Thursday, February 28, 2019

Tick Talk!




How do ticks find their host?

Ticks find their hosts by detecting an animals breath and body odors or by sensing body heat, moisture and vibrations. Some species can even recognize a shadow. In addition, tick pick a place to wait by identifying well-used paths. Resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs they wait for a host. Ticks can't fly or jump, but many tick species wait in position known as "questing". While questing, tick hold onto leaves and grass by their third and fourth pair of legs. They hold their first pair of legs outstretched, waiting to climb onto their host. When the host brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard onto the host. Some ticks with attach quickly and others will wander, looking for places like the ear or other areas where the skin in thinner.

Tick removal

If you find a tick attached to your skin or your pets, there is no need to panic. There are tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of tweezers will also do. Fine tip tweezers work best.

1. Use fin-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skins surface as possible.


2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk. Notice by the photo to grab gently at the base where the head is buried, and not the middle of the body. Twisting or jerking can cause mouth parts to break off. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, or soap and water.

4. Dispose of the live tick by submersing it in rubbing alcohol, placing it in a sealed container or zip lock bag, wrapping it tightly in tape,  or flush it down the toilet.  Never crush a tick with your fingers.

If you are suspicious, or unsure you can bring it to your veterinarian, where they can determine the species,

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Meet Breanne....


My name is Breanne and I have been working at Allandale Veterinary Hospital for just over two years now. I began as a veterinary assistant while I was still in school for the Veterinary Technician program at Georgian College. When I graduated in April and passed the VTNE, I got hired full time as an RVT.
I recently attended my very first veterinary conference, the VMX in Orlando Florida. The VMX is the world’s leading veterinary conference; thus, I felt very thankful for the opportunity to attend it so soon after graduating and becoming an RVT. Prior to the VMX, I did not really know what to expect, other than what co-workers told me about the conferences they had attended previously. Essentially, this entire conference was spread over five days (Saturday-Wednesday), with lectures running from 6:30am until 7-8 at night. In addition, there were celebrity lecturers and the country band, Little Big Town, put on a concert for all attendees on the Monday night.
            Ultimately, I was amazed by the number of topics that were discussed, as well as the fact that I could choose the lectures that interested me most. Specifically, I attended multiple dentistry lectures, a neonate care lecture, some nutrition lectures, and several more. I even had the opportunity to meet the Instagram famous “Kitten Lady” and listen to her lecture about fostering neonate kittens as well.
It would be difficult to choose a lecture more favorable than the others, as I enjoyed all of the topics equally and was interested in learning about each one. Having graduated so recently, I find it hard to choose an area of study that I prefer more than the others. In addition to the topics being amazing, all of the lecturers were specialists in the topics they were speaking about, so I was always very intrigued when listening because they all displayed the utmost passion and knowledge.
While we were in Orlando, we were lucky enough to be made a finalist for the Pet Plan Practice of the Year award. Because we were finalists, we were able to attend the black tie awards dinner, hosted by Youtube famous, Dr. Andy Roark. In addition, we were able to meet all finalists for pet parent of the year, receptionist of the year, veterinary nurse of the year, veterinarian of the year, as well as the other finalists for practice of the year. It was, without a doubt, a great night and all of us felt so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be present.
A selfie with Dr. Andy Roark!

Overall, I can say my very first veterinary conference was an amazing experience. I learned so much, and got to meet so many people who are experts in a number of different fields of veterinary medicine. Being able to continue my education and see how passionate so many people are in this field, only solidified my career choice more. I feel so lucky to have been a part of VMX 2019 and can’t wait to keep learning throughout my future years as an RVT.