with anxiety and depression. She believes in the importance of creating, communicating, and maintaining healthy boundaries in all aspects in life and seeks to support clients in this process. 

Meghan uses a range of interventions in therapy and is flexible in her approach depending on the needs of the client. She uses a Client-Centered approach and draws on techniques from Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Reality Therapy, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy in her work with clients. 

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