Job Description: Veterinary Assistant

Veterinary Assistant Job Duties | Veterinary Assistant Schools | Veterinary Assistant Salary | Veterinary Assistant Pros and Cons

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES OF A VETERINARY ASSISTANT

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A veterinary assistant is an integral member of a veterinary team, who supports licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians in providing health care to animals. The role of a veterinary assistant may differ depending on the clinic or hospital where the person is employed. For example, a veterinary assistant may be called upon to assist in the clinical area, work primarily in the front office of the clinic or perform a dual role in both areas.

The duties and responsibilities of a veterinary assistant are quite comprehensive although the person does not possess the same level of education as veterinarians or veterinary technicians. But, they do many of the same types of things that a veterinarian might do throughout the day.

What Are The Job Duties Of A Veterinary Assistant

· Animal handling and restraint during examinations and other times, administration of oral medications and assessment of changes in animal health status
· Basic grooming like nail trimming and ear cleaning
· Care of in-house patients and boarders including cage cleaning, exercising, feeding, providing clean water, keeping the animals clean and observing the patients for signs of illness
· Prepping patients for surgery and providing assistance to the veterinarian during surgery
· Preparing surgery packs and cleaning surgical instruments
· Cleaning and disinfecting holding areas, equipment and clinical areas to maintain a clean, odor-free environment
· Sanitization and preparation of surgical rooms and clean-up of laboratory areas
· Filling prescriptions that the veterinarian writes
· Providing laboratory assistance to take blood samples and X-rays, conducting simple laboratory tests, filing laboratory reports
· The veterinary assistant will require a working knowledge of office procedures like file management, scheduling of appointments and answering customer queries.
· Cashiering out-patients, managing the processes involved in boarding and hospitalization of patients from admission to discharge
· Maintaining inventory supply lists for office supplies, kennel supplies, clinic or hospital supplies and cleaning supplies. This part of the job involves placing orders for supplies, receiving supplies, inventorying receipts, unpacking, and stocking supplies.
· Making sure the waiting room has a supply of reading materials and that the reception area is stocked with literature and pet products (if applicable)
· Cleaning exam rooms after each patient leaves and ensuring that the exam rooms and treatment rooms have adequate supplies
· Assisting with patient discharges and providing patient care instructions to owners
· Assisting the veterinary technician with dental cleaning procedures

What Type of Degree is Needed To Be A Veterinary Assistant

Expert opinions state that the first criteria to becoming a veterinary assistant, is a love of animals. Students who choose to work in the veterinary field can opt to become a veterinary assistant before moving into a specialized veterinary technician role. This is an entry level position into the field of veterinary medicine, with several certification programs on offer that can be completed within a year or two at the most.

Programs offered by veterinary assistant schools may be divided into three types to include certificate, associate and bachelor degree programs. Certificate programs generally take less than a year to complete; the associate program will require two years and the bachelor’s degree program four years. Tuition can range from approximately $800, which is the lower end of the scale to $8,000 for a semester at the Purdue University.

Students enrolled in a veterinary assistant school will benefit from practical and skill based education that includes: veterinary ethics and law, animal behavior and safety, physical examination, drug administration, grooming, provide nursing care and assist in surgeries. Most programs offer classes and coursework that integrates real world experience with book knowledge to provide students with technical skills necessary to enter the workforce.

General entry requirements to a veterinary assistant certificate program generally include a high school diploma or GED certificate. Applicants need to be physically able to lift large animals onto examination tables for example. Basic computer skills will be helpful.

Students, who choose to pursue their veterinary assistant education online, will learn animal health vocabulary, office procedures, financial collection techniques, grooming basics, animal nutrition, animal restraint techniques, animal injury care and veterinary pharmacology. Lab work is an important part of a veterinary assistant certificate or degree qualification and most online schools will offer on-site lab work.

The veterinary assistant training program offered by a major college focuses on teaching students skills that will prepare them for an entry level position in the field of veterinary medicine. The program covers emergency animal medicine, nursing skills and laboratory procedures with a special emphasis on the section on small animal techniques. Students will be instructed in various areas like proper cleaning and disinfecting of cages, lab sterilization, surgical equipments sterilization, routine post operative care and administration of medicine both orally and topically. The duration of the course is approximately nine months and students get to complete an internship.

There is a demand for veterinary assistants in a wide range of environments from private clinics to animal shelters and hospitals. The shelters and hospitals offer 24 hour care that will involve rolling shifts.

What Is The Salary Of A Veterinary Assistant

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for veterinary assistants in the job market is promising. The recorded number of positions filled in 2008 was in excess of 75,000. This figure has been projected to grow by approximately 21 percent; an above normal rate all the way through to 2018.

A veterinary assistant is an entry level position in the field of veterinary medicine. The person works under the general supervision of a veterinarian to perform a variety of functions. Though used interchangeably, veterinarian assistants are not veterinarian technicians if they don’t have the formal educational and training qualifications the veterinary technician position demands.
In 2009, veterinary assistants earned a median annual wage of approximately $29,000 and a median hourly wage of approximately $14. Based on current U.S. national pay data available, a veterinary assistant earns on average an hourly rate in the range of $8 to $13.50 and an overtime rate of $2.5 to $23.50. National annualized data puts bonus payouts to veterinary assistants in the range of $1,500 per annum.

Veterinary Assistant Wages

Veterinary assistants can expect to earn between $15,500 and $32,500 in a year. The survey on national data results indicates that the majority of veterinary assistants fell within the $16,000 to slightly under $32,000 per annum pay scale.

(Figures have been rounded off to the nearest full number)

Hourly rates and annual pay packages are dependent on qualifications and work experience, and will vary depending on the organization in question. The position may be temporary, for example one or two evenings a week or a split between morning and evening shifts a few times a week. Alternatively, a full time job will involve working between 36 to 40 hours a week, with the possible opportunity to earn overtime if work hours extend beyond a 40 hour week. Full time employees have the advantage of being eligible for full benefits like retirement and health benefits.

In the United States of America, pets are big business and people are really attached to their special friends. Medical care for pets and animals is of a superior quality and pet owners don’t seem to mind paying for the best advanced pet care available. With this in mind, the job market for veterinary assistants is promising to say the least. This is one of the on-demand careers - as the number of pets increases, so does the demand for veterinary services, which in turn spurs employment growth for veterinary professionals.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Being A Veterinary Assistant

There are several advantages to becoming a veterinary assistant including:

· The role of a veterinary assistant is considered a career in demand, and growth in the sector of veterinary healthcare has been predicted to grow at a faster than normal rate. For students and job seekers in this field, this is good news.
· The veterinary assistant position is considered the entry level position into the world of veterinary healthcare. At this level, the person learns from the grassroots level up with practical hands on experience. Joining at the veterinary assistant level sets the person up for a progressive career in veterinary healthcare, where people learn as they grow and develop in the role.
· Educational requirements are not too stringent for obtaining a veterinary assistant certificate or degree. A high school diploma or GED certificate is generally the requirement that needs to be met.
· Tuition costs are not very high provided students choose a mid-range institution to get their certificate from. High end colleges like Purdue can run to approximately 8,000 dollars a semester.
· Program duration is not too long, a certificate program can be completed in less than a year, for example one college's veterinary assistant certificate program takes nine months to complete.
· Working with animals is a very rewarding experience and a career choice that can bring self-fulfillment in the role. Not many people can truly say they enjoy what they do, but veterinary assistants with a passion for animals certainly can.

The downside to becoming a veterinary assistant includes:

· Most veterinary assistant will probably not agree that there are any negative aspects to the role. The main reason for this rationale is people get to do what they love best - be with animals.
· To be a veterinary assistant will require much physical effort. One cannot deny that the work is strenuous because it involves lifting animals on and off examination tables, putting them in cages, bending, standing, stooping, walking, listening and talking all through the shift. Hands are in use to constantly restrain, manipulate, handle, feel and perform other actions. Cleaning and sterilizing the various areas that make up the veterinary clinic is also a strenuous job.
· The work environment in which a veterinary assistant is employed is a stressful one. One of the most stressful times is when patients need to be put to sleep. Handling sick animals all day long, managing frantic pet owners, soothing their fears and explaining procedures can be stressful.
· Veterinary assistants may be exposed to some level of danger in the job. For example, aggressive animals, bites, scratches, exposure to diseases and association with infected animals pose a certain level of risk.