Dogwood doctors far exceed Oregon’s requirement of 30 hours of Continuing Education (CE) in each two-year period. Each doctor attends at least one major veterinary conference annually which provides all the required hours, and then proceeds to attend many weekend and evening courses to keep current on advances in veterinary medicine (currently, the amount of knowledge regarding veterinary medicine is DOUBLING every 18 months).
Dogwood technicians are Licensed Veterinary Technicians, which means they have met educational requirements, passed a very comprehensive examination, and attend regular CE courses to get and maintain their licensure with the State of Oregon. Many veterinary practices do not have licensed technicians – there are enough licensed technicians for each practice nationwide to have half of a technician. We are lucky to have two! Technicians are equivalent to nurses in human medicine, but with a MUCH wider range of duties, including cleaning, lab tests, surgical assisting, anesthesia, dental cleaning, blood draws, IV catheterization, monitoring of hospitalized patients, animal restraint of everything from scared cats to Great Danes, and providing medical advice to clients.
Dogwood receptionists receive extensive training also. They don’t just answer the phone, but they also give advice, screen your pet’s preventive care needs, and control the flow of each day by how they schedule appointments and procedures.
We also help many organizations in our local community.
- Guide Dogs for the Blind
- Canine Companions for Independence
- Multnomah County Animal Services – we treat many injured animals officers pick up, and offer complimentary wellness exams within 7 days of any adoption.
- Cherish the Animals
- Golden Bond Rescue - rescued Golden Retrievers from all over, many are rescued from Asia
- PAW Team – donating time and materials to their care for pets of homeless and very low-income people
- Dogwood’s Panda Fund to help with costs in treating abandoned pets we rescue – we have rescued and placed dozens of pets over the years
- Career mentoring for students interested in any aspect of veterinary medicine.