Resources
350+ plain-language guides across 23 sections — written by a Licensed Veterinary Technologist for pet owners, caregivers, veterinary students, vet techs, wildlife enthusiasts, conservationists, and researchers. A few are free to download right now. The rest are sent personally by email.
Need help right now?
Three free, downloadable guides built for the moment something feels wrong. Save them to your phone now — you'll be glad you did.
The signs that mean call the vet now, the signs that mean call in the morning, and the signs that mean watch and wait.
A step-by-step visual walkthrough — breathing, gum color, trauma, vomiting — to decide whether to head to the ER right now.
Organized by borough — 24-hour ERs, urgent care, and specialty hospitals with phone numbers and what each is best for.
Browse the full library
Click any section to expand it. Each guide can be requested by email — we'll send it tailored to your situation. Free downloads are marked with a badge.
Want multiple guides?
Browse every guide as checkboxes, pick as many as you want, and we'll email them all in one batch. No need to click each one individually.
When seconds matter. Decision tools, first aid, common toxins, and the NYC ER directory.
Everything you do before something goes wrong: wellness exams, vaccines, parasite prevention.
First weeks, first foods, first vet visits — the foundation years.
Reading food labels, healthy weights, what to feed and what to skip.
Anxiety, aggression, enrichment — and how to tell behavior from medical.
The diagnoses dog owners hear most — written for owners, not clinicians.
The diagnoses cat owners hear most — written for owners, not clinicians.
Quality of life, hospice, euthanasia, and grief — held with care.
Husbandry-first care for the animals most clinics aren't built for.
Species-specific care for the parrots and songbirds that share your home.
Nutrition, enrichment, and the medical realities of rabbit ownership.
Guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, rats, mice, chinchillas.
What you've heard vs. what the science says.
What lives alongside you in this city — and how to coexist with it.
Living with animals in the city — apartments, parks, daycare, the practical stuff.
For aspiring vet techs, vets, and the curious — how the field works.
For veterinary professionals and students — the clinical reference layer.
Financial guidance and visit-prep resources for navigating veterinary care confidently.
Step-by-step how-tos for caring for your animal at home — medications, post-op, recovery.
Breed-specific health considerations for the most common dog and cat breeds.
Mobility, modifications, nutrition, and monitoring for the older animals in your life.
Zoonotic diseases, pandemics, vector-borne illness — where veterinary medicine and public health meet.
For aspiring vet techs, students, and curious owners — how to read the tests your veterinarian orders.
For veterinary professionals — intake, visit-summary, and transfer documents Xavier uses in practice. Available on request.
Fillable 2-page intake form covering owner/pet info, medical history, reason for visit (with symptom checklist), and consent & liability.
Full SOAP-format after-visit summary. Compatible with VetRec & Otter AI scribe workflows.
Plain-language client takeaway card with home care instructions, medication table, warning signs, and follow-up.
Structured clinical transfer document for receiving veterinarians. Includes full physical exam findings, working assessment, treatments, and referral details.
Don't see what you need? Ask us directly.
Directories & quick references
Local references curated for NYC pet families. We do not endorse — we orient.
The ER directory above (ER_17). Borough-by-borough, with addresses and phone numbers.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control · Pet Poison Helpline. Save these in your phone before you ever need them.
XVC standards & policies
The principles, standards, and policies that guide every piece of educational content, every visit, and every interaction with Xavier's Veterinary Care. Free to read and share.
How we collect, store, and protect any information you share with us through this website.
View →The rules for using XVC content, downloads, services, and this website.
View →What XVC content is and isn't — and how it should and shouldn't be used in place of veterinary care.
View →What XVC does and does not do as a Licensed Veterinary Technologist service — clearly defined.
View →Our commitment to dignity, consent, and respect in every interaction with animals, owners, and colleagues.
View →How XVC creates, reviews, sources, and updates the educational content in our library.
View →How XVC uses AI ethically and our broader commitment to conservation, One Health, and the natural world.
View →Education First. Prevention Always. Compassion Everywhere.
XVC provides free educational resources, wildlife information, client handouts, and One Health content for the public — built and reviewed by a Licensed Veterinary Technologist. If these resources have helped you or your family, optional contributions help support future educational materials and community outreach.
Contributions are completely optional and are never required to access educational resources or receive services. Supporting XVC is supporting a public educational mission, not a private business.
Want a custom set?
Resources are sent at no cost to consultation clients. For non-clients, a small thank-you fee may apply to support the work of writing them. You're welcome to request several in one email.
Email a resource request →Educational References · Vet Med & One Health
Xavier's Veterinary Care draws on a wide range of professional veterinary medicine and One Health organizations to stay current. These external links are shared for educational reference only.
National professional body for veterinarians in the U.S. — standards, guidelines, public health resources.
Peer-reviewed veterinary medicine research, case reports, and clinical updates.
National voice for veterinary technicians and technologists — career, education, advocacy.
Global public health, zoonosis surveillance, and One Health policy framework.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control — One Health programs, zoonotic disease, public health science.
Hospital accreditation, clinical guidelines (vaccination, dental, pain, behavior), continuing education.
Global small animal veterinary guidelines — vaccinations, nutrition, dental, welfare.
Animal welfare, behavior, poison control, and community-focused veterinary services.
Regulation of animal drugs, pet food safety, recalls, and consumer advisories.
Global animal health standards, disease surveillance, animal welfare worldwide.
Rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, sugar gliders — clinical resources for non-traditional companion species.
Reptile and amphibian medicine — husbandry, nutrition, common diseases, conservation.
Avian medicine and surgery — parrots, raptors, poultry, conservation aviary work.
Cross-sector One Health collaboration — education, advocacy, global initiatives.
Community Voice
Your story helps other families discover that compassionate, educational veterinary technician care is possible. Reviews are sent to Xavier and, if approved, may be shared on the site.
