What is a Vet Tech?
A Veterinary Technician is someone who professionally assists a Veterinarian with the care of animals. Much like an R.N. in the human medicine world, a Vet Tech is responsible for providing care to animals as well as assisting the Veterinarian with procedures like exams, surgeries and so on.
Depending on where you live in the world, a Vet Tech's job scope will vary. They may work with large animals such as horses, cows, etc. They may work with domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, hamsters; or exotics such as birds, snakes, lizards, etc. Wherever you will find Veterinary Care, you will undoubtedly find an assistant, which I will refer to as Vet Tech.
In my experience as a Vet Tech, I have primarily worked with cats and dogs, and in some cases pocket pets. In emergency hospitals and private practices, I have worked with people who have done wildlife rehabilitation, and worked with large animal and exotics. Even though we lived in the same geographical area, our experiences varied based on our previous training and employment. In essence, the Vet Tech is the assistant to the Veterinarian, and whatever patients they treat, so does the Tech.
What Does A Vet Tech Do?
Using the same comparison, a Vet Tech is much like a human medicine R.N. (registered nurse). In both cases, they are able to treat patients based on the doctor's orders. They maintain aftercare of the patient as well as performing diagnostics and anethesia. Again, depending on the practice and the Veterinarian's expertise, the Vet Tech will have a wide variety of responsibilities.
In my experience, as a Vet Tech since 1998, I have done performed the following tasks:
- medicating by mouth, injection or intraveneously
- drawing blood for testing
- laboratory tests of urine, stool and blood
- restraining of patient
- taking and developing x-rays
- vaccine administration
- sedation and anethesia administration
- sterile surgery assisting
- wound care
- seizure intervention
- emergency care for a wide variety of situations
- client education
- chemotherapy treatment and aftercare
- acupuncture therapy
- isolation care (parvo or other highly contagious illnesses/conditions)
- grooming, bathing, nail trims
- ...and more that I can't even remember
What is my Vet Tech Experience?
I was originally trained in an emergency hospital. That hospital has grown to become one of the largest and most progressive in the Northeast. From there, I have worked at many small animal practices (cat and dog, as well as pocket pets). Having to move a couple of times and having children mean that I moved to new practices, or had a break in my employment. The great thing about working for different Veterinarians is learning different styles and schools of thought. I originally worked with mostly PENN graduates, but then over the years worked with other Veterinarians who graduated from schoolslike Cornell and KSU.
I learned many different approaches to patient care. I also learned that there is usually more than one way to method to treating common problems for cats and dogs. I also saw the similarities in ways to handle heartworm prevention, flea control, diabetes management and so on.
Let's say you wanted to train a new puppy. If you asked 5 different Vets and 5 different trainers,
chances are they'd all say something different, but there are also many things that are the same!
When considering advice from a professional, such as a Veterinarian or Vet Tech, consider that a second opinion may be needed. In fact, you may have to talk to more than just 2 people.
The crucial part here is that if you ever feel like your pet is suffering an emergency situation, don't spend time online self-diagnosing, get them to the Vet immediately!
My disclaimer
As the owner YOU must make the best decision for your pet. I am only here to help you give your pet great care, at home, as the owner. Sharing resources, tips and information that will give you ways to take care of your beloved fur-friend. I can also share with you things to look for in potential emergency situations.
If you ever have one ounce of doubt or concern about your pet's health, just take your pet to the Vet or nearest Emergency Clinic immediately.
WARNING
I cannot emphasize enough that an online resource, such as this blog or other "ask advice" types of sites does NOT take the place of hands-on medical care. There are things that doctors look for such as body language, odors, skin/eye color, overall appearance, etc. These things must be evaluated in person by a professional. Your pet cannot speak in a language you know, please be very aware of their attitude, body language, overall appearance, eating & drinking habits and bathroom habits on a regular basis to help your Veterinarian get your pet the care it needs. When evaluating a pet, a Veteriarian professional must play detective, and one missed clue can send everyone down the wrong path.
