Have you ever wondered who is in care of your pets besides the veterinarian, as you drop them off at the animal hospital? Well, that is the veterinary technicians of course! These trained technicians are required to Help the veterinarian and provide patient monitoring on each animal. Vet techs Help with performing medical tests to help the veterinarians diagnose the illnesses and injuries of animals. Becoming a Veterinary Technician requires an associate’s degree, and is typically the most popular path.
The program is two years and covers many courses such as veterinary office management, animal anatomy and physiology to help inform you on the education you need to be a Veterinary Tech. After finishing the two year coursework, state law requires you to pass a credential exam to become certified.
Having a veterinary technician degree you are able to work in several different work environments. Many people think vet techs only work at animal hospitals, but there’s so many more, such as vet hospitals, a zoo, or a research laboratory.
The veterinary industry is constantly expanding due to the rapid increase of pets per household, so the jobs are constantly growing. Different career opportunities you can look into as you already have your vet tech degree can be jobs such as, military, veterinary supply sales, drug manufacturing companies, biomedical facilities, and colleges and universities.
Volunteering for a Veterinary hospital a few months ago, I was able to observe and experience a lot of the tasks veterinary technicians have to perform every day. As I was observing I was introduced to a vet tech named Ashley and she explained to me the duties they were required to do there. She attended the veterinary technician program a few years back and said it was extremely helpful.
Ashley showed me how they put catheters in the animals’ arms to draw blood, give them there medicine for pain, due to injury, as well as anesthesia before dental cleanings and surgeries. After observing for about a week I decided to get my new puppy neutered there, since she explained to me the benefits it has in the long run. I brought my puppy in and was able to watch the whole procedure! As my volunteering came to an end I asked Ashley “any tips for the future?” and she said, “It isn’t as easy as it looks, the job requires a lot of time, education and practice.”