Adrienne

EXAM ROOM MANAGER

Adrienne is a Veterinary Assistant who started working at CBS Animal Hospital in September 2021. In 2011 she moved to Fort McMurray and started working at the SPCA and knew then that she wanted to work with animals as a career.

She came home the next year and started the Veterinary Assistant/Receptionist program at Academy Canada and has been working in vet med ever since! Adrienne loves photography and traveling, and hopes to be able to visit all 7 continents one day! She lives in CBS with her husband Matt and their three cats Domino, Andre, and McCoy.

Fun Questions

What's your favorite animal and why?

I would love to say something exotic like a Bengal Tiger or Emperor penguin, but it’s honestly just the regular old house cat. I feel a huge affinity with them. There are very few cats I haven’t been able to befriend, even fractious ones. There’s nothing more rewarding to me than getting a scared, feral cat to trust me.
What's your pets name and why did you choose it?

2 of my 3 cats were named when I got them, and it felt wrong to change them. Our third cat, though, we were able to finally name ourselves! His name is McCoy, named after the medical officer in Star Trek. We debated between Scotty and McCoy but liked the idea of him having multiple nicknames. He’s a long haired, orange tabby cat and he’s WILD. We love him so much.
Describe a pet care tip or trick that people might not know about.

Litter boxes for cats – there should be one more box than the number of cats in the house. If you have 2 cats, 3 litter boxes. If you have 10 cats, 11 litter boxes! This reduces the chances of inappropriate urination or defecation around the house and is a large percentage of the reason people bring their cats to the vet. They should also be spread out among each floor of the house, and in private (but not dark) areas.

Serious Questions

What advice would you give to pet owners to ensure their pets lead healthy lives?

Keeping them at a healthy body condition – so many pets are overweight, and owners don’t realise because they may look like other pets. Overweight animals have a higher risk of early signs of arthritis, joint injuries, and lifelong systemic conditions and diseases, as well as more difficult recovery from these conditions.
How do you approach difficult cases or diagnoses?

As an assistant: first and foremost, I approach with compassion and empathy for our client and patient. My top priority when discussing difficult situations is the comfort of the pet, and the mental health of our client.