When asked when we were young, many of us wanted to be a veterinarian, a teacher or a firefighter when we ‘grew up’. When it came time for me to grow up and think about a career I learned that there are many different positions available in the veterinary industry.
On a typical a small animal Veterinarian will:
- Diagnose animal health problems
- Consult with owners, obtaining a pet’s history
- Vaccinate against diseases such as rabies
- Medicate animals suffering from infections or illnesses
- Treat and dress wounds
- Set fractures
- Perform soft tissue or orthopedic surgery
- Advise owners on nutrition and behavior
- Euthanize animals when necessary
On a typical day a large animal Veterinarian will:
- Provide preventive care to maintain the health of food animals
- Test for and vaccinate against diseases
- Consult with farm or ranch owners and managers on animal production, feeding and housing issues
- Treat and dress wounds
- Set fractures
- Perform surgery
On a typical day an Animal Health Tech will:
- Provide nutritional or behavioral consultations with owners
- Fill prescriptions ordered by Veterinarians
- Induce patients for surgery and monitor anesthesia
- Assist Veterinarians in surgery
- Help restrain animals for Veterinarians
- Bandage and splint wounds or fractures
- Provide nail trims, ear cleans or anal gland expressions
- Collect blood and urine for tests
- Test feces, urine and blood for abnormalities, bacteria or parasites
- Process blood for testing
- Triage any emergent cases as they come in
- Place IV catheters for medications or fluids
On a typical day an Animal Health Assistant will:
- Assist Veterinarians and tech’s with surgeries
- Restrain animals for exams or procedures
- Sanitize exam rooms and kennels
- Sterilize surgical instruments
- Prep and scrub animals for surgery
- Feed and medicate animals in-clinic
- Monitor animals post-surgically
- Keep supplies stocked and up to date
- Duties such as laundry, washing food bowls and bathing animals when necessary
On a typical day a Client Care Specialist will:
- Answer phones, schedule appointments and surgeries
- Discuss retail products and food with clients
- Bill out clients as pets are discharged
- Perform initial triage when pets are brought in
- Manage doctor availability
- Correspond with other clinics
- Inventory management of office supplies
On a typical day a manager or person in administration will:
- Make and answer telephone calls