A Vet Tech Career: Is It For You?
If you have ever wanted to devote yourself to a profession that is truly meaningful, vet techs (veterinary technicians) help animals to overcome illness, become stronger and live longer and happier lives.
Duties of a Veterinary Technician
Vet techs help the veterinarian to perform all job duties. There are two main duties for veterinary techs. One setting techs work in is in a laboratory. In this setting they may monitor healing animals and may even write reports. Techs may need to collect blood samples to run tests. Veterinary techs also are responsible for taking blood tests that may indicate illnesses in the lab, they do these tests with the blood samples they have collected. This lab work can be tedious, so they must be very precise and detail oriented.
The other main duty for a tech is working in a clinical setting helping perform pet examinations. Vet techs also help diagnose illness or injury. While performing examinations, techs are responsible for collecting urine samples, getting blood samples, getting a current weight, getting the temperature and pulse. Techs may also have to help heal animals by addressing wounds or making splints and cleaning teeth.
Vet technicians may also work in rehabilitation centers. This is the less common area for techs to work. Here they work with animals that have serious conditions. These animals may have been abandoned by their owners and in need of medical attention, may have been rescued from dangerous situations. Here vet technicians may need to do lab work and examinations to help determine the best possible therapy for the animal. Here techs can also work alongside a veterinarian to bring an animal back to good health and prepare it for adoption.
Educational Requirements to Become a Veterinary Technician
To become a vet tech you need to have the proper training from an accredited veterinary technician school. To become a Veterinary technician you need to attend a 2 year school. But to become a Veterinary technologist you need to attend a four year university. Becoming a technologist gives you more responsibility and a higher pay than a technician.
Gaining the Experience
After you get your degree, you need to complete a few months of clinical experience. This clinical experience is usually volunteer work, but you would be completing the same duties of a vet tech under the direction of a technologist or a veterinary.
Certification through the National Veterinary Technician Exam
After you have your degree and clinical experience completed you need to pass the certificate exam. The National Veterinary Technician Exam is the most widely used exam, but depending on your state you may have a different exam. Passing the NVTE will give you the certificate or license required so you can begin your career.
Becoming a vet tech is a great stepping stone to go on to become a veterinary technologist and a veterinarian. You will be able to work with animals, helping rehabilitate sick and neglected animals, help injured animals and put in place preventative measures so that no other animals suffer.