Karene Kidwell, RVT, Manager of Delilah’s Pet Shop Recipient of the Eber H. Allen, Leadership Award, Purdue University, Voted by her peers.
I have groomed since I was 20 years old. Self-taught, I initially bought $25 clippers and 25 cent grooming book and learned how to groom to my two poodles. I choose the Continental Clip for the first one (a hard groom) and after I finished I stepped back and thought ‘I’m going to be pretty good’! Then I choose a Royal Dutch Clip for my second poodle. Unfortunately he hid under the couch for about a week. Then I thought’ Hmmmm, It may take me a little longer than I anticipated”
I groomed for free the first year. People didn’t care if I cut a leg off as long as it was for free. Fortunately I never did! Through the years, I increasingly saw young dogs with allergy problems I had never seen before. When I sent their owners to the vet for treatment they were almost always given cortisone shots which masked the symptoms of an underlying problem.
In 1992 I was afforded the opportunity to go back to school and I choose Vet Tech training. I went because of cortisone which appeared to me to be epidemic and had happened over time. I feel food is a major contributing factor. 40-50% of the immune cells are in the digestive system. So even if its not a food allergy that is the first place you should start. As I neared completion of my training it came time for me to do my externship. I told my instructor I wanted to extern with an allergist. She told me not to limit myself. Went to talk to the department head and he said the same thing. I always thought you had to be able to say things so people could understand what you said. So I said “Dr. Lukins at 300 years old I should be able to limit my field if I want to.” He laughed and agreed immediately agreed to get me a variance. I worked for Terry Greshaber on my externship. About 2 months before school was out Terry asked me to work for him after school was done. So the opportunity I had looked for availed itself to me. I had a chance to learn things I would not have learned otherwise about animal skin diseases.
At a continuing Education Seminar, I heard a dermatology professor from Oh State say “When a dog comes into my practice tearing itself up with allergies I prescribe 3 days of prednisone, not three weeks, 3 months or 3 years. And I never use a shot. The only reason I do that is to calm the animal down enough so I can do something else.” I hoped everyone in the room took it to heart.
Tags: We're finally live!!
