How much do you do when you're volunteering at a clinic?

[LeahUnderTheSea]

Hi everyone,

I've just starting volunteering at a small animal clinic and am confused as to how much I can do...?

So far, it seems like I do a lot of cleaning of equipment, etc and watch blood work & analysis, sutures, etc. as well as peak in on some surgeries.

How pushy can I be? Should I ask to shadow during actual exams? Can I try to take bloods, etc?

I want to get the most of my experience, but am also a bit worried about being too pushy and out of line.

Thanks for any advice!

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[hoodle]

Just wait until you're well established before you start asking for favors. Nurses know an awful lot - ask them what they're doing, why, if they need help, etc. Where I volunteer, I do a lot of cleaning, a lot of animal restraint for exams, for catheter placement, for urinary cathetar placement, etc. You'll learn a lot just soaking up the atmosphere!

Do ask questions, but remember that they're working, not simply there to educate you. If you get a textbook about small animal medicine you could inform yourself more about what's going on (what is CRT? what is PCV/TS? what's a ___ for?) and ask more intelligent questions.

 

[JerseyisCutest]

..

 

[BostonLvr]

At the clinic where I volunteer I regularly restrain animals for exams, trim toenails, clean ears, and have been told that I am welcome in any exam (with the exception of euthanasia if the owner wishes to be alone with his or her pet and the veterinarian). On occasion I have monitored animals vitals while under anesthesia or just observed surgeries. A couple of times, the vet I work with the most has allowed me to practice drawing blood.

 

[JerseyisCutest]

At the clinic where I volunteer I regularly restrain animals for exams, trim toenails, clean ears, and have been told that I am welcome in any exam (with the exception of euthanasia if the owner wishes to be alone with his or her pet and the veterinarian). On occasion I have monitored animals vitals while under anesthesia or just observed surgeries. A couple of times, the vet I work with the most has allowed me to practice drawing blood.

Lucky duck.

 

[RockStarKDub]

It appears I cannot read

 

[VAgirl]

RockStarKDub--Are you talking as a volunteer or as an employee? I mean, that's a cool volunteering experience, but it seems a little odd to be able to do that much and not be employed there. (That's all the type of stuff I did as a vet assistant/tech, but not licensed.) Well, in any case, enjoy it. Sounds like good experience!

 

[msmrtrthnyllb]

If you don't feel like you're getting anything done there, find someplace else. There are plenty of places that will let you draw blood, give vaccines, restrain animals, perform simple surgeries, suture, etc. Don't settle for cleaning up crap.

 

[pressmom]

If you don't feel like you're getting anything done there, find someplace else. There are plenty of places that will let you draw blood, give vaccines, restrain animals, perform simple surgeries, suture, etc. Don't settle for cleaning up crap.

I think we've been through this, but I believe it is illegal to do surgeries if you are not a veterinarian or veterinary student.

 

[pressmom]

I tried to edit my other post, but here's what I did shadowing...observed exams and surgeries, ran bloodwork and UAs, and restrained animals. When I got hired on, I got to do all the normal tech things.

 

[msmrtrthnyllb]

I think we've been through this, but I believe it is illegal to do surgeries if you are not a veterinarian or veterinary student.

Yeah, probably, but tell me everywhere you've been hasn't had some experienced vet techs neuter cats.

 

[banditalfi]

Yeah, probably, but tell me everywhere you've been hasn't had some experienced vet techs neuter cats.

I have worked/shadowed in several clinics and have never seen this happen.

 

[msmrtrthnyllb]

I'm sorry.

 

[RockStarKDub]

I have worked/shadowed in several clinics and have never seen this happen.

Agreed.

 

[wivet2011]

I have worked/shadowed in several clinics and have never seen this happen.

Same here. Worked/shadowed at a few clinics and have never seen a tech do any surgery, neutering or other. As far as my experience: running bloodwork, restraining, lot of watching, some assisting with surgeries, helped with herd health checks (palpating cows, ultrasounding, giving hormone injections & vaccines, dehorning calves, suturing skin incisions on DAs (under very close supervision of the doctor I was shadowing), etc). I actually got more experience shadowing a large animal vet for 1 summer than I have in all the years I've worked at a small animal practice. Go figure.

 

[Electrophile]

In the vet I did the most work with, I helped with c-sectioned puppies, picking off ticks (yay...), helped prep and shave animals for surgery, lots of restraining (even helped with a rectal lavage...double yay...), monitored anesthesia, and helped with surgeries when needed (like holding gauze in place, that sort of thing). Mostly stood around and watched or took notes during palpations for large animal stuff as it is a bit more dangerous and I wasn't as familiar with it...though that being said, I just did my first cow palpations on Wednesday at the dairy farm, yay! I did a lot of surgery on mice (ovexes, some castrations, and hormone capsule implantations) and took a surgery class in grad school, so you can be a non-vet student and do them, but they have to be under the animal care and use committee protocol in a research setting, of course.

 

[168135]

When I started volunteering at a clinic, I had a lot of time to observe the doctors and the techs at work. It didn't take us very long to get our duties done.

When I started, there was one technician there who was always trying to get me involved. If she saw me, she'd call me over: "Hey, do you want to come over here and take a look at this dog?" and stuff like that.

I started volunteering in October, and since surgeries take place on the weekdays, I couldn't watch surgeries because of school. I think I had an inservice day coming up, so I asked if I could come in that day and watch surgeries and they said yes. Basically I just watched... if a doctor asked me to get a towel or something, I did... I came back several times over Christmas too. That one tech was really great... she called me over to watch her do a dental... she let me hold a cat's mouth open while she was getting ready to put the tube in... she ended up leaving in January, and none of the other techs or the doctors were as enthusiastic as getting me to help as she was. When we were short techs, I had to help put a severly anemic 150 pound Newfoundland dog to sleeo.

I asked two doctors if I could jobshadow them... they told me days in which I could come in, and I followed them into appointments and surgeries. The one vet was really good... he was taking stitches out of a dog during one appointment and had me hold the dog... that was fun... the stitches was in the dogs chest, and I had to hold the dog's head up... Doc ended up jabbing me with the scissors, haha. I watched Doc do surgery on a bladder that was full of stones... he had me going through the textbooks, trying to figure out what the stones might be made of, haha.

I am welcome back at that clinic anytime... I am going to call them up when I come home over Christmas vacation and see what I can do.

I was working with a paid kennel attendent... one of the vets told me that I deserve to sit back and observe

 

[david594]

As a volunteer I would go in on appointments to help and come in during surgery days to watch and assist(fetch vet whatever he needed). Do nail trims, run blookwork and do UA's. Prepare vaccines and meds to be dispensed. I could give some injections and draw blood on occasion. Read fecals and prepare ear cytologies. Remove sutures.

I was expected to show up on the days that were agreed on, but never required to stick around for cleaning up at the end of the night.

 

[JerseyisCutest]

Gosh I'm really feeling like my volunteer experience sucked

 

[lailanni]

Same here. Worked/shadowed at a few clinics and have never seen a tech do any surgery, neutering or other.

Ditto. Even though it a cat neuter is very simple, only the vets do them where I've been.

I'm under the impression that you can get a legal ass kicking if anyone who isn't a vet operates on anything.

Also, usually only techs take blood at places I've been.

That said, here's what I got to do when volunteering (I came in every day like I worked there): Watch/assist in exams and operations, help with x-rays, ultrasounds, dentals, monitor anesthesia, animal restraint, ear cleaning, nail trims, vaccines, give meds, get IVs ready, scrubbed in on a few operations to help hold stuff, stock supplies, cleaning, close a necropsy, assist with euthanasia, and plenty more. I was allowed to read any files and ask questions during down time.

BUT you really have to work your way up. When you first start, you're not really going to jump into the cool stuff right away if you have no previous experience. Took me half a summer (around 200 hrs) before I got to do anything remotely neat. Be patient.

If I were you I'd ask to see exams, but I wouldn't ask to try and take blood unless you have some previous training. If you're cleaning cages 70% of the time, I'd find another place. Otherwise I'd stick it out.

 

[168135]

The techs where I volunteered do cat neuters, declaws, and dental cleanings.

 

[banditalfi]

The techs where I volunteered do cat neuters, declaws, and dental cleanings.

I have seen techs do dental cleanings, but the doctor always came to pull teeth and was nearby should anything happen.

As for neuters and declaws, I have never witnessed this and, frankly, I don't like the idea of it at all. I understand they are simple, quick surgeries and techs can have an outstanding amount of practical knowledge, but allowing a tech to do these sorts of procedures takes advantage of both the patient and client and should not be tolerated. As everyone has stated, the procedures take very little time - what could the vet possibly be doing that he doesn't have the time to treat his own patients?

 

[soxbox]

i found this on the avma webpage (http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/aboutvets/becomingtech.asp):

The veterinary technician is an integral member of the veterinary health care team who has been educated in the care and handling of animals, the basic principles of normal and abnormal life processes, and in routine laboratory and clinical procedures. All veterinary technicians work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. While a veterinary technician can assist in performing a wide variety of tasks, they cannot diagnose, prescribe, perform surgery, or engage in any activity prohibited by a state's practice act.

In Private Practice
A veterinary technician employed in a veterinary clinic or hospital handles many of the same responsibilities that nurses and other professionals perform for physicians. They are trained to:

• Obtain and record patient case histories
• Collect specimens and perform laboratory procedures
• Provide specialized nursing care
• Prepare animals, instruments, and equipment for surgery
• Assist in diagnostic, medical, and surgical procedures
• Expose and develop radiographs
• Advise and educate animal owners
• Supervise and train practice personnel
• Perform dental prophylaxes

 

[shuvball1]

Personally, I would not want a nurse (no matter experience) performing any kind of surgery on me, why would I want a tech, with no medical school training, performing surgery on my animal? It is almost impossibly hard to get into medical/vet school for a reason. Things go wrong in even the simplest surgery and I would only want an experienced doctor operating on myself or my animals.

 

[BostonLvr]

I have seen techs do dental cleanings, but the doctor always came to pull teeth and was nearby should anything happen.

As for neuters and declaws, I have never witnessed this and, frankly, I don't like the idea of it at all. I understand they are simple, quick surgeries and techs can have an outstanding amount of practical knowledge, but allowing a tech to do these sorts of procedures takes advantage of both the patient and client and should not be tolerated. As everyone has stated, the procedures take very little time - what could the vet possibly be doing that he doesn't have the time to treat his own patients?

Same here! At the clinic where I volunteer, I've seen techs do dentals but never would they be allowed to perform surgery of any kind.

 

[dvm'08]

technicians shouldn't be doing surgery. full stop.

I'm not that shocked that they do some cat neuters - but declaws? thats pretty risky given the potential complications post-op that are associated with that surgery.

 

[thesonofdarwin]

Clinic experience... I've about 5 days of examinations from a few years ago, but the only thing my vet will let me in on are surgeries, and I sure as heck am not going to complain about that! Anything that comes in on surgery days is fair game though, so a nice assortment of emergency cases. Hands on the most I am able to do is restrain, but my vet walks through every procedure, step by step, and when it comes up again he'll ask me questions to see what I learned: 'What will I do next?" "What's this?" And to let me photograph many of the procedures to boot, couldn't ask for more.

I do feel like I missed out on the doctor-client side of things, but I think I have a good deal of community interaction working at the SPCA.

As far as what technicians do.. the most into any surgery I ever saw one get was resuscitating a cat whose heart stopped during an operation. Even dental work was off limits for them. It scares me to think that people are having their pets operated on at some clinics by techs... likely without the owner's consent.

 

[clawsbeatskin]

I volunteered in an international clinic, and as the standards were much different than those in the U.S., I was permitted to perform spays and neuters on a regular basis. Of course, I would never expect to do so in the U.S.

Personally, I did have some difficulty accepting such a huge responsibility since I am not a veterinarian. But in that particular situation, I came to the conclusion that the benefit definitely outweighed the cost so to speak.

 

[adOggy07]

LeadUnderTheSea,

Since you just started volunteering there, I would definitely continue observing the techs and vets first. There's a lot you can learn simply by watching procedures repeatedly. And like people have said, ask questions! By understanding why techs and vets do certain things you can gain the background knowledge of what is going on.

It's not a bad idea to ask the tech to explain how they are performing certain clinical skills either. For example, if you are watching a tech draw blood off a dog, you can ask her, "how do you know where to poke?", and maybe the tech will show you how you hold the animal off for blood and how to feel for the jugular vein in the neck. By doing that, it also lets the tech and people around you know that you are most definitely interested in picking up clinical skills. After observing for a while and becoming comfortable with the people you work with, you could probably ask if you can give certain things a try.

And just a side note for your future reference.... if you're going to go for a jugular stick to draw blood, try on a big dog like a Golden Retriever or Lab! They usually have gigantic "gardenhose" veins that you probably won't miss.

 

[staythecourse]

Basically my day at the clinic would start with helping the techs get the surgery room clean and stocked. Around eight the appointments start to roll in and I shadow the main resident Vet most of the day.

I normally shadow exams and observe surgeries almost daily. I get some physical involvement. Being the only male in the clinic is nice since sometimes my larger body is needed in restraint and patient positioning.

What I love about my Vet is that at the end of the day, she normally questions me about the topics or concepts i have experienced or involved myself in. Example: Yesterday we saw two patients with problems with Mast Cell Tumors, later that day, i seriously had a quiz on my desk ready for me...

I feel lucky to be involved with such a hands-on Vet.
Hope everyone else's luck is as good as mine

cheers

 

[LeahUnderTheSea]

Wow everyone, thanks so much. I am already starting to shadow the vet into the actual exams now, and am soaking in as much as I can.

This is a great forum!

 

[LeahUnderTheSea]

BUT you really have to work your way up. When you first start, you're not really going to jump into the cool stuff right away if you have no previous experience. Took me half a summer (around 200 hrs) before I got to do anything remotely neat. Be patient.

This makes a lot of sense to me. At first I thought I was really missing out, but everything takes time. They have to trust that I'm not just a floater volunteer who will be gone in two weeks before they spend much energy teaching me.

It's only my second week and already people are really great. There are a lot of techs who will answer my questions, and the vets don't offer to have me follow them around, but are ok with it when I ask them to.

The one thing that is always tricky is knowing when to ask questions, and when to shut up because the vet is concentrating...!

 

[staythecourse]

As i have experienced, the more interest you show and dedication you exert, the more the vet will take interest in you. Luckily i got to skip the lower duties at my new clinic, but anytime after an exam or surgery/treatment that you have a question, ask the vet and they will start to see your dedication and enthusiasm. And then somewhere along the road, they will let you do more hands on things like giving SubQ fluids/shot, surgery prep/participation(mainly patient positioning/monitering).

I hope everything goes well for you ...stick in there...it's worth it

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

If you don't feel like you're getting anything done there, find someplace else. There are plenty of places that will let you draw blood, give vaccines, restrain animals, perform simple surgeries, suture, etc. Don't settle for cleaning up crap.

In my state, it would be illegal for me to do any of that (minus the restraint) unless I was an LVT. Even draw blood. I wouldn't ask any clinic to bend the rules for me. I know some do anyway, but....I think letting a kid who has had no experience stick a needle into a CLIENT'S dog's neck is crazy. That is what we have teaching dogs for at school. I would go BONKERS if I knew that my clinic was letting an assistant (read: high school pre-vet) and not a tech suture up my own dog or take my dog's blood (read: much more likely pain and hematoma), for example.

Most clinical experience here consists of helping by restraint, getting supplies, and watching watching watching, everything from surgeries to dentals to..well....whatever.