Interview with Kaitlin Rondeau, DVM
The DBI Interview Series
By Stephanie Keesey-Phelan, Ph.D., BCBA, CCUI, FFCT
At DBI we believe that no person, no family, and certainly no dog trainer or behaviorist is an island. If you read our blog regularly, you already know that we believe that if you are a behavior analyst by profession, you are not your dog’s behavior analyst. But you may not know that we often collaborate with other dog training professionals to increase our knowledge and skills, and when we are working with a client whose behavioral presentation falls beyond our scope or expertise. Collaboration with other qualified professionals is a huge part of our work. It allows us to provide the most ethical and effective treatment for the dogs we work with, and also helps us build a wonderful community committed to making lives better for dogs and their people.
To that end, we are expanding our blog to include interviews with some of the amazing professionals who we collaborate with and who work with dogs across a variety of settings and locations. Our goal in doing this is to introduce you, our readers, to people who work in a variety of areas in the dog world but who share a common mission of increasing your dog’s welfare.
This month we are so pleased to introduce you to Kaitlin Rondeau, DVM. Kaitlin works at Concord Animal Hospital in Concord, MA. I (Stephanie) met Kaitlin when I was working at an animal hospital in 2009. It was my first job after graduating college and Kaitlin’s first job after completing veterinary school, and in that regard I like to think that we grew into our respective careers together! Kaitlin was a huge support to me with my first dog Levi (pictured left) who had major challenges with veterinary visits. We collaborated with a veterinary behaviorist to develop a plan to help increase Levi’s comfort with veterinary procedures and visits.
Kaitlin has been such a wonderful resource, always willing to brainstorm and research the best approaches to our dogs’ care. I was thrilled to interview Kaitlin for this series and learn more about what it is like to work with dogs as a veterinarian and what we can do to help our dogs be more comfortable with their veterinary care.
Stephanie: How did you decide you wanted to work with animals as a veterinarian?
Kaitlin: I always grew up with dogs and they were always part of my life but it wasn’t a “I’ve always wanted to do this work” situation at all. In high school I was obsessed with ocean animals but mostly mammals. I thought that fish were cool but I wasn’t really interested in how they work. In college I was on a marine biology track but in my senior year I was like, “What am I doing with my life?” (Stephanie’s note: we had a good laugh about this, who hasn’t been there before?) and I realized at that point that it was the marine mammals that I liked but that information didn’t lead to a really practical career choice. I have to give credit to my mom who in conversation said “Why don’t you be a vet?” I had never thought of it, it didn’t cross my mind! And I thought, “oh, you’re right, that is an option!” So I started exploring that. I did the Tufts Adventures in Veterinary Medicine Program my senior year and that didn’t scare me away. From there I got a job as a receptionist at a local animal hospital where I worked for a year. A job opened up in surgery as a veterinary assistant and I was someone who they could train who wasn’t leaving for college soon so I got the job and it was all on-the-job training. I quickly learned so many things. If I had been doing [outpatient] appointments I would have learned a lot slower. I learned how to monitor anesthesia, place catheters, draw blood, xrays. It was definitely a blessing for sure to get that position.
Where it all began!
Kaitlin as a child, feeding treats to her two Irish Setters.
Stephanie: Did you get a veterinary technician certification?
Kaitlin: I did shortly before getting into veterinary school. It was one of the last years that you didn’t have to go to tech school if you had a bachelor’s degree and a year of experience you could take the test. Now you have to go through a technician program to become certified. The jobs you can get depend on the individual hospital's requirements. To be a technician you have to be certified but there are veterinary assistant positions that do not require certification.
So I had two years of training working primarily in surgery. And once I was doing that it never occurred to me not to do it, it just felt right. Then I applied to school (Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine).
Stephanie: What are you doing now, where do you work and what is your role?
Kaitlin: I work at Concord Animal Hospital as a full-time veterinarian for cats and dogs.
Stephanie: Do you work with other animals?
Kaitlin: Just dogs and cats. It takes special training to work with other animals like hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, and reptiles. It was never something I wanted to do.
Stephanie: Do you have special interests within your field?
Kaitlin: Behavior is a special interest especially because it seems to be more and more of a challenge and one that I want to look for additional continuing education around. I also love helping people with senior dogs. I like ensuring that they are doing everything they can to keep their seniors comfortable and that we understand everything they are going through.
Stephanie: What kinds of behavioral challenges are you seeing with your patients?
Kaitlin: It’s a lot of fear and anxiety. Especially with fear around us doing an exam or even going near the dogs, we often see that they won’t take treats or are hiding behind their people or under chairs when we come into the room.
Kaitlin’s cat Gracie at the end of a workday with Kaitlin at the hospital
Stephanie: What recommendations do you make for caregivers whose dogs are displaying those behaviors at the vet? Do you have any recommendations that you make for behavioral wellness in general?
“We try to help them understand that their dog can’t help this behavior, they aren’t doing it on purpose! ”
Kaitlin: The first thing is helping clients be aware that their dog is afraid or anxious. Many people don't realize or seem to be in denial that their dog is experiencing stress. We try to help them understand that their dog can’t help this behavior, they aren’t doing it on purpose! We also see that caregivers who are trying to be helpful and control the dog by trying to hold the dog for us or keep the dog in one spot. It is really helpful when caregivers bring favorite or special treats for the dog during visits.
In general, we encourage people to keep going with training after puppy class. Puppy class is like preschool, it is great for socialization but there’s more to do. Even if you think your dog is all set, do as much training as you can. It helps mentally stimulate your dog and can be incredibly beneficial in that 6-month to 2-year range. As your dog begins to mature it is almost like they are “teenagers” and behavioral challenges can develop. Helping your dog become confident and comfortable is so important. We so often see dogs who did pretty well at the vet as puppies have a difficult time a year later when they come in for their first adult appointment. When these things aren’t addressed and we don’t help dogs feel more comfortable, it sets them up for stressful visits year after year.
“Sometimes caregivers feel like their dog’s behavior reflects on them and that we are judging them - we’re not! We don’t judge how your dog is acting and totally get it. On our end, we aren’t taking it personally that your dog is worried about us. We know they are just reacting to a situation that is scary for them. We just want to help them get through it as easily as possible. ”
If you’re struggling with your dog at the veterinarian, find someone to help you! Avoid trainers who use coercive methods (e.g., negative reinforcement and punishment) and know that it is going to be a slow process. Behavioral medication can be a really beneficial part of the process so talk with your veterinarian about whether or not your dog might benefit from their use. Sometimes with veterinary care, your dog may have an urgent need and we can’t wait to treat them, this is a case where behavioral medication can assist in reducing anxiety. Once your dog is well, don’t wait until the next annual visit to work on helping them be more comfortable with veterinary visits and procedures. We sometimes have caregivers bring their dogs into the office just for “fun” visits to help support that process. If your dog is likely to use a muzzle at the veterinarian, helping acclimate them to it at home in advance can be a big help as well.
Lastly, don’t take it personally! Sometimes caregivers feel like their dog’s behavior reflects on them and that we are judging them - we’re not! We don’t judge how your dog is acting and totally get it. On our end, we aren’t taking it personally that your dog is worried about us. We know they are just reacting to a situation that is scary for them. We just want to help them get through it as easily as possible.
Stephanie: What is your least favorite part of your job?
Kaitlin: Honestly, sometimes I feel like the bad guy all day in different scenarios. Of course there is the situation of delivering bad news when someone brings their pet in and you find something like cancer or a problem that is not fixable. That is emotionally really hard. But also, seeing these dogs for vaccines or blood draws and appointment after appointment having dogs that are so stressed and anxious (hiding under chairs, not eating as I described earlier). There are dogs that are happy to see us but this doesn’t seem to be the norm. It can be very draining.
Stephanie: I can imagine how exhausting and challenging that must be. On the other end of the spectrum, what is your favorite part of your job?
Kaitlin: When you’re able to actually fix something and the dog can get back to his normal life - bonus points if it is not expensive and fairly easy to do. Finding something that is simple to fix. For example, there was a dog who came in recently who was feeling terrible for a few days. It turned out that he had lyme disease and anaplasmosis (another tick-borne disease) at the same time. We were able to get him on some medication and after just a few days he was feeling good as new. He’ll need the meds for about four weeks but was feeling better after a couple of days. Even with my own cat, Gracie, she was recently not eating well and she’s sixteen so I was worried about her. I took her in for bloodwork and xrays and it turns out she was constipated. We provided her with some medication for that and now she is back at it! It was such a simple solution that made a big impact.
Stephanie: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career as a veterinarian?
Kaitlin: (Laughs) On a hard day I would say don’t do it! But honestly despite the hard days there is nothing else I would want to do as a career. One thing that I didn’t do, that I would advise others to do is to try to understand the financial side of school and what that will look like after. It’s hard to wrap your head around the expense but advance planning for this and being clear about finances is important for your life after graduation.
It was huge for me having that experience at the veterinary hospital before going to vet school. If you can get it, work as a veterinary assistant or technician and practical experience so you know what you’re getting yourself into. Having some of those technical skills like being able to draw blood, being around animals and learning to read their body language, this practical knowledge was a big advantage for me in veterinary school.
To learn more about Kaitlin, you can find her at Concord Animal Hospital.