Kourtney Conti, CVT, discusses her role as a member of the veterinary team at Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania. 

Caring for zoo animals as a veterinary technician

interview, Kourtney Conti, CVT, of the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pennsylvania, explained that her role is less client-facing than that of a more traditional veterinary technician in a small animal practice. Veterinary technicians on a zoo medicine team also work more with many different species. In this video, Conti discusses what her day-to-day work looks like and how veterinary technicians bring value to the health of zoo animals.

The following is a transcript of this video:

Question: What is the primary role of a veterinary technician in zoo medicine?

 At a zoo, we're the [person with] boots on the ground. Anytime a keeper notices a problem with an animal or [has] a concern, we go out and do the triaging and see what's going on with that animal. We also do help with the preventive health program. Almost all of our animals are in some sort of preventive health program.

[Not] all [animals] get sedated for exams, but a lot of them do, and during that is when we do more of a clinical role—managing anesthesia, [collecting] blood, placing catheters, taking radiographs, all of those types of things. But more [of] the day-to-day, I'd say, is problem-solving with sick animals, prescribing medications, [and] helping keepers if animals aren't taking their medications, because a lot of our zoo animals are very particular.

In recognition of National Veterinary Technician Week, which 

 is celebrating for the entire month of October, we are bringing veterinary technician stories to life at dvm360.com. Follow our dedicated 

 page for the latest content highlighting these veterinary professionals.

Videos

Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre (Canada, Ontario)

Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre ribbon cutting ceremony. (Image courtesy of VCA Canada Animal Hospitals)

VCA Canada recently announced the opening of an expanded hospital, Alta Vista Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre, located in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The 52,000–sq ft location offers 24/7 emergency services as well as neurology, internal medicine, dentistry, ophthalmology, surgery, and critical care.

"This facility represents a major step forward in how we care for pets. Every detail of our hospital reflects our dedication to innovation, patient comfort, and seamless collaboration,” Jason Kill, general manager of Alta Vista, said in a news release.

 “With a nod to the past, we look forward to the continued future growth in our specialist departments and providing ongoing learning opportunities for our referral communities in Ottawa and the surrounding regions."

Points East Veterinary Specialty Hospital of Wilmington (Wilmington, North Carolina)

A new specialty hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina, will be opening in early fall 2026, according to a news release from Vets Pets, a North Carolina–based network of veterinary hospitals. Points East Veterinary Specialty Hospital of Wilmington will offer 24/7 emergency services and specialty surgery and will be equipped with advanced imaging, a surgical suite, and assigned treatment areas for emergency and critical care.

"Veterinary medicine is strongest when it's rooted in the community it serves," Paige Harrington, DVM, vice president of medical leadership at Vets Pets, said in an organizational release.

 "Our role is to complement the important work of local veterinarians and ensure families have support when the unexpected happens."

Eastern Animal Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland)

Last month, Terramed Real Estate Solutions (formerly known as Terravet Real Estate Solutions) acquired Eastern Animal Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, for $7.75 million. The 16,433–sq ft center offers emergency care, dentistry, behavioral medicine, diagnostics, laboratory services, and has an on-site pharmacy. Completed in 2019, Eastern Animal Hospital was constructed by Whiting-Turner Contracting, the firm behind projects such as the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and Under Armour’s Baltimore headquarters.

"It's rare to find a facility this well designed, this well located, and backed by such a high-performing practice," Daniel Eisenstadt, CEO of Terramed, said in a company news release.

 "Eastern Animal Hospital raises the bar for what veterinary real estate can look like in an urban setting and represents exactly the kind of long-term, value-driven property we aim to hold."

Alta Vista opens new Specialty & Emergency Veterinary Centre in Ottawa. News release. VCA Canada Animal Hospitals. October 6, 2025. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alta-vista-opens-new-specialty-amp-emergency-veterinary-centre-in-ottawa-863294826.html

Points East Veterinary Group expands with Wilmington Specialty Hospital. News release. Vets Pets. October 3, 2025. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/points-east-veterinary-group-expands-with-wilmington-specialty-hospital-302574391.html

Terravet Real Estate Solutions acquires Baltimore's state-of-the-art Eastern Animal Hospital for $7.75 Million. News release. Terramed Real Estate Solutions. September 11, 2025. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250911402126/en/Terravet-Real-Estate-Solutions-Acquires-Baltimores-State-of-the-Art-Eastern-Animal-Hospital-for-%247.75-Million

Articles

The latest updates relating to animal care establishments and platforms.

Clinic center: Carolina-based network of veterinary hospitals to open new specialty hospital 

Meghan Wells, DVM, MPH, discusses the value of technicians to the veterinary team and a practice, in a dvm360 interview.

Veterinary technicians are seen as 'magical' professionals

What does a veterinary technician bring to a practice? Meghan Wells, DVM, MPH, a veterinarian and instructor in the Veterinary Technology Program at Penn Foster College, spoke to 

 about how important these professionals are to doctors and the practice. Wells is a former veterinary technician who now mentors and teaches technician medicine, in addition to serving as a practitioner.

In recognition of Veterinary Technician Week, which 

 is celebrating the entire month of October, we are bringing veterinary technician stories to life at dvm360.com. Follow our dedicated 

Veterinary technicians are these magical creatures that are able to go from the bravery [of] handling a spicy cat to the gentleness needed to resuscitate, maybe, a newly delivered puppy or kitten. So they're smart enough to deliver this client information in a way the client can understand this intense, medical terminology, but they're basically magical; essential to a veterinary clinic. They are the backbone. I mean, realistically, veterinarians, we can do many things, but we do 4 things, primarily: diagnose, prescribe, surgeries and prognose. Veterinary technicians—credentialed veterinary technician—can do pretty much all the rest. So that that is a huge, overwhelming [number] of tasks that just makes them so incredible. So, that's just such a wide range that it leads them to be essential, really, to any clinic.

In recognition of National Veterinary Technician Week, October 12-15, 2025, 

 is celebrating all technicians who present continuing education (CE) programs, which includes Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS (ECC) (SAIM; Melissa Evans, LVT, CVT, VTS (ECC); and Tabitha Kucera, CCBC, RVT, KPA-CTP, VTS. Technician presenters lecture on a variety of topics. The following are 3 articles featuring veterinary technician CE faculty speaking on career paths and growth:

Photo: Kristen Coppock Crossley, MA/dvm360

Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS, delivers the keynote presentation on the first day of the 2025 Fetch dvm360 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Discovering purpose in veterinary medicine

Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS (ECC) (SAIM), chief veterinary nursing officer for Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG), delivered a keynote address that told a personal story of his career journey on day 1 of the Fetch dvm360 conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Strengthening technician voices in veterinary clinics

Melissa Evans, LVT, CVT, VTS (ECC), owner of Melissa Evans, VTS (ECC): Veterinary Nurse Consulting, educated veterinary technicians how to speak up and out for themselves and their patients during her lecture at the 2025 American Veterinary Medical Association Convention in Washington, DC.

What business opportunities exist for veterinary technicians?

Tabitha Kucera, CCBC, RVT, KPA-CTP, VTS, owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, discussed the numerous career pathways and opportunities for veterinary technicians, at the Fetch dvm360 conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

In recognition of Veterinary Technician Week, which dvm360 is celebrating the entire month of October, we are bringing veterinary technician stories to life at dvm360.com. Follow our dedicated 

 page for the latest content highlighting these veterinary professionals.

3 must-reads for veterinary technician careers

A 2025 survey by veterinary imaging company HT Vista has found that 62% of masses on dogs seen in US veterinary clinics go undiagnosed. The same survey also found that as the number of cases rises, veterinarians are less likely to sample them, suggesting a drop in diagnostic attention.

The study surveyed 243 veterinarians across the nation, most of whom were general practitioners, and asked what their approach was to “lumps and bumps” on dogs. According to the results, general practitioners reported seeing an average of 13.5 dermal and subcutaneous masses per veterinarian each week. Yet, a striking 8 masses each week per veterinarian go undiagnosed. Additionally, only 19% of masses are reviewed by a pathologist, with the majority of fine-needle aspirates being read in-house and without review from a board-certified professional.

An estimated 15%, or 3 of every 20 masses, in patients will have malignancy.

Still, clinics that see 4 or more lumps per day sample nearly a quarter fewer cases than clinics that see fewer than 4 masses.

Veterinarian investigating a canine lump. (Image courtesy of HT Vista)

"We can never know if a mass is benign just by palpating it,” said Gillian Dank, DACVIM (Oncology), DECVIM-CA (Oncology), chief veterinary officer of HT Vista.

Dank and Craig Clifford, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), warn that this “wait-and-see” culture in veterinary practice can affect patients’ survival and the treatment options available to them.

“I was shocked to see the diagnostics are not being done for a large group of patients,” Clifford said.

 “I’ve seen too many cases where a ‘wait-and-see’ approach dramatically altered a patient’s trajectory. If a mast cell tumor or soft tissue sarcoma is identified early, survival can be measured in thousands of days. But when diagnosis is delayed, we’re often left facing nonresectable or metastatic disease.”

“Every week, thousands of dogs leave clinics with undiagnosed masses. While many are benign, others are malignant, and delaying diagnosis can mean lost treatment opportunities and poorer prognoses,” Dank said.

Among respondents, the belief that a mass is benign and does not require further investigation was the most commonly cited reason for not performing aspiration, followed by cost concerns. However, a delayed diagnosis could have a severe impact on patients, potentially leading to a decline in quality of life, a missed treatment window, a poorer prognosis, and an emotional impact on the pet owner and veterinary team. Providing a late diagnosis could also negatively affect the clinic, leading to a loss of trust in the provider and putting the practice’s reputation at risk, HT Vista said.

"‘Wait and see’ helps absolutely no one—not the vet, not the owner, and certainly not the dog,” Dank said.

Clinician’s Brief 2025 survey results: what's your approach to lumps & bumps? HT Vista. Accessed October 14, 2025. 

https://144040663.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/144040663/eBooks/CB%20Survey%20Results.pdf

Withrow SJ, MacEwen EG. Tumors of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. In: Vail DM, Thamm DH, Liptak JM, eds. 

Withrow & MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology

New survey reveals 62% of canine lumps go undiagnosed in veterinary clinics. News release. HT Vista. October 2025.

The survey also found that as the number of lumps seen increased, the likelihood of sampling decreased. Could a “wait-and-see” approach be costing dogs valuable treatment time and compromising outcomes?

Most canine masses go undiagnosed in veterinary clinics, survey finds

Happy National Veterinary Technician Appreciation week, listeners! On this week's episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, guest Michael Natale, LVT, shares more on why it is so crucial for veterinary technicians to become confident, advocate for themselves and their education, and make sure they are continuously learning. Throughout the show, Natale also shares how he became a veterinary technician and entrepreneaur, the future of the profession in his own words, and more. 

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity 

So it's National Veterinary Technician Appreciation Week, and one of the things we I hear a lot when I'm traveling around the conferences, is technician utilization. What would be a tip or piece of advice to those tuning in, to say, hey, use us. We're here for you veterinary technicians. What are some things that we could we could do?

: Yeah, I think, for starters, I think it's all about building your confidence up in your skill set. So if you don't know something, say something, learn as much as you can. And when it gets to the point where you feel very confident, speak up to the doctors and say, hey, I can do this. Let me take it off your plate. Or, you know, I feel very comfortable doing that. And the more you communicate with them, I think the more they'll trust and the more you'll be able to do and utilize your license better.

I like that you say that to speak up and to say hey, because sometimes they'll say, oh, you know I want to do that, or I'm able to assist in surgery a little bit more. But I just don't know where to begin to speak up and talk about it and say, Hey, this is what I want to do. And no gatekeeping of knowledge right?

 Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think we all can share something. Even for me, I feel like I do know a lot. I can always learn something, and even when I meet someone, I always find myself teaching someone something that I thought they would know but they actually didn't know, which then makes me feel good that I told them that information.

Yeah, I love the position that you're in. This is why I wanted to have him on the show to the listeners, because he's a teacher, he's also in the trenches, and he's an entrepreneur. So you have the opportunity to see the rising and the future veterinary technician students, or those that are going on to the veterinary profession. What does the future look like for the profession with those students that you have?

All dvm360's veterinary technician content for the month of October is sponsored by Royal Canin

Podcasts

Michael Natale, LVT, emphasizes the importance of confidence, advocacy, and continuous learning in shaping the future of the profession.