Animal Nurse Tatjana

30/06/2024

Vet bills are going up. I'm sure most of you pet owners have taken notice that over the span of the last 5 to 7 years expenses seem to have tripled if not quadrupled!

So many of our practices in Sonoma County have been baught up by VCA or similar cooperations over the last 10 years. It's a pandemic.

Less people are able to afford buying a privetly owned vet practice, in fact now days it seems you have to go into partnership with of whole group of individuals or partner with a cooperation in order to do so.

At our practice alone, which has been owned by VCA now for 6+ years, I have seen the average surgery price go from $2-3 thousand to $5-7 thousand, and if you have a large breed dog you're easily looking at $10k+. It's unaffordable, unsustainable and the average household is unable to properly care their pet.

Over the last 5 years I have noticed a huge change even in how owners handle their pets' hospital care. Critical pets used to stay in our ICU ward for 3-5 days to get the care they needed to get back to health and make it home to their owners. Now the pets are lucky if they get 1-2 nights of care with us. Just barely enough to stabalize.

Everything is driven by cost. It's a sad reality of our industry and what it has become.

Us animal nurses don't pocket this money. We are lucky if we receive a cost of living pay increase once every other year just to make ends meet. Many of us have other side jobs so we can afford rent and food in this county. Veterinarians don't pocket this money, they have huge school dept to pay off. We do this job for the love of animals and their wellbeing, not because we're getting rich.

So where does all the money go? Medical supplies, bills to keep the lights on, the cooperation? I'm not truly sure, but what I do know is that there is a huge push towards pet insurance. Pet insurance used to be a commodity when I first started in this field almost 20 years ago. Now it is practically a necessity.

The amount of euthanasias I have witnessed over the last year alone all because the owner couldn't afford treatment for their pet has a huge taxing impact on me and other staff. To think that the owner could have spent another 1-5+ years with their pet if only they had the money to do diagnostics and treatment.

All I can say is this. As a pet owner of 5 pets I can only afford their medical care because I work with an outstanding group of caring people and receive a discount on certain things. I myself cannot afford monthly payments for pet insurance but if you can, I hate to say it because I hate what the industry is driving us to, get your pet insured.

I do not have any specific recommendations on insurances, there are many providers out there. Be aware that if your pet has a pre existing health condition most insurances won't cover costs for this. There are many problems with this system, but, if you do your research and get your newly adopted pet insured right away chances are that it will help you reduce the cost of medical bills. It's all about understanding and making the most advantage of the system.

We are forced to choose between our pets and our livelihoods. A decision that is so hard but I have had to make for animals in my past as well, so I feel the gravity of owners faced with this decision.

Before you adopt an animal think about it before jumping into the deep end of the pool. What breed are you getting? Have you done your research on this breed? It's energetic level, temprament, common health conditions. Are you able to pay $5-10k if an emergency with your pet arises? Do you have the means to afford monthly payments for pet insurance?

Food for thought. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. It's a harsh reality, it may not be yours but certainly something to be aware of.
Enjoy your pets and may they be and stay healthy til they cross the rainbow bridge 🙏
✨️🐕🐈🐴🐮🐦🐍🐢🐾🥼💉💊🩻🩺

*(Picture is an ECG of my dog Dante, who was recently diagnosed with a mild heart murmur, on top of all his other issues 😅❤️)*

20/06/2024

Was gifted this old relic from 1978 yesterday, a glass syringe! It says single use only on it, seems a bit wasteful? But anyhow, really fun flashback! 💉🐾

16/06/2024

Found a picture of my coworker Lauren & I during an interesting case that came through our surgery department recently. A pug with a lunglobe torsion was admitted through our ER department for respiratory complaints and after receiving a CT scan was transferred to us for a lunglobectomy. Apparently pugs are a breed known to get idiopathic (meaning unknown causes of) lunglobe torsions.
These surgeries, while usually having a successful outcome, can be pretty intense and require all hands on deck. Usually an assistant scrubs in on the surgery with our board certified surgeon, while 2-3 techs help with the anesthesia, one tech monitors & records anesthesia, one tech breathes for the patient while the chest cavity is open, one tech is free to grab medications and additional equipment that may be needed to assist in a smooth surgical process.
Look up the post on Instagram for more info. This pug had a good recovery and was an amazing patient while in the hospital with us 🥰🐾

14/06/2024

Check this out! White Bison calf born in Yellowstone! 🐮🐂

The reported birth of a rare white buffalo in Yellowstone National Park fulfills a Lakota prophecy that portends better times.

12/06/2024

🐱Kitten season is in full bloom😻
At the hospital we have been getting kittens of all sizes, from neonates to young teenagers.
If you find a kitten, before you take it, check your surroundings to see if mom might be near by. Sometimes she moves babies to a safer location and can only take one at a time. If you are sure the kitten is abandoned and/or in need of medical care, drop it off at your local vet so they can assess it & give proper medical intervention as necessary.

-Side note-
●Kittens when brought in by "Good Samaritans" (the human finder) will be medically assessed by a Veterinarian. If the kitten is healthy it will be transferred to your local animal shelter where it will receive age appropriate deworming & vaccines & temprament evaluation, +/- spay/neuter, in order to get it adopted out to the public. These measures are taken to keep the public safe.
●If the Good Samaritan wants to keep the kitten, they will be financially responsible for any medical intervention incurred at the vet in order to get the kitten healthy again, as this is now considered their pet.
●The Good Samaritan can also ask that their information be given to the shelter along with the kitten. Once the kitten is ready to be posted for adoption, the shelter staff will reach out to the Good Samaritan to see if they are still interested in adopting. In essence they get first dibs, but will not be responsible for the vet bill incurred however will still have to pay the shelter adoption fee.
-End Side note-

***Things to consider when adopting a found kitten*** While most kittens grow up to be young, strong, healthy animals, there are some things to consider:
●"Bottle-Babies" tend to have a feisty temprament and are often labeled as "CAUTION" at the vet hospital. Their lack of social interaction with their mother & cyblings and overly human motherly caudleing blurrs the physical and psychological boundaries making them more likely to strike or bite when they don't agree with something.
●Kittens that were taken away from their mother too soon often show signs of 'self soothing' well into adulthood. A sign of this often seen is suckling behavior. Usually a kitten will suckle on its own teat or that of a housemate animal.
●The kitten could be a "lemon"🍋. Animal's senses are way more heightened than that of humans, the mother can sense when there is something wrong with its baby and will leave it to die, redirecting her energy to her healthy kittens that may have a higher chance at survival. This is a sad reality, but sometimes we rear these cute little babies but they just don't thrive. Some babies die within a few months, some make it into adulthood but show signs of disease early in life.

When adopting any animal, please keep in mind that they are not disposable. Please make a life long commitment to them. And please spay & neuter your pets. It saves lives!

The kittens in the pictures are being fostered by one of our awesome vets. They came in as tiny Bottle-Babies and are growing into gorgeous young teens! 🐾🐈🐈‍⬛

09/06/2024

Met this little cutie this weekend! What a trooper! So social with other dogs & people & doing so well maneuvering her cart around! She's living her best life with no regrets! Animals are so amazing 🥰😍🤩🐾

09/06/2024

I've never heard of this breed, have you?

That's Random follow for more

07/06/2024

Animals are a reflection of humans and what goes on around the world.
Lately we have gotten a lot of mysterious pneumonia cases in the hospital. Then I also learned that a lot of people all over the US are getting sick with fever, etc. Could this be related to what these mountain lions are getting? 🤔

Five mountain lions monitored by the Sonoma County Living with Lions Project have died of pneumonia in the past few months. Scientists have not been able to figure out what’s causing it.

04/06/2024

✨️I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tammy Billups and doing an over-the-phone Human-Animal Tandem healing session with myself and my dalmatian Dante.
Tammy has a sweet southern charm and is an amazing healer! Her style is so unique and her technique is very powerful!
Please check out Tammy on Facebook or visit her website to read more about who she is & the amazing things she does!
I've read her book Animal Soul Contracts and it has been so enlightening!
If you or your pet needs healing, you are struggling with your human-animal relationship with a particular pet of yours, contact Tammy to see how she can help! She will help you shed a light on the issue, cut any energetic ties that no longer serve you or your pet, and heal you both. You will notice a difference in your body and your relationship to your pet! Amazing 👏 🤩 ✨️🙏🐾🐈🐩🐎

Tammy is an international authority and spiritual guide on the extraordinary animal-human sacred soul partnership. She's a certified Interface Therapist (Bioenergetics), author, and healer to the healers. And she's a pioneer and global educator on the animal-human healing relationship, with three a...

04/06/2024

Some horses have mustaches, even the ladies! Lol 🐴🐎

02/06/2024

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend or having a pleasant work day 🐾🐞🐝🌷🪻⚘️🌿🌳🌞

31/05/2024

🐦‍⬛It's fledgling season! And this year I'm learning a lot more about crows and want to share my growing knowledge with you!
Crow fledgings look very similar to adults but don't quite have all the developed feathers or strength yet to fly. As a crow matures from baby to nestling to fledgling a lot of fledgings start to test their wings & inevitably fall out of their nest. Their parents are extremely protective of them at this time, tracking their baby, making loud calls to them when a potential threat arises and even dive bombing humans if they get too close.
Fledglings are extremely vulnerable during this time! This stage of their development forces them to learn to forage the ground for food while still receiving support from their parents.
Crows are omnivorous, they eat plants, berries, eggs, nuts, seeds, bugs & lizards but also can often be found scavenging human trash & thus consuming meat, etc.
Fledgings spend an average of 2 weeks on the ground before they fully mature & learn to fly. Because of this, and many other environmental factors, crow offspring have a very low survival rate.
------‐----------------How can you help?-------------------
After having my very own first experience with a fledgling this year & having learned some facts from the local bird & wildlife rescue here are some tips:
●if the fledgling is healthy and in a safe location LEAVE IT ALONE
●if the fledging is on your property you can try nailing a cardboard box to a tree (8 feet up or higher) and gently capturing it with a towel and putting it in the box (mind you it will most likely jump out of the box again, or jump on near by branches and end up on the ground again...lol)
●if the bird is injured or seems ill, gently capture it with a towel, put it in a well ventilated box and transport it to your local bird rescue
☆Call your local bird rescue if you have questions or are not sure what to do☆

We have 2 giant beautiful Redwoods in our front yard that house many types of birds. A fledgling fell out & greeted me. I talked to our local wildlife vet and rescue who gave me the tips on the box. Unfortunately my precious baby bird ventured off our property on to the road & got hit by a car! I found him dead when I returned from work one night. It was very sad.
Nature can be so cruel and while it is easy to place blame on others, someone was kind enough to tie some plants and flowers to his leg in honor of him. ***Many people see birds on the road and assume they will just fly away, unfortunately a lot of young crows get hit by cars. And while my greatest mothering instinct wanted me to protect & take care of him by putting him in a cage in the garage, it is not right to take something free and wild out of nature and cage it against its will. (I did plead with the vet to let me make it a pet lol, I have always wanted a crow! But better judgment & logic won!)
What I got out of this whole experience is that life is precious & that even the briefest moments can hold so much joy & magick!✨️
Keep looking for the magick out there, it will find you in strange mysterious ways 🔮🪄🐦‍⬛🐾

29/05/2024

We currently have an Ivermectin Toxcicity dog in hospital and unfortunately we see this commonly with barn/ranch dogs.
You might ask, how does a dog get an overdose of this medication? Usually the horse/farm animal it is given to spits some of it out or the owner struggles to administer it resulting in it dropping on the floor. Most dewormers are flavored which attracts dogs to lick it off the ground.
Dogs do get ivermectin administered as dewormers, in safe doses appropriate to their weight, but when overdosed can have serious/life threatening consequences.
Often dogs go hand in hand with ranching/farming/barn life so it is very common for us to see cattlebreed type dogs in the hospital as they are often used in herding, etc.
An overdose of this drug results in sudden blindness, dysphoria and muscle tremors and can also lead to seizures. It attacks the nervous system. In a clinical setting we often administer muscle relaxants and IV fluids (including intralipids) to help absorb & flush toxins out of the system. Unfortunately there is no direct "antidote" so time & supportive care are the best means for the dog to overcome this.
I think it's important for owners to be aware of this issue to help minimize vet visits, expensive bills, heartache or possible loss of their pet!
Tips:
●Do not let someone who is unaware of the dangers of horse dewormers deworm your horse or ranch animal!
●Tie up or confine your dog while administering dewormer to your horse
●Administer dewormer to your horse in an area that is off limits/inaccessible to your dog
●Clean the area immediately if you suspect some dewormer fell to the ground
There are many websites that have toxicity charts as well for dogs & cats 🐈 🐕

Dr. Veronica Higgs explains ivermectin toxicity in dogs, including why ivermectin overdoses are dangerous, how much ivermectin is considered dangerous, and treatment options.

27/05/2024

🌿*Owner Alert* 🌱
Guys! If you bring your pet to the vet and you know there is a possibility that it has been in contact with these 3 poisonous plants please alert the staff!
Some staff, like myself, are highly allergic to poison oak! Unfortunately it is undetectable until you develop an itchy rash and the more exposure you have to it the more it affects you!
If staff is alerted we can take proper precautions, like wearing personal protective gear and cleaning areas thoroughly.
I believe poison oak is the only poisonous plant in the CA out of the 3 in the picture.
I have gotten it a lot over the years hiking & being in contact with animals who carry the poisonous oil on their fur.
I have not seen animals skin be affected by it, they only act as a means of transmission from the plant to humans (a fomite).
If you suspect your pet has poisonous oils on it, it would be best to bathe it thoroughly and wash any bedding/clothing it has come in contact with.
From a stand point of working in the profession, I am now forced to wear long sleeved shirts under my scrubs to help prevent contact to my skin, and gloves for every patient I touch, as well as lots of hand washing. My last reaction caused major swelling and scarring of my arms & I had to seek the help of an allergy specialist to help lessen my immune systems reaction. My GP doctor even told me to quit my job because he thought it was too dangerous for me (but let'sbe real, it'lltake more than that for me to give up my mission). I have seen many Dermatologists over the years and unfortunately there's not much medical treatment besides creams & steroids.
So, bottom line, we had a client come in today with a cat who immediately told us it was roaming in poison oak and it was so appreciated by the staff!
Keep vigilant and inform your staff 😁🐾

25/05/2024

Love this guy! Hilarious and great knowledge for dog owners! Check out Southend Dog Training! 🐕 🦮🐕‍🦺🐾

24/05/2024

We've all seen the vet tech memes on social media: what friends think we do at work. Well, some days we really do get to play with puppies and kittens! Being a vet tech can be energetically and emotionally taxing, but days like these lighten the soul ✨️😇🥰👣🐾

23/05/2024

🐢 Happy World Turtle Day 🐢!! A picture of one of my favorite artists, Becorns by David M. Bird, creating magical animal photography 🥰 AND...How do you do take a perfect lateral radiograph of a turtle? Answer: You tape it to a box! Simple yet innovative, I was laughing the first time I learned this technique 🤣

21/05/2024

Check out Dr Kim Tong's Instagram page @ dr.kimpawsible for some interesting surgery videos! A lot of owners never get see what we actually do & he showcases many great videos behind the scenes 🐕🐈🩺🩻🧑🏻‍⚕️

Dr. Kim Tong is receiving cases now!

20/05/2024

It's rattlesnake season, in fact we had our first rattlesnake bite this February 2024 & dogs are coming in almost daily over the last few weeks with bites. Some were mild to moderately severe cases, at least one was lethal. 🐍
If you live in areas known for rattlesnake habitat or live more than an hour away from the nearest vet, the rattlesnake vaccine is recommended for your dog.
But the best defense against your pup getting bit is Rattlesnake Aversion Training. It's a life saver! So many pet parents don't know of this option & it could safe you a lot of money & heartache. Call your local dog trainer for more information, there are many companies in Northern & Southern California who do regularly scheduled tours. Companies like Natural Solutions or Snake Out.
Have fun & be safe 🐾👣

It depends on the species of snake. There are approximately three thousand species of snakes in the world with less than five hundred venomous species.

19/05/2024

Hey guys! Did you know that you can "rent a dog" at the shelter? This is great for owners that are not sure if they are ready to adopt, try it out, help an animal get more exposure and a chance at finding their forever home! Or swing by and take a dog for a walk so they get some exercise, commitment free! Our shelters are overflowing and so many pets are in need of caring, loving homes. Contact your local shelter. Sonoma County Animal Services 🐾🐶🐱🐰

15/02/2023

Whisker stress! I learned something new today! This guy has some great tips! Enjoy 🐱🐈🐈‍⬛

I’ve detailed a whole mess of things over the years that will make your cat happy - but make them happy right this minute? Not till now. Don’t make them wait...

14/02/2023

Something for the cat lovers 🐱🐈🐈‍⬛

Take my word on these tips: this is not my first cat rodeo! Even if it's something inconvenient, or you flat out disagree, you've got nothing to lose. After ...

15/01/2023

Hey guys, I'm offering my veterinary nursing services for at home care with dogs, cats and horses. If you need help learning how to do things like give injections, subcutaneous fluids, basic wound care/bandaging or nail trims on dogs/cats (behavior pending) message me! I have 18+ years experience as a veterinary technician and 23+ years experience with horses. I can also help with basic horse grooming and exercise. Covering Sebastopol/Santa Rosa area. I can help support you in becoming comfortable and confident in giving daily treatments to your pet and helping care for them if you are out of town or unable to.

12/01/2023

I love SpiritDog Training tips! There is something for every dog owner and especially if you and your doggy are bored indoors with all the rain right now, scroll through and find something new to learn!

11/01/2023

💡Vet visit tips💡
If your pet is having a procedure done at the vet that requires sedation or anesthesia, ask your veterinarian/technician if they can do a nail trim on them while they are sedate! Less hassle for you and your pet 🐕🦮🐕‍🦺🐩🐈🐈‍⬛🐇🦜

02/01/2023

Happy New Year everybody! I hope you slid in nicely and your pets survived the fireworks in stride 🍾✨️🧨🐶🐱🐾

26/12/2022

Happy Holidays everyone 🎄🛷🎅🏻☃️

23/12/2022

😄 🐱🐈🐈‍⬛

21/12/2022

Ma*****na toxicity is becoming not only more common with children but also with dogs! We are seeing a lot more incidences of this on a semi regular basis at the emergency vet hospital. As the Ma*****na consumer market goes up so does the talent of edibles being created! But dogs don't know the difference between a plain brownie and one that contains Ma*****na. All they see is food 🐶🍽! Sometimes a dog runs off or is exploring a large unknown area off leash, sometimes the "neighbor throws it over the fence" (this is a common thing owners like to report), sometimes you are enjoying it but left some unattended on the table, and sometimes (most parents are in denial about this but this does happen) the kids had some friends over and the dog joined the party. An hour or so after consuming the edible people frantically bring their dog to the hospital thinking it's having some sort of seizure (trembling), ataxia (unbalanced and uncoordinated) and urinating all over themselves. They are sensitive to noise, sound, touch, anything that stimulates their senses, some dogs even get aggressive because they are scared out of their wits. Giving in to the overwhelming feeling of muscle relaxation they try to lay down and relax only to startle awake again experiencing something like that feeling of free falling into an abyss. Most times, after a few days with or without medical treatment they recover (with treatment they recover much faster and feel better much quicker, also how much they consumed greatly affects recovery time), but I have seen one patient in the hospital so severely overdosed that his body functions ceased and he passed away even with continuous medical support from the staff. Ma*****na toxicity is no joke and believe me, pets don't like the feeling of being "stoned" even though lots of people joke about it. If you ever suspect your dog to have pot toxicity, be honest to the nurse or doctor, we are not here to reprimand you or call the cops on you (many people lie to us because they fear this). We only want to help your dog, and as soon as possible to get him through this. Also, we have drug tests, they don't lie lol. 😉 🐕🦮🐕‍🦺🐩

19/12/2022

Please help if you can! This guy has been such an amazing patient and is fighting to survive, any donation would be greatly appreciated, even a like or a share would help 🥰🐾