Vanessa Riley

Registered Veterinary Technician

I was born and raised in St. Thomas Ontario. I graduated high school and was accepted into St. Clair college for the Veterinary Technician program in 2016. I graduated in April 2018 and was able to meet all the requirements in order to receive my RVT status. Ever since I was a little kid, I have had a passion to work with animals and had hoped to one day be able to make my dream come true. Growing up and working with animals has been a very rewarding career path and I couldn’t imagine my life doing anything else.

I first started at the Elgin Animal Hospital as a high school co-op student in 2015. I immediately knew this is the career path I wanted to take. I started working a couple summers and some winter breaks and I was even able to do my college co-op placement here as well. I officially graduated from college in April 2018 and began working fulltime.

The area of Veterinary medicine that interests me the most would have to be Dentistry. I have always liked the hands-on aspect and being able to see the difference of a before and after a dental cleaning in a patient. The part I love most about my job is coming to work and not knowing what my day is going to be like. Some days are challenging, and some are rewarding like, being able to see the progress a patient you’ve been caring for is making. My favourite thing about the clinic is being able to come to work in a friendly, easy-going atmosphere and working alongside other people that are also passionate about their job and what they do.

My first pet was a little black Pomeranian named Domi. He lived to be 13 years old and was my best friend growing up. He was loved by everyone and as you can imagine he had a high tolerance for children. I currently have 5 cats and a 2-year-old French Bulldog named Frankie. My cats are, Kenny a 3-year-old Sphynx and Leo, a 3-year-old tabby who is blind and was adopted from Animal Aide. I also have a 5-year-old Scottish Fold named Manny. As well another 4-year-old tabby named Tony, that was rescued as a kitten, living under a garbage bin. Finally, I have a 2-year-old deaf kitten named Ivy, that was found as a stray at a very young age.

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Exercise Tips for Dogs

How much exercise does a dog need every day? And secondly, how do you exercise a dog? Here are some tips and tricks to getting some much-needed exercise into your furry friend. No matter what size, breed or age, most dogs will benefit greatly from some form of exercise.

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Last updated: December 23, 2021

Dear Clients,

With the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in our region, we are temporarily moving back to curbside service, with no pet parents in the building during appointments. Our top priority here at Elgin Animal Hospital is the ongoing health and safety of our clients, their pets, and our dedicated team members that serve you and the community. Our goal is to remain open in order to provide necessary care for your pets. In order to do this, we need to keep our team healthy and do our best to minimize exposure.

Here is what you can expect:

Appointments

When you arrive, please remain in your vehicle and call us at 519-631-0430 to let us know you are here

Our Reception Team will let you know when we are ready for you, and ask you to come in the appointment door

A staff member will meet you just inside the vestibule to take the patient into the hospital for their appointment

Our Veterinarian will communicate with you via phone call - so please be sure to bring your cellphone to your appointment!

We have payment over the phone for credit cards, or a portable debit machine can be brought to the vestibule if needed

Food & Medication Pick Up

Will continue safely via the food/med pick-up door Come in the door on your right -- no need to call when you arrive

We are highly recommending our clients sign up for myVETstore for purchasing food for their pets

We also ask that you please call in your pet's medication & food refills 3-5 days in advance as we are experiencing some shipment delays once again

These measures are temporary and we will reassess as time goes on. We are constantly analyzing our day-to-day actions and we appreciate your patience. We will continue to implement procedures that are in the best interest of both you, our clients and our staff.

If you are not feeling well in any way, or if you have interacted with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 we ask that you stay isolated and do not visit us at the clinic. If your pet needs medical attention please have a family member or friend bring in your pet or pick up your prescriptions or food.

Together, we can all help in stopping the spread of COVID-19. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us at (519) 631-0430. Please note that we are receiving more calls than usual. We apologize for any delays that you may experience when reaching out to us.

- Your dedicated team at Elgin Animal Hospital