Veterinary Technology

Vet Tech Clinic

As part of our spring anesthesia lab, we're providing free spays, neuters and dental cleaning for dogs and cats of Foothill students, staff, and faculty beginning in spring quarter in April.

Students will be performing pre-anesthetic evaluations, patient preparation, anesthesia induction, monitoring and recovery of anesthesia under the direct supervision of registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) and veterinarians. Licensed veterinarians will perform the surgical procedures.

There are risks and potential complications associated with any anesthetic procedure even in seemingly healthy animals. These risks can run from minor problems, such as mild vomiting after recovery from anesthesia to life-threatening problems such as cardiac arrest or stroke. Since students will be involved with these procedures, the length of time the patients are under anesthesia will be longer. The increased length of time does increase the anesthetic risk. 

Criteria for Your Pet

Medical History must have had a wellness exam with their home veterinarian within the past year. Medical records must be provided as proof. Please contact your Veterinary Clinic and have them send Medical Records to foothillvettech@fhda.edu  

Vaccination Requirements: 

Dogs: DAPP, Bordetella, and Rabies 

Cats: FVRCP and Rabies  

These vaccines need to be performed at least 14 days prior to the patient coming into Foothill for pre-anesthetic work up. 

Age & Weight Requirements:  

• All pets must be younger than 5 years old 
• Male large breed dogs must be 8 weeks or older 
• Female large breed dogs must be 16 weeks or older  
• Male and female small breed dogs must be 16 weeks or older 
• Cat minimum weight is 3 lbs. 

Next Steps

• If your pet meets these requirements, email foothillvettech@fhda.edu to be connected by a faculty member who will determine if your patient is a good fit for our services.
• You'll be given a preliminary date for pre-anesthetic work up at the Foothill Vet Tech Lab in Room 8507. Scheduling is first-come, first-served.
• You will be communicating with a student nurse, under the supervision of faculty, to confirm scheduling for patient drop off and pick up.
• This workup is free of charge and includes a physical exam, blood work, and blood pressure measurements. Faculty can cancel the procedure at any time due to any medical findings including pre-anesthetic work up or due to behavioral concerns, like temperament of the patient. 
• Once your pet has been accepted as a surgical/dental patient, a student nurse will confirm the date of the procedure and go over pre-anesthesia instructions with you. 
• Veterinarians and RVTs will not be on campus after hours. Please note if there is a complication or if follow up care is needed, these issues will need to be addressed by the client’s regular veterinarian at cost to the owner.