1 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
5 of 5
Nash is a mixed-breed dog with a bite history. He is resistant to medications intended to take the edge off his aggression, making a trip to the vet a traumatic experience for him and everyone involved, even for a simple nail trim. Booca is a 16-year-old maltese whose owner couldn’t find a groomer willing to take him because of his age and anxiety. Tig and Mig are two delightful kittens whose owner prefers to have help with their routine claw cuttings.
Enter Jaci Christenson, who started BCS Pet Nurse, LLC, last June. Jaci (pronounced “Jackie”) is a trained and licensed veterinary technician with 16 years of experience in the field who specializes in providing in-home care for dogs, cats, and other small animals including rodents such as guinea pigs, avians, and exotics.
“We want to be impactful,” Jaci says. “We're happy to provide services for pets as a convenience, but it's also designed for those patients that can't go into the vet clinic, or they need a lot of sedation in order to go in, or they have fearaggression or anxiety,” she says. “It really means the most for those animals that struggle with trips to the clinic or a groomer.”
Jaci says that it is “super helpful” when an owner gives them a head’s up with behavior issues prior to their arrival. “Then we know how to interact with that patient,” she explains. “Is this a patient we can approach right away? Is this a pet that we need to kind of just sit in the room for a minute and let them smell us or whatever? What supplies do we need to bring, what kind of protections need to be in place for them and yourself? If we know that it may be an aggressive pet, then we should probably bring the muzzles and a blanket and things to be more effective and safe.”
Jaci works closely with another trained veterinary technician, Julio Peraza, who had a similar business for 11 years prior to moving to Bryan College Station. He says he enjoys the challenge of working with difficult patients. “You have to remain calm so they also remain calm,” he says when approaching a pet. “They sense your energy.” Jaci agrees. “We have to get to know each one and how to interact with them,” she says. “It really is all about reading the animal and figuring out what they need to be successful.”
For example, they are mindful that they are coming into the pet’s home. “We don't knock or ring the doorbell. We let the owner know when we've arrived so that they can quietly introduce us to their pet,” she says. “That's one way that we prepare for the visit, is not to startle the animal by acting like we're strangers entering the home.”
She adds that it's helpful if clients can contain their pet in one area where they can't hide. “That's more so important with our kitty cat patients,” Jaci explains. “We have clients that request that we do our services outside, too, so we're not making a mess in their home, and that's totally fine.”
“We like to let the pet owner decide what their level of involvement will be,” Jaci says. Some owners are more hands-on, and some want to be the ones to hold their pet, and some owners don't want to be the bad guy and prefer to be out of the room when they provide their services. “That's also totally fine,” she says. “I feel like pet owners know their pets better than anybody.”
Jaci wants to be clear: “We're not veterinarians. We are not registered nurses. We're veterinary technicians,” she specifies. “We really want to work with the veterinarian and make sure that we're all on the same page because we're all part of the medical team.”
As trained and licensed professionals, BCS Pet Nurse veterinary technicians are able to provide certain services in the home that might be onerous for some pet owners. For instance, some may be uncomfortable providing veterinarian-prescribed oral or injectable medications or subcutaneous fluids themselves.
“We want to support whatever the goal is for that pet owner,” Jaci assures. BCS Pet Nurse also gets calls for cats that are feral or hard to handle that need medication or mats shaved. “We had one cat that needed twice-daily medication given, and the owner couldn't handle the cat without the gloves,” she recalls.
BCS Pet Nurse recently added offsite dog bathing, with transportation provided to and from the home. Other services they provide include complete anal gland expression, ear cleaning, microchipping, and some services that require a veterinarian’s referral. “Those are situations where we can step in and help,” she says.
“It can be really challenging if you really love your animals, and they love you, but they don't understand that you're trying to help, and so it helps to bring people in that know how to manage that situation,” Jaci muses.
“We educate, and it brings less stress to the dog or cat or exotic if they don’t have to leave their home. It’s easier on the owner and patient,” Julio says, reassuringly. “By using us, you’re reducing stress.”
For more information, visit bcspetnurse.com.
BCS Pet Nurse Services:
- Nail trims for dogs, cats, birds, and exotics
- Baths (dogs only - offsite)
- Anal gland expression
- Ear cleaning
- Microchipping
- Technician Visits (DVM referral not required)
- Client education
- Oral medication administration (must be DVM prescribed)
- DVM Requested Care (DVM referral required)
- Blood pressure measurements
- Blood glucose readings
- Hospice guidance
- DVM prescribed injectable medication
- DVM prescribed SQ fluid administration
- Suture removal
Multiple pet and multiple service discounts are available. Travel fee within BCS ($10) is waived for first-time clients. Visit bcspetnurse.com for pricing and more information.
