CHRISTINA AMATI -- Working

-- story by Torus Tammer, photo by XXXXX

SHE IS

The one who gives care to furry patients

DESTINYAmati has been working as a veterinary technical assistant

for seven months. The 18-year-old Huntington Beach resident said although

she has always loved animals, it was only recently that she realized it

would become her career.

“Once I started working at Huntington Pet Vet, I just knew that’s what

I wanted to do,” Amati said. “Plus, I’ve always been interested in

science, and I’ve always loved anatomy.”Amati attends Cal State Long

Beach and has plans to apply to UC Davis, where she wants to study to

become a veterinarian.

FUN WORK

Excited about her duties, Amati takes care of the animals that need

special care. That usually means administering medicines or enforcing

diets for those with ailments such as cancer or urinary track problems.

Amati said it’s an incredible experience to see the animals when they’ve

recovered and how thrilled they usually are to see their owners again.

“You can just tell when they’ve been really homesick, and you notice

their excitement when their owners pick them up,” Amati said. “But

sometimes, they don’t want to leave because we take care of them so

well.”

Amati explains that dogs are usually more affectionate than cats and

are more likely to want to stay. But the feelings of attachment goes both

ways.

“I’ve totally got attached to some of our patients before,” Amati

said. “It’s easy to get used to the regulars and their personalities.”

Ultimately, Amati explained, she never gets too sad to see her

patients leave because she knows it means they are in better health.

NOT SO GLAMOROUS

The primary purpose of Amati’s work is to ensure the animals have

food, water and attention. That means keeping things clean and playing

with a cat or dog that needs human attention.

But it can be a dirty job.

Amati has done everything from cleaning away droppings to inducing a

dog to vomit.

“Nothing grosses me out,” she said. “Last week, a dog swallowed a

bone, and it was in his stomach, so I had to induce vomiting. Twenty

minutes later, the bone came out, and I felt so proud -- like I had fixed

him.”

DAY-TO-DAY LEARNINGAmati said she loves working because she learns

a lot from her boss, Dr. Allison Naito, and is often able to observe

surgery on some of the many pets that come into the clinic -- including

lizards, rats, mice, turtles, guinea pigs, hamsters and, of course, cats

and dogs. Perhaps the most unusual experience she has seen involves a

skunk.”We had a skunk as a patient that was brought in for an operation

that removed its ability to release odor,” she said.