Vet Tech, Zoo Keeper, Pet Owner

The idea for this blog started when I was struggling to find good resources to help me get through a very difficult veterinary technician program. I hope to develop this blog into a source for Vet Tech students as well as any other Animal Science student, but hopefully it will develop into something more.

[anizoo-techkeeper]

A long time since last post, sorry

I am doing a terrible job with this. I got busy with a lot of traveling and a lot of working. But now I have recently started a new job. So I will be a little busy to start but once I am settled into the new position and on to a consisit schedule I will do my best to start posting again. I will be doing over-night hospitalized monitoring and emergeny, lots of down time that I am not thrilled about, but I hope that there will at least some interesting cases. a new little quote that I heard that I hope to get as a tattoo: Laugh, Smile, Cry, Repeat. We laugh with the funny times, we smile all the time, we cry when they pass, and we repeat it all over again. With the new job I am hoping to do some more rescue work, as well as get back into the AZA zoo work. FIngers crossed and having faith that it will all work out.

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Two reasons I wanted to post this. #1: You do not need to be an artist to learn by drawing, I am far from being artistically talented, but it helped me learn by writing/drawing things out. #2: I saw this simple picture in a book and it helps to simplfy things sometimes. Not everything is as complicated as it seems.

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Autumn, another rescue of mine, is enjoying the sun. She is a little princess, spoiled rotten, but she deserves it because we are her third home in 2 years.

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Maverick has graciously donated his time to being a live model for me for some of my posts. You can use your own pet! point to a part of the body and name all the significant parts like the bones, veins, muscles, organs, etc. It is a fun way to learn. I will dedicate a few non-vettechstudent101 posts to Maverick, they will be more geared to animal behavior due to his behavioral issues.

[anizoo-techkeeper]

I think I may have photocopied a book for some pictures and found some others using Google images. I found it easier to organize bones by species and then parts of the body. Luckily for us most animals pretty much have the same structures to the vertebrae, but do not forget to learn how many of each vertebrae in each section (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and caudal)

[anizoo-techkeeper]

The Skeletal System

The two request of what to post about were the same, the skeletal system/muscular system. Anatomy is not that easy unless you have a strong passion for it and remember it easily. My first Anatomy & Physiology class was 10 years before I went into Vet Tech School so I did not rememeber anything. My Biology 101, 102, and 103 during my undergrad years were not really geared toward much anatomy, and even then they were over 5 years before I went into Vet Tech School. So I will have a few posts that may help with learning the Skeletal System and then some that may help with the muscular system. All of the pictures you are going to see were either from google images or I will cite the book that I used while in school.

Study HARD!

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Any Specific Questions out there?

I would like to try to answer specific questions or help with topics that are more difficult so I am hoping that I will get some responses to this post. I am still very new to this so I doubt I will get any responses, but that is okay!

Have a Great Night!!

[anizoo-techkeeper]

This is Walter. He is non-contact, he actually is pretty scared of being touched so I don't try. He is very happy, he gets treats, a very large home that is changed weekly with a new set up each week, he gets different enrichment toys on a daily basis, and is trained to go in a running ball to get to explore. Not all animals need physical love, many are scared or do not like it. One of my passions is working with animals who have behavior issues.

[anizoo-techkeeper]

How do you ORGANIZE all the information?!?!

I wish I had been more organized through for all of my classes, because when I started to go back through to study for the VTNE I struggled. Each class you are going to organize the information in a different way. Some books are organized by species, others are by "System" such as muscular, integumentary, etc. In pharmacology it was by drug groups like antibiotics, NSAIDs, etc. Three ring binder with a hole punch is great to keep all your notes in, keep all study guides and if you make study sheets keep those too. You will want them for later tests and the VTNE. The biggest thing is do not panic, if you panic and worry about not having time to study or organize you are just wasting time that you can be working. Take a step back, distract yourself and calm down. I organized in multi-layers, so my "Bones" section was organized into species, but my "Sensory" section was by body part, eyes/ears/nose. Find what works and use it. This is a short post because I had a long day at work and am very tired. Have a great night! I hope to have a better post tomorrow!

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Basics: Short Hand

Here is a small list of Vet Tech Short hand. The first group are going to be the ones I currently use the most in "the real world" Organized them in a way that works for you to learn the best TPR (Temp, Pulse, Resp)- Vet tech 101 know the normal TPR for all animal species ADR (Ain't Doin' Right)- It's a great way to just say the animal is not feeling well for unexplained reasons. BAR (Bright, Alert, Responsive)- Good way to tell the Doc that a sick animal is not dying. WNL (Within Normal Limits)- "You have to recognize the normal, before you can recognize the abnormal" Abn (Abnormal) AU (Both Ears)- "A" is pointy like an ear, and "U" connects the two meaning both AS (Left Ear)- "S" means sinister, look into the history of being left handed, its interesting. AD (Right Ear)- "D" I am right handed so I see it as "D"ominant side OU (Both Eyes)- "O" is round like an eye OS (Left Eye) OD (Right Eye) PO (By mouth)- "Per os" is the technical term, "Per Oral" is how I remembered it IM (Intramuscular)- Into the muscle IV (Intravenous)- Into the vein Here is where it can get tricky, different places use different short hand SO know both! SID (Once Daily)- "Single in a Day" is how I remembered it BID (Twice Daily)- "Bi-" means two TID (Three times Daily)- "Tri-" means three QID (Four times Daily)- "Quad-" means four EOD (Every Other Day) Q (Every), Qd (Every Day), Q6h (Every 6 hours) PRN (as needed)- "per needed" is how I remembered Some Measurement Terms: gt (drop), gtt (drops) cc (cubic centimeter)- if someone says 1 cc its the same as 1ml (mililiter) so Don't Panic A few more last ones you may need to know: IC (Intracardiac)- I hope you never have to do this ID (Intradermal)- ever have a TB test done? IO (Intraocular)- Remember "O" IP (Intraperitoneal)- Used mostly in lab animal That is all for now. If you have any that you do not know or need help remembering, go to my "Have a Question?" section and ask away!! Have a Great Night!

[anizoo-techkeeper]

A few Pointers to start

A few things that helped me: Note cards- Pros: Very good tool for visual learners, as well as people who learn by writing things down. You can organize them many different ways. You can do matching or fliping. Cons: You are going to have A LOT by the end of the first class, espically when you get to terminology and pharmacology. Some times you will not get through the large amount of information by the time you have the test, hand writing them can be a little slow. White board- I LOVED MY WHITE BOARDS. This was a great way for me to learn visually. I would write things down repeatedly, without wasting paper. You can work out math problems much easier. You can draw thing like veins/arteries, locations of muscles and organs, the flow of blood through the heart, etc. The larger the white board the better, sometimes small ones can help as well. The only con I can think of is larger white boards cost a lot. Quizlet- I used this site and app on my phone all of the time. I would type everything out and then while driving have it repeating in my car instead of listening to music. I did not pay for a subscription, but it would not be a bad idea. Study Groups- I did not do study groups, but I hear for some people they are very helpful. Plus if you are with the right group of people you can focus better, and have a little fun too. Working- Honestly work in a vet hospital while you are in Vet Tech school. I am a hands on learner, I understood things a little quicker seeing them being done and doing them in a practical manor. You can even work as a kennel tech and ask to watch the techs place catheters and do not be afraid to ask the techs and the doctors a lot of questions. Family and Friends- DO NOT STOP HAVING FUN! Go out have a drink, if you are legal, with your friends every so often. Or if video games are your outlet, take a break from studying and play for an hour. Sports are your thing, join a league or club so you are forced to take a break at least once per week to have fun. You can have a relationship while in school, personally my boyfriend and I both were working full-time and going to school full-time for the first 2 years of our relationship, it will be 3 years together this fall. YouTube- There are some great videos out there, everyone will explain things a little different, you just have to find the way you best understand. Your Professors- Go ask questions, or e-mail them. Do not be scared, they are there to help you even if they do not seem like it sometimes. Finally, Find what works for you.

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Vet Tech Student 101

Organization is key!  As a vet tech student you are expected to learn a large amount of information in a short period of time, you are not just learning about one species, but several different species.  If you have never cursed in your life, you will!  I am new to Tumblr and I am trying to make this as easy for you to find the topic you are looking for so my plan is to tag all info pertaining to Vet Tech School with vettechstudent101 and also other tags that fit the subject.  I hope this works!

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Introduction: College and Beyond!

Hello again Interested People, You learned a brief history of what I did when I was much younger to get to the point I am now. But lets go back more years I would like to admit to when I was getting ready to go to college. I had very specific goals, I was very motivited and pig-headed. I wanted to get a specific degree and nothing was going to stop me. Well I did it. I have a specialized Bachelor's of Science degree, to specifically work with exotic animals in a zoological setting. I do not regret getting this degree, yet I do recommend getting a more generalized degree like Biology, and then go for a Master's in what you want to specialize in. My degree helped me get my first job as a Zoo Keeper in a small zoo. I was young and care-free, so I took a part-time job and moved to a strange place, just so I could follow my dreams. Again, I do not regret it, but would recommend getting a full-time job if possible. Fast-forward a few years, I was way to young to be that exhausted and frustrated with my job. I was expected to do a lot of stuff that I was not properly trained to do, I still did it because I had to take care of the animals. I got to a point where I felt like I was no longer safe doing my job, and I hurt me to leave the job and the animals I cared for but it had to be done. I do not regret leaving the job, but would recommend if you want to stay in a field find another job within that field, especially in the zoo world. I am currently trying to get back into a zoo setting, and it is even harder now then it was just graduating from college. I left the field for a very good reason, I felt like I needed to know more about how to take care of the animals medically, I did not enjoy having to inject a critically endagered penguin in the chest with a medication I did not know anything about with very little training, just because it HAD to be done. This brings me to the closer past and why I decided to make this blog in the first place. A very difficult Vet Tech program. I am a Certified Veterinary Technician, which means I have an Associates degree from a certified Vet Tech program that allowed me to take the State Boards exam to become a CVT (or which ever title you get in your states). The 2 1/2 years I spent becoming a CVT where extremely difficult and stressful. I was going to school full-time and working at a vet hosital full-time. I would say I am intellegent (despite all of the spelling errors you are probably seeing and will continue to see), and I also love to learn. But learning all of the medical terms, the bones/veins/arteries/organs/tissues, medication/uses/doses/calculations, and much much more for not just one species but many different species in far from an easy task. Most of the rest of this blog will be dedicated to helping Vet Tech students and even other Animal Science students with finding resources that helped me pass my classes, as well as I will post some of the more important parts of what you need to know to pass the VTNE. My 10+ years of experience includes: a Bachelor's of Science degree in Exotic animal care in a zoological setting, an Associate's degree for Veterinary nursing, am Certified Veterinary Technician, Experience working a Zoo Setting and as a Veternary Technician, Years of volunteering and internships, a lifetime of being a pet owner, and a lifetime of learning. I am still learning everyday, I will never stop learning and I will never say I know everything there is to know about taking care of animals. I am here to help teach you what I know and maybe even learn something from you! Until next time: Have A Great Day!!

[anizoo-techkeeper]

Introduction: The early years

Let me first start by saying I have never done this before, so expect some mistakes. Hello Intersted People, You can call me AniZoo if you would like. I am an animal care specialist with over 10 years of experience. To start I was that quiet kid that at every parent-teacher conference the teacher always told my parents that I needed to talk more in class. We would go home and laugh about it because when I was home or around an animal you couldn't get me to shut-up. I always knew I was going to work with animals, I was more comfortable when an animal was around. I grew up in a small town that did not give me many opportunites to get animal care experience, so I had to either search for it or create it my self. Things I did during K-12: 1. Join an school group called Friends of Fred, a group for kids who loved animals and wanted to help animals. Don't have one in your school, MAKE ONE! Get a teacher's help and started a club, raise money for local shelters, and have fun doing it. 2. Go to Busch Gardens Adventure Camps. I went while in high school, but they have programs for other ages as well. It was a great way for kids who love animals to find out if they truly want to work with animals. The topic of "Should you persue a career in animal care" will be another post, just because you love animals, does not mean you should make it your career. 3. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY. I did not have classes other than Biology and A&P, so I made classes! I created independent studies. I researched, wrote papers, did projects, observed at vet hospitals, and volunteered at shelters. Working with animals is not just fun and games, you have to have the knowledge to care for animals properly. 4. Have pets of my own. I grew up with having family cats. But I also took on the responsibility of having small animals of my own. I had mice and rats. The only way my parents allowed me to get any of my small animals, was if I knew how to take care of them, so I did my research. I still made mistakes, but I learned from them. I have so much to say, like I said when it comes to animals you can not shut me up, but put me in a room of people without animals, and I am a fly on the wall! My next post will be about my experience after high school. Have a great day!