I Was Just Trying to Help! When the Best Intentions Turn Toxic

Melissa Evans, LVT, CVT, VTS (ECC)

Melissa is a credentialed veterinary technician who earned her specialty in Emergency and Critical Care in 2018. Melissa has worked at referral and specialty hospitals in both New Jersey and New York as an Emergency, ICU and Critical Care technician. She has experience in shelter, wildlife and disaster medicine. In her position as owner of Melissa Evans, VTS (ECC) - Veterinary Nurse Consulting, Melissa speaks to technicians on emergency and critical care topics and provides in hospital, hands-on training in advanced skills. She is a RECOVER CPR Certified Instructor and has served as the Master of Ceremonies for the RECOVER Battles at IVECCS for the past 3 years. Melissa has spoken at both national and international conferences and webinars, including IVECCS, OAVT, Fetch DVM360 and has taught online courses for VSPN. She has been published in multiple journals and is featured on MyVetCandy.com. Additionally, Melissa serves as Director on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). Melissa lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, 10-year-old son and three cats. In her free time she enjoys Pilates, exploring the city with her family and watching British crime shows.

Overview:

Our companion animals are part of the family. When they are sick or in pain, it’s natural to want to try to help. Unfortunately, many of the medications that humans take to make them feel better can be toxic to our pets. This lecture will examine the most common medications given
by owners with the best intentions. We will focus on NSAIDs, acetaminophen, cold medications and medical marijuana. The mechanism of action of these drugs will be discussed and the affects they have on our patients will be reviewed. Treatment and care of these toxins will also be covered.

Learning Objectives:

Discuss the different routes of toxin decontamination
Examine treatment of toxins given by owners
Identify special nursing considerations for these toxins

This course is RACE-approved for 1.0 continuing education credits hours in jurisdictions that accept RACE-approval.