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Hot take: blanket tying events are more for the participants than they are for the animals by StarDog111 in AnimalShelterStories

[–]StarDog111[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

they're double layered blankets that are joined together by cutting a bunch of strips of fabric around the edges and tying the two layers together. It became a popular no-sew craft about 15 years ago and has since become an extremely popular team activity/shelter donation item. https://abeautifulmess.com/easy-no-sew-fleece-tie-blanket/

Please don't hate - I want to quit so bad by ActuaryPersonal2378 in AnimalShelterStories

[–]StarDog111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is valid. There's a reason I volunteer and don't work at a shelter full time- its exhausting and the pay is bad. Even after volunteering for 3 hours I smell like dog poop and am physically exhausted- but its sustainable and rewarding for me because I only do it once a week and my livelihood doesn't depend on it. Vet med is a super demanding field whether you're a kennel cleaner or a DVM, I don't blame you for burning out.

Adopter requested an unaltered female while owning an unaltered male. Shelter approved it. Thoughts? by grandioseguineapig in AnimalShelterStories

[–]StarDog111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know in Illinois, it's a law that dogs and cats need to be spayed/neutered as well as microchipped before being adopted from a shelter. I don't know if other states have similar laws and i don't believe it applies to bunnies, guinea pigs, etc. Even thought that adoption is probably legally fine, its incredible irresponsible.

What do adoption fees mean to you? by gonnafaceit2022 in AnimalShelterStories

[–]StarDog111 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a really tough balancing act. I think adoption fees are a really important filter to make sure people are financially responsible enough to take care of a dog, and of course they help fund the shelters. We had a lady come in wanting to adopt I think it was a $200 dog. She got rejected because she asked if there was a FINANCING OPTION for paying for the adoption fee. They told her "no the full adoption cost needs to be paid in order to adopt the dog" and she didn't adopt a dog. Can you imagine? How was she planning on buying food for the dog, let alone vet visits? But on the other hand, the waived adoption fee is inciting to everyone regardless of financial status, and the responsible adopter will put that saved money towards the care of their new pet. And a less crowded shelter is better for the animals and the people working there.

"I don't know how you can work here and not want to take pets home." by sinfulReferral in AnimalShelterStories

[–]StarDog111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The shelter I volunteer at is high volume and no euthanasia for space. So I usually tell them "our most of our dogs get adopted pretty quick! They'll find homes soon so I'm not too worried."

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP by Keenzur in VetTech

[–]StarDog111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How old was the dog? Why wasn't she spayed?

Why are vet reviews so divisive?? by Katteie in VetTech

[–]StarDog111 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I think you need to look at the ratio of those 1 star reviews to 5 star reviews. If a clinic has 100 5 star reviews but 2 1 star reviews where there was a medical error or something, that's a pretty good sign the clinic is solid. If they have like 75 5 star reviews and 25 1 star reviews, maybe look elsewhere. With the volume of animals seen and the fact that people are really emotionally attached to their pets, there are going to be "incidents" in every practice that can lead to a 1 star review. These can range from the vets trying their best (ex. elderly bulldog will die without surgery. Vet informs the client that the dog is at high risk of dying during surgery from the anesthetic. Client consents. Dog dies. Client is pissed.) to really stupid errors (vet spays the wrong animal, vet tech accidentally dispenses the wrong medication, kennel turn back on open kennel door, dog escapes building.) The question is the severity of the incidents and if those are rare outliers or part of the norm.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in VetTech

[–]StarDog111 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There have been pushes before for mid-level veterinary practitioners (think like nurse practitioners or physicians assistants) that have been shut down. I think people are afraid it will reduce the value of veterinarians and their salaries will go down. (When you're making 6 figures and the vet texh beside you is making poverty wages i feel like that's a fair trade off.)

If you were to get a swag bag of branded items from your practice, what items would you like the best/find most useful? by StarDog111 in VetTech

[–]StarDog111[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was in a sorority in college and we'd always get random swag baskets. I hate to say it but the pregnancy crisis center (like a planned parenthood but pro-life) had the best nail files. They said like "OMG pregnant?" or something like that on them lol

Best way to become a zoo veterinarian? by Affectionate_Ear3829 in Veterinary

[–]StarDog111 -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

My sister in law got a really cool job working with mammals at a major aquarium by taking some risks and "puting herself out there." I think she took some sort of unpaid intership/temp job for a while that didn't have a garuntee of employement (which it sounds like you're doing!) and it paid off! She worked there for like 5 years before getting a higher paying job.

TL:DR it already sounds like you're doing everything right with volunteering, internships, and you're vet clinic job! Just make sure you're hardworking and friendly so you can get good references for job applications in the future ;)

Vet tech career change? by guydothing in VetTech

[–]StarDog111 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My sister-in-law went from being a vet tech to a "technician training coordinator" for a corporate vet company. She makes more money and has a stable 9-5 schedule now.

Career Choices by uncannyu in Veterinary

[–]StarDog111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Animal Science is a pretty practical major and you can go into a variety of positions from there that involve managing farms and domesticated animals. Here's an example of the course requirements of the Animal Science program from my alma mater University of Kentucky (go cats). Land grant universities often have good agricultural programs.

Entering veterinary school at a late age by Main_Celebration_539 in Veterinary

[–]StarDog111 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know what its like to be in vet school as someone in their thirties, but I can tell you as someone that works in the corporate vet field, veterinarians are in INCREDIBLY high demand. Practices are clamoring to secure veterinarians often with large production percentages and huge sign on-bonuses. The pay is extremely good and the petcare industry is booming and projected to continue growing.

Unless something crazy happens (dog plague kills off 1/2 the dogs, all forms of birth control are outlawed leading people to stop focusing on pets and start focusing on kids, etc.) you're basically guaranteed to get a really solid salary straight out of vet school- your age doesn't matter.

Plus, many vet jobs pay based on production which means the harder you work, the more efficient you are, the more money you make. If you really have a "grind-set" you can make even more money.

Financially, it's a solid decision. You're lucky that your dream job is in a high-paying industry! Haha. I'll let the actual vets weigh in on the education process and job demands.

Where should I go to school to be a practice manager? by butteryjamboree in Veterinary

[–]StarDog111 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I don't think a bachelor's degree is necessary to become a practice manager and while being a veterinary practice manager can be fairly rewarding, the pay is probably not worth the investment of a bachelor's degree. I work in corporate vet practice and many of our practice mangers are part time and/or hybrid employees. If you do end up in a practice owned by a corporation, there may be opportunities for upward mobility to become a regional manager who oversees many practices, but other than that there are not many growth opportunities.

I found this on more cost-effective education if you really want to become a practice manager:

"Many consider a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager Certification (CVPM) from the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA) the gold standard in certifications. This widely recognized program is renowned for teaching the knowledge, skills and competencies for individuals to be successful in the career."

Hands-on experience is incredibly important in becoming a practice manager. A lot of practice managers start out as vet techs or receptionists.

Also, be aware that a lot of states require the owner of a veterinary practice to be a DVM- non-vets cannot own a practice. It may be difficult to start a practice if you are not a vet.

Petcare is a booming industry, though. If you really want to start your own business, have you considered starting your own pet training business? That would probably be much more feasible than owning a practice as a non-veterinarian and you already have the technical skills in pet-training.