Although I always knew I would have a career that included animals, I didn’t learn about the veterinary technician career option until my senior year of high school. My high school counselor had no information about the program except for what I discovered. He commented, “ Do you really think you have a chance to get in when they only select 24 students?”.  If I wasn't convinced to apply before that conversation, I was now committed to meeting my goal of being admitted into the veterinary technology program.

I received the letter that invited me for an interview. I was thrilled but very nervous.  As I entered the interview, I faced five veterinarians, all men.  During the interview, the longest 30 minutes of my young life, I was asked at least five times,  “ You have no experience in a veterinary hospital?” I left the room feeling totally defeated.

However, I was surprised to receive my acceptance letter two weeks later.  I was scheduled to start my vet tech training in June of that year, just ten days after graduating from high school!

I was taught some of the most remembered lessons during the first weeks of vet tech school. First, every animal (including humans) has a temperature!  We learned never to refer to an animal with a fever as having a temperature!  Of course, they have a temperature, but is it elevated, normal, or subnormal?  I learned to be specific with anatomical terms such as the bladder. Is it a gallbladder or a urinary bladder?

The next lesson that has followed me throughout my career is using clinical signs for animals instead of symptoms.  

The terms symptoms and clinical signs are physical conditions that indicate a disease or disorder in the body. However, a symptom is what the human patient tells the doctor, whereas a clinical sign is something you and the veterinarian find while examining your dog’s body.

Because our dogs cannot communicate their aches and pains directly, you and your veterinarian must rely on the clinical signs your dog’s body reveals.

You can detect clinical signs using vision, hearing, touch, and smell.  We can leave the 5th sense, that of taste, out this time!

Being taught to be observant has enormously impacted all aspects of my career and life. Watching the dog's gait, I learned how to detect an injury to a limb immediately. Observing an unusual posture or reluctance to move shows me a classic sign of pain in dogs.  

You must learn to read your dog’s body language to satisfy your dog's needs. Dogs are expressive with tails, ears, eyes, and posture. Understanding your dog’s cues for fear, anxiety, and discomfort allows you to remove your dog from an uncomfortable situation.

A thorough examination of your dog’s body can reveal so much information. Is your dog’s body condition too thin or too heavy? Does the skin look healthy, or is it dry and flakey? Are there patches of hair loss?

Although somewhat unpleasant, you should monitor your dog’s feces. Stools that are too soft or watery indicate diarrhea, while hard stools suggest dehydration, which leads to constipation. 

Your dog’s vocalizations can be auditory cues of a problem. Your dog makes many noises, ranging from howling, growling, barking, whining, snorting, and even singing. All of these sounds are attempts to communicate their needs.  

Deciphering your dog’s auditory cues begins by knowing your dog’s habits.  Like the Siberian Husky, some breeds are naturally very vocal, so their regular sounds must be considered. Puppies tend to whine to express any need, while whining from an adult dog could indicate pain or distress.

Whimpering or unusual growling can indicate that your dog is experiencing pain. Barking can mean many things, as most dogs have a variety of barks, each for a different reason.  You will learn to decode the meanings over time.

The tactile theory is one of many reasons for the human-animal bond. You can decrease your blood pressure and stress by petting a dog. The tactile sensation creates a connection between you and your dog.

Petting your dog also has the benefit of discovering potential disorders. You may locate new or unusual lumps. Just remember that both male and female dogs have nipples!

An area is hot to touch, or if your dog reacts negatively to you feeling a site, it could indicate an infection or other problem brewing.

No one likes a smelly dog! An unusual yeasty smell can indicate skin or ear infections.  Even a change in the odor of your dog’s feces can suggest a problem in the gastrointestinal tract.

The diagnostic tools available to your veterinarian also provide clinical signs of disease. Urine analysis can reveal evidence of a urinary tract, urinary bladder, or kidney disease. 

Analysis of a fecal sample can diagnose parasitic infections. (As a side note, if asked to bring in a stool sample to be tested, the veterinary technician only needs a small amount, not a coffee can full of feces!)

Radiographs (x-rays) and other imaging tools provide information on what is happening within the body: broken bones, a twisted stomach, foreign bodies in the GI tract, or even an enlarged heart.

As a veterinary professional, you learn to examine the entire animal despite a localized ailment.  Again you need to be the detective looking for those clinical signs.  If your dog is limping, the injury could be within the paw or generated from the shoulder or the spine.  Examining a patient from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail should apply to all animals, including humans.

I have never understood how having your dog neutered or spayed (or spaded, as some owners call it)  became synonymous with being fixed. Dog owners who use this term expect sterilization surgery to fix everything wrong with their dog, especially behavior problems. 

We have all heard the term “putting my dog to sleep”  or “putting the dog down” to say that your dog was euthanized.  After all, who wants to say that my dog needs to be killed? The problem is saying it around kids and then telling them you will put them to sleep at night! 

Using the proper terminology is preferred, but it, too, can backfire.  When I euthanized one of our cats, our youngest daughter was five years old and in kindergarten. At the beginning of that school year, I had taken our cat Scooter to her classroom for show and tell.  A couple of months later, Scooter was diagnosed with a brain tumor, followed by a rapid decline.  

I allowed the girls to be present when we euthanized Scooter, explaining why we had to euthanize her and what it meant.  All went well until I took our new puppy for show and tell a few months later.  One little girl asked about Scooter, and I told her Scooter had died.  Kerry promptly said, “No, she didn’t die; you killed her.” Although Kerry understood what she was saying, it was now up to me to explain euthanasia to 20 five-year-olds!

When I began my journey as a researcher and writer for Real Dog Box, I had no idea that the job would cause such paradigm shifts. My thoughts on dog nutrition, spay/neuter surgeries, and vaccinations are all annihilated. I love the chance for this “old dog to learn new tricks!”

Pet food manufacturers supplied the training I had in dog nutrition. I was certified through the Hills dog food certification course early in my career and honestly gave nutrition little thought. I have been so appalled as I learned the truth about kibble and wished I had discovered the knowledge many years ago.

The issues with spaying and neutering our pets have always been contentious. I believe in the concept of early sterilization surgeries, attempting to control the overpopulation of unwanted dogs. Yet, I knew that it had to harm the puppies. I advocated for spaying a female before her first heat cycle because I was taught about all the advantages of reducing mammary cancer as the primary benefit. Males were to be neutered before a year to prevent behavioral problems. I wasn’t taught that the lack of hormonal influence on bone and joints until the dog fully matures can lead to abnormal bone growth,  joint complications, and behavioral problems.

Annual vaccinations have been a constant in veterinary medicine for decades. Few people questioned the need until recently.  Science has revealed that the immunity developed in response to vaccines does not last just one year! Many veterinarians and pet parents now rely on titering the dog’s blood to determine if a vaccine is needed. Titering is a much better option. Over-vaccination can lead to excessive inflammation, rashes, swelling and pain at the injection site, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

As I have delved into these three topics, I feel proud to shift my beliefs based on new scientific evidence. I was unaware that I had let myself become complacent with these issues. I am more determined than ever to stay informed on these and other dog-related issues.

As a dog parent, it is up to you to discover the clinical signs and the clues that your dog’s body presents to you. You are your dog’s voice!

In the veterinary world, we see a lot of tragedy but also witness so much love and joy that the human-animal bond brings. Being the voice for animals is a privilege.  

You must learn to read your dog’s body language to satisfy your dog's needs. Dogs are expressive with tails, ears, eyes, and posture. Understanding your dog’s cues for fear, <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/anxiety">anxiety</a>, and discomfort allows you to remove your dog from an uncomfortable situation.

An area is hot to touch, or if your dog reacts negatively to you feeling a site, it could indicate an <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/macrophages">infection</a> or other problem brewing.

Pet food manufacturers supplied the training I had in dog nutrition. I was certified through the Hills dog food certification course early in my career and honestly gave nutrition little thought. I have been so appalled as I learned the truth about <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/kibble">kibble</a> and wished I had discovered the knowledge many years ago.

Annual vaccinations have been a constant in veterinary medicine for decades. Few people questioned the need until recently.  Science has revealed that the immunity developed in response to vaccines does not last just one year! Many veterinarians and pet parents now rely on titering the dog’s blood to determine if a vaccine is needed. Titering is a much better option. Over-<a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/vaccination">vaccination</a> can lead to excessive <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/inflammation">inflammation</a>, rashes, <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/swelling">swelling</a> and pain at the injection site, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Lessons Learned and Relearned: One Veterinary Technician's Journey

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