Cassie Eaton finds her spark at McAfee Animal Hospital

Cassie Eaton’s job is far from “ruff.” As a veterinary assistant at McAfee Animal Hospital, she’s found a career that reignited her passion for helping animals after years of searching for the right fit.

Eaton went to college for Wildlife Ecology, but wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do after she graduated. She tried a few different things that she enjoyed, but none of them felt like something she wanted to do as a lifelong career.

A friend of Eaton’s encouraged her to enter the veterinary field in 2018, and it changed her life.

“It’s been amazing being a part of McAfee,” she said. “I was losing my spark before I joined this team. There was a while where I didn’t think I was going to stay in the field; then I started here, and the spark ignited back into a flame.”

As a veterinary assistant, Eaton’s days vary depending on where she’s needed. Most often, she works alongside one of the hospital’s veterinarians, bringing clients and patients into exam rooms, gathering medical histories, recording vital signs, and completing procedures such as blood draws before the doctor begins the exam. During appointments, she assists with everything from handling patients and filling medications to documenting medical records.

“The welcoming I received from the doctors and staff rekindled my love for this field,” Eaton said.

On treatment days, Eaton cares for hospitalized patients, placing IV catheters for fluid therapy, administering medications, monitoring their progress and making sure testing protocols are followed throughout the day.

“I love drawing blood and placing IV catheters,” she said. “I think it’s because it’s a skill that I never thought I would have. It was something I was taught how to do a few years into this field, and once I became confident in my ability to do it, it’s been one of my favorite things.”

Eaton enjoys the relationships she’s built not only with her coworkers, but with clients and their pets.

“There are pets that I’ve built such a good rapport with that they wholeheartedly trust me and know that coming to the clinic is not a bad thing,” she said.

The most challenging part of her job is the emotional toll that comes with euthanasia appointments.

“It’s especially difficult when it’s a patient that you’ve known for a long time,” Eaton said. “It’s never easy saying goodbye, so when it’s a patient you’ve known since they were a puppy or kitten, it can pull extra hard on your heart.”

She has been Fear Free certified since 2020. Fear Free is an approach to veterinary medicine that focuses on preventing and alleviating fear, anxiety and stress when pets come into the clinic.

“I really strive to make sure each patient that I help has the most anxiety-free visit possible. Sometimes, it’s as straight-forward as giving them treats during their vaccines – other times it’s a little more involved, like taking the time to let the patient get used to you and earn their trust, or taking breaks so they don’t get too stressed,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s figuring out what works best for them: slow and steady or quick and fast, seeing if they’re more calm with or away from the owner. There’s no one way. It’s what works best for the patient.”

Although Eaton loves helping every animal that comes through the clinic, cats have a special place in her heart.

“I am a sap for any cat that gives hugs,” Eaton said. “I melt every time that I have a cat on the exam table and they stand up and snuggle against me—especially if they start purring. It makes me so happy that the cat feels safe and comfortable enough to do that.”

She has two cats of her own — Aria, a domestic shorthair, and Dimitri, a Russian Blue mix — whom she loves to spoil.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, whether it’s weekly lunches with her mom or watching a game with her dad. She is also very creative and enjoys everything from painting to storytelling.

“I’ve always had a love for writing stories—creating worlds, crafting characters, and building lore to match,” she said.

All of these tie into Eaton’s biggest hobby, which is running a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. She runs full campaigns as the Dungeon Master with her friends.

“I get to bring my love for painting and world building into it because I get to not only create the world they’re playing in, but I get to terrorize them with all the monster miniatures I’ve painted over the years,” she said.

As Eaton continues in her role, she’s looking forward to building her skill set and learning something new every day.

For more information about McAfee, visit them at mcafeeah.com.