A vet tech is essentially a pet nurse, but vet techs do much more than nursing! It sounds simple enough, but there are many challenging responsibilities that come along with being a veterinary technician. Besides just “caring for animals”, vet techs have many responsibilities.

These often include drawing blood and collecting urine or fecal specimens, cleaning cages, running the blood machine, performing fecal testing to look for parasites, taking radiographs (x-rays), setting up appointments, giving injections, placing IV catheters, assisting the doctor in the exam room, restraining animals, providing customer service and client education, presenting financial estimates, performing dental cleanings, running anesthesia for surgeries, and many others. So the question is, should you become a veterinary technician?

As you may have noticed, some veterinary technicians refer to themselves as licensed, while others may say registered or certified.

What does this really mean? They all mean the same thing, it just depends on what state you live in. 

Did you know that as a veterinary technician you have the opportunity to further your education and interest by specializing?

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians (NAVTA) recognizes several specialty academies. Members of this type of academy are credentialed veterinary technicians who have completed additional formal training, education, and testing in their field of interest.

Specialties include Dentistry, Anesthesia, Internal Medicine, Emergency and Critical Care, Behavior, Equine Nursing, Surgery, Clinical Practice and Nutrition, and Zoo Medicine.

It is easy to experience burnout in the veterinary profession. Let's discuss some ways you can increase your job satisfaction. All jobs can become routine. If your Vet Tech Job is getting boring, consider these things to boost your love for this profession!

We tend to forget about many of the safety issues we face on a daily basis in the workplace. This is a quick review on important safety procedures in veterinary practice.

Hazards cannot totally be avoided, but minimizing exposure and being diligent about safety is the ultimate goal. All hospitals are required to follow OSHA standards.

What is OSHA?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act is part of the Department of Labor. It was established to "assure safe and healthful working conditions for working individuals by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance." For more information visit: www.osha.gov

Have you been working on your veterinary technician degree? Or are you thinking about becoming a vet tech? Well, there is good news for you! 

Since this is National Dog Bite Prevention week, it is a good time to remind ourselves to be careful in the workplace and take the precautions needed to prevent injury from dog bites. It is also a good time to educate your children, family, and friends about how to avoid dog bite injury. More than 4.7 million people each year are bitten by dogs, and up to 1 million individuals seek medical treatment for dog bites.