At Hazel Ridge Veterinary Clinic our Registered Veterinary Technicians play an integral role in the care of our clients’ pets. Some of the duties of an RVT include: collecting samples for diagnostic testing, administering medications and fluids, taking radiographs, preparing patients for anesthetic procedures and surgeries, monitoring anesthesia, and overall nursing care. Our RVTs provide patient treatments and care, much the way human nurses do, which allow our doctors to do more of what they do best: examine and diagnosis potential aliments in your furry family member. To become an RVT one must successfully complete a veterinary technician program and pass the California State Board exam. Continuing education is required every two years for license renewal. Our RVTs have been in veterinary practice for over a combined 170 years (!!) and work as a team to provide the very best care for our patients.
Cindy, RVTCindy brings energy and enthusiasm to any room she enters. She has been an RVT since graduating from Western Career College in 1983. In addition, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University in Animal Science. She has been an RVT at Hazel Ridge since 1991. Cindy enjoys coaching new dog owners, especially those with puppies, in how to set up a dog for success. She has a special interest in exercising pets both physically and mentally as well as behavior training. She is the proud pet parent of two cats, and her German Shepherd mix named Sprout.
George provides a healthy dose of order at Hazel Ridge. He is our head surgical nurse and the one you will often see when dropping off your pet in the morning for a procedure. George graduated from Western Career College in 1988 and has been working at Hazel Ridge since 2001. George lives with his cats, cockatiels, and his two beloved Australian Shepherds, Douglas and Celeste. George and his dogs spend much of their time on the weekends competing in agility trials.
Cid, RVTCid brings her savvy computer skills and love for cats to Hazel Ridge. Cid began her RVT journey by graduating from the Veterinary Technology program at Cosumnes River College in 1983. She left the veterinary field to pursue a career in computer programming, but her love of animals brought her back to veterinary medicine. At Hazel Ridge she is able to combine both interests by being our own on-site IT person (lucky for us!). Most of Cid’s remaining time is spent caring for adult cats and kittens with River City Cat Rescue.
Brenna first came to Hazel Ridge as a teenager when her family’s dog needed veterinary care in 1986. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from UC Davis in 1995. She worked in the fisheries biology field before attending the Veterinary Technology program at Cosumnes River College. Brenna came to work at Hazel Ridge as a veterinary assistant in 1999 and in 2001 became an RVT. She works part time at Hazel Ridge, spending the majority of her time caring for her family and pets: two dogs, two cats, and desert tortoise named Mario.
Elise has personal experience with whelping and raising puppies. Her knowledge and experience with both conformation and agility trials compliments her role as an RVT for Hazel Ridge Veterinary Clinic. She graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Cosumnes River College in 2008 and has been working at Hazel Ridge ever since. She currently works part time as she is also the busy mother of two young children. When she is not at Hazel Ridge she is caring for both her human and non-human family including many dogs, cat, goats, and chickens.
Trina is our powerhouse; she gets the job done! Trina is both very knowledgeable and has excellent technical and nursing skills. She graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Cosumnes River College in 2013. In addition to working at Hazel Ridge, Trina is continuing her education and pursuing a career teaching middle school students. Her goal is to one day teach children to love science as much as she does. When not working or studying, Trina enjoys kayaking, walking dogs, cuddling cats, going to the movies, but her favorite pastime is going to concerts.
Betsy, RVTAlthough Betsy is our newest RVT at Hazel Ridge, she is not short on experience! In fact, Betsy began her career in 1977 when she graduated from the Veterinary Technology program at Cosumnes River College. She previously worked at another veterinary clinic until 2017 when she joined our team. Betsy is very knowledgeable, experienced, and comes into any situation with a level head and cool demeanor. In her free time Betsy enjoys spending time with her six grandchildren. She shares her home with her husband, two dogs, and a kitty.
“In order to keep a true perspective of one’s importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him.”
-Der eke Bruce, Taipei, Taiwan