Report from PPG’s Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Seven of Eight)
A group photo from the Certified Pet Care Technician workshop including Rebekah King (front row, second right)
In this post we will take a look at Rebekah King’s day three presentation, Canine and Feline Health Health & Handling which included common canine diseases; recommended canine vaccination protocols, heartworm testing, infection, and disease; common feline diseases; recommended feline vaccination protocols; potential vaccine risks; common parasites; how to safely restrain an animal; administering medications and zoonotic diseases!
King carefully explained something that many pet care providers and pet guardians are often unaware of: how pets should be lifted. She went over the procedures for lifting a cat, a small dog, a medium dog and a large dog and the attendees all practised their skills. Many people don’t realize that how a pet is lifted depends on its size so this was a very useful exercise!
Kory Kirby from Tawzer Dog, J.C. Drake, Michelle Harmon, Niki Tudge and Rachel Williams, the owner of Palm Beach County DogSmith with her dog, Chloe, enjoy a break
Later in the presentation, King demonstrated how to administer oral medication to both cats and dogs using syringes, pill pockets made from peanut butter, cream cheese or something else the pet absolutely loves or, if necessary, to the back of the throat. King also pointed out that when giving aural medication the drop or drops should be applied to the ear canal and the ear should then be lightly massaged.
Rabies, Distemper, Parvo Virus, Leptospirosis and Kennel Cough were all discussed with King telling us that Leptospirosis has increased in prevalence since 1983 with increasing contact between dogs and wildlife. Lyme disease, a tick borne bacterial disease, causes joint pain, lameness, lethargy, loss of appetite, depression and fever. Kennel cough, a canine upper respiratory complex usually manifests itself as a harsh, dry cough often followed by gagging white foam. Kennel cough has a viral and bacterial component. King stressed the importance of being aware of both canine and feline health issues and increasing our knowledge of vaccination protocols – many of which, in certain areas, may be a legal requirement.
At the end of day three the DogNostics faculty members, the attendees and the great folk from Tawzer Dog all stayed late to enjoy a group bonfire with food, drinks and lots of great conversation.
In part eight, the final post of this series of reports from the Certified Pet Care Technician workshop, we will take a look at day four and Rebekah King’s presentation, Pet First Aid.
If you would like to know more about pet care, why not sign up for The Pet Professional Guild’s Virtual Pet Care Summit taking place on Thursday, August 11 and Friday, August 12, 2016 ? There will be more than 25 hours of educational webinars across a variety of topics geared towards the pet care professional! More information and online registration here.