FELICIA UPSHAW

Providing anesthesia support by monitoring patients undergoing dental and spay/neuter procedures. Providing customer/client based service for people bringing their pets in for routine and sick appointments. Utilizing excellent communication skills. Working effectively in a fast-paced environment. Assisting with day-to-day operations, working efficiently and productively with all team members.

• Monitoring the health and welfare of laboratory animals in accordance with USDA and GLP standards, following up on any issues detected and reported by animal caretakers, training researchers/post-doctoral students/lab technicians/volunteers to properly handle and care for lab animals, managing the vivarium sentinel program, placing intravenous catheters for anesthetic induction, monitoring anesthesia, post operative care, providing treatment for medical cases under veterinary care, responsible for ordering supplies and equipment for use by research staff.
• As the shipping coordinator I educate research staff on the proper procedures to ship/receive animals from outside institutions, contact facilities to initiate and follow up on incoming and outgoing domestic and international shipments, schedule and pack animals for outgoing shipments, receive incoming shipments and house them in our quarantine facility, manage the sentinel screening of quarantined animals.

• Performed tasks in a contract research environment providing care for research animals within GLP, USDA and FDA guidelines, administered experimental products via intravenous and oral routes, administered anesthetics and monitored anesthesia, performed surgical implantation of venous ports and telemetry monitors for experimental use, post-op care, taking the lead on a research project and providing all information and equipment necessary to perform each task.

• Assessed incoming patients and informed the veterinarian of the nature of the visit, restrained animals for examination and vaccination, collected blood/urine/feces for in-house and out-house analysis, placed venous and urinary catheters, captured/developed x-rays and helped interpret film, assisted with ultrasound, induced animals for surgery and monitored anesthesia, provided post op care, performed general dentistry, administered medicine/treatment for hospital patients and boarding animals, assisted and performed humane euthanasia under vet supervision.

• Fulfilled the duties of the emergency care vet tech for large and small animals. Managed phone calls and triage during emergency hours, placed intravenous catheters, collected blood samples, captured and developed x-rays, performed wound care, ran in-house cbc/chem/urinalysis/fecal analysis, administered medications and anesthetics, prepared animals for surgery, monitored anesthesia, assisted in surgery, provided post-operative care, humanely euthanized animals under the supervision of the veterinarian.