The Savvy VetTech

As you approach the end of your vet tech training, you will begin the search for your first vet tech job. Even if you have already received an offer from a current or former employer, it’s still a good idea to investigate other openings and compare opportunities. 

Creating a resume immediately out of school can be challenging, because you haven’t yet had an opportunity to work as a vet tech. However, playing up your strengths can play a big role in helping you find the right first job.

As you approach the end of your schooling, you’re likely looking ahead towards beginning your career as a vet tech. You’ve finally made it! The last hurdle that stands between you and your vet tech career is passing the VTNE^® and obtaining your license. 

Unfortunately, those things aren’t cheap. 

The actual cost of obtaining your vet tech credentials can vary significantly, depending on the state in which you will be working. Each state sets their own licensing fees and many states require a state licensing exam, in addition to the VTNE^®. Realistically, you can expect to pay somewhere in the range of $500-1,000 for your exam(s) and credentials to begin working as a vet tech. 

It’s a summer afternoon and you’re working as a vet tech in a busy general practice, shortly after receiving your license. The day is fully booked, with multiple doctors on duty, back-to-back appointments, and several walk-in patients that need to be worked into the schedule.

When you think about monitoring a critically ill patient, what comes to mind? Do you immediately jump to electrocardiograms, blood gas analysis, and other high-tech tools? The truth is that these advanced monitoring technologies can be immensely helpful, but the most important tools are your own eyes and ears. 

Animals may be critically ill for any number of reasons, including trauma, infection, or organ failure. Some critically ill pets present on an emergency basis, while others are hospitalized for what appears to be a straightforward illness and deteriorate over time. Regardless of the cause or timing of the pet’s deterioration, critically ill pets need specialized round-the-clock monitoring because things can change quickly.

If you work in small animal practice, you are bound to one day find yourself somehow involved in giving a blood transfusion.

While the administration of blood transfusions can vary significantly, depending on whether you’re working in a general practice that doesn’t routinely perform transfusions or a high-volume emergency clinic, there are certain steps that should always remain constant. It’s important to have a grasp of these basic steps in pre-transfusion testing.