Just as nurses assist the physicians, the vet techs, aka veterinary technicians, aid the veterinarians to treat injured and sick animals. They operate according to the directions of the veterinarians and their main job is to provide quality healthcare to the animals and assist in devising effective medical techniques to improve the veterinary treatment and procedures.
The work responsibilities carried out by the technicians are quite varied. At one instance, the job may demand surgical and laboratory tasks while at the other, the professionals may need to accomplish duties related to office administration and client relation. Irrespective of the size and nature of the facility, their primary goal is to render humane accommodations for the animals and produce a harmless, encouraging, and sustainable environment for them to get nurtured and nourished.
Some of the common laboratory tasks include conducting medical examinations such as feline leukemia tests, urine analysis, and complete blood count (CBC), developing x-ray films, collecting test samples, recording the investigations in the systems, etc. Apart from supplying general assistance, the technicians operate and maintain the laboratory machineries and ensure cleanliness in the surgical and laboratory areas. They also execute surgical duties which include controlling the animals during surgery, disinfecting the surgical instruments, performing mercy killing, administering medications, and other similar tasks.
Besides biological and animal healthcare knowledge, the profile also demands fine clerical skills incorporating the documenting and filing of medical records of the hospitalized or treated animals. The professionals are expected to answer the questions put forth by the animal owners and help them understand animal healthcare, general precautions from injuries and diseases, breeding, reproduction, and other aspects pertinent to the lives of the animals.
Duties and Responsibilities
Education
The vet techs do not require much education. Most of the learning takes place while functioning under the supervision of the veterinarians.
Career Advancement
Vet techs generally gather considerable amount of experience in the same profile and study further to become qualified veterinarians or veterinary technologists. Experienced vet techs can find well paying jobs in veterinary hospitals and services. The professionals can work in different domains such as regional animal shelters, animal research centers, 24-hour veterinary hospitals, zoos, etc., according to their interest levels.
In order to excel in this sector, one must have a genuine love for animals and desire to work with them.