A Day in the Life

When asked when we were young, many of us wanted to be a veterinarian, a teacher or a firefighter when we ‘grew up’. When it came time for me to grow up and think about a career I learned that there are many different positions available in the veterinary industry.

On a typical a small animal Veterinarian will:

• Diagnose animal health problems
• Consult with owners, obtaining a pet’s history
• Vaccinate against diseases such as rabies
• Medicate animals suffering from infections or illnesses
• Treat and dress wounds
• Set fractures
• Perform soft tissue or orthopedic surgery
• Advise owners on nutrition and behavior
• Euthanize animals when necessary

On a typical day a large animal Veterinarian will:

• Provide preventive care to maintain the health of food animals
• Test for and vaccinate against diseases
• Consult with farm or ranch owners and managers on animal production, feeding and housing issues
• Treat and dress wounds
• Set fractures
• Perform surgery

On a typical day an Animal Health Tech will:

• Provide nutritional or behavioral consultations with owners
• Fill prescriptions ordered by Veterinarians
• Induce patients for surgery and monitor anesthesia
• Assist Veterinarians in surgery
• Help restrain animals for Veterinarians
• Bandage and splint wounds or fractures
• Provide nail trims, ear cleans or anal gland expressions
• Collect blood and urine for tests
• Test feces, urine and blood for abnormalities, bacteria or parasites
• Process blood for testing
• Triage any emergent cases as they come in
• Place IV catheters for medications or fluids

On a typical day an Animal Health Assistant will:

• Assist Veterinarians and tech’s with surgeries
• Restrain animals for exams or procedures
• Sanitize exam rooms and kennels
• Sterilize surgical instruments
• Prep and scrub animals for surgery
• Feed and medicate animals in-clinic
• Monitor animals post-surgically
• Keep supplies stocked and up to date
• Duties such as laundry, washing food bowls and bathing animals when necessary

On a typical day a Client Care Specialist will:

• Answer phones, schedule appointments and surgeries
• Discuss retail products and food with clients
• Bill out clients as pets are discharged
• Perform initial triage when pets are brought in
• Manage doctor availability
• Correspond with other clinics
• Inventory management of office supplies

On a typical day a manager or person in administration will:

• Make and answer telephone calls