Veterinary Technician Job Description

A Veterinary Technician is the assistant to a licensed Veterinary and helps with the care of animals.

Primary Objectives:

• The Veterinary Technician performs routine laboratory and clinical procedures on animals.

• The Veterinary Technician dispenses and gives medicines to animals.

• The Veterinary Technician must work under the supervision of a Veterinary.

• The Veterinary Technician can provide specialized nursing care for injured or ill animals.

• The Veterinary Technical must complete a four year course that includes clinical and laboratory experience. The American Veterinary Medical Association accredits 116 veterinary technology programs in forty-three states. In order to become a Veterinary Technician you must graduate from one of these programs and take a credentialing exam.

The Veterinary Technician does many things to help the Veterinary in the care of animals. They are responsible for the proper diet of animals, taking their blood, and doing proper laboratory tests. The Veterinary Technician can check the results of the laboratory tests and help diagnose some of the ailments that an animal may have in order to help them with their treatment program. The Veterinary Technician often supervises the procedures that a Veterinary Technician is doing while they are working with animals.

It is very important to record the history of an animal and the Veterinary Technician often does this and puts it into the animal’s records for future references. The Veterinary Technician records information about the animal such as its weight, food intake, diet, behavior and other symptoms in order to be able to diagnose the animal’s illness. When the Veterinary Technician and the Veterinary diagnose the animal’s illness then they are able to better come up with a treatment plan. Communication skills are very important for a Veterinary Technician as they must be able to explain to the pet’s owner the treatment plan. The owner of the animal is very important in any treatment plan because most of the time the owner is the one who must carry out the procedure on the pet.

The Veterinary Technician may start the treatment plan while the animal is in their care but in most cases the animal goes home with the owner. The animal is usually better off going home because in the loving hands of their owner and the comfort of their own home they tend to mend much better. Just like humans animals are very sensitive and realize when they are not with their owners. The pet owner usually provides the safety and love that the pet needs in order to quickly get better. Not that the Veterinary Technician does not handle the animal with loving hands and speaks softly so the animal will not get upset but the pet still knows their owner and responds much better to the owner.

Most Veterinary Technicians work in private practices, animal hospitals, research facilities and zoos. In some cases the Veterinary Technician trains other Veterinary Technician helping them to understand the animals and give the animal’s proper treatment. Veterinary Technicians work in medical-related fields such as gene therapy or other research. This is very helpful to animals but it can also be a great benefit to humans. One of the hardest parts about the work for Veterinary Technicians is that of euthanizing seriously ill or unwanted animals. Unfortunately, some animals can become very sick with a disease that cannot be cured and it is deemed best to put them to sleep or euthanize them so that they do not have to suffer needless pain. The animals do not have an extended life span like human beings, therefore, trying to extend their life if they are suffering is considered cruel and inhumane. That is one of the functions that a Veterinary Technician must face when they are taking care of any sort of animal.

Veterinary Technicians work with seriously ill, severely injured, and abused or unwanted animals which makes their job emotionally draining. The Veterinary Technicians must also lift heavy animals, clean cages, and do other jobs that are physically demanding. The Veterinary Technician must handle animals that are scared or hostile which may result in bites or scratches. There are good times when the animal needs little care and often is very playful. The Veterinary Technician feels good to see a healthy pet and its owner together. All the work seems worth it when you see a child small because their kitten is all better or an older person who has a dog that is now feeling better because of the treatment that you have advised the owner to do to help their diet or walking ability.

Degrees and Training to Become a Veterinary Technician

• Medical and Health Degree

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