Thinking of a Career as a Veterinary Technician?

Below is an article I copied and pasted from today's edition of "AAHA (the American Animal Hospital Association) NEWStat Veterinary News - fast and functional".  If you are thinking about a career as a veterinary technician, the writer, David Greene, recommends that now is the time to stay in that career or pursue it.  Many states are now mandating that "official" veterinary technicians graduate from a college accredited in veterinary technology.  Massachusetts requires you have attended and graduated from such a school to become a certified veterinary technician (CVT) in MA.  But the state does not require you to be certified, yet, in order to work at a veterinary hospital.  NY does though and it looks as though many states like MA will not be far behind. ~Pawsitively Posting ~ Gayle C.   :)

For technicians, a rosy outlook 

By David Greene

In a market full of challenges for countless professions, this is a good time to be (or consider becoming) a veterinary technician. Each year, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics releases an occupational outlook handbook, and this year, the market is decidedly bullish for veterinary technicians.

With pet ownership on the rise, positions in the veterinary industry are firmly housed in the growth sector. From the BLS page discussing vet techs:

"Employment change. Employment of veterinary technologists and technicians is expected to grow 36 percent over the 2008-18 projection period, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Pet owners are becoming more affluent and more willing to pay for advanced veterinary care because many of them consider their pet to be part of the family. This growing affluence and view of pets will continue to increase the demand for veterinary care. The vast majority of veterinary technicians work at private clinical practices under veterinarians. As the number of veterinarians grows to meet the demand for veterinary care, so will the number of veterinary technicians needed to assist them."

In particular, the increased spread of specialized and advanced veterinary care will create wider opportunities. Smaller class sizes in both 2- and 4-year veterinary technology graduating classes will translate to better prospects out of school for those new to the field.

In spite of the low numbers of new veterinary technologists entering the field, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified two venues where the competition is expected to remain high for the foreseeable future: aquariums and zoos.

"Despite the relatively few number of graduates each year, keen competition is expected for veterinary technician jobs in zoos and aquariums, due to expected slow growth in facility capacity, low turnover among workers, the limited number of positions, and the fact that the work in zoos and aquariums attracts many candidates."

Veterinary technicians may be surprised to learn that clinical practice might not be the most aggressive growth market for their talents, according to BLS. The agency’s analysis of "best places to look" effectively demonstrates the wide array of applications available for a vet tech’s skill set.

"[V]eterinary technologists will have better opportunities for research jobs in a variety of settings, including biomedical facilities, diagnostic laboratories, wildlife facilities, drug and food manufacturing companies, and food safety inspection facilities."

According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the number of veterinary technicians and technologists in the United States increased about 24 percent, from 63,860 in 2005 to 79,200 in 2009. Meanwhile average annual salaries increased close to 15 percent, from $26,710 to $30,580 during the same period.

Reprinted from AAHA Trends Online, Thursday, February 24, 2011 Edition

Are Dogs the Key to Overcoming Depression in Tough Economic Times?

A recent article in the "Personal Journal", an insert section to the Wall Street Journal, posted in its December 21, 2010 edition an interesting article about psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers that bring their dog's to work with them.  They bring them for the specific reason that they feel their dog(s) have a calming effect on patients, help the patients come out of their shell and share their feelings.

After reading the article I learned a lot of interesting information about the intuitiveness of dogs and started thinking a lot about my own dog a Shiloh Shepherd.  My dog Daisy is almost amazingly human like, as many of us can probably say about our dogs that we live with day in and day out.  She truly can assess the emotions of any person in the room at any given time and reacts to it, often in a caring manner and offering her unconditional love.  Even when you least expect it or realize she is doing it.

This also got me to thinking about these tough economic times, and why times like these are called a "depression".  The article goes into some detail to explain how dog's can recognize when people are depressed and how seeing a dog in a medical office gives the visitor a feeling of comfort and safety.

A client shared with us the newspaper article, and I was able to find it online. If you click the following link, it brings you directly to the article on the Wall Street Journal Online website.  If you have an interest in this subject it is worth the read.  And if you have an opinion on the subject we'd love for you to share it with us.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703886904576031521407391768.html

"Paws"itivly Posting,

Gayle C., Practice Manager

A Lot to be Thankful For

Thank you to all of our clients and friends of Countryside for making this holiday season special for so many pets and people in our community.

The Hill's/Science Diet Angel Food Drive was a great success.  Through your purchases of Hill's Prescription and Science Diet foods this holiday season at Countryside, you helped raise over $500 that will go to pets in need at local shelters in our area. 

Countryside participated for the first time this year in Chelmsford's, Muffins with Santa Project. This project was overseen and created by the group, Chelmsford Women of Today.  We recently learned that over $1,300.00 was raised and that 3 needy children in the Chelmsford area had a joyous Christmas as a result, and that the rest of the money will help fund other worthy projects in the Spring of 2011.

Also new to us this year, we participated in the 106.3 Frank FM, food drive to help out human families this holiday season.  Our own Joan Bartlett, a Client Relation Specialist here at Countryside, encouraged staff and clients to participate. She decorated a fancy box to resemble a present and displayed it in our waiting room.  Joan delivered all of the donations received at Countryside, to Market Basket in Chelmsford to help the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.  Overall with the other area donations, the Food Bank reached 1600 pounds of food and over $3500 in donations.  Thank you Joan, we look forward to participating in this event next year as well!

The facebook fanpage holiday photo contest was so much fun. We can't begin to tell you how pleased we were at the quality of the photo submissions and all of the thought and effort that you put forth to provide us with those photos and brighten the spirits of our facebook followers this holiday season.

Lastly, today, this New Year's Eve, as we fast approach the end of the first decade of the 21st Century, we wish you all and your pets, a happy and healthy 2011.

"Paws"itivly Posting,

Gayle C. :)

Facebook Holiday Photo Contest is in Full Swing!

Our first annual Facebook holiday photo contest is in full swing.  We are thrilled at the number of entrants (over 60!).  Facebook Fans of Countryside are voting ("liking") fast and furious. This is going to be tough call.  Many of the pictures already have more than 20 votes ("likes") each!

When we decided to do the contest we had never done one where photos were sent to us via email or posted by fans on our wall before so we didn't think of every scenario.  In our past Halloween photo contest, we took all the photos and we were the source of the photographs. But we've learned from this holiday one how to make it work, and all of the entrants have been kind and understanding of the few bumps in the road we experienced when we got the contest off the ground earlier this week.

We appreciate your always good humor and your constructive criticism.  Thank you for your comments, and for staying on top of the latest updates in regard to the event.

The quality and the thoughtfulness of each photo entered is amazing.  We never expected such a high turn out and for so many fantastic photos.  We love your pets, and we love seeing them in candid photos in the outside world, where they aren't concerned about getting a vaccine, or having a procedure performed.  Truly in their own element.

Voting ("liking") ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2010.  Jenn will be tallying all the votes and posting the winners Saturday, December 18th!

You and your pets are very special to us.  These contests make our day and show us over and over again why we not only enjoy what we do, we LOVE what we do!

"Paws"itivly Posting,

Gayle C. :)

Facebook Pet Holiday Photo Contest - This is Going to Be A Close One

Our front office supervisor Jenn Morris and I have been totally enjoying all the Facebook Fan photo submissions for Countryside's pet holiday photo contest. All of these photos are so fantastic it is going to be anyone's game.  Be watching on our Facebook Fanpage for Jenn to put all the photos in a special album.  Meanwhile you can "like" a photo anytime, and that "like" will follow that pet photo into the special voting album.

The album will officially be on our Facebook Fanpage on 12/13.  We will be recording all the "likes" from 12/13 - 12/17.  And the winners will be posted on our fanpage on 12/18 and will be notified by Facebook, but also by phone or email if we have their phone or email on file as a client.

We really enjoy these contests.  Your photos, your comments, and all you share with us makes out day. 

Jenn and I created the fanpage back at the end of April/early May 2010.  Jenn at the time was more of a Facebook guru than I.  At 40, I was just getting into understanding what this whole Facebook thing was about. 

I now have my own facebook account and have been enjoying sharing photos and commentary with my family and close friends and have found it to be a great way to keep in touch.  Monitoring and administering the Fanpage is a blast.  Jenn and I get so excited when we put up a post and hear back from you, our friends of Countryside.  You can imagine how excited we got as each photo showed up on our wall for this contest!

Thanks for your participation, connecting with all of you is one of our favorite parts of the day!

"Paws"-itivly Posting,

Gayle C. :)

Text Pet Status Updates on Your Blackberry - New Innovative Communications between Hospitals & Pet Parents

Today the managers of the practice attended a seminar that explored new and innovative ways to connect with the pet parents of the patients of the hospital.  Be watching for us to announce in the near future the option of text messaging status updates for your hospitalized pet or pet having surgery!

The benefit to this option will allow pet parents who choose to have pet status updates by text, to receive their pet's status updates almost instantly.  Updates for example would include letting the pet parent know that the procedure is finished, or confirming a discharge time, or describing the pet's positive health status. 

Text messages are recommended to only be used for positive updates.  They will not completely replace the cell/home phone number contact options, as these are recommended still for use to reach the pet parent directly, to have a person to person conversation about a pet's serious condition or for important medical decisions.

I know that I would be thrilled to receive an instant text on my cell phone that my super, snuggly Shiloh Shepard Daisy was finished her procedure and was doing just great.  That's a text that would instantly brighten my day and make me smile.

Though surgical procedures for pets are extremely safe with the advances in pain management and anesthesia in veterinary medicine, our pets are a huge part of our families and just as we would be anxiously awaiting our child's surgical procedure update, we feel that way about our pets as well.

I think pet parents will really like this option.  We are going to give it a try and see what you, the pet parents, have to say. 

If you have a Pet Portal through Countryside, in the very near future, Pet Portals will offer you an "opt-in" text messaging option to communicate with our practice.  I don't know all the details yet of how this option will work and what the parameters are, but I do know that we can offer hospitalization and surgery status texts fairly easily  on our own, not through the portal, and I'll be exploring getting that up and running by the end of the month!

Be watching our Facebook Fanpage for an update when we will be offering this complimentary service. 

"Paws"-itively Posting,

Gayle C. :)

Joining the Social Network Revolution one "paw" ....ahem...foot at a time.

Hello to all of our Countryside Veterinary Hosptial friends and new friends, and those that might be considering becoming our friends. 

I'm Gayle Craig, Countryside's practice manager.  Part of my duties are to manage and design our website as well as our newest social networking endeavors, facebook, twitter, youtube and blogger.  We'd love to hear from you what you think about anything animal related whether it pertains to our hospital or not.  We are always interested in what you have to say.  We're good listeners (well in blogging terms I guess it would be 'good readers'), so don't be shy. 

Launching this blog is new to us.  I will attempt to get a link to this blog on our website and somehow incorporate a connection to it from our facebook fan page. 

If you have just found us, "Welcome!".  We look forward to learning about you, as we hope you look forward to learning about us.

Looking forward to your "paws"-itive responses and contributions,

Gayle C.