2024-2025 Speaker Series
If you have ideas for a talk that you would like us to offer, please contact Mary Beth McKee.
Whisker Wonderland: A Guide To Keeping Your Pets Safe During The Holidays
Date: November 14, 2024
With the holidays right around the corner, App State Vet Tech's Jen Serling provides holiday tips for your pets. Holiday celebrations can be great for people, but the decorations, new food, guests and travel can be stressful for our furry friends. Serling discusses the environmental changes that can impact your pets over the holidays, how to plan to make sure they are safe and how to minimize pet stress. Whether you’re traveling or home for the holidays, watch this talk to learn more!
Working Like a Dog: The Truth About Emotional Support Animals & Service Dogs
Date: November 6, 2024
More and more, we see people taking animals, typically dogs, into stores and other public spaces. What is the difference between an emotional support animal and a service dog? Is it different from a therapy dog? App State Vet Tech's Beckie Mossor explores the topic of service animals versus emotional support animals.
Pet Dental Care: Information To Sink Your Teeth Into!
Date: October 24, 2024
Increasingly, vets are talking to people about their pet's oral care. In this talk, App State Vet Tech's Tammi Smith shares important tips to help maintain your pet's teeth and the importance of oral health. Are cleanings necessary for pets? Do these treats that offer oral cleaning really help? Smith presents information and responds to questions. She holds a veterinary technician specialist (VTS) degree, an advanced degree for credentialed veterinary technicians, with a specialty in dentistry.
2023-2024 Speaker Series
Let’s Talk Pet Food
Date: September 15, 2023
Making good nutritional choices for pets can be challenging. In this session, Ann Wortinger and Jen Serling provide some quick guidelines about smart choices for pet food and answer questions from participants. Watch to learn more about selecting quality food for the pets in your life.
Backyard Chickens
Date: September 29, 2023
Everyone from the famous to families just looking for farm-fresh eggs at the ready have taken to raising hens and roosters at home. If you’ve been thinking about joining the chicken-keeping contingency, there’s no need to wing it. From setting up the perfect coop to ensuring a steady supply of wholesome eggs, our Ann Wortinger walks you through every step of the process.
10 Things Your Vet Office Wish You Knew
Date: October 13, 2023
Does taking your pet to the vet fill you with dread? Providing your pet with regular veterinary care is a vital part of being a responsible owner, but a visit to the veterinarian can be a stressful time for you and your pet. A relaxed, happy vet visit starts at home by decreasing anxiety before your pet reaches the vet’s office. Attendees learned smart ways to reduce pet stress and had their specific questions answered by our expert presenter.
Loving and Caring for Senior Pets
Date: November 10, 2023
Rebecca Newman delves into the various aspects of senior pet care, including health considerations, dietary needs, exercise routines, and emotional well-being. Attendees discovered the art of adapting to accommodate their senior pet's changing needs and learned practical tips for creating a comfortable and safe environment. We discussed the importance of regular veterinary check-ups, pain management strategies, and how to recognize common age-related conditions.
2022-2023
Goat Farming and Veterinary Needs in the High Country
Date: February 23, 2023
Carol and Lon Coulter own Heritage Homestead Goat Dairy, nestled on 17 acres in the mountains of Ashe County just outside of Jefferson, North Carolina. When they initially purchased their farm, folks suggested they get some goats to clear the briars and brambles, and that step started the journey to becoming licensed dairy farmers. Their wonderful sweet milk is made into farmstead cheese sold at local farmers’ markets and select retail shops.
In this conversation, Carol Coulter and Jen Serling discuss the challenges of animal farming and getting the veterinary care necessary for small farmers in rural areas. What is involved when venturing into a dairy goat business? What can owners do on their own? When is medical intervention with a veterinarian needed? What are the pitfalls when raising goats for dairy purposes?
Pets and Nutrition: Making More Informed Choices
Date: March 3, 2023
Making good nutritional choices for pets can be challenging. Pet parents are sometimes confused or misinformed about nutritional facts pertaining to pet foods, and common nutritional myths can complicate choices. What treats are safe to feed pets, and what are some common ones that can be hazardous? In this conversation, Mary Beth McKee, Ann Wortinger and Jen Serling talk about pet food nutrition and how to read pet food labels. Attendees brought their pets' food labels to learn how to read them.