Veterinary Tech
A Career In Demand
Working as a veterinary tech is one of many options available to you if you are interested in a career working with horses. As health care and technology in the field of animal health care continues to advance, the options in this field will only continue to grow. If you have an interest in horses that goes beyond recreation, working as a vet tech may be a great choice for you.
You may be curious about what a veterinary tech actually does. As with any career you are considering, you may want to take some time to research this career field and spend some time working or volunteering in some veterinary clinics.
What Is A Vet Tech?
As a vet tech you will work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Your main responsibilities include basic care and animal handling with routine laboratory and clinical procedures.The goal of most vet tech is to promote and encourage animal health. There are some risks when working with animals every day. As a part of your job you may need to hold or restrain an animal putting you at risk of potential injury or harm.
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Setting Types
Private PracticeIn this setting you will be in a clinic or hospital setting. In a way, the vet tech acts as a nurse would for a physician. In this setting the technician is responsible for taking patient histories, x-ray exposure and development, and provide specialized care. In small animal clinics, patient load consists mainly of dogs and cats. Other small animals may be seen including rats, rabbits, and ferrets.
There are other private practices where the patient cases consist of mixed small and large animals.
Vet techs also prepare animals for surgery including all equipment that is needed. They also assist during surgical procedures. A vet tech works with animal owners too, in regards to advising them and educating them on care of their pet.
Research Facility
In a research facility, a veterinary tech works a lot more with routine laboratory procedures. They administer medication, keep lab records, and prepare samples for inspection. In this type of setting the veterinary tech works more with small animals used for research. In this practice setting you will also be responsible for supervising the humane care and handling of animals.
Other settings that you could consider working in are: colleges/universities, zoo and wildlife facilities, military service, food safety inspection, diagnostic laboratories, veterinary supply sales, humane societies, animal control, drug and feed manufacturing.
School & Training
There are a variety of accredited vet tech training program available throughout the United States. Some of them even have options of different levels of certification.As a veterinary tech you will need to have some sort of formal training in the field. You can meet these criteria through a certification program, associates program, or bachelors program. Most of the accredited schools you will find offer a two year program or associates degree.
In some states it is not always mandatory for a vet tech to be trained and registered with the state, but it may be helpful for obtaining specific jobs. If you are registered with the state, you are also able to perform procedures such as inducing anesthesia and suturing wounds.
Your veterinary technician training is meant to prepare you for successful completion of the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) and to help you in job placement. Accredited programs require students to complete internships prior to completion of the educational program. Having a distinct interest in animals and science is a big help when attending a vet tech program.
Areas of study for vet tech programs include anatomy, physiology, anesthesiology, dentistry, radiology, diseases, pharmacology, and public health.
