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- #21
I didn't mean to offend anyone with the 'dim-witted vet tech' comment. I definitely not that not all are dim, I've just had some bad experiences over the years:
-finding out that the tech was using the totally wrong sized blood pressure cuff on my CRF cat, for months (and he also had a very rare condition of adrenal glands that caused his blood pressure to be super higher, higher than just with CRF) until one day she brought the portable monitor into the exam room. The cuff size was wayyyyyyyyyyyy too large (wide) for the diameter of a cat's leg. With my cat, she had specially compounded liquid Amlodipine that I gave to her based on her weekly blood pressure readings........so for months I'd been incorrectly dosing based on incorrect BP readings. I had to show her, as it is with humans, how you determine the correct cuff size based on diameter.
-had one tech take one of my cat's temp w/ a tympanic thermometer; temp was 40.2. She didn't even question it. It wasn't until the end of the appointment where I saw the cat's vitals written in the chart and I questioned it........this is darn high. She didn't seem to have a clue. I had to request that she redo it, then take it rectally.
-i've had them weigh my cat, only to find the weight was grossly higher or lower than the previous time my cat was in and weighed. It shouldn't just be me, the owner, who compares the new weight to the last one done. They have the chart right there, with the vitals sheet that shows the date last weight / heart rate / temp / resps were done. In this case, the scale was way out to lunch and had to be recalibrated. I wonder how many other owners' pets had false weights.t
-I almost got into an argument once when I had asked the Tech giving my cat's vaccinations to NOT give them (particularly Rabies, and it was not Purevax) in the scruff. She disputed VAS totally, told me that the scruff area was the only place to give vaccinations, etc. She was adamant. I got into discussion with one once who assured me that Metacam liquid was perfectly safe for a senior cat who had CRF, after all, she gave it to her OWN senior cat.
-when I had my diabetic cat, and my CRF cat, I found out quickly that there was no point in talking to them about these conditions because when I would start rattling things off, they'd just look at me blankly. When I'd tell them what my diabetic cat's blood glucose had been running (I did home testing faithfully), they truly had no idea whether the numbers I was giving were good or not, no clue.
In all honesty, I've found owners on cat forums such as these to have way more knowledge about feline disease processes, anatomy/physiology, medications, lab tests. I dunno?
-I've always considered Vet Techs to be like an animal "RN". I know with us human RNs, we know more than just basic skills. We have extensive training with respect to body systems, anatomy/physiology, pharmacology, lab tests (what each test is for, normal ranges, what decreases and increases can indicate, etc). As an RN and cat owner of many years, I have always been sadly perplexed by the lack of knowledge the Techs around here (Canada) have. Don't ever ask them a question about pet meds, usual side effects, lab results, diseases processes, etc. When I have, they just look at me strangely, they have no clue what I'm talking about. I encountered one once who didn't even really know what a urine culture/sensitivity was; what it was done for, etc. Perhaps the training here in this part of Canada is to blame, I suspect it must be.
So based on the above, it scared the crap out of me to envision a tech doing something as invasive as dental extractions WHILE monitoring the Iso and vitals at the same time. Also, if you want to use the analogy of a human dentist and a vet (the doctor), it seemed scary to me that the vet tech (akin to a human RN) would be doing extractions/monitoring and managing general anesthetic; you certainly wouldn't find a dental assistant (human) doing this; it would only be the dentist who did the extraction and if a general was used, an anesthesiologist or anesthesia tech. Back in my earlier years of having cats, it was only my old Vet who did the extractions so I didn't know that things had changed.
It sounds like the Vet Techs in the U.S. are much more highly trained and knowledgable. here it seems they know how to do basic procedures; take a temp, draw blood, do a weight...........but when it comes down to animal health, understanding common feline conditions (CRF, diabetes, hyperthyroiidism, fatty liver), being able to talk about lab results, medications, etc........they just don't have that training or education.
If I can't trust a tech to question my cat's very high temp, recheck it........or notice a very huge change in my cat's weight over a period of 6 months, or know the correct size bp cuff to use on their dynamap, yes - it does scare me that this same person is extracting my cat's teeth while monitoring him/her under anesthetic, all at the same time.
-finding out that the tech was using the totally wrong sized blood pressure cuff on my CRF cat, for months (and he also had a very rare condition of adrenal glands that caused his blood pressure to be super higher, higher than just with CRF) until one day she brought the portable monitor into the exam room. The cuff size was wayyyyyyyyyyyy too large (wide) for the diameter of a cat's leg. With my cat, she had specially compounded liquid Amlodipine that I gave to her based on her weekly blood pressure readings........so for months I'd been incorrectly dosing based on incorrect BP readings. I had to show her, as it is with humans, how you determine the correct cuff size based on diameter.
-had one tech take one of my cat's temp w/ a tympanic thermometer; temp was 40.2. She didn't even question it. It wasn't until the end of the appointment where I saw the cat's vitals written in the chart and I questioned it........this is darn high. She didn't seem to have a clue. I had to request that she redo it, then take it rectally.
-i've had them weigh my cat, only to find the weight was grossly higher or lower than the previous time my cat was in and weighed. It shouldn't just be me, the owner, who compares the new weight to the last one done. They have the chart right there, with the vitals sheet that shows the date last weight / heart rate / temp / resps were done. In this case, the scale was way out to lunch and had to be recalibrated. I wonder how many other owners' pets had false weights.t
-I almost got into an argument once when I had asked the Tech giving my cat's vaccinations to NOT give them (particularly Rabies, and it was not Purevax) in the scruff. She disputed VAS totally, told me that the scruff area was the only place to give vaccinations, etc. She was adamant. I got into discussion with one once who assured me that Metacam liquid was perfectly safe for a senior cat who had CRF, after all, she gave it to her OWN senior cat.
-when I had my diabetic cat, and my CRF cat, I found out quickly that there was no point in talking to them about these conditions because when I would start rattling things off, they'd just look at me blankly. When I'd tell them what my diabetic cat's blood glucose had been running (I did home testing faithfully), they truly had no idea whether the numbers I was giving were good or not, no clue.
In all honesty, I've found owners on cat forums such as these to have way more knowledge about feline disease processes, anatomy/physiology, medications, lab tests. I dunno?
-I've always considered Vet Techs to be like an animal "RN". I know with us human RNs, we know more than just basic skills. We have extensive training with respect to body systems, anatomy/physiology, pharmacology, lab tests (what each test is for, normal ranges, what decreases and increases can indicate, etc). As an RN and cat owner of many years, I have always been sadly perplexed by the lack of knowledge the Techs around here (Canada) have. Don't ever ask them a question about pet meds, usual side effects, lab results, diseases processes, etc. When I have, they just look at me strangely, they have no clue what I'm talking about. I encountered one once who didn't even really know what a urine culture/sensitivity was; what it was done for, etc. Perhaps the training here in this part of Canada is to blame, I suspect it must be.
So based on the above, it scared the crap out of me to envision a tech doing something as invasive as dental extractions WHILE monitoring the Iso and vitals at the same time. Also, if you want to use the analogy of a human dentist and a vet (the doctor), it seemed scary to me that the vet tech (akin to a human RN) would be doing extractions/monitoring and managing general anesthetic; you certainly wouldn't find a dental assistant (human) doing this; it would only be the dentist who did the extraction and if a general was used, an anesthesiologist or anesthesia tech. Back in my earlier years of having cats, it was only my old Vet who did the extractions so I didn't know that things had changed.
It sounds like the Vet Techs in the U.S. are much more highly trained and knowledgable. here it seems they know how to do basic procedures; take a temp, draw blood, do a weight...........but when it comes down to animal health, understanding common feline conditions (CRF, diabetes, hyperthyroiidism, fatty liver), being able to talk about lab results, medications, etc........they just don't have that training or education.
If I can't trust a tech to question my cat's very high temp, recheck it........or notice a very huge change in my cat's weight over a period of 6 months, or know the correct size bp cuff to use on their dynamap, yes - it does scare me that this same person is extracting my cat's teeth while monitoring him/her under anesthetic, all at the same time.