By: Elyse Rowley
Ever been the tech who felt like the hitching post, simply holding the horse for the veterinarian? We have all been there at one time or another but here’s what I’ve learned during my time standing there holding the patient: hone your observational skills and step up your conversational skills! In a medicine setting, working on a mystery case, noticing that the jugular pulse extends farther up the neck than it should or that there isn’t any air movement from one nostril…there are plenty of things that you, the technician, can observe and report to your clinician by simply holding the horse. Also, we all know the “look” that our vet gets when they just need a minute to concentrate on what they’re doing and not continuously answer client questions-here’s your chance to take one for the team and insert yourself tactfully into the conversation and simultaneously give your vet a minute to focus as well as possibly glean some new details from the client about the patient/ case that could be useful! We’re so much more than a hitching post!
