What You'll Do

  • Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.
  • Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.
  • Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
  • Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.
  • Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
  • Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination.
  • Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.
  • Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed.
  • Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.
  • Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 3.75/5
Critical Thinking 3.75/5
Reading Comprehension 3.62/5
Speaking 3.62/5
Writing 3.25/5
Monitoring 3.25/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.25/5
Active Learning 3.12/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.12/5
Coordination 3.12/5
Service Orientation 3.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Stress Tolerance, Dependability, Integrity, Adaptability/Flexibility

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 3.88/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.88/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.88/5
Near Vision 3.88/5
Oral Comprehension 3.75/5
Written Comprehension 3.75/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.75/5
Information Ordering 3.75/5

Technologies & Tools

Animal Intelligence Software Animal Intelligence FileMaker Pro McAllister Software Systems AVImark Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word Practice management software PMS Veterinary practice management software PMS Web browser software Word processing software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.64/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.55/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.51/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.42/5)
  • Adaptability/Flexibility (High importance: 4.38/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Animal Care Technician (Animal Care Tech) Animal Health Technician (Animal Health Tech) Animal Technician (Animal Tech) Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) Emergency Veterinary Technician (Emergency Vet Tech) Internal Medicine Veterinary Technician (Internal Medicine Vet Tech) Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) Swine Technician (Swine Tech) Veterinarian Lab Technician (Veterinary Lab Tech) Veterinarian Technician (Vet Tech) Veterinary Assistant (Vet Assistant) Veterinary Laboratory Technician (Vet Lab Tech) Veterinary Nurse (Vet Nurse) Veterinary Surgery Technician (Vet Surgery Tech) Veterinary Surgery Technologist (Vet Surgery Technologist) Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech) Veterinary Technologist Veterinary X-Ray Operator