I need a little help. (working/volunteer related)

**Sevaede** · 04-07-2006, 11:23 PM

I am going to school for vet med in the fall. I am either attending LSUS or Texas A&M. However, right now I am having a bit of trouble getting my foot in the door and a little bit of experience under the belt. I have been applying at vets offices/clinics, emergency places, specialists, and to no avail. So should I apply at the pounds? Do you think shelters and rescues will let me apply or accept a resume even though it has no professional animal work experience on it?

Number 2, I was wondering how I would go about being able to watch the live birth of a pet short of getting my own pregnant. I know that's a lot to ask for but I am genuinely interested and am much willing to help! I had to do a lot of research, started buying stuff, and getting prepared when Isis got pregnant unexpectedly. She aborted, though, and I was pretty crushed. I was sooo excited to be able to see a birth and help out. The only other birth that I ever got to deal with was when my old Rottweiler got pregnant (my aunt has since given her to a farm where she can play and frolic) about six years ago. She was a year old and had TWELVE puppies. However, it was not known until too late and she had already been given a certain type of topical flea treatment. I did, however, get to sleep on a floor by a pellet stove and wake up every two hours to feed the puppies. We never did find out who or what the father was, although, now that I think about it, it may have been one of the three Rotties who live behind my dads place. They all passed, a few in my arms, and I have been wanting to try and take care of something else.

**Catty1** · 04-08-2006, 08:57 AM

You can ask a breeder - or get a video someone has mentioned here, I forget the name of it...

Is this needed for your studies?

If you get on at a shelter, there are pregnant animals dumped there too, so you would likely see birth there.

Catty1

**moosmom** · 04-08-2006, 09:06 AM

Catty1 is right. I'm sure if you contact a breeder, they can help you with a live birth video, or as she said, at a shelter where TONS of pregnant pets are dumped.

Shelter work is a great way to get experience. Another way to gain experience (that's where I got mine) is to volunteer for a rescue organization. Good luck to you!

**catcrazylady** · 04-08-2006, 09:08 AM

I doubt you will find many shelters that would turn you down as a volunteer. If you were able to give a lot of time you would probably see anything and everything you could imagine. I have no vet or vet tech experience but after working at our shelter I might as well be one! I have had to learn to deal with trauma emergencies, how to medicate oral and injectibles, and I assist with spay/neuter surgeries as well as a few other emergency surgeries. I have learned way more than I wanted to know!

As far as live births I would find a movie to watch. I'm sure there are some educational films out there somewhere. You commented about your pets getting pregnant but I'm hoping that they are all spayed or neutered.

**catmandu** · 04-08-2006, 07:35 PM

I think that you would readily be accepted as a Volunteer as they can use all the Help that they can get.
As for witnessing Birth,I am not sure as Mother Ctas usually wait until they are alone before they have Kittens.
A Pre Caution they ahve in the Wild where Predators abound.
A Feral Mother will have have Kittens when people are present,if they can help it.

**QueenScoopalot** · 04-08-2006, 07:58 PM

I agree that shelters are always in dire need of help! What about offering to foster a pregnant cat? Moms to be always do much better in a quiet place, rather than a shelter environment where they are under stress, and exposed to different kitty colds. But even if you go that route, it is no guarantee you'll see anything, as many cats deliver during the dead of night. Here's a link to a cat I rescued several years ago that delivered kittens...sorry it's not live action, but it does give you the idea.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...ighlight=Holly
There are far too many kittens in the world than there are homes for them, and as many of us know MILLIONS get killed because of that fact.

I too hope you have spayed your pets, and consider fostering and volunteering at a shelter. They are always in need and would no doubt love to have you helping!

**Sevaede** · 04-08-2006, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by Catty1

You can ask a breeder - or get a video someone has mentioned here, I forget the name of it...

Is this needed for your studies?

If you get on at a shelter, there are pregnant animals dumped there too, so you would likely see birth there.

Catty1

No, not for studies. I have always been fascinated with births and love to help and watch.

As a side note, I am applying at the "pound" on Monday!

**Sevaede** · 04-08-2006, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by moosmom

Catty1 is right. I'm sure if you contact a breeder, they can help you with a live birth video, or as she said, at a shelter where TONS of pregnant pets are dumped.

Shelter work is a great way to get experience. Another way to gain experience (that's where I got mine) is to volunteer for a rescue organization. Good luck to you!

Hmm, good idea! I will look for some rescue organizations around here. I would have to find one that does their business in their own building, for the time being. I know there are a couple here in town.. Hmm! Too many ideas!

**Sevaede** · 04-08-2006, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by catcrazylady

I doubt you will find many shelters that would turn you down as a volunteer. If you were able to give a lot of time you would probably see anything and everything you could imagine. I have no vet or vet tech experience but after working at our shelter I might as well be one! I have had to learn to deal with trauma emergencies, how to medicate oral and injectibles, and I assist with spay/neuter surgeries as well as a few other emergency surgeries. I have learned way more than I wanted to know!

As far as live births I would find a movie to watch. I'm sure there are some educational films out there somewhere. You commented about your pets getting pregnant but I'm hoping that they are all spayed or neutered.

Well, I will see if the library has one. I am applying at the "pound" on Monday so I hope that goes well.

Yep, our male got our female pregnant but we got him neutered SHORTLY thereafter and she aborted. We have to get her shots before they will spay her. She got pregnant in Jan (at 5 mos!) so I am glad, for her sake, that she aborted. Besides, there are too many cats in need of good homes as it is for me to let them have kittens unless I was a breeder.

**Sevaede** · 04-08-2006, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by catmandu

I think that you would readily be accepted as a Volunteer as they can use all the Help that they can get.
As for witnessing Birth,I am not sure as Mother Ctas usually wait until they are alone before they have Kittens.
A Pre Caution they ahve in the Wild where Predators abound.
A Feral Mother will have have Kittens when people are present,if they can help it.

Hmm, so maybe I should volunteer at some of these places before I go applying to paying jobs? That would help experience-wise.

Yeah, I was pretty wary about my ability to watch Isis have hers (she would have had them March 23rd, by the way) until my mother told me not to worry because I am super close with Isis. And by super close I mean the only person she will even let hold her or touch her while they are awake (sleeping people are a different story).

My husbands parents have five outside cats and there are a couple of others that have just wandered up in the past couple of days. There are only two females in the whole bunch (there were a bunch more cats but something keeps getting them). Both of them are pregnant, now there is Mama Cat and Rasputin. Rasputin is a first timer who is not much younger than Isis so I am not too sure about her mothering abilities however I hope that Mama Cat will protect her babies from the predators that are getting all of them. =( It IS going to be snake season around here, soon, and they are both due any time now.

**Sevaede** · 04-08-2006, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by QueenScoopalot

I agree that shelters are always in dire need of help! What about offering to foster a pregnant cat? Moms to be always do much better in a quiet place, rather than a shelter environment where they are under stress, and exposed to different kitty colds. But even if you go that route, it is no guarantee you'll see anything, as many cats deliver during the dead of night. Here's a link to a cat I rescued several years ago that delivered kittens...sorry it's not live action, but it does give you the idea.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...ighlight=Holly
There are far too many kittens in the world than there are homes for them, and as many of us know MILLIONS get killed because of that fact.

I too hope you have spayed your pets, and consider fostering and volunteering at a shelter. They are always in need and would no doubt love to have you helping!

Awww! Thank you so much for sharing that! Heh, I don't sleep much (just can't. I am much more a night person.) so I was hoping that would be one up for me. =P

Isis is getting her shots soon and then she will be spayed. We were already planning Soni's neuter before Isis got pregnant. When we discovered that she was, we hurried up the process a little bit. Imagine how long it took before he talked to us again!