We boast some of the best, most compassionate veterinary professionals in the business! To help you get to know our staff, we asked them to answer a few questions:
Why I work in Veterinary Medicine
A Memorable Experience I’ve Had in Veterinary Medicine
A Story About My Pet
Why I Work in Veterinary Medicine
Melanie Stoughton, Veterinary Technician/Client Care Representative:
“There are a few things I love about my job in the veterinary field. I love joking around with my co-workers and seeing new & interesting cases. I like the challenge of treating difficult, uneasy patients; trying to “communicate” with them (for lack of a better term) & instill calmness in them. I love it when it works!”
Jean Lira, Certified Veterinary Technician:
“There are a lot of things that I love about being a veterinary technician. But, I would say that the technical aspect, such as in diagnostics, surgery preperation, monitoring anesthesia, etc., is what I enjoy the most. I also love working with animals. I always knew that’s what I was going to do when I grew up. But none of the above would be as enjoyable as it is without the great people I work with. It definitely makes it all the sweeter!”
Erica Beverlin, Certified Veterinary Technician:
“There are so many parts in the field of veterinary medicine that I love. First and foremost is the opportunity to meet al our wonderful clients, and be able to love and care for their pets while they are in the hospital. I also really enjoy the technical aspect; analyzing bloodwork, calculating and administering medications and supplements, and performing dental cleanings. I get to work with an amazing staff, too, which makes the job that much more enjoyable. The rewards of seeing a sick patient get healthy again are immeasurable and I feel I couldn’t have picked a better field to work in!”
Emily West, Client Care Representative:
“Animals hav e always played an important role in my life. Growing up, pets were always considered family members. A family portrait wouldn’t be considered complete without the cat! Every job I’ve ever had (even in grade school!) has brought me close to animals in some way. Working at a veterinary hospital seems only too natural for me. It enable me to interact with furry “family members” and the people who love them. I feel satisfied knowing I’m playing a part in the health and wellness of the pets who give us so much in return.”
Dannie Spade, Client Care Representative:
“Ever since I was a little girl I have been surrounded by animals. I always had a dog, and usually a cat, bird, rabbit, or reptile. Living on a farm we also had cows, pigs, goats, and sheep. I always knew that my future would involve working with animals so naturally veterinary medicine was where I found myself. Having the opportunity to be around animals every day and know that I am involved in keeping them healthy is awesome.”
A Memorable Experience I’ve Had in Veterinary Medicine
Melanie Stoughton, Veterinary Technician/Client Care Representative:
“One of the more touching stories I remember is of an older patient of ours; a dog with heart disease. The owners live in the mountains so when the dog bolted out the front door during a thunderstorm and remained missing for 4 days they assumed she was lost forever. They ‘said their goodbyes’ and donated their beloved pup’s heart medications and supplements to the hospital.
One week later I was surprised to see this dog’s name on the doctor’s schedule – for a checkup! Apparently a kayaker had found her and located the owners just that morning. Not much worse for wear (although she had lost 5 lbs) her comfy home and untouched medications and supplements were returned to her.
This story was an eye-opener for me – a reminder that, even though we take these amazing animals into our homes and hearts, they still retain their evolutionary capacity for survival and resilience.”
Jean Lira, Certified Veterinary Technician:
“During technician school my class had the opportunity to help castrate several horses at a ranch. When we got there each horse was in a separate stall. The veterinarian and an intern-veterinarian went into the stall to sedate the horse whose turn it was. No one else was allowed in the stall at that time because it could be very dangerous. Once the horse was recumbant (laying down) his top rear leg would be tied forward and a tool called an ‘emasculator’ was used to castrate him.
During one of the procedures the sedation was wearing off before the vet was finished. All the technician students had to sit on the horse to try and keep him from getting up. Unfortunately, when a horse wants to stand up there’s just not much a few technician students can do to stop him! Thankfully, the vet was able to quickly finish before the horse threw us all off.
It was my first real exposure to large animals….and I loved it!”
Erica Beverlin, Certified Veterinary Technician:
“My most interesting experience so far came while interning at another veterinary hospital. In the process of learning how a veterinary hospital is run and all the different procedures I finally got the opportunity to perform my very first solo dental cleaning!
Everything was going great until I tried to place the IV catheter. The cat, who had seemes thoroughly sedate, suddenly lept off the table as my needle touched its skin! My restrainer was doing he best she could to keep the kity still and on the table while I tried my best to finish placing the catheter and tape it in. Long story short, I totally rocked it and got the catheter placed on the first try; struggling cat and all! The rest of the dental went well without anymore hitches and I gained some truly valuable experience.”
Emily West, Client Care Representative:
“I worked for a few years as a veterinary technician in Durango, CO. The animal hospital I worked for was also a wildlife rehabilitation center, so we saw a lot of unusual and nifty animals. Probably the strangest were the several ringtailed lemurs that were brought to us after having been picked up by animal control from a local residence. It’s illegal, of course, to own lemurs in Colorado so we card for them until it was decided where to send them for long-term placement. They were a lot of fun! Most of them were shy around us strangers but one had a baby who was very brave and spunky. We gave them a large play area to play in and all the fruits and vegetables they could eat. Eventually, they ended up in a wildlife center in Texas but I consider myself lucky to have known and cared for such interesting creatures!”
Dannie Spade, Client Care Representative:
“Last summer I was lucky enough to get a job working for a wildlife rescue. During this time I was mainly involved with caring for orphaned raccoons. One day two tiny little baby raccoons were brought in not doing well at all. The symptoms all pointed toward the little guys having distemper. None of us thought they were going to make it and were preparing for the worst. At this point we were giving them fluids several times a day and trying to get them to drink formula, which they generally refused. After about a week they didn’t seem to be improving at all so we were just waiting for the veterinarian to come in and give us the go ahead to euthanize. Two days before the vet was scheduled to come I came in to work and started my morning feedings. When I got to the two sick raccoons I noticed they were wrestling around with each other in their box and nearly hit my head on the ceiling jumping for joy. So after I calmed down I started feeding them and they were both ravenous and drank the entire bottle of formula. After two weeks of trying to nurse these two sweet little boys back to health they were finally turning around. A few weeks later they were back in the nursery with the rest of the babies and soon after that they were outside learning how to climb. Later that summer they were both released back into the wild. This was my most memorable experience and also my most rewarding.”
A Story About My Pet
Melanie Stoughton, Veterinary Technician/Client Care Representative:
“When I first moved to Boulder I worked at an animal hospital in Golden. One day a cat was brought in because he had an abscess (infection) on his foot. The cat’s guardians were quoted approximately $100 for the surgical repair, an amount they just could not afford. Given that their cat was in pain and they couldn’t afford to help him they opted to euthanize him instead. The doctor convinced them to relinquish the cat to the clinic. The surgery was performed the next day saving the cat.
After a few days, I decided to take the cat home (even though my apartment complex did not allow pets!). I renamed him ‘Tecumseh’ which didn’t fit his personality – he was a little on the cowardly side. I kept him until he passed away from kidney disease at the ripe old age of 18 years old. I loved him every day he was in my home.”
Jean Lira, Certified Veterinary Technician:
“My dog Snoopy is a very good communicator when he wants something. For instance, if he wants to go outside he will stand in front of the television and just stare at me, doing his best to block my view. If I ignore him, he will eventually leave for a few seconds…..then come back and stare again, this time huffing at me as well. Sometimes he will even walk over to me, rest his head on my lap, look up at me and just whine. This cycle continues repeatedly until he gets what he wants. What can I say? I love my little Snoppy dog!”
Erica Beverlin, Certified Veterinary Technician:
“When I adopted my little kitty, Isis, at six months old she was the cutest, fluffiest little girl! Her face seemed to small for her head because of all the fluff, and she carried her tail draped across her back like a skunk (she’s black and white so that completed the picture making it all the funnier!).
Isis has several funny habits byt my favorite by far is how she eats her food. Instead of eating from her bowl she will lay down beside it, stick her paw in and scoop out a small amount on to the tile floor. She then eats those pieces and repeats the procedure. By the time she gets full her food dish has scooted half way across the kitchen! It’s very entertaining to watch.
Isis will be 5 next January and I also have a 15 year old African Grey parrot. I love them both very much and they definitely make life a little more interesting!”
Dannie Spade, Client Care Representative:
“ Several years ago I adopted my dog Charlie from a shelter in NC. He looked like a miniature German shepherd, and he was terrified of everything. Once I brought him home and got him settled his true personality came out. He was the sweetest most well behaved dog I had ever met and I fell completely in love with him. After a few weeks I noticed that he was limping after he played or ran, so off to the vet we went. After the exam the Dr. wanted to do some x-rays because something didn’t feel right. My husband and I waited while they took Charlie back and after a few minutes the Dr. came up front with a disturbed look on his face. He explained that Charlie’s hip had been dislocated, but that wasn’t the worst part. He tried to prepare us as we walked back to the room to view the x-rays, but nothing could have prepared me for what they showed. Charlie’s x-rays seemed to be covered in white spots, which upon further inspection turned out to be bird shot, and pellets. There were upwards of 50 just in the area on the picture. My heart shattered that someone could have done something like that to such a sweet pup. Because of the amount of time that the hip had been dislocated it wasn’t possible to get it back in place. The only option for Charlie was surgery, after which he recovered wonderfully and is now happy and pain free. We will never know exactly what he went through in his time before us, but I know that whatever it was didn’t break him or steal his sweet loving spirit.”
