Tag: Animal Behavior College

Time Flies…

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…when you’re having fun!

Friday is the last day of my externship for my Veterinary Assistant course. And I’m torn between remaining as a volunteer and getting back to my former life as a retired person. 

I have truly enjoyed the hands-on experience I’ve had throughout my time behind the scenes at our vet’s hospital. I know there are many things I need more practice with to become an even better vet assistant. But I also know it takes time to hone one’s skills. All the “girls” and both Dr. Steve and Dr. Simpson have been super-patient with my more-than-occasional lapses in concentration. And I appreciate it more than they could possibly know.  

From the start, my heart has cried for the pet parents whose furry “kids” have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses or been aided in their journeys to the Rainbow Bridge. And rejoiced with the pet parents who received good news.

Something I was afraid would “turn my stomach” – watching surgery on an animal – actually ended up fascinating me. I wouldn’t want to HAVE TO be the vet/surgeon performing the surgery. And I don’t know that I could handle watching surgery on my own dogs; but the surgery itself and the vet’s skill and devotion to his patients just blew me away.  So did the skill of the techs assisting with the surgeries. These gals are fantastic! 

While I am definitely looking forward to getting my former life back – to some degree at least – my life has been irrevocably changed by this experience. 

I am truly grateful to Dr. Steve for having agreed to let me do my externship under his tutelage. And I am grateful to Dr. Steve, Dr. Simpson, and the entire staff at Sunrise Animal Hospital for their mentoring, assistance, guidance, and unending patience as I watched, participated, fumbled, and learned my way through my externship.

It Is What It Is.

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Those of you who have been following my original blog, My Golden Life, for a while might remember that I completed my Dog Obedience Training Instructor course through the Animal Behavior College in May of 2012. It was because of the externship phase of that course that Ducky and I found each other. It is what it is.

Well, since completing the training course, I’ve also completed five of the school’s Continuing Ed courses. The first two I completed in late 2012/early 2013. Then I took an extended break before starting the third course.

I started the Pet Nutrition and Diet course just before we found out Callie had lymphoma. I tried to stick with it that first week of August but just couldn’t. Callie’s health and well-being occupied all my time, energy, and thought processes. So I got another extension to the beginning of January 2016. When I realized I was close to the exam due date, I called my program manager and got her to give me a two-week extension. I explained about Callie and how 2015 had been “the year from hell”. Well, the course was really intense but I got through it and passed the exam with a grade of 80%. Not bad considering I hated science and math in school.

Recently I finished the Pet Massage (really, it should be called Canine Massage) and Pet CPR and First Aid courses, with grades of 97% and 100% respectively. I wish I had taken these two courses first, while Callie was alive and well, so I could have helped her more through her illness; but it is what it is. At least the massage course taught me how to help Shadow when her arthritis is bothering her. And I have a manual to go by if either Shadow or Ducky should need first aid.

In a couple of months I hope to be starting the Vet Assistant course. I don’t regret waiting to take this course. If I’d taken it first I may have never found Ducky. And, as insidious as cancer is, there’s no guarantee I’d have recognized the signs of Callie’s illness before her annual exam in early August. I just want to have the knowledge so I can better help Shadow and Ducky if the need ever arises.

Okay, so now that I’m done tooting my own horn, I’d like to thank Jodi of Heart Like A Dog and Linda of 2 Brown Dawgs for hosting the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop.

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