Technicians

How often do you sit back and really think about what amazing things you do every day as a veterinary technician? How frequently do you pat yourself on the back acknowledging your education, training, and skills? Do you ever reflect at the end of the day on what you accomplished during that day?

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The estrous cycle of the bitch consists of proestrus, estrus, diestrus, and anestrus. Proestrus is the first stage of heat, when the bitch first shows swelling of the vulva and exudation of serosanguinous vulvar discharge. Male dogs are interested but she does not allow mounting. Estrus, or standing heat, is characterized by softening of the vulva, a change from serosanguinous to a more tan-colored discharge, and flagging and standing by the bitch.

A complete blood count (CBC) is a useful and very often-used method of screening and diagnosing patients who present for a wide variety of conditions. It may include both quantitative information about cell numbers, sizes, variability, etc. as well as descriptive information based on evaluation of a blood smear and description of any morphologic abnormalities or infectious agents present. A CBC is probably the most useful when both types of information are reviewed.