Veterinary Assistants

Career summary

Veterinary assistants feed and exercise animals. They clean cages and exam areas. They also keep watch on animals in treatment or after surgery. Assistants notify the doctor of changes or problems.

All assistants document their work. They make notes in charts of treatment, lab tests, and their observations of animals.

Veterinary assistants may care for animals and assist veterinarians in:

Clinics

Sometimes assistants help veterinarians as they examine and treat animals. They prepare the exam room and help hold or move the animal. They assist with and sometimes give shots. They help dress wounds and other injuries.

Veterinary assistants sometimes draw blood from animals or prepare tissue samples. They may also run lab tests. Assistants prepare medications and sterilize instruments for surgery. They also prepare the animal and assist the veterinarian during surgery.

Research labs

Some veterinary assistants work in research labs. These workers are called laboratory animal technicians. They perform similar duties as assistants who work in clinics.

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Animal Caretakers
• Dental Assistants
• Dental Hygienists
• Dietetic Technicians
• Occupational Therapist Aides
• Pharmacy Technicians
• Physical Therapist Aides
• Surgical Technologists
• Veterinarians
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to veterinary assistants.

• Observe animals after surgery for changes and report problems to veterinarians.
• Prepare medications, instruments, and animals for surgery.
• Assist veterinarians in health care duties, such as giving shots and dressing wounds.
• Provide emergency care to sick or injured animals.
• Clean and disinfect cages.
• Prepare exam room and hold animal during procedure.
• Prepare tissue samples, draw blood, and run routine lab tests.
• Fill medication prescriptions.
• Examine animals for behavioral changes or symptoms.
• Assist veterinarians in examining animals.
• Assist veterinarians during surgery. Pass instruments and materials as requested.
• Perform enemas, catheterization, ear flushes, and intravenous feedings.
• Feed, exercise, water, and care for animals.
• Record animal history, behavior, and appearance.
• Educate owners on animal health care, nutrition, and behavior problems.
• Clean and polish animals' teeth, and clip claws.
• Write reports, maintain research information, and perform clerical duties.
• Perform accounting duties, including bookkeeping and billing customers for services. Maintain inventories.
• Assist with euthanasia of animals (putting an animal to "sleep").
• Perform office duties, such as scheduling appointments and helping customers.

Common work activities

Veterinary assistants perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Get information needed to do the job
• Document and record information
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Assist and care for others
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Perform for or work with the public
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Inspect equipment, structures, or materials
• Handle and move objects
• Perform activities that use the whole body
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Use computers
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Analyze data or information
• Process information
• Teach others
• Develop and build teams
• Evaluate information against standards
• Control machines and processes
• Schedule work and activities

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, veterinary assistants:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social contact. They work closely with other staff and assist animal owners.
• Are often placed in conflict situations in which others may be rude or unpleasant.
• Are moderately responsible for the health and safety of animals and coworkers.
• Communicate with coworkers and animal owners daily by telephone or in person.
• Work in a group or as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

• Often work indoors, but may work outdoors while exercising animals.
• Are exposed to hazardous situations daily that can produce bites or scratches.
• Are exposed to diseases or infections on a daily basis.
• Are exposed to contaminants daily, such as animal waste.
• Often are exposed to radiation from diagnostic equipment.
• Often wear specialized protective attire, such as radiation protection suites.
• Often wear masks and rubber gloves to protect against infection.
• Are sometimes exposed to loud or distracting sounds and noise levels.
• Work somewhat close to coworkers, such as when assisting veterinarian with examinations.
• Sometimes wear uniforms or lab jackets.

Work performance

• Must be exact in their work. Errors could endanger the health of animals or other staff.
• Must repeat the same physical activities, such as exercising animals.
• Make decisions on a daily basis that strongly impact animals and owners. They are able to make some decisions without talking to a veterinarian.
• Are able to set some tasks for the day without consulting with a veterinarian.
• Must meet strict deadlines on a weekly basis.

Hours/travel

• May work full time or part time, but most work 40 hours a week.
• May work evenings, weekends, or holidays.

Physical demands

Veterinary assistants frequently:

• Stand for long periods of time.
• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Bend or twist their body.
• Walk or run for long periods of time.
• Kneel, stoop, crouch, or crawl.

It is important for veterinary assistants to be able to:

• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for veterinary assistants to be able to:

• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Move arms and legs quickly.
• React quickly using hands, fingers, or feet.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
• Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
• Determine the distance between objects.
• Make fast, repeated movements of fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.
• Adjust body movements or equipment controls to keep pace with speed changes of moving objects.
• Use muscles for extended periods without getting tired.

Skills and abilities

Veterinary assistants need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand spoken information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Understand written information.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.

Work with people

• Look for ways to help people.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Veterinary Technology

Other programs of study to consider

• Animal Grooming
• Animal Training
• Medical Assisting
• Medical Laboratory Assisting

Training

To work as a veterinary assistant, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• complete short-term, on-the-job training.

Education after high school

Some veterinary assistants learn their skills through programs offered at professional-technical schools and two-year colleges.

Work experience

Experience as a volunteer at an animal clinic or shelter is good preparation for this occupation.

On-the-job training

Veterinary assistants usually receive informal, on-the-job training from an experienced worker. Training includes basic care for animals and orientation to the vet clinic policies. In general, training lasts up to a month.

Helpful high school courses

You should take a general high school curriculum that meets the state's graduation requirements. You will be required to take both math and science classes to graduate.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Animal Science
• Computer Fundamentals
• Introduction to Health Care
• Safety and First Aid

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers look for workers who show a sincere interest in the job and are neat in appearance, personable, and work well with the public. Continuing education is necessary for staying current on changes in the field.

Tips

Courses in animal husbandry and any experience working with animals, especially in a veterinary hospital, pet shop, dairy, stockyard, stable, or humane society, will be helpful. Volunteering at a veterinary practice is a good way to explore this occupation. Caring for a pet and joining clubs such as 4-H or Future Farmers of America can provide opportunities for learning about animal care.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

The minimum wage for Washington State as of January 1, 2020 is $13.50 per hour. Some areas of the state may have a higher minimum wage.

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. Wages are also affected by the level of responsibility of the veterinary assistant.

Veterinary assistants who work full time often receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, and health insurance.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Veterinary hospitals and clinics
• Research labs at colleges and universities

National outlook

Demand for this occupation will remain strong. The number of pets people own is expected to rise. In addition, pet owners are expected to increase their use of veterinary services. As more animals are checked and tests are run, more veterinary assistants will be needed to do the work.

Many job openings will occur as current veterinary assistants leave this occupation. This occupation requires little training and has flexible hours. It is ideal for people seeking their first job, or people looking for flexible part-time work. As a result, turnover is high and the availability of jobs should be good.

Other resources

American Animal Hospital Association 
12575 West Bayaud Avenue
Lakewood, CO 80228
800.252.2242
303.986.2800

American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 
9190 Crestwyn Hills Drive
Memphis, TN 38125
901.754.8620

American Association of Zoo Keepers 
8476 East Speedway Boulevard, Suite 204
Tucson, AZ 85710
520.298.9688

American Veterinary Medical Association 
1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173
800.248.2862

Guide Dogs for the Blind 
P.O. Box 151200
San Rafael, CA 94915

National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America 
1931 N Meacham Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
888.996.2882

North American Veterinary Community 
352.375.5672

Washington State Association of Veterinary Technicians (WSAVT) 
8024 Bracken Pl SE
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
206.419.6614

Washington State Veterinary Medical Association 
8024 Bracken Place SE
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
800.399.7862
425.396.3191

WSU College of Veterinary Medicine 

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Realistic (Technical)

O*Net  occupation

• Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (31-9096.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 3 - Medium preparation needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.

DOT occupation

• Veterinary Technician (079.361-014) 

Holland occupational cluster

• Realistic/Social/Investigative

COPSystem

• Science Skilled