The Pet Doctor

What Do Jobs for Vet Techs Involve?

If you want to help animals live better lives by treating the injuries and medical conditions that can negatively impact their health, you may enjoy working as a veterinarian technician. Vet techs are responsible for assisting veterinarians as they care for animals. Becoming a vet tech usually requires less schooling than what's needed for veterinarian jobs, and you'll also likely need to pass a licensing examination to work legally in the area where you live. Here are some of the duties that are involved in jobs for vet techs.

Check Vital Signs

Just like humans, animals should have their vital signs checked to look for any underlying health problems that need attention. One of the key signs to check for is the heart rate to ensure that the heart of a particular animal is beating at a healthy speed and with a normal rhythm. The respiratory rate should also be checked to measure how the animal inhales and exhales with each breath. The body temperature is another vital sign that should be checked to determine if an animal has a fever.

Take Samples for Testing

Jobs for vet techs also involve taking blood, stool, and urine samples. These samples can be sent to a lab for testing to look for diseases or other health conditions that require treatment. Hair and saliva samples are also sometimes taken when performing allergy tests. During your training, you'll learn the best ways to take samples from animals to avoid putting yourself or your animal patients in danger.

Take X-Ray Images

X-rays that show bones and internal tissues and organs are taken by vet techs to see how certain systems inside animals' bodies are functioning and to look for any structural abnormalities that require correction through treatment. Before you're ready to pursue any of the jobs for vet techs that are available, you'll be taught in school how to position animals correctly so that clear images of the entire area that needs to be viewed can be taken.

Keep Animals Under Control During Exams

Animals are often scared or agitated when they receive veterinarian examinations, and you can help make the process easier by using the proper and safest methods to keep animals restrained when you take any of the jobs for vet techs that are available. Restraining often involves holding the head of an animal firmly enough to prevent it from biting the veterinarian while still being gentle enough to avoid causing the animal more discomfort. You may also need to apply muzzles and additional restraining devices that are safe and won't cause pain to animals that are especially uncooperative. 

These are just a few of the key responsibilities that vet techs manage in their jobs. With the right training and willingness to perform these duties effectively, you'll achieve greater success and enjoy your time at work more when you take any of the open jobs that you find.


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