Job Description

Veterinary Technician / Veterinary Assistant Job Description

Veterinary technicians are under the direct guidance and supervision of the doctors. These employees assist the doctors to the fullest possible extent, to help improve the quality of care given to patients, and to aid the doctors in achieving greater efficiency by relieving them of technical work and basic administrative details. Veterinary Technicians will be titled as such, or as Vet Techs. Veterinary Assistants have many of the same basic job functions, but have not earned their Veterinary Technician Certificate. They will be addressed as Vet Assistants - this distinction is to be maintained by all staff members of Dearborn Animal Hospital. When necessary, Veterinary Assistants may be called upon to help the Front Office Staff and Kennel Technician complete their duties (for example, when staff members are unable to attend work, or excessive numbers of patients are present).

Major Duties:

• Complete daily tech responsibilities list
• Prepare for office hours by stocking exam rooms and treatment area, by drawing up vaccines, and assuring that drugs and equipment are ready
• Provide restraint of pets for examination and treatment by veterinarian
• Prepare medications and prescriptions (both injections and dispensed medications) for both outpatients and inpatients
• Help doctor administer anesthetics
• Prepare patients for surgery
• Monitor patients during surgery and recovery
• Assist in surgery
• Administer fluids
• Perform support therapy to patients in surgery and post-op
• Remove and prepare next patient
• Properly clean, pack and autoclave all surgical materials after they are used
• Keep the operating room properly stocked and prepared for surgery
• Help the doctors treat patients
• Assist in medical or surgical procedures such as administering medication, cleansing wounds, bandaging
• Perform the full range of "tableside" assistance to the doctors
• Perform clinical laboratory procedures such as fecal flotation exams, heartworm checks, skin scrapings, urinalysis, fungal cultures, draw blood for laboratory analysis
• Prepare samples for shipment to laboratory and prepare laboratory forms
• Only trained staff members may perform these functions
• Perform other in-house tests such as parvovirus and feline leukemia virus tests
• Ensure patient records have test results recorded in them
• Take and process x-rays or ultrasound procedures
• Perform checks on hospitalized animals, record patient weights and temperatures, record observations on patient status such as nature and amount of vomit, bowel movements, and urinations
• Monitor vital signs on all patients
• Perform ear flushing and anal gland expression, nail trimming, dentistry for dogs and cats
• Assist kennel personnel in keeping all patients clean and dry at all times
• Admit and discharge patients on the doctor's orders, being especially careful to ensure that patients being discharged are well-groomed and in a medically appropriate state
• Answer client questions one-on-one on various aspects of animal care up to, but not including controversial items and/or those best left to the veterinarians
• Pass on information/advice from the doctors; explain dosage/purpose of medications; reinforce through discussion

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