the term "animal nurse"

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2004

LOL.. Nope..
My dog was the donor dog at my old clinic, so if a dog came in needing blood I would rush home and get my dog and bring her back for them to draw blood off of her... Keep in mind they no way need the amt. that humans do.. We would pull of a syringe (60cc-100cc) and give it..
If my dog wasn't available and we had a dog that was just boarding with us, that we know is healthy we would try to contact the owner asking them if it was ok...

Do they have blood types

could you give blood from a pitbull to a toy poodle

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2004

LOL.. Nope..
My dog was the donor dog at my old clinic, so if a dog came in needing blood I would rush home and get my dog and bring her back for them to draw blood off of her... Keep in mind they no way need the amt. that humans do.. We would pull of a syringe (60cc-100cc) and give it..
If my dog wasn't available and we had a dog that was just boarding with us, that we know is healthy we would try to contact the owner asking them if it was ok...

Do they have blood types

could you give blood from a pitbull to a toy poodle

Ortho_RN · Apr 25, 2004

Do they have blood types
could you give blood from a pitbull to a toy poodle

Yeah.. but they have about 8-12 different blood types... Unlike humans dogs don't have antibodies against other blood types, so the chance of a dog having a reaction is pretty slim... However if this dog has gotten a transfusion before then they do need crossmatch blood, incase they have developed antibodies.

Cats are different they only have 3 blood types, and cats are more likely

than dogs to have a reaction so they need to be typed and crossmatched.. Especially some of the more rare exotic breeds of cats..

Sorry too much info :)lol

Ortho_RN · Apr 25, 2004

Do they have blood types
could you give blood from a pitbull to a toy poodle

Yeah.. but they have about 8-12 different blood types... Unlike humans dogs don't have antibodies against other blood types, so the chance of a dog having a reaction is pretty slim... However if this dog has gotten a transfusion before then they do need crossmatch blood, incase they have developed antibodies.

Cats are different they only have 3 blood types, and cats are more likely

than dogs to have a reaction so they need to be typed and crossmatched.. Especially some of the more rare exotic breeds of cats..

Sorry too much info :)lol

leslie :-D · Apr 25, 2004

i hope they test for AIDS...

leslie :-D · Apr 25, 2004

i hope they test for AIDS...

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Apr 26, 2004

Thanks I didnt know that

we live and learn

Persephone001 · Jun 22, 2011

Let's face it everyone, the only people who care about our titles is us, our co-workers and our employer. When it comes to the patient in a hospital everyone is either a nurse or a doctor, whether your a cna, a brain surgeon, an np or a janitor. Ask them, they have NO CLUE about all the different specialties and qualifications, etc in a hospital, they just figure this person talks to me like he/she is my doctor so she/he must be the doctor and everyone else that comes in the room must be a nurse. When did anyone ever stop to ask what your title is, what education did you have to get, are you licensed, what associations are you a member of blah blah...the patient doesnt really care, they just know who treats them kindly, who takes care of them, who comes across as compassionate and sounds like they know what they are talking about and they determine your qualifications from that.

Also, I was a Veterinary Technician for ten years before I finally became sick of the lack of pay, no health insurance, no vacation or sick days, no 401k, etc. The most I ever made was when I worked in research ($20/hr with full benefits, my own desk, bonuses, etc) and I didn't become a Vet Tech to kill animals, so the money wasn't worth it. I CANT STAND IT when someone starts off saying "I worked in a vet clinic as a vet tech" but as they go on they never were an actual "vet tech" they were "vet assistants". Small animal vet clinics can rarely afford to have more than one vet tech on staff and by necessity will train others to take on the role of a vet tech. The state (kentucky) has regulations against this but basically never enforce it. I graduated from an accredited university with my associates, passed my state exam and maintained my license by obtaining ceu's every two years. Oh, and yea there are four year degrees offered out there but you WILL NOT get payed anymore than if you had an AAS. If a vet can't even afford to hire a vet tech with a two year degree how in the world would they hire one with a bachelors? Those will go on to research facilities...In ten years I never once met a vet tech with a bachelors. Anyhow, with the vet tech vs assistant things its exactly like if a hospital could hire anyone, and I mean ANYONE off the street and have them trained on the job as they go to do RN work. It is exactly like that. The RN degree and Vet Tech degree are similar but the RN degree is much more intensive, plus the Vet tech degree requires one year of pre req's like the RN but only one year of actual clinical studies which is more like the LPN, but in a vet clinic a Vet tech is the top of the ladder below the Veterinarian. There are some specialties offered now, such as anesthesia, emergency, dental and another one I think, but it doesn't matter because unless you work for a very large multi-doctor practice you can't achieve the requirements to get this specialization. Basically I got tired of having to deal with the lack of patient care because they are being treated by un-licensed,un-trained staff, sucky pay, no benefits, no opportunity for advancement, no recognition...some vets have gotten so tired of having their patients care messed up that they want to do everything themselves and your reduced to cleaning up cages, walking dogs and trimming nails. Tired of taking commands and being "trained" by a veterinar assistant who thinks she is a vet tech. Just wanted to vent, I could go on and on, been in nursing school for over a year now and haven't worked in a vet clinic since (although I miss my furry patients) and forgot how angry I was about feeling like I've wasted ten years of my life and I should have gone to RN school in the first place!

PS And this coming from an actual VET TECH who has worked in all fields of vet med over ten years (pharm sales, research, small animal, exotic and large animal). If a Vet Tech (and don't confuse a VET TECH with an already ignorant VET ASST who is already used to being able to call themselves VET TECHS and feel no reason why they cant just go ahead and call themselves RN's as well) ever calls themselvs a 'nurse', it is in a case when they are trying to bring clarification to who they are to a client (pet owner). I have called myself a vet nurse on many occasions when a client is confused as to what I am. Just like in a human hospital, everyone is either a doctor or a nurse and they could give a crap what your other qualifications are. When I go to take their pet from them and they get worried I explain that I am a vet nurse, i am trained just like your human nurse but i went to animal nurse school and they smile and relax and all is well in their world. I am not going to sit there and spend ten minutes explaining my education and license and the difference between assistants and cna's and LPN's etc, I have patients to take care of.

Persephone001 · Jun 22, 2011

Actually cats have a similar disease we call "feline AIDS" called FELV and is transferred the same as human AIDS and affects their current and long term health the exact same way.

Fiona59 · Jun 22, 2011

LOL.. Nope..
My dog was the donor dog at my old clinic, so if a dog came in needing blood I would rush home and get my dog and bring her back for them to draw blood off of her... Keep in mind they no way need the amt. that humans do.. We would pull of a syringe (60cc-100cc) and give it..
If my dog wasn't available and we had a dog that was just boarding with us, that we know is healthy we would try to contact the owner asking them if it was ok...

Canada has an Animal Blood Bank. The local technical institute collects canine blood from local donor dogs. The draws are done by Vet Techs and their students under the supervision of a doctor. ******* are only accepted if they are spayed and have never had a litter. Something to do with the antibodies converting. They access the jugular and draw just under 500 ml. The blood is then kept in regional centres.

Canine blood runs over $100/unit. A donor dog that may require a transfusion at a future date can have as many free units as they donated.

The donor gets a scarf, treats, and lots of hugs. The companion human gets free parking.

ZippyGBR, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2011

didn't do a lot of this to death over in a thread about 'Pet Nurses' , where it was pointed out that in some places (e.g. the UK ) Veterinary Nurses are called exactly that, and have professional registration etc etc ...

Fuzzy · Jun 23, 2011

Wow a seven year old thread has been brought back to life. I'd like to say that things have changed dramatically in the veterinary profession but alas it has not. The only thing that has changed for me is that I have been a CVT for 20 years instead of 13. The hours are still long and the pay is low. Most days the work is still very rewarding and quite fun. I feel that I make a difference in human and animal lives. Sure the burn out, compassion fatigue, and hard to get along with clients are still there but it's that way everywhere.

I have seen some very positive improvements from the public. Credentailed technicians are receiving more recognition. Clients have been noticing that the practice that I work for hires Certified Veterinary Technicians (CVT) Our credentials are hanging in the waiting room right next to the DVM's/VMD's. I had two clients in the last month ask if a CVT was doing the anesthesia on their pet. States are starting to clarify duties between credentialed and non credentialed staff members. Some states are starting to fine practices for allowing staff to practice outside their scope. This part is still public complaint driven sadly.

The downside is that the wages and benefits are still bad for everyone in vet med. A new gradute vet is lucky to make $50,000 the first year out of school. S/He comes out of school with $100,000+ in college debt. Many credentialed techs are in debt because they choose to go to a private program like bel-rea instead of a state community college. With the economy, wages are not going to change soon. We are fueled by descretionary income. Right now there isn't much of that around. Unlike human medicine, veterinary medicine is not subsidized by the government or insurance premiums.

I did not get into this profession for the money. Right now I am making a living and having a good time doing so. I really don'y like the "nurse" terminology for this profession. The "nurse" term has been brought up many times over the years. I am for national standards for the profession but that's a long ways off. So right now I just happy being what I am a Certified Veterinary Technician.

Fuzzy