A Day in the Life of a Veterinary Technician*
Veterinary technicians perform many of the same duties for a veterinarian that a nurse would for a physician, including routine laboratory and clinical procedures. As a veterinary technician, you may conduct clinical work in a private practice under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. You will perform various medical tests and treat medical conditions and diseases in animals. Also, check out this article from the New York Times published July 4, 2009.
On a typical day, you may:
- Prepare an animal for surgery
- Monitor anesthesia
- Provide pet nutritional counseling
- Provide behavior counseling
- Perform laboratory tests
- Prepare tissue samples
- Take blood samples
- Provide support to a veterinarian in a variety of tests and analyses
- Obtain and record patients’ case histories
- Expose and develop x-rays and radiographs
- Provide specialized nursing care
- Discuss a pet’s condition with the owners
- Train new clinic personnel
You could also choose to work in a research facility, where you may:
- Develop enrichment programs to improve animal welfare
- Administer medications
- Prepare samples for laboratory examinations
- Record information on an animal’s genealogy, diet, weight, medications, food intake and clinical signs of pain and distress
- Provide postoperative care
Click to see your earnings potential** as a veterinarian technician in Northeast Ohio.
* Day in the Life information gathered from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, found at http://www.bls.gov/OCO/.
** Incomes provided by Salary.com represent industry averages. Actual income may vary by employer, experience and skill level.
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