Where Can You Work as a Vet Assistant?
Did you know that Veterinary Assistants don’t just work at animal hospitals and veterinarian offices? While these are great places to work, they aren’t the only employers who need the passion, skills, and knowledge of Vet Assistants. Animal shelters, zoos, and research centers are just a few examples of additional places you could find work. Check out our list of 6 places you might work as a Veterinary Assistant:
1. The Vet Assistant’s Role at a Veterinarian Office
At a veterinarian’s office, you support the veterinary team by preparing exam rooms, restraining animals during exams, administering basic care, and maintaining medical records. You also help perform diagnostic tests, clean and sterilize instruments, and communicate with pet owners about care instructions. Your role is critical because you keep the office running well and make sure your very important clients—the pets—are cared for, happy, and healthy.
2. Vet Assistants work at Animal Hospitals
At an animal hospital, you provide emergency and critical care to a wide range of animals. You help the vet with surgeries, monitor animals during recovery, administer medications, and help with diagnostic tests. You also prepare animals for surgery, maintain a sterile environment, and provide comfort to hospitalized pets and information to pet owners. Animal hospitals have a faster pace than vet offices and you may meet your patient only once, but the care you provide is vital to their long-term wellbeing.
3. Work at Animal Shelters
Have you ever volunteered at or just stopped by your local animal shelter? They could use your help! At a shelter, you provide needed services, and you get to reap the rewards of caring for animals that have been abandoned. Your job as a Vet Assistant is to bathe, exercise, and feed the animals and monitor them for signs of sickness. You clean out the kennels and assign each animal to one as they come into the shelter. One of the best responsibilities you have is to help the animals find a new family. You interact with people who visit the shelter and help them fall in love with the pet that will be a great fit for their family.
4. Work at Zoos
If you love animals of all shapes, sizes, and breeds, you might work at a zoo. In this setting, you can work with more than just dogs and cats. You interact with birds, reptiles, large mammals, and exotic animals. You feed, water, and exercise the animals, but handle them with care. You also ensure their habitats are clean and alert the veterinarian or vet tech on staff if you notice any injuries or signs of illness.
5. Vet Assistants at a Wildlife Sanctuary
Because of its variety of animals, a wildlife sanctuary is like a zoo. But its main purpose isn’t entertainment or education – it’s nursing animals back to health. At a wildlife sanctuary, you might help the same types of animals you find at a zoo, but they will be sick or injured in some way. They may have come from a zoo or a circus or been displaced by construction or deforestation. Working at a sanctuary, you dress basic wounds or hold animals while they receive care or medication, to prevent further injury. You keep them clean and fed and exercise them as part of their rehabilitation. You help ensure the facility is safe, sanitary, and clean for both the animals and humans and let the vet know when something is going on with the animals or when supplies need to be reordered.
6. Research Laboratory
Research universities and pet companies can have laboratories where they test products or treatments on animals. They need Vet Assistants to ensure the well-being of those animals. You keep the facility clean, bathe and feed the animals, and monitor their health. You might also assist with the collection of blood, urine, and tissue samples, and the sterilization of tools and equipment.
Employment of Veterinary Assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average over the next decade. If you’re ready to work at one of these locations, contact Charter College today. We offer a Certificate in Veterinary Assistant that can provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to find entry-level work at an animal shelter, wildlife sanctuary, or other animal care facility. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.