This week we celebrate our Registered Veterinary Technicians during National Veterinary Technician week (October 14-20)! Veterinary Technicians are a hardworking group of people who are important in veterinary practices.
Vet Techs, or RVT’s, are similar to registered nurses in human medicine. Vet Techs must complete a 2 or 4 year program (nationally accredited with the American Veterinary Medical Association) to obtain an associates or bachelors degree in Veterinary Technology. Classes include pharmacology, parasitology, microbiology, hematology, radiology, anatomy & physiology, and health and disease. Students also get hands-on experience in class and at off-site internships. Once the program is completed, vet techs must pass the national board exam for veterinary technicians, and then register for their license in their state of residence. (Note: Each state may vary slightly in the requirements for Registered or Certified Veterinary Technicians).
Veterinary Technicians work in all areas of practice. They function as surgical assistants, anesthesiologists, laboratory techs, x-ray technicians, dental hygienists, critical care nurses, receptionists, kennel staff, cleaning staff, assistants during exams, and more. One important role vet techs have in the practice is that of education. Vet techs have a wealth of knowledge both from school and from experience, and are largely responsible for assisting veterinarians in educating pet owners.
Veterinary technicians do a little bit of everything in a clinic setting! Sometimes it’s not a very fun or glamorous job. There’s always the chance that a patient will bite you. You may get dirty working with the patients. Sometimes an emergency comes in and you have to work later than planned, come in overnight or work holiday weekends. But most veterinary technicians will say that they’re in the field because they love animals and want to help them get well and stay healthy.
Here are a few things our technicians and assistants had to say about what they like in their work as a technician/assistant:
- Helping neonates, especially those born by c-sections.
- Teaching people about pet health care, especially senior pets and new pet owners.
- Talking to owners about how to best care for their pets.
- Performing dental cleanings, especially on pets with severe dental disease and painful mouths. It’s so rewarding to make life better (& healthier!) for that pet.
- Assisting pets and their owners with end of life decisions.
- Assisting in surgery to help patients have the best surgical experience possible.
- Educating pet owners on the natural behaviors on their pets. Pet owners’ understanding of their pet’s natural, instinctive behaviors can allow for behavior modification and a more peaceful home.
Meet our technicians, assistant, and veterinary students by clicking this link: http://suburbananimalclinic.vetstreet.com/our_staff.html