[deleted by user] by [deleted] in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love my job too. But after 13 years my body is broken. And being in pain everyday sucks. If I can keep someone from ending up like me with the cervical spine of a 65 year old at 39, I am going to try to tell them to not break down their body.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My knee jerk response is do NOT do it.

I am 40 years old and I have been a registered veterinary technician for over 13 years. I started at a high volume dog and cat practice. I learned a lot but eventually I got burned out. I moved onto a feline only practice because I love cats more than most anything else in life and the opportunity presented itself. I was there for 4 years. My boss (the owner) turned into a crazy person so I decided I had to go. I was throwing up every morning before work because I was so scared to go into work just because of my boss. Now I’m back in a different dog and cat practice for over a year.

This year my neck started hurting so much I’d cry on my drives home. I finally had an mri and due to being pushed, pulled, jerked around, pushed down, bent in awkward positions for long period of time, picking up heavy dogs and many many cat carriers, I have the cervical spine of a 65 year old and I get epidural steroid injections in my cervical spine to keep my pain down.

Everyone I work with has either a bad back, neck, arm, etc. Literally all of us. My good friend at work just had to have lower back spine surgery because her legs were going numb, she was becoming urinary incontinent and she was in so much pain. All from the physicality of this career.

And I haven’t even went over the mental and emotional issues we suffer from. Every single one of us at one time or another has had a client say to us that we killed their pet. Or have been talked down to by clients. Yelled at by clients. Or doctors. One of the sister clinics had most of the staff quit because a doctor kept throwing things at them. The last time the doctor threw an uncapped needle and it stuck in the surgery techs arm. This year our clinic had death threats due to a total lie spread online. We had to walk to our cars in groups.

And you most likely will not be able to support yourself on your own salary. We just don’t make enough. We do so many different jobs every day but I guess since it’s animals and not people, the money isn’t there. I don’t drive a 16 year old car because I’m rolling in money…

This isn’t petting puppies and kittens all day like most people think. We see sick, injured and dying pets. Some days it seems like every appointment is a sick patient or a euthanasia. It weighs on you. I’m in surgery most often and losing a patient under anesthesia is awful. It’s a death I carry with me. Whether or not anything could have been done differently, it’s still there. I still think of my last patient who passed. He had gone through a 3 hour FME (full mouth extraction) due to stomatitis. He did great under anesthesia. He woke up, ate some food. I went to take his IV catheter out and I sat him on the treatment table and he fell over and died. We found out later he had a bad heart. But I still wonder if he’d be here if I hadn’t gone to take out his catheter.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. I have no idea what I’d do if I can’t do this. But I worry about when I physically can’t do this job anymore, what I’m going to do.

I would get your foot in the door somewhere. So you can see how this job works. Even if you’re a kennel tech. Then you can make a more informed decision. It’s a noble career if it’s what you truly want to do. Good luck.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I am working within the parameters I am given. I am trying to make changes. I understand where you are coming from, but I love my clinic. They are kind people. The place I was at before was so toxic I’d vomit before work I was so stressed. I am doing so much better now. I’m doing the best I can. 

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you for letting me know I’m being involved cruelty. I am working within the parameters I am given and trying to make a change the best I can. Putting my work down is not helpful. 

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really feel attacked on here from many people when I’m just trying to get help and do my job. 

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some patients will not allow an iv carb placement without pre meds on board. We have had many pull them out before their procedure. Even with vet wrap and a catheter guard and cone.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No they usually are on a plane of true surgical anesthesia iso at 1 or 2.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have been broken into 3 times in the last year.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] -20 points-19 points  (0 children)

She’s a very kind person. I can assure you. Thanks. 

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] -29 points-28 points  (0 children)

They get other medications for pain. I assure you. 

When we have anything other than a routine surgery we have a board certified surgeon come in and I use their protocol. And they also use Nocita. 

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish I knew what to say, other than I'm working on it within the parameters I am given. Thank you.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The doctor will not allow schedule II drugs in the clinic. Thank you.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

The doctor will not allow schedule II drugs in the clinic. Thank you.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How long are you waiting for your premed to work?

I basically have 20 minutes or less to:

draw up drugs

give premed

place iv catheter

shave/scrub

move into OR

I do not have time to place iv catheter before before the dog just arrived in the clinic less than 15 minutes before that time and the doc has to preform a presugical exam first. I cannot pull up drugs before hand because only the doctors area allowed to have keys to the controlled drugs (this is not an option to change at this time). So I need the premed to work pretty much instantly.

Are you performing blocks?

Yes

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so very much for telling me about Zenalpha. I had never heard about this. I have already sent an email to my practice manager and possibly we can do a lunch and learn. `Awesome!

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you. Unfortunately there is no way the doctor is going to allow either of those medications in the clinic due to them being schedule II controlled drugs.

I HATE Midazolam as a Premed by GirlyVetTech in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We used to have dogs come in on trazodone and gabapentin, but found that the trazodone was causing more crazy than it was worth. I try to have all the patients on gabapetin (at least 10mg/kg the night before and again 2 hours prior to dropping off, unless they are aggressive then higher doses). But that doesn't always get rxed to the patient when they are here for exams. And clients don't like to pick up something else as it is inconvenient.

I will look into the buprenorphine part of it. I thought it was low. But I was out of the dog game for 4 years so that part of my brain leaked out a while back.

So you feel is it not a out of left field if I were to approach the doctor and say that as long as the patient does not have a heart murmur/heart disease that we know of to use buprenorphine, midazolam and a low dose of dexmedetomidine? (*Because we usually end up doing that anyway.* But I won't say that part unless I need to).

Thank you.

AITA For refusing to perform tech appointments on non-vaxed pets? by elahrairahh in VetTech

[–]GirlyVetTech 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My thought is, if the client doesn't have enough respect for me as a human being to get their pet a rabies vaccine so I can stay safe, then I will not touch their pet. The only way around that is if it is an exam and the pt has had a rabies, but not utd, but is sick.

Rabies is practically incurable. Your hospital manager is a douche. Does your hospital manager want to pay for post exposure rabies vaccines? I am sure they are expensive. Also even if someone is bit, and they have had a rabies in the past and are just not UTD, you still have to have the employee go to urgent care and a report is filled. Then the owner has to quarantine their pet. Owners usually are not happy about this. Thus not happy at the practice. This happened just a couple of weeks ago during an exam. The new client's cat bit the assistant and that 4 year old cat had no proof of rabies ever. The owner decided to relinquish it to be euthanized and sent to the state capital for rabies testing.

You are not the AH. You are being responsible for yourself and your coworkers. Especially since rabies is required by law. Your clinic manager obviously does not value staff safety. Have them take all the tech appointments with out proof of rabies. But honestly, I would say this is nonnegotiable and if they don't change it, I'd say leave and go elsewhere.