Fun Facts! - Kimberley Veterinary Clinic Group

Meet Our AHT

by Rina Van Eeden | Feb 14, 2023 | Feel Good Stories, Fun Facts!, Our Staff

Meet our AHT!

Xanri joined our eccentric team while studying to become an Animal Health Technician (AHT).
Originally from a farm in Kathu, she graduated from Kathu High School knowing she wanted to make an impact within her community.

What Is An Animal Health Technician?

You may have heard about Animal Health Technicians before, but what are they exactly? Animal Health Technicians, or AHTs, are para-veterinary professionals that make very important contributions to the health and well-being of both animals and people.

They take on the responsibility to promote animal health, relieve the suffering of animals and assist in the saving of animal lives.
While they primarily work with farm animals their training includes treatment of companion animals as well.
Note, Animal Health Technicians and Veterinary Nurses are not the same. The two fields have very different qualifications and their scope of work varies greatly.

Even though she’s responsible for many things here at the clinic, we believe her charm and charisma are the attributes she’s most known for.
This young go-getter officially became a qualified, registered AHT at the end of 2020, and has only flourished since then. The impact she has made in our community in this short time is tremendous!

What she loves most about her days here in Kimberley is educating farmers and clients and being with her family, doggos included!

Her advice to her 15-year-old self? Stop complicating everything and worrying about everything, take life as it is, it will all work out in the end.
When asked what animal she would choose to be, she looked dumbfounded and said, quite simply, “‘n worshond!”
“They may be small, but they have the heart of a lion, and they make my days a million times better.”
Having a menagerie of Dachshunds of her own, this was the only logical conclusion.

Her hobbies include playing with her dogs, scrap booking and fishing.

We have nothing but love for this incredible woman!

For more information on Animal Health Techs, please visit the SAVC website: https://savc.org.za/animal-health-technician/

Tank the Tortoise

by Rina Van Eeden | May 18, 2020 | Exotics, Fun Facts!, Patient of the Week

Our patient of the week, Tank the Tortoise. This little guy is an absolute fighter, even though he’s smaller than a 2ml syringe!

Tank is a Leopard Tortoise.

Although Leopard Tortoises live a long time in captivity, they seldom thrive! In fact, they slowly become anorexic and nutritionally deficient and, unfortunately, their owners rarely notice because of their shell.

The reason they become nutrient-deficient is that, in the wild, they are highly selective feeders and eat exactly what they need to maintain optimal health!
What they are fed in captivity is very rarely correct or sufficient.

Fun Fact: One of their main sources of protein and calcium is from eating carnivore poop!

Also, they carry a number of undesirable diseases…

These are some of the main reasons it is imperative to have a permit from Nature Conservation to keep any animal found in the wild.

It is highly discouraged for people to try turn them into pets!

Young tortoises, like Tank, are highly vulnerable to predators like dogs, cats, jackals, crows, birds of prey and mongooses because their shells are still very soft.
We suspect he was chomped on by a dog.
(By the way, this is hands down the cutest bandage we’ve ever done!)

He has been safely handed over to the dedicated staff in the Zoology department of the McGregor Museum, who have agreed to help save this adorable reptile. They will monitor him closely and keep him healthy until he can be released into the wild.

Thank you to the wonderful people who brought him to our clinic. The world needs more people as compassionate as you!

Meet Our AHT

What Is An Animal Health Technician?

Tank the Tortoise

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