Example Career: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Career Description

Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.

What Job Titles Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Might Have

• Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)
• Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
• Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
• Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech)

What Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Do

• Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.
• Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.
• Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.
• Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.
• Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
• Restrain animals during exams or procedures.
• Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
• Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.
• Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed.
• Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth.
• Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms.
• Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.
• Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.
• Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination.
• Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas.
• Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment.
• Discuss medical health of pets with clients, such as post-operative status.
• Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
• Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data.
• Prepare treatment rooms for surgery.
• Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies.
• Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition.
• Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices.
• Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains.
• Schedule appointments and procedures for animals.
• Provide information or counseling regarding issues such as animal health care, behavior problems, or nutrition.
• Monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low.
• Supervise or train veterinary students or other staff members.
• Perform a variety of office, clerical, or accounting duties, such as reception, billing, bookkeeping, or selling products.
• Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair.
• Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming.

What Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Should Be Good At

• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

What Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Should Be Interested In

• Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

What Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Need to Learn

• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.