Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. They clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. They also provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists.
Have you ever felt empathetic towards an animal in the street suffering from an ache? Do you want to become professionally equipped to help such animals? A career as a veterinary assistant could help your urge to help these poor animals in dying need and earn five-six digits veterinary assistant salary.
For a laboratory animal caretaker job, one has to qualify for the NEET entrance examination. Students need to take entrance examinations of colleges for admissions in veterinary assistant courses.
There are several veterinary assistant job roles which, with experience, will help you scale up to a higher job title. After completing the required education, apply for the position of the veterinary assistant trainee. After going through the training period you are to shoulder the duties of a veterinary assistant. In two to three years of experience, you’ll scale up to the role of a veterinary supervisor. Veterinary trainers train the newly recruited vets and veterinary assistants.
To be successful in a veterinary assistant job, develop your soft skills and tech skills. Keeping calm, flexibility, versatility and detail-orientation are the much-needed skills of a good vet.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- M.V.Sc Veterinary Medicine
- B.V.Sc Veterinary Science
Tasks
- Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
- Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
- Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.
- Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians.
- Provide emergency first aid to sick or injured animals.
- Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
- Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
- Fill medication prescriptions.
- Collect laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, for testing.
Progression Routes
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