North Carolina Association of Veterinary Technicians
2018 NCAVT Fall newsletter
President's Letter
Greetings!
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I can’t believe I’m addressing you today thinking about the end of Summer and the approach of Fall already! I hope your summer was full of fun and memories and you have taken some time to “fill your cup” as I love to say. As a strong advocate for self-care and wellness, I know it can be difficult to make sure we are meeting our own needs and finding balance in our lives. In a profession where we give constantly, it is not in our nature to take. Take time to relax and reflect. Take time to ensure we are taken care of and that our hearts and souls feel full. I believe this is very important for longevity in our profession, in grounding ourselves in what we do and finding our value in both work and personal lives.
While there is a difference between your personal and professional banks or “cups” as I say, it is important to fill them each and to address when you need time and rejuvenation in both your personal and your professional life. Our inability to “refill and refuel” can be a contributing factor to our burnout in this profession.
I believe one of the best ways to “fill my RVT cup” is to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who are eager to learn, that share the understanding of how proud we are of our work, our patient care, and our role in the veterinary profession. And to be learning better ways to provide patient care, self-care, and build my interpersonal skills. I fill my “RVT cup” at CE events and workshops where I know I can have fun, work hard, and learn how to be a better me, either at work or home.
The NCAVT Fall conference is coming October 13, 2018, and we are excited to bring you both fun and knowledge, provide an environment where you can talk, laugh, and network with the professionals around you. I encourage you all, this event or any other, take some time to network, to find people who share your passion and are excited to be veterinary professionals! We choose this profession, we LOVE what we do, and the veterinary team members all make up the heart of the profession. Surround yourself with the excitement and enthusiasm you need to refresh your passion in this profession! I hope I get to see you there!
All the best,
Beckie Mossor, RVT
President 2018
Hurricane Florence
Tragedy has struck the Carolinas with the entrance of Florence. She lowered from a Cat 4 to a Cat 1 as she landed in Wilmington, NC. Even though the wind speeds slowed the long-lasting effects of the slow-moving storm devastated the east coast. Sadly, her long hard rains created mass flooding in all areas from the Coast to the Piedmont areas. Many lives have been lost during these difficult 2 weeks. The community and neighboring states have risen to the challenge and are steadily saving families, pets, livestock, and wildlife. The rebuild has started, but our communities have a long road ahead of us to get back to what we feel is normal.
Local animal rescues and shelters are exhausting all their resources to saves as many lives as possible. Veterinary clinics are extending services and room for lost pets. Large Animal Veterinarians, staff and community are in the trenches finding flooded farm animals, getting them to safety and providing medical attention. Technicians are bringing lost pets and wildlife into their homes to heal and hopefully return to where they belong.
To ALL OF YOU that have extended help in any of these areas of need THANK YOU!!!!! So many other lives would have been lost without you!
The flooding devastation is still upon us. Please continue helping where you can. Rescues and shelters still need supplies and help. ASPCA is still in the trenches and keeping us posted. Many of you responded to their plea and within 24 hours gave them amazing support. This community is thankful to our veterinary field workers that have jumped in to be in the field, organize rescues and supply needs and so much more!
Please send us articles and pictures you would like posted in the next newsletter to show the amazing work that is being done to save lives and rebuild our state from Hurricane Florence!
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NCAVT Career Center
The NCAVT Career Center is a premier resource to connect career opportunities with highly qualified Veterinary Technicians.
The Career Center will allow you to:
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Search and apply to the best career opportunity at institutions that value your credentials!
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Upload your anonymous resume so employers can contact you, but you maintain control of your information and choose to whom you release your information.
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Receive an alert every time a job becomes available that matches your personal profile, skills, interests, and preferred location(s).
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Access career resources and job searching tips and tools.
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Search the resume database and contact qualified candidates proactively.​
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Resume Tips:
Here are 3 resume tips to help you land an interview:
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1. Focus. Your resume must target a specific job function and include only your most relevant work experience.
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2. Show results. Just listing tasks you’ve performed doesn’t answer “So what?” Make sure employers understand the results you’ve achieved.
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3. Be concise. Highlight your accomplishments but also leave the reader wanting to learn more about you. A recruiter will be intrigued to reach out for an interview.
Remember to proofread your resume and upload it so that employers can find and contact you about your next job.
2018 NCAVT Fall Conference
Here we go!! It's time for our fall conference! Gaston Community College is hosting the NCAVT fall conference again this year. We always have a great experience at this location with Melanie Skinner, Gaston's VMT department director. She and her students create a fun and helpful environment for everyone that attends!! Please join us for some great speakers and topics!!
Date: October 13, 2018
THAT"S RIGHT!!! We are serving a Moe's Taco Bar for Lunch!!!!
Speakers
Topics
Bobbie Aldridge, RVT Respiratory disease vs. Cardiac Disease in Rats
Basic Oral Anatomy of Rabbits
Elise Lavie, DVM Equine Care and Husbandry
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Conflict Resolution
Dr. Lissa Capitano Canine Lyme Disease: Common Misconceptions
Dr. Randy Lynn Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease
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Christian Francis, RVT, VTS-D Dental Radiography Techniques
Dental Radiography Interpretation
Dr. Jennifer Merlo Journey to Fear Free
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Cherrokie Taylor, RVT Veterinary Forensics
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Kim Heisel, RVT Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
School News
Nash Community College
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We started our first class on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 with 17 students. We have a mix of students. Some are straight out of high school, some already have an associate degree (have been waiting on the program to start) and a few have or are currently working at a veterinary facility. We have a few that have taken the veterinary assistant class that Nash Community College offers and it helped them decide if this was a field they wanted to pursue. We have one student that left their previous career in business and is pursuing a career in veterinary technology.
Work has started on the renovations for what will become the Veterinary Technology building. We plan on moving into phase 1 by the spring semester.
Our class is very excited and we are looking forward to what the next couple of years hold.
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Gail Harrell, RVTNash Community College
Director of Veterinary Medical Technology
PO Box 7488
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
252-451-8211
Central Carolina Community College
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August 16, 2018
Ribbon cutting held for CCCC Dalrymple Veterinary Medical Technology Building
SANFORD — Central Carolina Community College celebrated the opening of its new Robert and Nannie Lou Dalrymple Veterinary Medical Technology Building with a ribbon-cutting event on Monday, Aug. 13. The Dalrymple Veterinary Medical Technology Building is located on the CCCC Lee Main Campus in Sanford.
Construction for the 13,600-square-foot facility began in February 2017. Lee County voters approved a $5 million bond for this project in November 2014.
The facility includes a large dog kennel area, large cat ward, associated workrooms, student study area, faculty offices, two large animal procedures labs, two classrooms, animal recovery area, and associated restrooms, storage rooms, and mechanical spaces.
Julian Philpott, Chairman of the CCCC Board of Trustees, thanked the citizens of Lee County “who recognized the educational excellence of CCCC and its Veterinary Medical Technician program by overwhelmingly approving the bond proposal that provided the funding for this important facility expansion.”
“We appreciate the great partnerships we have at CCCC with our elected officials, the public and our Lee County Schools, and our private businesses and industries. We thank you for your continued support,” said Philpott.
Philpott also thanked the Dalrymple family. “We want to thank the Dalrymple family members for their generous contribution to the CCCC Foundation, which will help provide financial support for Lee County students who are seeking degrees, diplomas, or certificates from CCCC,” said Philpott. “The CCCC Trustees were privileged to unanimously approve the naming of this Veterinary Medical facility addition for Robert and Nannie Lou Dalrymple, and it is fitting, given the Dalrymples’ involvement in agriculture.”
Robert and Nannie Lou Dalrymple always supported CCCC and lived to hear the plans for the building and were excited about what it would mean to the community. Living on a farm, with cows, horses, pigs, and chickens over the years, they knew the importance of having access to quality animal health care. And being a family that has taken in dozens of strays over the years, they were always grateful for women and men who could take the scruffiest and sickliest animals in great need and restore them to health with gentleness and compassion.
Robert Dalrymple was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Marine Corps who fought in the Pacific Theater and earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. A two-term legislator as a representative in the N.C. House of Representatives, he was a member and chair of the Lee County Board of Education for over two decades, a Soil and Water District Supervisor, and a CCCC Trustee.
Tommy Dalrymple, CCCC Supporter and son of Robert and Nannie Lou Dalrymple, thanked those attending on this special day to honor his father and mother. After recognizing his sister Robbie, Dalrymple said they were touched to find this way to help with education. He then thanked Dr. Marchant, the CCCC Board of Trustees, and the CCCC Foundation Board for naming the VMT facility in honor of his father and mother.
CCCC President Dr. T. Eston Marchant told the audience the Dalrymple family gift to CCCC would benefit the Lee County Promise program. All eligible Lee County residents who graduate from a public high school for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 will be guaranteed up to two years of free in-state tuition and required fees at Central Carolina Community through the Lee County Promise program.
Dr. Marchant said that at a Lee County Promise kick-off event earlier in the day, one parent said the program would allow her child to be able to attend college. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Dr. Marchant told the Dalrymple family.
To learn more about the CCCC Veterinary Medical Technology program, visit www.cccc.edu/curriculum/majors/veterinarymedical/.
For more information on Central Carolina Community College and its program, visit www.cccc.edu.
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Cape Fear Community College
WELCOME CLASS OF 2020!
We have accepted our second class at CFCC! We are so happy to have a full first and second-year class! We are halfway through our accreditation process and still full steam ahead!
What's happening around the state.......
The FEI World Equestrian Games™, held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining eight equestrian World Championship caliber events in a pre-determined location. The FEI disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining – are all included on the competition schedule, while equestrian-focused demonstrations and exhibitions will also be hosted throughout the duration of the event. The 2018 edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ will be held in Mill Spring, NC, over thirteen days from September 11-23rd, 2018 at Tryon International Equestrian Center.
Cerebellar Hypoplasia
By: Dr. Heather Wyss
A good Samaritan found 5, eight week old feral kittens. Two of the kitten were brought to her veterinarian for displaying neurological signs. The kittens were ataxic, tremoring, and had altered mentation. The kitten presented for necropsy bit someone during handling. A necropsy and rabies testing were requested.
The necropsy examination revealed a severely underdeveloped cerebellum. The remainder of the necropsy examination was unremarkable with the exception of fleas.
Cerebellar hypoplasia usually occurs when a pregnant female contracts feline panleukopenia during gestation. The parvovirus attacks actively dividing cells. As the virus infects the rapidly dividing cells of the cerebellum, it causes a degeneration of granule and Purkinje cells and interferes with cortical development, resulting in cerebellar hypoplasia. Kittens may be stillborn or die shortly after birth. In surviving kittens, the severity of the hypoplasia can vary among littermates and range from mild to severe. The signs are often noticeable when they start to ambulate. Clinical signs include ataxia, intention tremors, a broad based stance, and hypermetria.
The clinical signs of cerebellar hypoplasia do not progress or worsen over time. However, some cats will learn to compensate giving the appearance of improvement.
Modified live versions of the panleukopenia vaccine can also cause cerebellar hypoplasia if administered later in gestation. The time of most concern is the last trimester. Vaccines should be withheld from nursing queens until the kittens are three to four weeks old as cerebellar development continues during the first two weeks after birth.
In the absence of other congenital or health issues, cats with cerebellar hypoplasia have a normal life expectancy.
Cats with cerebellar hypoplasia should be kept strictly indoors to help avoid injury.
For all the latest information, check out our social media pages
Upcoming CE Opportunities:
Learn more about continuing education opportunities in our state and as well as nationally by visiting our website,
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Do you know of CE that is not listed? Email info@ncavt.org to have your event added.
Veterinary Shadow Opportunities
Mr. Keonte' Edmonds at Heritage High School is seeking community partners (CVT/LVT/RVT/DVMs) who are willing to accept students for shadow opportunities. Twelve students are currently enrolled in Veterinary Assisting Honors for the 2018-2019 academic year by application and have the opportunity to become certified! Students will need a total of 300 contact hours over the year working with a veterinary professional. In the past, see photos attached, students have enjoyed shadowing at different veterinary practices to include Muletown Veterinary Clinic and Tabbs Creek Animal Hospital. This curriculum is available through North Carolina Career and Technical Education, for more information contact Mr. Edmonds via email at kedmonds@wcpss.net or (336) 209-5015.
National Veterinary Technician Week
October 14th- 20th, 2018
Thank you for what you do each and every day!
Do you have something you would like to share in the newsletter?
Email info@ncavt.org
9/22/18