Veterinary Assistant Job Information
The staff at most veterinary clinics include a combination of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants. Together, these professionals work to provide both preventative care and sick care to animals. A clinic might offer health care services, grooming services and boarding services. A veterinary assistant handles many of the nonspecialized tasks; in other words, they provide support to the technicians and the veterinarian who have been formally trained on how to complete medical procedures and offer diagnoses.
Other People Are Reading
-
Patient-Focused Duties
-
When an animal arrives at a clinic, the veterinary assistant usually restrains the animal and escorts it to an examination room, grooming room or boarding area. Animals that are being boarded, groomed or held for medical care at the facility are fed and exercised by the veterinary assistant. During examinations, the veterinary assistant may help the veterinarian by holding an animal down. In some clinics, veterinary assistants are trained to administer oral or topical medications and provide routine postoperative care. This work is done under the close supervision of a veterinary technician.
Administrative Duties
-
A veterinary assistant is usually responsible for completing clerical work. She might welcome and check in animal owners and take payment for services. Additionally, she may answer the phones, maintain client files, make outgoing calls to remind owners of appointments and work office equipment like computers, fax machines and copiers.
-
Maintenance Duties
-
The veterinary assistant is usually charged with cleaning and disinfecting holding areas, grooming areas and boarding areas. She cleans up areas used for walking dogs. She might additionally sanitize surgery suites and equipment used for procedures.
Work Environment
-
Working with animals can be both physically and emotionally demanding. A veterinary assistant's job can also be unpleasant because she regularly cleans up after the animals. There is some danger, as well, because animals, particularly those in under duress, can scratch or bite. The veterinary assistant spends most of her day on her feet, with some breaks for handling administrative matters. She is expected to lift heavy supplies and to physically restrain animals.
Requirements
-
A high school education is necessary to enter the veterinary assistant field, and employers are more apt to hire veterinary assistants who have completed a veterinary assistant training program through a vocational/technical school or community/junior college. A worker in this field needs to genuinely love animals and possess patience and compassion, both for interacting with the animals themselves and their owners. A veterinary assistant needs to be willing to get dirty on the job.
Pay
-
According to Indeed.com, veterinary assistants earned an average annual salary of $25,000. This was as of March 2010. Veterinary assistants might work full-time or part-time, and, in most cases, are paid by the hour.
-
References
- Photo Credit The spitz-dog and cat on a neutral background image by Ulf from Fotolia.com
