Brittany Derringer

    I am a surgical veterinary technician responsible for assisting in procedures, monitoring anesthesia, and supporting clients with clear guidance so they feel confident and comfortable with their pet’s care. I was born and raised in Houston and have lived here my entire life. 

 

    I’ve had dogs my whole life and was always really hands-on in their care, which is where my interest in veterinary medicine started. As I got older, I became more curious about how everything works behind the scenes. When I was about 7 years old, we had a puppy named Chrissy who was very ill after receiving her vaccines. The doctor decided she wanted to bring her home with her to administer treatment and IV fluids and we can pick up Chrissy in the morning if she was doing well. The next morning, we went to pick her up and she was a whole different puppy—she had energy again and was her happy normal self. Ever since then, I vowed to help other people’s animals and care for them just like that doctor did to ours. 

 

    After attending the veterinary technology program at Lone Star Tomball in 2018, I developed a very big interest and love for surgery. I began my career in veterinary medicine working at an emergency clinic where I learned a lot of my technical skills and it taught me how to act fast if there was any sort of crisis. I then moved on to general practice where I would eventually become the team lead in surgery and would train others how to monitor anesthesia, calculate and draw up medications, and how to recover animals safely. I decided I wanted to work for a strictly surgical practice and have been working at this clinic for almost 3.5 years.   

 

   As a surgical vet tech, I assist with anesthesia, monitor patients during procedures, prep and maintain sterile surgical environments, and support veterinarians before, during, and after surgery. I also help make sure patients are safe, stable, and as comfortable as possible throughout the entire process.

 

    My mom works in the oil and gas industry, specifically in logistics and my dad is retired but was in the airline business for American Airlines for a long while. My dad enjoys playing golf in his free time (which is a lot) and my mom enjoys reading, crafting, and watching her true crime shows. 

 

    I have a pitbull named Shelby (aka Shelby Delby, Delb Delb), an American Bulldog mix named Aubrey (aka Aubs, Bree Bree), and a Dogue De Bordeaux mix named Leila (aka Chunky Monkey, Big Mama). Shelby was adopted from Harris County Animal Shelter after being  found in a hoarding house and had ringworm on her tail. We treated her with sulfur dips every day and she is perfect, healthy, happy, and morbidly obese. She is definitely the princess of the house and loves it when you put her jammies on. Leila was picked up by a rescue and we fell in love with her as soon as we saw her face. When she arrived at our home, she crawled into our laps, put her head on our shoulders, and hugged us. So of course we kept her! She’s the fattest of the 3 but she still loves playing with her toys and running around our backyard. Aubrey is also from the Harris County Animal Shelter and was on the euth list. Aubrey is the most ditzy of the 3 and will bark at you, scare herself, run into a wall, and then stare at you like you made the wall attack her. She talks a lot, especially when it’s dinner time or when she doesn’t get her way. She’s not fond of other dogs and required a lot of training in order for her to become comfortable with our other two. Today, she’s as happy as a clam and loves to play and irritate her sisters. 

 

    Outside of veterinary medicine, I’m really passionate about gaming and digital art. I’ve been teaching myself 3D modeling and sculpting for about 2 years—working on characters and assets—with the goal of eventually breaking into the gaming industry. I’m especially drawn to the game Cyberpunk which is where I get a lot of inspiration from. On a personal note, I’m also planning to relocate to the UK to be with my fiancé, which is something I’m really excited about.