For Ross Medical Education Center in New Baltimore, Michigan, helping out in their community is something that everyone looks forward to. However, helping out with their furry neighbors is especially exciting! The faculty and students in the Veterinary Assistant program are always looking for ways to contribute to and support the animal care facilities and the animals that use their services in their local area.
Each year, the Saint Clair County 4H organization hosts Animal Mania. They open it up to the public so that they can explore the world of animals through interactive exhibits and demonstrations. This spring, some of the Veterinary Assistant students from New Baltimore had the chance to represent Ross and their program at this exciting annual event.
The students came together and volunteered their free time on a Saturday to host an exhibit. They created a display board that contained information about the Veterinary Assistant program at Ross. They also shared about daily life as a student. One student, Laura Shagena, also created another board that featured the periodontal health in dogs and cats. As guests walked through the event, both Laura and her classmate, Lindsay Hock, demonstrated and educated people on the importance of dental health for their pets.
Their exhibit also included animal mouth models and toothbrushes for practice. They even had an area where they were able to demonstrate the correct way to cut dog’s and cat’s nails with trimmers! That fun station provided candy corn to the visitors to practice clipping the ends of the candy. “It was a great way for people to learn the correct way to hold nail trimmers, and show them where to cut on a pet’s nail,” shared Jennifer Maniaci, Campus Director.
They were so thankful to North Gratiot Veterinary Hospital for their support too! The local hospital allowed them to use a portable x-ray viewer. They were able to host a fun contest where guests had to guess, based on a x-ray, how many puppies the pregnant dog would have. It was an excellent experience overall and the Veterinary Assistant students had a lot of fun while also gaining valuable experience through their practice with client education and communication. Throughout the day, over 3,000 people visited the event, so the students had plenty of new people to educate and share their experiences with! They also got the opportunity to meet a variety of veterinary professionals that attended the event.