Virginia Association of Licensed Veterinary Technicians

11/11/2024

Calling all veterinary technicians! Applications are now open for a new scholarship program that will provide FREE mentoring to 300 veterinary technicians! More information here:

Applications are open for a new scholarship program that will provide free mentoring to 300 veterinary technicians, courtesy of the AVMA and other partners.

11/11/2024

Happy Veterans Day! Today we honor the men, women, and furry companions who have served our country. Thank you! ❤🐾

11/08/2024

Our Jefferson region CE sponsored by IDEXX is back on the radar!

Join us at Vision BBQ in Charlottesville on Thursday, December 5th as Dr. Richard Hartigan discusses preventive care diagnostics at every life stage 🧪🐾

📩 RSVP by November 30th to Ashley Haney ([email protected]) or IDEXX rep Carter Dubois ([email protected]). See you in December!

10/31/2024

Wishing you and your pets a safe and Happy Halloween! 🎃👻🐾

10/22/2024

Thursday's CE dinner meeting for Jefferson region techs has been postponed. This event will be rescheduled for December 2024/January 2025, and we will share that new information with you once available.

10/17/2024

After the 2024 Fall Conference, we celebrated 5️⃣0️⃣ YEARS of being an association! 🥳🎉

We loved reconnecting with everyone who joined us, including past board members, educators, and industry colleagues who have supported the VALVT. Thank you for celebrating with us as we shared memories and looked back at our achievements over the years. 🐾❤

Thank you to ALL of our members for your unwavering dedication to this profession—we would not be here without you!

10/16/2024

We had a blast at our annual Fall Conference, held this past Saturday at Blue Ridge Community College - Virginia! 120+ LVTs and technician students joined us for a wonderful day full of CE and connecting amongst colleagues and friends.

✨Thank you✨ to all of our fabulous speakers, event sponsors, exhibitors, board members and attendees for joining us! See everyone next fall! 🐾❤

10/16/2024

Today is the last day to RSVP for this event! It is FREE! Come join us in Richmond as we celebrate Veterinary Technician Week with yummy food, drinks and raffle prizes!!

RSVP here: bit.ly/TechWeekSocial

Central Region techs and students, come celebrate the end of National Veterinary Technician Week with the VALVT and IDEXX on Sunday, October 20th, from 1:00-4:00pm at Brambly Park in Scott's Addition! 🍂🐾

Although this social event is not worth CE, we hope that you join us for an afternoon of connecting, camaraderie, snacks and drinks! Just by attending, you'll be entered into our association raffle to win some goodies—VALVT members get an extra ticket! 🎟🌟

🔗 RSVP by October 16th by visiting: bit.ly/TechWeekSocial! Questions can be directed to Gretchen Hedges, LVT, at [email protected].

10/15/2024

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Merck Animal Health, Royal Canin, and MentorVet have announced a groundbreaking collaboration to support the wellbeing and professional growth of veterinary technicians. This ne

10/13/2024

Happy National Veterinary Technician Week! 🐾❤

Celebrated this year from October 13th-19th, veterinary technicians are integral players on the veterinary health care team.

We thank all of ✨YOU✨ for your commitment to compassionate, high-quality veterinary care for all animals, and the impact you make on patients, clients, colleagues, and your community.

10/11/2024

Jefferson region techs, we've got some more CE from our friends at IDEXX for you!

Join us at Vision BBQ in Charlottesville on Thursday, October 24th as Dr. Richard Hartigan discusses preventive care diagnostics at every life stage 🧪🐾

📩 RSVP to Carter Dubois at 681-283-8906 or [email protected]

10/09/2024

Blue Ridge techs, join us next Thursday, October 17th for some CE sponsored by our friends at IDEXX! 👨‍🏫🐾

Dr. Richard Hartigan will be discussing kidney health in canine and feline patients and how to assess overall kidney health including recognizing the differences of acute VS chronic kidney disease. Earn 1️⃣ CE credit for this event!

📩 RSVP to Carter Dubois, IDEXX VDC, at 681-283-8906 or [email protected]

10/07/2024

📢 North Carolina needs our help! 📢

LVT volunteers are needed to help care for the many stray and surrendered pets affected by Hurricane Helene in western NC. Help is needed in Asheville and surrounding areas.

Please fill out the Google Form below and provide your information and dates that you would be available. Also, mention any areas of interest or expertise (experience with large animals or exotics). Questions can be directed to Krystina Phillips at [email protected].

🔗 https://forms.gle/q6imWN9BkeHxmQMr8

RVT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN WESTERN NC!

Update #3: A listserv has been created to communicate with all of the NC volunteers who have completed the Google form. Please join the listserv to receive announcements about volunteer opportunities.

Update #2: Thank you for the amazing show of support from everyone across the country! We greatly appreciate your willingness to volunteer your time to help NC recover from this disaster! Please know that we are working to get resources to where they need to go, but as of right now, we will not be deploying volunteers for at least a few weeks. This is due to the lack of housing set up currently, and many areas still have no food, water, or power. Many areas are still inaccessible, and travel is dangerous. With rescues and recovery still in progress, we cannot send volunteers into these areas at this time. The real need for volunteers will be in the coming months and into next year. Don't worry if you are not contacted immediately; it will take some time to get setup and schedule everyone.

I have received many emails with questions about this opportunity. Please know that I am working to get answers to you, but this is still in the early stages of planning, and I don't have concrete details yet. However, here are a few answers that I can provide.
-We will accept veterinary assistants for deployment.
-At this time, we cannot accept those who live outside of NC. But I am recording your information to contact you if that changes in the future. Thank you so much to those willing to travel from other states to help us in this time of need; you have no idea how much it is truly appreciated!
-I currently do not have any details on areas for deployment, where you will be sent, or what housing will look like. This will all depend on where we get reports of volunteers needed. I also cannot guarantee that you will be sent to a certain area or will be scheduled to volunteer with certain people.
-If you cannot volunteer, then the best way to help is by donating to the NC Disaster Relief Fund at https://pay.payitgov.com/ncdonations

UPDATE: Thank you for the overwhelming response of volunteers who are ready to help! For those who are not registered technicians or those who are licensed in other states, please still fill out the Google Form, and I will look into where you will have the opportunity to volunteer! For licensing in other states, please list what states you are currently licensed in! Stay tuned for more info! Again, thank you so much for this incredible response; the veterinary community is truly amazing!

As many of you know, Hurricane Helene has caused widespread devastation in the western part of our state. NC RVTs have been requested to help care for the many stray and surrendered pets in shelters.

The current need is for 2 RVTs per day to stay for at least 3-4 days to assess and medicate animals in the shelter (dogs and cats). This will most likely be in Asheville or surrounding areas. You will be provided housing during your stay (please note that housing will not be a hotel but more like temporary housing or camping).

If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the Google Form below and provide your information and dates that you would be available. Also, mention any areas of interest or expertise (e.g., experience with large animals or exotics).

For more information or questions, contact Krystina Phillips at
[email protected]

Sign up here -----> https://forms.gle/q6imWN9BkeHxmQMr8

10/02/2024

Central Region techs and students, come celebrate the end of National Veterinary Technician Week with the VALVT and IDEXX on Sunday, October 20th, from 1:00-4:00pm at Brambly Park in Scott's Addition! 🍂🐾

Although this social event is not worth CE, we hope that you join us for an afternoon of connecting, camaraderie, snacks and drinks! Just by attending, you'll be entered into our association raffle to win some goodies—VALVT members get an extra ticket! 🎟🌟

🔗 RSVP by October 16th by visiting: bit.ly/TechWeekSocial! Questions can be directed to Gretchen Hedges, LVT, at [email protected].

10/01/2024

Add some fall CE to your calendar this November 🍂🐾

Join Alyssa Cary for her Fear Free virtual session on implementing core concepts and strategic restraints on Sunday, November 10th, from 1:00-2:00pm! Earn 1️⃣ CE credit for this session.

Alyssa has been actively and enthusiastically contributing to Fear Free’s mission to “take the ‘pet’ out of ‘petrified,’” serving as a Fear Free speaker, practice certification consultant and coach while also completing her master’s degree concentrated in applied animal behavior and welfare at Virginia Tech. Whether you are a pro, or new to Fear Free, she will have valuable information for all levels!

📩 Register for this session by emailing NOVA regional director, Alyster Carter, at [email protected] by Friday, November 8th!

09/25/2024

Although they may seem intimidating, nasogastric tubes can be a valuable tool to utilize in your practice 🐶🐱

Join Leah and Courtney for their nasogastric tube lab during the 2024 Fall Conference at 11:15am!

🔗 Visit https://www.valvt.org/Fall-Conference to learn more and register!

09/24/2024

Looking to dive deeper into thyroid issues for your canine and feline patients? Join Amanda Sontag, LVT for her session at the 2024 Fall Conference!

Amanda's session will discuss:
🐶 The term over/under in reference to thyroid hormones, diagnostics, and treatments
🐱 Communicating with the owners of pets with thyroid issues

🔗 Visit https://www.valvt.org/Fall-Conference to learn more and register!