Ask the Veterinarian/Expert Profile

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT do birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience in the area

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations

Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials

Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

What do you like about this subject?

My love for animals and veterinary medicine goes back to my childhood. I love animals and working with them and I love to teach and share what I know. It is a part of me that I will never give up.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I plan on staying active in this field and I would love to teach it at our local community college.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Veterinary technicians are exposed to rabies 300 times more than the general public.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Veterinary Technicians do 95% of the work at the vet hospital behind the scenes yet very few people know who we are and what we do. We get very little recognition from the public and from our own field! This is one reason why many people do not last in the job of a technician. You have to make it a career and you have to make yourself valuable by specializing.