Corona, NO LIME! (part one)!
Good morning my 1,175 Facebook and 3,585 PetED friends out there. Those of you that know me, recall that years ago, I used to post an inspirational thought daily, replete with a beautiful image found on the internet. At some point, one person…yes, as I...
I Caught a Glimpse of an Angel on my Security Camera
Yesterday was a day like most others; I ground my coffee, I showered and primped, I said good-bye to my cat, I worked, and I giggled with my co-workers. The day ended, and it seemed like a million other days that I have experienced in life. As I was about to drive my...
Client Education Directly Influences Compliance in Dentistry
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ I know that most of my readers are veterinary technicians and not practice managers nor practice owners. That means that most that are reading this do not have "purchase power" within the hospital. However, technicians do...
This is How God Winks at ME!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJHow do you know when something is just right? What does that feel like for you? For me, it feels like a deep sigh of relief. It is the feeling of being home. I personally experienced this recently.As of September, I bought...
Compassion Cookies
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJI heard the words I never wished to hear again; “Your Mother has had a brain bleed. We recommend she be transported to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital of Neurosciences and……”. I am sure he went on but that was all I...
Is Anyone Else Stressed?
Kara M. Burns, MS, MEd, LVT,VTS (Nutrition)Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a term used to describe any condition affecting the urinary bladder or urethra of cats. The healthcare team is acutely aware that FLUTD is a common reason for hospital visits and...
It Only Takes a Moment! A Dental Case on Which You Can Chime In!
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJI have a case I would like to share:Our surgery anesthetist examines every mouth despite the reason for the anesthesia. In this case, this young, 7 month old, medium sized dog was being neutered. She brought me over to the...
Sticks and Stones? A Veterinary Dental Story!
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJI am frequently asked; "If my pet's teeth are clean, do I need to provide a dental cleaning and assessment?" The answer will always be YES. The reason for that is the same reason we provide routine dental care for ourselves....
Catch Me If You Can: Safely Capturing Fractious Cats (Video Included)
by Monique Feyrecilde BA, LVT, VTS (Behavior)Ugh, we’ve all seen that sight; the fractious cat, crouched in the back of the kennel. He advances and retreats, striking at the cage door. If you touch the latch, he aims for your hands. He may also simply hide in the...
Because Their Pain Is Our Pain
-Tasha McNerney BS, CVTHello all you committed and compassionate veterinary professionals!I am very excited to write about a cause that is near and dear to me: animal pain prevention and awareness. I have had the privilege to work together with the International...
The PetED Team of In-House Trainers has Grown!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJI am thrilled to announce that the PetED Training Team has grown!As a frequent veterinary conference speaker, I have the unique opportunity to meet and network with other vet tech speakers. One of the established trainers,...
Education: We Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks, but What About Their Owners?
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJIt is summertime. The grass is green, flowers in full tilt and the air is full of sounds reminiscent of childhood; children at play, lawn mowers, dogs barking and the wind gently rustling the leaves as they dance in the...
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ I have personally been involved in two "customer service" situations recently. The first, was a situation where an owner had dropped off a pet to be groomed at a salon. Usually, the owner is called by the salon informing the...
He’s Just in to be Neutered!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ This young, male Boxer was admitted this morning to be neutered. Fortunately, we have been taught and value counting teeth of pets, even if the patient is not in the hospital for any dental services. Now, in this case, we...
Surprise!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ Just another installment of "Hidden in Plain Sight" (key the soap opera music). This case was a Yorkie-Poo whose pet parent brushes his teeth and provides regular dental care. There was, as many practices call, Grade 1...
Your Choice: Pet Parent Partnering or Piece in the News
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ A while back, I had been asked by the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association to write an article addressing 5 of my challenges as a technician. In an attempt to cheat on my assignment, I asked a new employee of the...
The Brachy Bundle: Extra Care for your Brachycephalic Patient after Surgery
Tasha McNerney BS, CVT Brachycephalic syndrome refers to the combination of elongated soft palate, stenotic nares, and everted laryngeal saccules, all of which are commonly seen in these breeds. Because of these anatomical differences, brachycephalics often require...
Happy Holidays from Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry)
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ I would like to reflect on Christmas. I know many of us do not celebrate Christmas because it is not a story from our own personal tradition. None-the-less, tomorrow is that day that many do celebrate the birth of Jesus. No...
Taking Great Pains to Alleviate Pet Pain
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ When I am asked, why I work in veterinary medicine....and dentistry, specifically, I have often responded like this; "I love having the opportunity to help those that can not help themselves." While it is true, to laser into...
How Frequently Are Your Clients Providing Dental Services for Their Pets
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ Is this a typical record for your clients? If this would not be the norm in your practice, maybe you should ask the question; "Why?" The clinical presentation is as follows: This is a challenging Siamese who has not to date...
And the Results of the Veterinary Technician Toothbrushing Poll ARE….
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ On November 2nd, 2014, I posted a poll on the PetED Facebook page and the Vet Techs United!! Facebook page asking veterinary technicians to vote on whether or not they are brushing their own pet's teeth every day. I also...
Are Veterinary Technicians Brushing Their Own Pet’s Teeth?
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ Last night's blog had a ton of responses. One person asked the question; How does education change? I assumed she meant, how does education actually change behavior. I responded that as technicians, we have all had it...
To the Very Heart of the Matter!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ I recently saw a screenshot that made its way to a vet tech focused Facebook page. Unfortunately, it brought back an old blog that I once posted on an old blog site I used to use. I thought I would revisit the topic, which...
Dr Sophia Yin’s Ultimate Legacy?
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ My heart is broken with the news of the unfortunate passing of Dr Sophia Yin. I had not yet had the chance to meet her but the impact she had on the profession as a whole and the lives of countless animals is not measurable....
But, It Doesn’t Seem to be Bothering Him!
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ As a general, small animal practice without a boarded veterinary dentist, ours holds a strong belief in the importance of routine dental care and the need for home care by the owners. These wonderful owners own a Pug. She...
Severe Drought in California: What Better Time Make a Pond?
By Stephen Cital, RVT, SRA, LAT California is in a severe drought. Signs, commercials and news reports constantly remind all of us water and sun loving Californians to conserve this precious resource. Some counties are even fining their residents for having green...
Reptile Nutrition: From Mouth to Vent
By Stephen Cital, RVT, SRA, LAT Reptiles are special species with special nutritional needs. Nutrition based illnesses such as metabolic bone disease (nutritional hyperparathyroidism and hypovitaminosis A) are common conditions seen in practice. Understanding a bit...
If Not Now, When?
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ Are you sitting on a dream or an idea? Do you want to be a part of changing something? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLYECIjmnQs Let me remind you of this: You heard the voice clearly when you chose this profession. For...
No, Fido is Not Fluffy – He is Fat! Part II
Kara M. Burns, MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition) Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians We have talked about getting an accurate weight and body condition scoring (BCS) our pets. We have even taken an in-depth nutritional history – but now what? Planning a...
No, Fido is Not Fluffy – He is Fat! (Part 1 of 2)
By: Kara M. Burns, MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition) President, Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians We hear the excuses everyday: ‘my pet is not overweight, he is big boned’; ‘I do not want to starve him’; ‘I have no idea how he got this big!’ As veterinary...
Reasons Why Your Parvo Patients Should Be Fed Right Away
By: Kenichiro Yagi, BS, RVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM) Canine parvovirus (CPV) infections cause severe gastroenteritis, lead to dehydration, shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, bacterial translocation and sepsis when left untreated. With aggressive treatment, the...
What is Really Making It Difficult For You To Go To Work?
By Katherine Dobbs, RVT, CVPM, PHR Although compassion fatigue is a relatively new concept to the veterinary profession, burn out is not! We would all probably say “Yes!” if asked if we have experienced burn out. In fact, these are both conditions that can lead to...
Making Short Work of Feline Dental Radiographs
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ In last week's blog, I posted an educational video showing positioning for canine dental X-rays. Today's post will be similar but will address positioning your feline patients. I like to think of the steps as easy as...
Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That?
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ One of the biggest fears about adding intraoral radiographs to the dentistry department service menu is that by taking full mouth radiographs the dental procedure will now take too long. There may be some truth to...
Will Your Day be Delicious?
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ I usually blog on veterinary dentistry or I post some wisdom from some facet of veterinary medicine from one of our talented educators. Today, inspiration came from another direction and I feel it is equally important to...
Is That Dentistry Complete?
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) The other day I was involved in a dental case with the most wonderful, beautiful black lab. She was admitted for a COHAT (Comprehensive Oral health Assessment and Treatment). These owners attended Rau Animal Hospital's Client...
Not the Root of All Evil!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ Hello there! PetED activities have been crazy busy this year. Unfortunately, that has curtailed my ability to send out cool cases like this for you as regularly as I had been. Good news! I've missed you and I am back!...
Another dental surprise!
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry), CVJ Hi! Sorry I have not posted for a while. I have been traveling meeting extraordinary technicians from all over. I met with many of you at NAVC in Orlando. Shortly thereafter, I skirted over to WVC in Las Vegas and...
How Low can You Go? The Effects of Hypothermia on Anesthetized Patients
By: Tasha McNerney BS,CVT As technicians monitoring patients under general anesthesia, hypothermia is a common problem encountered in almost every surgical patient. Hypothermia occurs when the temperature drops below 97 degrees F (36 degrees C). So, why does body...
15 Things You Should Have at Your Practice To Deal With The Unexpected Exotic Animal
By: Stephen Cital RVT, SRA, RLAT Most practices in the United States are setup and stocked to treat two domestic species; cats and dogs. However, there is a huge, under-served population of pets that most clinics are not prepared to handle in the event of an emergency...
Out of Sight!
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) This morning, we performed dentistry on a 10 year old Rat Terrier. I just love showing off our dental surprises. We performed the cleaning and charting of this mouth. There was a periodontal pocket evident on the distal root of...
The 12 Days of a Vet Tech Christmas
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) AKA: VB Dent On the first day of Christmas my vet sent to me: A plastic cup filled with pee On the second day of Christmas my vet sent to me: 2 Turtles egg bound and a plastic cup filled with pee On the third day of Christmas my...
Introducing The PetED Trainers
A dream coming true! When PetED was first conceived, I had envisioned that it would become the source for practices to find the trainers they need to help their team take their existing talents to the next level. As a dentistry trainer, I am frequently invited into a...
Canine Friendly Office Visits
By Bradley Phifer CBCC-KA CPDT-KA As a member of the veterinary medical team, your clients view you as an expert. With this comes the obligation to promote a culture where patients experience less stress during their visit to the veterinary practice, and where we...
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
So, all of the hoopla from the True Confessions segment titled, “Is Your Veterinarian Being Honest with You?” has died, as it should. That is one grave site I don't mind standing by. However, I will throw a red rose of gratitude onto the casket of this ABC 20/20...
How Has the ABC20/20 Trash Talk Effected Your Practice?
by Vickie Byard, CVT, TS (Dentistry) 11-27-2013 It is now about 4 days after ABC 20/20: True Confessions segment on "Is Your Veterinarian Being Honest with You?" aired. I worked clinically this week and not one client even brought up the program. I admitted most of...
Thank You ABC’s 20/20! #sarcasm
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) Which anesthetic experience do you think is cheaper and safer? Which do you want for your pet? Imagine a world, where, for some reason, you could no longer brush your own teeth and no one would do it for you. I don't know about...
PIZZA!!!!!
By Vickie Byard CVT, VTS (Dentistry) When I leave a practice, having provided dentistry training, I make the deal that when they find their first dentigerous cyst or impacted first premolar, I will buy the practice a pizza lunch! Well, Centre Animal Hospital in State...
Feline Tooth Resorption? Or Not?
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) So many times, I am at work, doing a dentistry, and I think, "Oh boy, I wish everyone could see this!" That is how these little blogs are created. This is my way of bring you table-side with me. Yesterday, I was performing a...
So…Tooth Brushing is not Possible?????
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) Dr Christina White is a veterinarian that is currently practicing at the Riverbend Animal Hospital in Hadley, Massachusetts. She worked with me for a few years while in Pennsylvania before her relocation and I have the...
It’s National Veterinary Technician Week!
by Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) I arrived home last night around 9:30 pm from 3 days in lovely Reno, Nevada while presenting, moderating and purely enjoying myself at the Wild West Veterinary Conference. Not only did I bring home a plethora of precious and...
Another Example of the Value of Intraoral Radiographs
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) I just got back last night from a whirl wind tour of three veterinary practices for dentistry training. In the early morning, I reunited and provided some dentistry training with the fun staff of the Animal Care Center in...
Vet Techs Just Wanna Have Fun!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) This morning, I stared out the kitchen window as the coffee brewed. I was struck with the way the light played off the leaves of the trees as the sun broke through the crisp, early fall cloud cover. That awareness alone made me...
Making Early Dental Care Recommendations IS Wellness Care
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) I start my morning filling with coffee and filled with gratitude. Yesterday, we had a case recommended by one of our newer veterinarians. She recommended a COHAT (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment) for a...
Are You Dismissing Something that is Missing?
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) I didn't think I was going to get anything to share with you today, but the educational gods smiled sweetly on us. Today, a 5 month old Shih-tzu mix was admitted to the hospital to be spayed. She was very nervous and the most...
An AAHA Mandate
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) On August 28th, 2013 AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) released a some strong wording regarding the provision of dentistry within accredited veterinary hospitals and those seeking AAHA accreditation. AAHA Newstat, the...
Exploring the Explorer!
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) Today I would like to introduce a very under utilized piece of dental instrumentation; the dental explorer. There are different types of dental explorers but most commonly veterinary practices purchase and employ a "shepherd's...
Hershey…sweet!
I have just returned from a much needed rest in the Berkshires this past weekend. Upon returning home and jumping right back into life, I stopped to reflect on PetEd's recent past. Over the previous weekend, I attended and taught at the Keystone Veterinary...
Do You Count?
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) I am starting my first clinical blog from my new website about two of my favorite subjects; intraoral radiology and knowing the dentition of your patients. One of the first tasks when performing the unconscious examination of your...
PetED’s New Website
Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) I was asked to co-present in a workshop called Rock'em Sock'em Dentals with Bash Halow, LVT, CVPM, his Halow Tassava Consulting partner Brenda Tassava, CVPM, CVJ and Howard Gittleman, DVM. The focus of this workshop was to give...
Welcome to PetED!
http://youtu.be/MNjhoYYN504
The PetED Vision
By Vickie Byard, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) I graduated from Harcum College in 1981. I remember being eager to start working and earning a living fulfilling the dream of being a veterinary technician. In school, I was taught to perform CBC's with Unopette's and...
