LIFE’S A ZOO: Vet Tech Students Learn About Exotic Animals

By Heather Darrow

It’s not a stretch to say that Deborah Chase’s daily activities are wildly different from ours. When she looks out her conference room window she sees elephants, and her calendar is filled with injections and blood draws for otters, cheetahs, and tigers. On busy days, you may refer to your workplace as a zoo, but for Deborah it’s a daily reality.

A licensed veterinary technician, Deborah has worked at the Dallas Zoo for almost 25 years. This fall, she will be starting her third year as an adjunct Veterinary Technology professor at Collin College. Recently, the college’s Vet Tech students came to the zoo for a tour.

“When they saw the elephant endotracheal tubes, they wanted to take photos next to them because the tubes are taller than they are,” Deborah said, laughing.

She and her veterinary technician colleagues work in the animal hospital and have a wealth of veterinary medical experience. They perform lab work and assist with preventative medicine, tube feeding, anesthesia, quarantine, radiology, surgeries, pharmaceuticals, and so much more. Deborah obtained a certificate for advanced training to perform ultrasounds, a task she really enjoys.

“Every day is different at the zoo,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “Life is just more enjoyable working with animals. Big cats are some of my favorites because they are very majestic. We waited more than 20 years to successfully breed tiger cubs. It was exciting to see the heartbeats and images of multiple cubs. The ideal is to get head and body measurements to determine age, but it is hard to do that. When the pregnant tiger finishes her food, your time is done.”

Deborah will be teaching a course this fall, and students like Ashley Burleson will be amazed by her real-life stories about exotic animals.

“The Vet Tech program is rigorous, but I love every moment,” said Ashley, who is currently employed at a veterinary hospital and ultimately wants to work with horses. “The professors and director have high expectations of you, but they also support you. You are not a number at Collin College – you are a person. I have Asperger’s Syndrome, and I want to show people with autism that you can do this and succeed. Working with animals calms me down. You are helping an animal that does not have a voice. It’s up to you and the veterinarian to figure out why it is hurting. This program can help you open doors to what you may want to do in the future.”

Collin College student Chris Drury added that students who have at least 40 hours of clinical experience can apply for this program.

“They even teach résumé and interview skills. You can come in with a little experience, graduate two years later, and hit the ground running,” said Chris, who works in a veterinary clinic and plans to graduate with an Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology in May 2024.

Chris is looking forward to becoming a credentialed Veterinary Technician. He said having the letters “LVT” (Licensed Veterinary Technician) behind his name will be invaluable, and he is excited to expand his skillset.

“Last semester I took clinical pathology and found out I really like cytology and looking at slides on a microscope,” Chris said. “It’s kind of like putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Next semester, I may love something else. I am excited to have so many options.”

Making sure that students know about all the career options in veterinary medicine is important to Deborah.

“I want students to know they can work with small and large animals or choose zoo medicine, research, teaching, or sales, and so much more. They can find their niches, like me performing ultrasounds, and acquire specialties through the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. Veterinary medicine is never-ending learning, and that’s what makes it so interesting,” she said.

To find out more about the Wylie Campus Vet Tech program, visit www.collin.edu/department/ vettech/.

To apply or register for classes at the Wylie Campus, visit www.collin.edu/campuses/wylie. •