Technicians are the Lifeblood of a Vet Clinic

Being a technician is not only about playing with puppies and kittens. What an average person may not realize is that every one of our technicians performs duties that take at least 15 people in the human world to complete.

To your pet they are a...

1.      Nurse

2.      Nurse aid

3.      Lab technician

4.      Dental hygienist

5.      Surgical technician

6.      Anesthesia technician

7.      Pain management technician

8.      Pharmacy technician

9.      Rehabilitation therapist

10.  Orderly

11.  Administrative assistant

12.  Counselor

13.  Radiology technician

14.  Phlebotomist

15.  Housekeeper

*And they learn how to do all these positions in only two years of schooling and constant on-the-job training.

Veterinary technicians are a rare breed. It is not the money that keeps them coming back to work every day, as they make just over minimum wage, but their passion and love for animals. As Audrey, one of our technicians, puts it:

“My job is not about pride and getting the blood or the catheter in, it is about being gentle and understanding to a scared animal that doesn't know what is going on and doesn't feel well.”

Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic is fortunate to have some of the greatest technicians in the world (we are not biased). We specialize in exotics as well as dogs and cats, so our technicians have undergone rigorous training and education. Every day they work hard drawing blood from reptiles, performing dentals on cats and dogs (and ferrets), educating our clients, assisting in surgeries, comforting grieving owners, restraining birds, snapping x-rays of rabbits, analyzing lab work, filling prescriptions—the list goes on and on.

Allow us to introduce our wonderful technicians:

Crystal is our lead technician and has been with PCVC since 1997. She loves exotics, and is in the process of becoming a specialized exotics technician. Her interest in veterinary medicine began when she was teenager, and although she wanted to be a veterinarian at first, she realized she was more interested in being a technician. She has been in the field for 22 years. For her, the best part of her job is interacting with animals and helping them get back to health.

Audrey is a certified veterinary technician from Chicago and has been has a technician for 17 years, and certified for 12 of those years. Her love for exotics, especially ferrets, has made her job interesting and enjoyable. Ferrets are her absolute favorite animal. She even contemplated working in ferret research to help find cures for their diseases. Every day Audrey hopes that she can make a difference in the lives of our patients and clients, as well as learn something new.

Jen has been a technician for almost four years. Her sweet demeanor and patience with our clients and patients has made her a valuable part of our clinic. She loves working with so many different types of animals and learning something new every day. When she was younger, she always wanted to be a marine biologist and work with dolphins, but didn’t pursue it because of her fear of water. She knew, however, she wanted to work with various species of animals and pursued a career as a veterinary technician.

Dean is another one of our technicians who has a passion for snakes. If you bring in a snake, just know that Dean will be there to help. He graduated from the veterinary technician program at Utah Career College (now Broadview University).

Christine is the newest addition to the PCVC team and is being trained in exotics. We are excited to have her at our hospital.

A vet tech’s job is draining physically, mentally and emotionally. Our techs work long hours and are always paying attention to detail. If there were no vet techs, the veterinary world would be a dreadful place. We are extremely grateful for the technician staff at PCVC. They keep our clinic alive and running. Thank you!

Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic is the Place to Bring Your Pet

What do you expect to find when you and your pet walk through the doors of Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic? First, you’ll notice a clean smell throughout the lobby—not the scent of a thousand hounds rolling around in dirt. Then you’ll notice Bob the snake, a green tree python in his habitat (cage), sleeping. And trust me, every time you’ll see Bob, he is asleep—not dead. You may hear some squawking and mumbling from a cage in the corner of the lobby. That is Buckwheat, our Double Yellow-headed Amazon. She is our pride and joy!

Here is Bob, sleeping

Upon entering the clinic lobby, you’ll always be greeted with a smile by one of our awesome receptionists. Courtney is our lead receptionist and has been with our clinic for over four years. She is also a certified dog trainer, so if you have a new puppy, she is your lady.

If your pet happens to need care in our treatment area, feel free to come back with our doctors and technicians. We have an open-door policy, so if you’re ever concerned about your loved one while they are receiving treatment, you have the option to be there with them. Our doctors and staff are highly skilled and sympathetic.

About our doctors:

Dr. Folland is the founder and medical director of Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic. He is Avian Board Certified, with a passion for exotic animals. In the past he has worked for Hogle Zoo, and currently cares for the birds at Tracy Aviary. He has saved countless eagles that have been rescued, and even helped save a family of beavers that had been affected by an oil spill.

Dr. Echols is another one of our veterinarians at PCVC and Avian Board Certified as well. We are very lucky to have two of the very few Avian Certified vets in the U.S. In addition to working at PCVC, Dr. Echols performs research and lectures at various veterinary conferences throughout the world. He’s spent time in the Amazon rain forest (like Tarzan), studying various species of animals and living in a tree house.

The newest addition to our team is Dr. Stearns. She recently graduated from Cornell and moved all the way out to Utah to train under Dr. Folland and Dr. Echols. Everyone at PCVC are excited to have her as one of our veterinarians.

Dr. Love works for us part-time and is also a Cornell alumna. She has a “LOVE” for animals and brings positive energy to our clinic.

Welcome to Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic!

This is Buckwheat, our cute Double Yellow-headed Amazon

*Stay tuned for our next blog when we introduce our fantastic technicians*