The RVA Traveling Vet Tech

05/15/2023

Update: I have accepted a full time position as a practice manager at a local urgent vet clinic. I will be traveling often now through July for training. My flexibility will be limited during this time, and I may be delayed responding to messages. I apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your support!

04/18/2023

This week I got to meet some amazing new furry friends! Tippy the kitty and Mack the Great Dane, and Jimmie & Ruby the English Bulldogs! Thank you parents for trusting me with your furry kids!
🐱🐶🐕🐈🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐈🐕🐱🐶

04/16/2023

Meet Kona! She obviously is not a fan of getting her topical flea and tick preventative, however it's important to perform monthly to keep her healthy and free of parasites that can cause of variety of parasites, illness, and diseases. Do you struggle with applying or giving preventative or even remembering to give preventative?
I'm your person! For only $15, I will keep track of your pet's monthly preventative. Notify you when we get close to scheduling a date and coming to your house to administer it.
You must purchase preventative from your vet or get approval from them to order online.
*I am not allowed by the VA Board Of Veterinary Medicine to prescribe medications, only DVMs can.*

Cost:$15 (feline and dogs)

04/12/2023

Happy National Pet Day from my furry gang to yours!

04/09/2023

Happy Easter and Spring!
I wanted thank all my animal friends who supported my buisness yesterday. It was a fun day full of bearded dragon, guinea pigs, and doggy toe nail trims! Thank you🦎🐹🐹🐕

04/05/2023

🐶🐱👂DOG AND CAT - EAR CLEANING👂🐱🐶

Ear cleanings can be very important for your furry companions as well.

🐶 For our long ear dogs, their pinna (aka: ear flap) can hold in moisture causing an infection.

🐶 Dogs who swim can also be more prone to having an infection when water gets into their ears. It's always important to dry their ears out after swimming.

🐶 Dogs and cats can get bacterial and/or yeast infections. Your pet's DVM will typically ask to perform a cytology when your pet is being brought to the vet for ear issues. The picture below I took from a patient with both yeast and bacterial infections. Red arrow is yeast, yellow arrow is cocci (bacteria), and aqua is a rod (bacteria). A cytology helps your vet confirm if an infection is present and what type of medication would be most effective.

🐱🐶 For any ear Cleaning you need to be aware of the ear drum (tympanic membrane). This can rupture if hit.

This a service I can provide to you at your home. I have been trained to properly perform a deep ear cleanings without hitting the ear drum.
I have been trained to understand that cats can get vestibular issues with ear cleanings.
I can also medicate your pet's ears with medications your pet's vet has prescribed.
If any ear looks suspicious of an infection, I can obtain a cytology sample that your vet could potentially use (please understand that a vet may not take this sample depending on their preference and age of sample). If a possible infection looks really bad, I may advise immediate care before I can provide my service. However, once ears are cleaned sometimes it's harder for a vet to pick up enough of a sample to obtain a cytology, so keep that in mind.

Canine and Feline Ear Cleaning $22
Medicating ear : please ask for price-varies based on medication and need.
(Does not include mileage)

*Must be up to date on rabies vx

04/04/2023

Thank you Penny, Clawdius, and Maui! All wonderful furry friends I got to care for today! 💗🐾🐕🐇🐈🐾💗

04/04/2023

Is your pet more motivated by treats?!

Well, let's try to avoid that anxiety by distracting them with a yummy treat!

Just make sure to let me know if your pet has food restrictions or allergies!
I currently carry peanutbutter and cheese with me.

This is one of my pups, Dinah who is modeling the use of this delicious invention 😋😆

04/02/2023

What a beautiful day to go to the city of Richmond to care for the cutest little dog, for my beautiful friend! Thank you again Rebecca and Tofu!

04/01/2023

TEETH CLEANING W/O ANESTHESIA AVAILABLE!!!

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🦷 APRIL FOOLS!

🦷There are a handful of people out there who claim they can clean your dog's teeth without anesthesia. I have seen it on some groomers pages and on some you tube accounts.

🦷Most groomers just brush your pet's teeth with an animal friendly toothbrush and toothpaste. This does not remove tartar, only plaque.

🦷Plaque is a sticky substance that coats your teeth (w/food particles and bacteria), once it turns in hard calcified bacterial substance it is tartar. Tartar can only be removed with special dental equipment. Tartar typically starts forming within 48hrs. This is why it's important to brush teeth everyday.

🦷What does your vet/ vet tech do in hospital?
They take radiographs of your pet's teeth prior to cleaning each tooth. They are looking at the root and the mandible/maxilla, making sure if it's safe to clean and if extractions are needed. Next, they will scale the teeth to remove tartar above and below the gumline (under the gum line can be painful and why anesthesia is needed). Next, they will polish the teeth to remove scratches caused by scaling. If not removed, plaque can tend to build up there quicker in the future.

🦷Why is anesthesia needed?
Dogs and cats will not sit still and keep their mouths open(like humans), while a film plate is moved around the inside of their mouth.
Besides under gum line scaling being uncomfortable, scaling/polishing the inside of the teeth appropriately is virtually impossible.

🦷I'll be happy to show you dental products to use and how to brush teeth.
This is part of the puppy and kitten packages I'll be offering to help get them desensitized to a brush in their mouths.

Contact for more information or call 804-549-6504.

Happy April and Spring!!

Picture of my set up for anesthetized dental cleanings in hospital 🦷😊

03/31/2023

Expressing A**l Glands

🐾What are a**l glands?
They are internal sacs located at a 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock position next to the re**um in both dogs and cats.
They are scent glands that typically empty when an animal produces a bowel movement.
The a**l gland secretions contain chemicals that act as territorial markers (aka: "calling card"). This is why dogs are so interested in smelling each others bottoms and f***s you may find on the ground.

🐾Do they need to be expressed?
Not necessarily. Like noted above, they are typically emptied when a pet produces a bowel movements. However, it is common, especially for dogs to have problems emptying them.
It's more common in dogs/cats who are overweight (cause they can't posture well for a bowel movement and usually have fat that forms around the a**l gland region), cats and dogs who are geriatric (because they have more trouble posturing properly to produce a BM), and animals who have GI problems and don't have form BM often (soft or loose bowel movements are not firm enough to help express these glands).

🐾When should a**l glands be expressed?
Either when the animal is showing signs of discomfort - scooting on the rear end, licking at their bottoms frequently. If you've noticed redness or swelling around the re**um. If the patient seems to posture weird. Also, if you smell a very fishy, foul smell it's most likely the a**l glands, and they need expressing.

If your dog/cat has ongoing problems expressing, then it's best to have them expressed every 4-6 weeks.

🐾What can happen if full a**l glands are not expressed?

The glands get so full to the point they abscess/rupture and become infected. A hole is created below their re**um. These patients are painful, and need to be sedated and have their a**l glands flushed. They are placed on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds with frequent follow ups to the vet afterwards.

🐾 Why is the RVA Traveling Vet Tech more recommended for a**l gland expressing than a groomer?

Groomers typically express the glands externally. This does not completely empty them. Groomers are also not trained on recognizing abnormalities when expressing. Veterinary Medical personnel are trained on what a**l gland material is normal/infected, can express them fully going internally, and can keep feel for abnormalities like a**l gland tumors.

I can provide this service to you!

Dogs A**l Gland Expression: $20 (internal expression, and they will be cleaned up in the back end)

A**l Gland Expression and Toe Nail Trim Combo (t**h and toe package:canine) : $35

Feline A**l Gland Expression: $15

A**l Gland Expression and Toe Nail Trim Combo (t**h and toe package:feline): $25

*I do charge additional for mileage based on where you live.
*Cats and Dogs must be up to date on rabies vaccine for safety of myself and staff*
*If patient gets too stressed, service will not be performed for safety of pet and staff*

Please message me or call 804-549-6504 with any questions or to set up an appointment!

03/30/2023

🐾🐕Another service I offer! 🐕🐾
Let's Be Honest, Picking Up Dog Waste Is Gross 😝 But Do You Know The Importance Of Picking Up Dog P**p?

💩 Dog f***s can contain parasites and bacteria that can spread to both humans and other animals. Walking barefoot or digging in the soil can transmit these things.

💩Salmonella and E. Coli are a few types of bacteria that can be found.

💩Whipworms, Hookworms, Roundworms, Giardia are some of the major intestinal parasites that can be found in f***s. These parasites can get down in your soil and live there for months and months!
Even parvovirus can live in the soil for a very long time!

💩 Dog f***s can attract insects and rodents.

💩 They become land mines in your yard, ruining your shoes!

💩 Limits areas human children can play.

💩 Dog P**p does not fertilize your grass, it actually kills it if it sits too long!

How can I help?!

I can set up a one time, monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly service to come remove waste from your yard.

🐾 The cost of this service is based on the size of the area that needs scooping. Please call 804-549-6504 or message me for an estimate!

03/29/2023

Let's talk about cat nail trims!🐱

🐈Why are they important?

Long, overgrown nails can grow back into paw pads causing pain and possible infection. Long nails can also get snagged on surfaces causing potential trauma and pain to the nail.

Cats will typically scratch surfaces to help shorten their nails (ie: your sofa or the carpet 😬). Arthritic cats have trouble accomplishing this, so it's even better to keep their nails short for mobility reasons.

Keeping their nails short will, most of the time, help protect your furniture.

🐈Does my outdoor cat need their nails trimmed?

Although outdoor cats use their nails as one form of protection and for climbing. They should get their nails trimmed as well for the same reasons as above. However, you may notice that outdoor cats don't need them performed as often because they are constantly filing their nails while climbing and scratching surfaces outside.

🐈I dont want my outdoor cat to lose his form of protection?

Your cat will still be able to climb and swat with trimmed nails. Cats also use their teeth as another form of protection, and it's probably their main form of protection.
At the vet and in the wild, cats swat to warn you to get away, but they will bite if you ignore their warning.
Their sharp teeth were made not just for protection but shredding their prey after its been killed.

🐈‍⬛How often should cat nail trims be performed?

Every 2-3 weeks for indoor cats and every 3-4weeks for outdoor cats.

Cats can have short "kitty" minutes (designated amount of time a cat gives you to complete a task before they become explosive), so nail trims can be hard to accomplish!

That's where I am here to help!
🐾I can teach you when you have a kitten how to desensitize them and get them use to handling their feet. Get them use to everyone touching their feet including strangers. This will also help make it easier for a vet personnel to draw blood or place an iv catheter into your pet if needed.
🐾Unlike dogs, cats are not use to leaving their houses and traveling in the car. This can make them extra stressed, and sometimes temperamental. Save the stress for the cat (and yourself, cause we all know how stressful getting a cat in a carrier can be)! I can come to your house to perform a nail trim.

Mani/pedi package feline: $15/cat
(Additional charge for mileage)

*Does NOT include nail cap covers - we will discuss that services in a future post!

There may be a few cases that a cat gets too stressed even at home. If so, I will withhold service for the safety of your pet and our staff.
Update rabies vaccine is required for the safety of staff.

Please call 804-549-6504 or message me through this group if interested!

03/28/2023

What a better way to end your Monday than with kitten kisses 🐱

03/28/2023

03/28/2023

03/26/2023

🐕Nail Trims are so important for our furry companions! Long nails for dogs can cause traction problems, splayed foot, tendon issues over time, torn nails, and more.

🐩Frequent nail trims can prevent the quicks from becoming long. If the quicks are already long, weekly nail trims will help "train" the quick to receede.
The quick of the nail is the pink fleshy part of the inside of the nail that contains nerves and blood vessels.

🐕‍🦺 I can help! I have been trained to properly trim nails. I know proper positioning for nail trims for our older companions with arthritis, or those with hip displaysia, luxating patellas, torn ACL, and post orthopedic surgery patients.

🐾For our mani/Pedi canine service, your dog will have their nails trimmed, dremmel to smooth nail tips/round nail, and pad balm to moisturize the pads. $30/dog
Additional $5/dog to trim fur around pads of feet.
(Additional charge for mileage)
Current Rabies vaccine is required for safety of staff. Service will not be performed if patient is too stressed or temperamental for the safety of the pet and staff.

🐾🐾Please reach out to set up an appointment!

03/26/2023

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
HI! I am Emily!

🐶A little about me: I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician in Richmond, VA. I have been in the veterinary field for almost 20 years, and almost 10 of those years licensed. I graduated with a degree from Blue Ridge Community College in 2014. I have worked in general practice, emergency/critical care, medical and radiation oncology, and urgent care. I have been previously and am currently in a lead lvt position.

I am RECOVER CPR certified in both Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support.

🐱My interest: education for both owners and veterinary personnel. I have helped create a training program where I currently work.

🐶My pets: 3 dogs - A Jack Russell/Beagle Mix name Dinah, a Yorkshire Terrier name Okalani, and a Labrador Retriever mix, named Patrick.

🐱My hobbies: When not working, I enjoy spending my time with my 2 daughters, bonus son, and husband. Spending time at the beach! I love making jewelry and refurbishing furniture 😊

🐶🐱A little about Emily, The RVA Traveling Vet Tech:
I know animal care is very much needed due to staff shortages in the veterinary field. I am looking at expanding the need of animal care to communities near me and offering the option of myself traveling to you! I want to free up your local vet's schedules by offering services a licensed veterinary technican can do outside the hospital. Also, to alleviate stress that some animals have traveling to the vet for simple procedure like toe nail trims, a**l gland expression, etc. Offering services to those local to Richmond,VA - please ask to see if your within the range 😀

Please feel to reach out with any questions!
I will be providing my service and fees on this page as well.

Thanks for stopping by! 😊🐾