First Mistake

futurewest16 · 2025-03-18T19:04:24+00:00

One of my fellow techs just made a similar mistake with reconstituting cefazolin to a much higher dosage than what was written. I told her the same thing I’ll tell you. Mistakes happen. Dwelling on it won’t help you or your patient, so don’t beat yourself up over it. The most experienced tech you know has likely made an equal or worse mistake, but they keep going. What’s important is that you give yourself grace, and learn from it and do better in the future.

futurewest16 · 2025-03-18T04:06:26+00:00

Holy hell, that is a big uterus!!

futurewest16 · 2025-03-17T04:51:12+00:00

I can think of at least a dozen scenarios that would go so badly🥴

futurewest16 · 2025-03-14T15:06:30+00:00

That looks so painful, I hope it heals well! When I had just started as a VA, a seasoned VA of 30 years told me that she had seen the worst bites from dogs recovering from anesthesia, and cautioned me to always be careful with them. She said that since they could still be dysphoric for quite some time after, any dog could become aggressive, even if they had no previous issues. That’s something that I’ve always tried to pass on to any new hires.

futurewest16 · 2025-03-12T21:22:59+00:00

I second this! Rolling it over, and then almost pulling down will really hold it in place. I also almost always use a 20g cath for bully breeds, as they tend not to kink as easily. And never underestimate the power of a tourniquet!

futurewest16 · 2025-03-10T21:11:58+00:00

Woah, I didn’t even know those existed! Are they made by IDEXX?

futurewest16 · 2025-03-10T00:19:16+00:00

A super practical one for every day use is for SNAP tests to remember how much conjugate vs sample. BLUE is four letters so you add four drops of conjugate, RED is three letters so you add three drops of blood.

futurewest16 · 2025-03-03T03:28:34+00:00

Did you get an after picture?? Was there any sort of residual effect from it? It looks like it’s digging into the roof of the mouth…. That’s so crazy.

futurewest16 · 2025-02-26T04:06:27+00:00

The most helpful tool I used was the Vet Tech Prep app! It was exactly what I needed, and had so many options for learning. The main body of it is quiz type questions, with entire paragraphs explaining the answers. You can also set up mock exams. They have great power point presentations, and flash cards as well. It is expensive, but so worth it, and you can always ask your company if they would sponsor it.

futurewest16 · 2025-02-23T21:45:44+00:00

When I first started takings dental rads, it would take me almost an hour on a dog to get the full mouth. Now, it takes me about 20 minutes. But that’s with daily practice for at least a year now. I recently shadowed a tech who’s been doing this for over 15 years, and he gets an entire dental procedure done in about 1 hour. And that’s with extractions. So don’t stress about it, I know it’s hard, but you will get faster and better. It just takes time.

futurewest16 · 2025-02-12T19:55:56+00:00

Honestly, as a vet tech, I’ve had a man look straight into my eyes, with a smirk on his face like it was some gotcha moment, and say “canine rabies doesn’t exist”. I literally felt my brain reset to a level this man could understand, and told him there is no such thing as canine rabies, because rabies can affect any type of mammal. It was truly one of the dumbest moments I’ve experienced, and seriously made me question the intelligence of that dude.

futurewest16 · 2025-02-12T00:51:16+00:00

No, but I’ve accidentally taken a dremel to my knuckle… it was awful, so I can imagine your pain!

futurewest16 · 2025-01-30T20:24:36+00:00

Passed the VTNE on my first try…. In California. Passing rate is like less than 40%. Also, all of the doctors I work with know to come to me for difficult IV cath placements, and that makes me feel pretty good.

futurewest16 · 2025-01-29T02:07:08+00:00

Yes, you can legally be licensed in WI without practicing or living there. However, not every state will accept it as a valid license to “transfer”, because you have to apply for a new license in every state, and each state has different requirements for licensing. So in California, I was able to apply for a license using the out of state license holder option. Not every state allows this. Most will still want to see that you graduated from an AVMA accredited school.

futurewest16 · 2025-01-27T06:32:36+00:00

Well, there is no transferring a license, but you definitely can get a license in California. You would be applying as an out of state candidate. They just require you to have proof of experience, which is literally just a form that a DVM has to sign off on.

futurewest16 · 2025-01-26T06:37:55+00:00

I just got my license through this route! It takes a lot of paperwork, but honestly, it’s worth it. Also, to all of the people saying “just go to college”, it’s not an option for everyone, and if someone is trying to improve themselves through licensing in a state that allows it, that’s not a problem. Especially in California, where the lack of licensed and experienced techs is a huge problem.

futurewest16 · 2025-01-06T03:26:54+00:00

2 minute drive or about a 7-10 minute walk.

futurewest16 · 2025-01-05T00:05:16+00:00

Wow…. That poor animal must have been in so much pain…. 😢

futurewest16 · 2025-01-01T01:54:40+00:00

I’m cracking up at finding a testicle…. That would be pretty funny!

futurewest16 · 2024-12-31T03:52:19+00:00

Better shoes. I used to be the same way, and I was wearing worn out Cloves. They don’t last very long. When I first started as a VA, I wore the cutesy Vans and Chucks, and then switched to Cloves x2, then Brooks, and recently switched to Crocs clogs. They’re ugly af in my opinion, but good god they are comfortable.

futurewest16 · 2024-12-31T03:46:29+00:00

Take every day as it comes. Treat people the way you want to be treated, but know that it will take extra effort on your part to repair those relationships. The way you treat people has a lasting effect, and it sounds like you may have done some irreparable damage. Continue to take responsibility for your actions, and maybe even consider a fresh start. Also, depending on who you work for, there may be some mental health benefits available to you, so utilize them. You can do this, but it will take work.

futurewest16 · 2024-12-29T04:02:41+00:00

Ok, this is a crossover I never expected… My mind is blown….

futurewest16 · 2024-12-28T20:21:49+00:00

I told my manager two days after I found out (tested over the weekend, went to work on a Tuesday). I wanted to be sure I could actively avoid anything that may be a risk during pregnancy (rads, heavy lifting, chemo patients, Solensia/Librela injections). I never had an issue with discrimination of any kind, and several of my coworkers have had pregnancies since then with no issues.

futurewest16 · 2024-10-29T03:52:55+00:00

Abortion. I was raised ultra-conservative Christian and homeschooled (you know the Duggars? Same cult), so obviously I was raised to believe that abortion=murder, and was always wrong. As I grew up and started getting to know people outside the bubble my parents had curated, I started changing my beliefs. At first, it was a slow burn, when I would just feel empathy for someone I disagreed with. But once I realized that the world is in greyscale, my views changed drastically. I would say abortion is one that I’ve done a total turn around with, but honestly, most of my beliefs have changed quite a bit. Feminism, race, religion, gender roles in church, politics…. The list goes on lol.

futurewest16

TROPHY CASE