Stephanie began her veterinary career at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Small Animal Teaching Hospital in 2002. As a student worker, Stephanie spent her time working in the hospital’s critical care unit. After receiving her Associate in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from Snead State Community College, and becoming a Licensed Veterinary Technician in 2005, Stephanie returned to Auburn University CVM’s critical care unit as a shift supervisor. She had the opportunity to join the CVM’s small animal anesthesia service in 2010. In 2013, Mrs. Mitchell transitioned into a position as the sole ophthalmology technician (small and large animal). Stephanie has enjoyed being a full-time equine ophthalmology technician since 2018, where she has assisted in growing a thriving equine ophthalmology service. In her roles within the CVM, Stephanie has mentored countless clinical veterinary students, as well as aspiring veterinary technician students.  

Stephanie served as Vice President of the Alabama Veterinary Technicians Association from 2006-2008 and In 2007, was honored to be chosen as the Alabama Veterinary Technician of the Year. Mrs. Mitchell has also been the recipient of Auburn CVM’s “Be the Creed” award in 2014 and 2018. Stephanie is a wife and a mother. She has two rambunctious sons, 2 boxers, and 1 cat. Her passion lies in equine standing ophthalmic surgeries and photodynamic therapy of squamous cell carcinomas in horses.

Lecture

3 Equine Case Reviews on Photodynamic Therapy

These case reports aim to show the clinical success of using photodynamic therapy as primary treatment for Immune Mediated Keratitis in horses and adjunctive treatment in neoplasia.

Adrienne has been in veterinary medicine since 2004 and became credentialed in 2007. Kruzer has experience working with dogs, cats, exotic pets, and native wildlife. Adrienne wrote for 12 years for various online and print publications and worked for 13 years on the floor as an RVT/LVT before pursuing a passion of educating, mentoring, and training on the industry side of vet med. Adrienne worked for Nutramax Veterinary Sciences educating clients, students, and veterinary professionals on veterinary supplements for 4 years and earned a BS in Business Administration before joining Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) in 2021. Kruzer now enjoys educating veterinary technician students full time about how to have a happy, healthy, and fulfilling career in veterinary medicine as well as what makes VEG different from other animal hospitals. Adrienne also serves on the SCAVT board as a district representative, is Fear Free certified, and has presented at a variety of conferences, dinner meetings, and schools across the country.

Lectures

The Business of Being a Veterinary Technician:
Career Options and Personal Finance

Session Description/Abstract: This presentation discusses the different paths to credentialing, different titles among states, the career opportunities that are available to veterinary technicians and how to choose the right job for you based on personal and professional factors. Personal finance involving savings, budgets, how to ask for a raise, retirement planning, and maximizing employer benefits are also discussed in order to make veterinary medicine a long lasting and financially rewarding career for veterinary technicians.

Veterinary Supplements:
Choosing a Safe and Effective Product When Regulation is Lacking

Session Description/Abstract: The supplement industry is a gray area when it comes to regulation. Concerns for efficacy, safety, and health claims surround many ingredients and products so it can be difficult for veterinary professionals to know what products to recommend. This presentation will discuss the regulation, or lack thereof, of veterinary supplements, what to look for when choosing a product, how things compare to pharmaceuticals, and what resources can be used to aid in quick decision making.

Ed is the Director of Veterinary Nursing Education for VetBloom. He is the 2022 Immediate Past President of the Massachusetts Veterinary Technician Association and the Treasurer of the New Hampshire Veterinary Technician Association. Ed has served on multiple National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) committees and is the 2022 NAVTA Immediate Past President. He obtained a VTS (Nutrition) in 2014 and lectures frequently at local, regional, national, and international veterinary conferences on a variety of nutrition topics. Ed was also the recipient of the NAVTA 2019 Technician of the Year award. 

Workshop

Assisted Feeding Workshop – Feeding Tubes, Nursing Care and More! (2 hours)

Patients unwilling or unable to eat benefit from assisted feeding via feeding tubes; feeding tubes are generally tolerated well by most patients, and most are relatively easy to place. Veterinary technicians play an important role in the placement and maintenance of feeding tubes as well as educating clients how to use and maintain feeding tubes at home. Participants in this workshop will learn techniques for the placement of nasoesophageal, nasogastric, esophageal, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes and the veterinary technicians’ role in the placement of each of these tube types. A variety of feeding tube types will be handled; benefits of each will be discussed. Participants will practice the finger trap suture method of securing feeding tubes in place.

Participants will learn and practice performing nutritional calculations necessary for assisted feeding, appropriate types of foods to use, and how to troubleshoot feeding tubes.Feeding tube maintenance, troubleshooting and client education of each of these types of feeding tubes will also be discussed.

Learning objectives

1. Attendees will learn when feeding tubes may be indicated, their benefits, and management.

2. How to place a variety of feeding tubes, with a focus on NE & NG tubes, including proper suturing techniques will be taught.

3. Attendees will learn to perform nutritional calculations needed for assisted feeding, appropriate types of foods to use, and how to troubleshoot feeding tubes.

Lecture

Nutritional Calculations Made Fun and Easy

Attendees of this basic lecture will learn how to determine the daily caloric requirement of a variety of patient life stages, how to calculate the dry matter basis in order to compare a canned food to a dry food, how to determine the amount of carbohydrates in a pet food and how to estimate the caloric content of pet foods. Multiple sample calculations are used in an interactive forum allowing attendees to practice the skills learned.

Learning objectives:

1. Resting energy requirement (RER) and how to calculate patientRER using multiple formulas are taught

2. Attendees will learn how to calculate the daily caloric requirement of a variety of patient life stages.

3. How to calculate dry matter basis to compare a canned food to a dry food will be covered.

Mary Passmore has been working in the large animal hospital at the University of Tennessee for 16 years. She has spent the majority of her time caring for production animals and companion livestock. She has her veterinary technician specialty (VTS) in large animal internal medicine and a master’s degree in social work. Mary enjoys teaching veterinary students and seeing the joy on their faces as they master clinical skills. She lives on a small hobby farm with her husband, daughter, and a menagerie of animals. The only thing missing is a camel.

Lecture:

Care of the neonatal camelid

Providing proper neonatal care is important when working with camelid patients in both the field and hospital setting. Understanding what is normal will help the technician to recognize any abnormalities. The technician will learn how to identify at risk crias, recognize common congenital defects, and care for the critical neonate.

Learning objectives:

Understand the normal gestation and parturition of camelids
Identify at risk crias
Identify congenital defects
Calculate feeding requirements

Battling GI parasites in small ruminants

In the southeastern United States, gastrointestinal parasites are very prevalent in small ruminants. This lecture will help the technician understand how to identify parasitized animals, choose the correct diagnostic tests, and help clients with a parasite control strategy. It will also provide a basic overview of blood transfusion methods.

Learning objectives:
Identify parasitized animals
Choose the diagnostic test that will be most valuable, recognizing limitations and advantages of each
Be familiar with the tools available to help fight GI parasites
Develop a parasite control plan based on the animal and environment.
Understand how to do a blood transfusion for anemic animals

Medical problems of pet pigs

Potbellied pigs are treated by both large and small animal veterinary practices. An overview of common problems seen with pet pigs will provide a foundation and give technicians tools for their piggy toolbox.

Learning objectives:
Be familiar with handling and restraint options
Identify venipuncture and catheterization sites
Make vaccine and deworming recommendations
Recognize common medical problems and how to treat them

Becky is a CVT, VTS (ECC) who has been in veterinary medicine since 2007. She has been employed at the University of Florida as a technician in their ER and ICU since 2015 and at City College in Gainesville, Florida as a Clinical Instructor since November 2021.  She has experience in general practice, emergency and critical care, exotics, internal medicine, neurology, and dermatology.  Becky’s special interests include toxicology, pharmacology, wellness, and patient advocacy. Negretti enjoys speaking at conferences, teaching UF veterinary students, and mentoring.  She’s been voted “Most Valuable Technician” by students during their clinical rotations and coordinates the department’s annual Veterinary Technician Week.  In her free time, she enjoys yoga and running, reading, burning off stress by singing karaoke, and hanging out with her husband and their “fur-babies”.

Lectures

There’s Nothing Basic About Basic Bloodwork, Part 1.

This first part in our lecture series will look at the “Big 3” in assessing our basic bloodwork – PCV/TS and glucose, as well as the importance of BUN and USG.  We will also breakdown the diagnostic interpretation of abnormalities of each of these and what it could possibly mean for our patient.

There’s Nothing Basic About Basic Bloodwork, Part 2.

The second part of our lecture series will move on to the values in our blood gas parameters, their roles within the body, and what abnormalities may clinically present as and indicate.  

Learning objectives: 

1.  Reviewing the role of the “Big 3” in basic bloodwork and their indications. 

2.  Review the major electrolytes used at point of care assessments. 

3.  How to assess and interpret the bloodwork to build a differential diagnosis list.

Is it asthma?  Is it syncope? No, It’s Anaphylaxis!

Because clinical signs may subside and recur and it may resemble other pathologies, anaphylaxis is often overlooked as a diagnosis.  If not recognized and treated appropriately, patients are at risk for increased mortality.  We will discuss the causes of anaphylaxis, clinical signs, and treatment options, including severe cases.   

Learning objectives: 

1.  Identify the different types of anaphylaxis. 

2.  Identify clinical signs of anaphylaxis. 

3.  How to diagnose and treat anaphylaxis. 

4.  How to identify and treat anaphylactic shock.