VETERINARY TECHNICIAN

Veterinary technicians (vet techs) work very closely with veterinarians performing any tasks around the hospital that need to be done. They are the phlebotomists (draw blood), laboratory technicians (testing blood, urine, stool and other biological samples), anesthesiologists (administer anesthetics and monitor animals under anesthesia) and pharmacists (prepare medications and drugs prescribed by veterinarians). In addition, the vet techs ensure that all equipment needed to work on animals for any procedure (awake or asleep) are ready to go when needed. They prepare animals for surgery. And often provide care for hospitalized animals. Veterinary technicians require specific training and must be licensed (LVT) as opposed to veterinary assistants who assist in hospitals but cannot perform all the functions of a vet tech. Veterinary hospitals simply cannot operate without good vet techs – in much the same way that a human hospital cannot run without a good nursing staff.