Introduction
Veterinary jobs are very popular and a veterinary technician is a very important job in a veterinary clinic. This is a position that requires schooling unlike a veterinary assistant. Vet techs are trained to perform most all duties that a veterinarian can do, just like a nurse practitioner in a doctor's office. This is a position of high demand as a veterinarian leans heavily on their technician for many duties.
Job Function: The primary function of a veterinary technician is to assist the veterinarian in their daily practice. Ultimately, a vet tech is trained to do most any and all procedures but the most common tasks include; restraining animals, preparing medications, locations where the medicine will be given, and instruments, cleaning up messes and providing outstanding customer service. A vet tech does most everything from administering medications, euthanasia, and assisting in surgeries to clipping nails, taking animals for walks, and changing the bedding in kennels for overnight stays.
Types of Vet Techs: There are three main types’ of veterinary jobs for veterinary technicians. These three types include specialty in large animals which include livestock, cats, dogs and other household pets; small animals such as house pets and other even smaller animals and exotic animals which deal with zoo animals and unusual pets like wildlife and reptiles.
Significance: An experienced vet tech can literally mean the difference between life and death to an animal. In the case of working with livestock and exotic animals, if the very best and most experienced veterinary technician is not employed, the veterinarian can also be risking their lives. A veterinary technician must know the mindset, habits and actions of all the different types of animals that they work with. Most vet tech veterinary jobs require a two year associates degree or certification.
Another type of veterinary jobs is the veterinary nurse. Veterinary nurses must go through schooling and training to qualify as a veterinary nurse to be able to care for and handle animals. Veterinary nurses can also be responsible for the duties of a veterinary technician, as they not only work closely to assist veterinarians but they go through a lot of training to care for the animals.
Training
Students must attend an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited schools and earn a minimum of a two-year associate's degree to obtain veterinary jobs. If veterinary nurses want to earn higher salaries and get greater job responsibilities they can attend a four-year program and earn a bachelor’s degree. A period of hands on training is also required for all students.
Continuing Education for Veterinary Jobs
Most states require veterinary nurses to obtain a certain amount of continuing education in order to remain certified or licensed. Many veterinary technicians desire on their own to continue their education just to keep up with the knowledge and skills of the ever changing technology and treatments.
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Specialties in Veterinary Jobs
There are five types of specialties within the veterinary technician’s field. These specialties include: emergency and critical care, dentistry, internal medicine, veterinary behavior and anesthesia. Veterinary nurses must continue their education and testing in order to get certification in any of these specialties.
