Veterinary Assistant Essay

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The career that I chose to look into is Veterinary Assistant. This career is in the Veterinary Medicine field. A veterinary assistant is simply the assistant to the head veterinarian. They are a step below the veterinary technician, and work along side both the veterinarians and the technicians as well. They provide the more basic treatments to the animals, normally under supervision of the veterinarian. They keep an eye on the animals being treated, to ensure that they are comfortable. They assist veterinarians by preparing animals to be examined and prep them for any medical procedures. Vet assistants are also there to counsel the pet owners in difficult times and provide information and consolation to the owners. This position allows for …show more content…

To obtain this certificate, one would go through training where they learn the basics of animal healthcare, and how to treat/care for animals. Much of what one would learn would be to assist both the veterinary technician and the veterinarian. They all require at least a high school degree or its equivalent, and then there is on the job training as well. In this position there are a handful of skills that are useful to have, such as good communication skills, and be able to be compassionate with others. Because vet assistants are dealing with animals who are sick and in pain, they have the risk of being injured or contracting illnesses. The vet assistants need to be able to communicate with the pet owners in a caring way and be able to help counsel the owners. For this position there is not a need for continuing education unless one plans to continue to move up in their career and perhaps become a veterinary …show more content…

They could also continue their schooling if they wanted so they could become a technician, or even a veterinarian. There aren’t exactly many opportunities for advancement because the next step up requires a higher education, so without that education, it isn’t likely for much advancement. But if one wanted to advance, they could continue their schooling and get their degree to become a vet technician. Once they did that, they would have more responsibilities, and would be more hands on with the animals when it comes to surgeries. They help to perform more tests and administer medication. Some of their duties are similar to an assistant, but they do have more duties and have a higher education. (“Veterinary Technician Job Description.”)
This position would be under the healthcare industry. While it does not have to be in a veterinary office, that is where it is commonly found. Vet assistants can also be found in animal shelters, pet stores, zoos, and research labs. Any veterinary office in this area, such as Kaukauna Veterinary Clinic; Country Side Vet; Cross Roads Veterinary Clinic etc. would have a position like this. There are also a number of shelters in this area that could likely have a veterinary assistant position as

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