I'm a vet tech....what's your superpower?

What does a vet tech do?

Kylie – “I love talking to clients and doing my best to answer any questions they may have. Cuddling cute pets is nice too!”

Chris: “I love making pets feel better and seeing their owners smile when we get to send them home!”

Teresa: “Pets that are unwell are so accepting of our care and seeing them feel better makes my day.”

Jackie: “I have a passion for medicine, science and, most importantly, animals; being an RVT fulfills those passions.”

For the month of October we have been featuring our superhero technicians on our Facebook page. Teresa, Chris, Kylie and Jackie are an integral part of our veterinary team. But are you aware of everything they do and are responsible for in a day? Well we’ll get to that in a bit.

Often whenever we receive resumes or inquiries about working with us, we always ask this question “why do you want to work as a veterinary technician”? And the answer is almost invariably the same which is “because I love animals”. Now that’s a wonderful answer, and of course should be at the top of the list when it comes to working in the field. But….performing the job of a veterinary technician requires SO MUCH MORE than just a love of animals. Here are just a few skills and attributes needed to be an excellent technician.

Communication – Veterinary technicians need to be able to communicate with both their patients and their owners.

Empathy – Sick and hurt animals need comfort and care. At the same time a technician needs to maintain the ability to carry out their medical duties

Detail oriented – Technicians get a huge amount of information thrown at them on any given day and or time. It’s imperative for them to maintain accurate records for every task, to make sure patient care is superior.

Physical stamina – This is a very important requirement. Techs are on their feet for hours at a time. They are also required to lift both heavy patients and equipment.

Technical skills – On a daily basis, technicians have to use and be proficient with a number of machines including x rays, lab equipment, surgical monitors and more.

Now that is just a handful of suggested skills to be a veterinary technician. Here is a list of possible jobs a technician performs in any given day:

Obtaining and processing diagnostic radiographs and ultrasound

Administration and dispensation of medications and treatments as prescribed by the attending veterinarian

Providing optimum husbandry, restraint and handling

Anaesthetic delivery and monitoring

Prevention and control of zoonotic diseases

Nutrition management

Animal behaviour and welfare

Breeding, reproduction, and neonatal care

Professional practice administration, veterinary hospital management and client relations

Diagnostic laboratory tests (hematology, clinical chemistry, cytology, and urinalysis)

Emergency and first aid

Professionalism and ethics training

Routine, intensive and emergency care of animals

Public education

Exotic animal medicine

Extensive anatomy and physiology training

Sanitation, sterilization and disinfection controls and procedures

In depth knowledge of dental structures, conditions and lesions, causes and stages of diseases

Surgical preparation and assistance

Microbiology, immunology, bacteriology, parasitology, zoonoses, and virology

Training in best practices surrounding biosecurity

Training for a career as a RVT includes two to three years of college education at a CVMA or OAVT-accredited veterinary technician/technologist program.

We are very lucky to have our tech team. They go above and beyond for your pets everyday!