• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

2007 Firstline MVP Winner: The business of hope

March 1, 2007

Compassionate caregiver. Teacher. Go-to person. These are all words co-workers use to describe Kathy Coffman, the 2007 Firstline MVP, sponsored by Virbac's C.E.T. University.

One of Coffman's most memorable patients was River, a 92-pound red doberman that was paralyzed after a disk prolapse. "I would start to feel discouraged, and then I would see his family carrying him in every week. They were so dedicated," Coffman says. "After three months of hard work, he started walking again. We were all amazed."

The business of hope

Advertisement

Compassionate caregiver. Teacher. Go-to person. These are all words co-workers use to describe Kathy Coffman, a veterinary assistant at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Md., and the 2007 Firstline MVP, sponsored by Virbac's C.E.T. University. Coffman, a certified canine rehabilitation therapist and certified canine massage therapist, offers second chances to dogs struggling to walk. "I see a lot of older arthritic dogs who can't get up on the couch anymore," Coffman says. "Our clients are so excited when their pets do normal things like climb into bed with them again."

Coffman says continuing education and working with other team members keep her happy with her work. "Being able to go to continuing education meetings, being with your colleagues, and seeing new people coming into the field—these are all incentives for me," Coffman says. "I love it when new people come to our practice, because they bring that excitement about the profession with them, and I get excited again."

Coffman practices exercises with Max, a Labrador that could barely walk when he first started rehabilitation. Coffman worked in the intensive care unit at her practice for about 10 years before burnout began to take its toll. Around that time, Coffman's own dog, Samantha, began to have trouble walking. "When I saw rehabilitation working for Samantha, I thought, 'Wow, what if you could do that for a living and make other people feel the way I did when I could take her on walks again.'"

Coffman has a special Friday tradition. As a member of the Pets on Wheels program, she loads her dogs in the car and visits hospitals and nursing homes. "It's such a release for me after the stress of seeing sick animals all week," Coffman says. "And the people we visit really look forward to seeing us."

Related Content:

RolesTechnicians
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship
Veterinary tech students awarded national scholarship
3 tips for selling your practice
3 tips for selling your practice
A day in the life of an Australian veterinary student
A day in the life of an Australian veterinary student

Advertisement

Latest News

Kentucky Humane Society with Louisville Metro Animal Services to host mega adoption event

San Diego Zoo celebrates Andean bear cub twins

Spring’s pet toxins have sprung

IBPSA and Zoundz Music for Pets team up to reduce pet anxiety in pet care facilities

View More Latest News
Advertisement