A Different Kind

of Breed:

The Veterinary Technology
Program of NDSU

A Photo Essay by Arielle Glaspie












Introductory Paragraph
This photographic essay is designed to showcase and explain how the veterinary technology program is
different from every other academic program at NDSU. It is a small part of NDSU, and not many people
know that there is actually a difference between being a veterinarian and being a veterinary technologist.
A vet is a DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) who has completed at least eight years of college,
attained a doctorate degree for veterinary medicine, and passed the North American Veterinary
Licensing Exam. A vet tech is a LVT (Licensed Veterinary Technologist) who has completed four years
of college, attained a bachelors in veterinary technology and passed the VTNE (Veterinary Technology
National Exam). If you think of veterinarians as the doctors, then veterinary technologists would be the
nurses, accomplishing many of the more minor yet vitally important footwork tasks of a veterinary clinic.
Before they can even begin to take vet tech courses, prospective students must complete a number of pre-
requisite classes, observe in a veterinary clinic for 40 hours, obtain two letters of reference (one from a
veterinarian), and of course complete and turn in an application. There are only 26-28 places in the
program available each year, so the program directors are very careful about who they select to enter the
program.
Once students are in the program, they must maintain their program class grades at a C or higher, and are
subject to a lot of out-of-classroom-time tasks. It is described by many of the students as grueling,
difficult, and insane, yet rewarding, worthwhile, and fun at the same time. This type of mindset shows
that vet techs are indeed a different kind of student breed.
Unlike many typical college students, vet tech students spend at least half of their school time applying
the techniques they learn during regular class times in real life situations. The idea behind this is to give
the students as much hands-on learning as possible before they are sent out to perform these techniques
in the real world.








Sideline
Jordin poses outside of Robinson Hall, the veterinary technology building located on the northwest side of
campus between Van Es and the Wellness Center. The garbage bag in her hand contains the remains of
Parasitology lab. Each student is required to bring one fecal sample to lab, and the leftovers are taken out by
the last person so the classroom doesnt stink the next day. In other words, Jordin is holding a big bag of
poop. And still smiling.














Endless Array
A few of the instruments that vet tech students are required to know are displayed on a classroom
counter. Next week, these will be switched out with a completely different set of tools that the
students will also have to learn and know.















Intake
Instructor Kari (center) and two students check a new cat for a spay scar. Live animals are used in the
programs to give real hands-on experience to the students. A number of dogs, cats, rodents, and birds
live in Robinson Hall, and are cared for by the students. They are circulated through the program from
a number of local shelters. This cat will be heading back to the Cats Cradle Shelter of Fargo in about
four weeks.












No, This Isnt a Ceiling Rat
Splinter the rat explores every nook and cranny of the rodent room floor during her free time. Each
vet tech student is required to take vitals on and enrich one animal per week. The type of animal
varies between dog, rodent, cat, bird, and horse. In order to do horse enrichment, vet tech students
must drive out to the NDSU Equine Barn west of campus.













Snappy Comeback
Paige shows off her towel folding skills while helper Alexia works in the background. Washing and
folding laundry is a daily necessity in order to prevent the spread of disease from animal to animal.
The students are encouraged to wash their scrub tops (worn whenever they work with an animal) in
the Robinson Hall laundry room to prevent their pets at home from being exposed to any infections
the students may pick up at school.












Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble
Ashley (center), Sadie (hands at left), and Sarah (hands at right) restrain Bucky while attempting to
take a chest radiograph. While most people would call this task taking an x-ray, x-rays are only used
to produce the radiograph. They are not the picture itself. This is the sixth time these students have
had to reposition Bucky since he keeps moving and messing up the shot.













The Aftermath
I get face to face with Munster while Flower peeks out from her perch on my shoulder. Many of the
students go into the dog and cat rooms after tests to de-stress and get some fuzzy therapy while
waiting for their next class to begin.













Dual Purpose
The two classrooms in Robinson Hall are used for many different things. Outside of normal class and
labs, students use the classrooms as study halls or dining areas where they may catch up on homework
or eat in between classes. This is especially handy since there are 55 students in the professional vet
tech program and the Robinson Hall student lounge (which includes a refrigerator, microwave, and
food that can be purchased from the Veterinary Technology Club) can only hold 6 people at a time.











Oh, and While Youre In
Heidi (left) and Olivia (right) fix a paw bandage for Ace the yellow lab. As TOC (Tech On Call), Heidi
will perform similar tasks throughout the afternoon. Every vet tech student is required to complete 6
TOC shifts per semester, which involves setting aside time to do chores around the building and, in
general, be a gopher. This can include filing paperwork, giving medications, obtaining vitals, cleaning
or setting up kennels, laundry, portioning out prescriptions, taking radiographs, and setting up files
for new animals, among many other tasks.












Wait, That Wasnt in my Locker Before
Bird residents Chicky (on bench), and Sunshine and Tango (on floor) wait in the student locker room
while their room is swept and sanitized. This process, called froamering because that is the chemical
sanitizer used, is done every day, although the rooms froamered each day are rotated throughout the
week. This helps reduce latent bacteria and possible diseases, preventing them from being spread to
other rooms. The birds are put in the locker room so they are not stressed or bothered by dogs passing
by on their way out for walks. Hanging in the background are rubber boots for the students to wear
when they go out to work at the NDSU livestock barns.













The Long Haul
The main hallway of Robinson Hall with Britley (left) and Margaret (right), who are on Ward Care,
walking toward a froamering machine. Ward Care takes place twice a day, from 6-8am and 5-7 pm,
every weekday and weekend. This is the time when the vet tech students feed, walk, and clean up
after the animals housed in Robinson Hall. Each student is required to complete one morning or
evening shift per week, and two weekend shifts (a morning or evening shift on Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday over a particular weekend) per semester. It requires careful planning, but shifts may be, and
often are, traded between students.












Multitasking
Lexi prepares an ear mite slide while making sure that Spirit the cat doesnt jump off the table.
Because many classes and tasks involve live animals, students must keep an eye on them at all times
to make sure they do not get into trouble or go anywhere while the students complete tasks for the
class. This can be quite difficult as some animals are high-strung or do not like being around other
animals.






Manifold Mania
From left to right, Kathy, Jennifer, and Sara work on loading and running the autoclave while a Ward
Care worker prepares cat food dishes in the Wash Room. Many of the rooms in Robinson Hall are
utilized for multiple purposes. As a result, students often have to shuffle around each other while
going about their duties. Although they were not captured in this picture, the Wash Room also
contains a large concrete tub for bathing dogs, a computer terminal, and the white board where
prescribed medications are recorded.









Jammed
Instructor Stacey (standing) helps Crystal (front) and Ashley (back) input medical records into the
computer. Both paper and electronic medical records are kept for all animals that pass through NDSU
for seven years, as mandated by state law. The importance of keeping good, clear, organized records
of all actions taken with a particular patient is pounded into the students from day one.






Nerve Racking Veins
The culmination of a successful jugular vein blood draw sits on a table, waiting to be tested. Drawing
blood is one of the more foreboding duties that students must learn during their first semester in the
professional program. Before actually performing a blood draw, they must learn which size syringe
and needle to use for each draw. This changes depending on the size of the animal. Students must also
learn which color tube to put the blood in when it has been collected. Pictured here are a red tube (no
additives) and a purple tube (contains an anticoagulant so the blood will not clot). The type of tests
that need to be performed with the blood determines which color tube the blood will be put into once
it has been drawn. There are many other colors besides the two pictured here, although red and purple
are the most commonly used.







A Brace of Backlash
Scott, who originally came in as Scarlett, peeks out from the top shelf of a cat-climbing staircase in
one of the feline colonies. At the time this photo was taken, Scotts left ear (the ear on the right in the
picture) was literally dangling from his head by a thread as a result of frostbite. Scott will also lose his
other ear and the tip of his tail by the time you read this. Three other cats arrived at Robinson Hall in
similar states throughout the winter, though none of their cases were as severe.





























Fin