Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians
107-100 Stone Road West N1G 5L3 Guelph, ON, Canada

Mark your calendars for the 2021 Annual General Meeting! This year we are going virtual! Join us on February 28 at 7:00 p.m. You must pre-register to attend the meeting. All are welcome to attend, but voting will be reserved for RVT and RVTr (retired) members. Members will be sent an email with details on how to register.

It's here! The January edition of RVT Talk is now available. Read the latest news from RVTTC at http://sasmail2.com/PV/dsxwo

Dr. Scott Weese has been recognized for his work with the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) for developing safety protocols making animals and veterinary teams safer during COVD. Dr. Weese has been awarded the 2021 Award of Merit from the OVMA. Congratulations! https://conta.cc/36bCBoc

Feeling the winter blahs? January is Walk Your Dog Month. Beat those winter blues with your four legged friends and enjoy a walk this weekend! https://www.ovchsc.ca/news/january-is-walk-your-dog-month

An update from the MNRF on #rabies in Ontario. We are currently at 480 cases of raccoon strain, and 21 cases of fox strain rabies in Ontario.

Today is #BellLetsTalkDay. With the new challenges brought on by the pandemic, it is even more important to to be aware of your own mental health, listen to others, and reach out if you need support. Let's keep making positive changes in mental health! Which of these self-care activities have you done?

It might be January, but there is still time to take advantage of the OAVT Conference early bird pricing! Until January 15th, get your OAVT Conference pass for just $79 for members or $99 for non-members. Visit https://conference.oavt.org/ for more information!

Happy New Year! Let's be honest--No one is sad to say goodbye to 2020! Let's hope for brighter skies ahead in 2021.

It's Time to Talk about mental health in Vet Med in honour of #bellletstalkdayTalk. Join CVMA for a 1-hour conversation on this occasion at 12 p.m. EST. Join other veterinary professionals across Canada in this webinar to learn about: Mental health and mental illness and how it is okay to have both Signs and symptoms of common mental illness and the prevalence in veterinary medicine... How stigma gets in the way of getting help and being helpful Where to get help in your local community Learn more at https://conta.cc/36bCBoc See more

Amazing news! Last week there were no new #rabies cases reported in Ontario! Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Last chance to take advantage of the OAVT Conference early bird pricing! Until January 15th, get your OAVT Conference pass for just $79 for members or $99 for non-members. Visit https://conference.oavt.org/ to register today!

Have you reserved your spot for this year's OAVT Conference? Act fast, we’re mailing out exclusive swag bags to the first 1,000 registrants! A few reasons to attend: Each day will kick-off with a can't-miss keynote or panel discussion.... We've designed personal experiences to connect our attendees directly with a variety of experts. After the event, you will have access to session recordings which you can watch or rewatch at your leisure. Your furry friend can join in on the fun! Learn more about this year’s virtual conference here: https://bit.ly/3sTyW8h Any questions? Let us know in the comments!

Each day of the OAVT 2021 Conference will feature a keynote or panel-style general session. Have you been interested in emergency medicine but unsure about whether or not it would be a good fit? Join RVTs Oscar Mindreau and Andrea Steele for "Don't Just Survive, Thrive! Excelling as an ECC RVT", an in-depth discussion focused on being an all-star ECC RVT. https://conference.oavt.org/sessions

On Monday, March 1, Dr. Arinjay Banerjee, PhD will be presenting the first general session for the OAVT 2021 Conference. Dr. Banerjee is a virologist who studies high-risk viruses using a One Health approach. This general session will discuss a variety of topics including studies regarding the coronaviruses. Register before January 15 to take advantage of early bird rates! www.oavt.org/conference

A complete genetic and economic assessment of the current breeding structure in Canadian dairy cattle is being completed by a team of U of G researchers. Their goal is to identify new technologies for improving efficiency in the dairy sector, while keeping costs in check for consumers and farmers. https://www.uoguelph.ca//new-technology-assessment-targets

The OAVT 2021 Conference will be hosted in a brand-new virtual format! Join us from March 1-5, 2021 for over 40 hours of CE presented by topic experts from across North America. The first 1,000 Canadian registrants will also receive a registration gift by mail! Registration is now open! Visit www.oavt.org/conference for all of the details.

Ontario has declared a second Provincial Emergency to address the COVID-19 crisis. At this time, there does not appear to be any additional restrictions on veterinary medicine. We will keep you updated should this change. Everyone is encouraged to continue with physical distancing, hand hygiene, face covering, curbside interaction with clients, and working from home wherever possible. Stay safe! https://news.ontario.ca//ontario-declares-second-provincia

Do you use surgery checklists? Checklists have been shown to decrease mistakes, reduce complications, and save lives. Implementing checklists, or improving existing checklists, can help to improve your clinic. https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/surgery-checklists-/

RVTs: are your skills being fully utilized? Check out the OAVT's webpage with resources and facts to help encourage employers to allow RVTs to perform the tasks they are formally trained to do.

Merry Christmas from all of us at the OAVT!

"If an owner notices their cat is losing an abnormal amount of hair, they should also keep an eye out for accompanying symptoms that may point towards a larger problem."

Today, November 15, is National Philanthropy Day - a day to celebrate charitable activities, in the form of donated financial, in-kind and volunteering support. And we absolutely LOVE our volunteers! Have you been wanting to volunteer your time? Check out the OAVT's Volunteer page to see what kinds of opportunities are out there for RVTs.

OAVT Director Lauralee Dorst, RVT, gets very personal in this week's #SelfcareSaturday tip. Listen to Lauralee's experience with a life coach, who she started seeing after some personal tragedies earlier this year. Thanks for sharing, Lauralee.

Congrats to OAVT Director Cally Merritt, RVT! Cally has been named the vice president of our national association (RVTTC). The Registered Veterinary Technologists and Technicians of Canada - RVTTC

This is RVT Month, COVID-style. OAVT Finance Manager, Verna, helped pack RVT Month gifts for our RVT staff and Directors...with sanitized and gloved hands! The cute RVT mugs are hand made by fellow RVT Christine Torres (Schnortzy's Pottery). #RVTMonth

When friends and family ask you what an RVT does for a living, what do you tell them? How do you explain the role you play in veterinary medicine? Listen to how these RVTs, who stopped by our video booth at the OAVT Conference in March, described the role of an RVT. (See someone you know? Tag them below!) #RVTMonth

Yessssss! Thanks RVT Sarah Boundy of the OSPCA for showing us her new Proudly RVT mask...a gift she received for RVT Month. The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society

Attention RVTs!! Are you (or an RVT that you know) a natural leader, with the passion and skill set to help lead this organization with respect to its Mission and Vision Statement and Association goals through strategic and financial planning and high-level decision making?! Consider nominating yourself (or an RVT you know) to sit in the 2021 OAVT Directors Election. The nomination form is found at www.oavt.org/vote and is open until Dec. 31, 2020 at 5pm.

A new blog post from Worms and Germs Blog. "Unlike many infection control activities, needlestick injury risk reduction is straightforward and doesn’t take much real time or effort." Take a look at Dr. Scott Weese's list of things you should never do.

Want to learn how you could win a pair of these paw print drop earrings, handmade by Canadian RVT Vanessa George (Peaks To Prairies Handmade)? The OAVT has five pairs to give away. Learn how you can win a pair in the Contest section of the RVT Month app. Contest closes October 25th, and is open to all Canadian RVTs. www.rvtmonth.ca

If you're an RVT, be sure to let everyone know. Clients, colleagues, coworkers, employers....make sure they know that you have the RVT credential! Introduce yourself as an RVT. #proudlyRVT #rvtmonth

If you're an RVT interested in animal rehabilitation, you won't want to miss October's RVT Career Spotlight of the Month! Jenna Cook BSc (hons), RVT, CCRP, CCMT (with SOAR Veterinary Services) has a passion for pain management, geriatric care and neurological recovery. Read more about this Seneca grad's RVT journey: http://oavt.org/membership/rvt-career-spotlight-of-the-month

Thank you to the city of Toronto and Mayor John Tory for recognizing October as RVT Month! Ontario's 4,000 RVTs are ESSENTIAL to veterinary medicine, and they definitely deserve the recognition. #RVTMonth

In honour of the first day of RVT Month, we thought we'd start with something simple: what is an RVT? Back at our OAVT Conference in March, dozens of RVTs stopped by our video booth - and here are some of the responses when they were asked how they explain what an RVT is. (See someone you know in the video? Tag them below!) #RVTMonth

This is it. Tomorrow is the big day. October 1st begins RVT Month. For all you do, this month's for you. www.rvtmonth.ca (Thanks to RVT Caitlyn Tyshenko for the RVT wine glass pic!)

Don't forget: the OAVT's virtual Road Show kicks off tomorrow night!! Are you signed up yet? It's not too late. The entire road show is FREE for all OAVT and SAVT members. Non-members can register for $75. First up tomorrow night at 8pm eastern is Mary Berg, BS, LATG, RVT, VTS (Dentistry). The session is called "Senior Dogs Need Dentistry Too!"

We know a lot of RVTs run their clinic or organization's social media feeds. Are you looking for new ideas? Our friends at CDMV have launched a new blog, and one of their posts is called "10 content ideas for your social media feeds". And they aren't just 10 random ideas - they are actually GEARED TOWARD VETERINARY MEDICINE, which is awesome. Check it out!