Veterinary technicians can work in private clinics, animal hospitals, research centers, zoos, animal shelters, and rescue leagues. Their duties vary from administering vaccines to assisting in surgeries and handling laboratory animals. Some jobs may not require direct animal contact, such as selling drugs to veterinarians.
There are a variety of veterinary technician, or veterinary technician, jobs available for people interested in caring for animals. Most veterinary tech jobs are found in private clinics or animal hospitals. These technicians may work with veterinarians to care for animals brought in by their owners. Other veterinary technology jobs can be found in the research sector, whether it’s testing drugs or handling laboratory animals. Veterinary technicians can also work in zoos, animal shelters and a variety of rescue leagues.
Most veterinary technicians find veterinary jobs in private clinics or animal hospitals. They usually work side by side with a licensed veterinarian, but job duties vary from clinic to clinic. In general, they are responsible for recording general information such as weight, temperature, and any medical conditions a pet may have. They may administer vaccines, perform medical tests, clean an animal’s teeth or take blood samples. They can also assist the veterinarian during surgery and speak with pet owners during or after surgery about the status of their pets.
Other veterinary technology jobs can be found in the research or laboratory sector. In these cases, the technician may work at a research center, college, university, or school of veterinary medicine. She might study the effects of various drugs on sick animals or develop a new way to take X-rays from animals.
Veterinary technicians are sometimes hired to handle animals in laboratories that are used to study the effects of drugs for humans as well. For example, a new cancer drug could be given to a mouse laden with cancer to see its effect. The veterinary technician may be responsible for administering the drug, feeding the rat, or euthanizing the rat.
While only a small percentage of veterinary tech jobs are found in zoos, others are available in rescue leagues and animal shelters. At a zoo, she might be involved in educational activities with the public. She can also feed or clean the cages of various zoo animals. Rescue leagues and animal shelters may hire a veterinary technician to work with abused animals, or she may simply provide basic care for stray or abandoned dogs and cats.
There are some veterinary tech jobs that don’t require the tech to work directly with the animals. For example, a veterinary technician can sell drugs to veterinarians in a defined region. While they need to understand how the product works and the benefits or harms associated with the medications, they may not administer any medications. For some people, this might be the ideal type of tech job.
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