Are you gonzo for bat guano? Ga-ga for iguanas? Daffy for doggies? Welcome to the wild, woolly world of the veterinary assistant. Before embarking on the career there are some fundamental traits a successful veterinary assistant must have, namely compassion, patience, and unflinching nerves. Treating injured animals can be very emotionally trying. A successful candidate must be able to keep his or her emotions in check.
The backbone of any worthwhile critter clinic or pet practice is the veterinary assistant. He or she must fulfill the role of secretary, nurse, and counselor. Working closely with the veterinarian, the assistant is the literal and figurative right hand. This includes routine checkups and prolonged surgeries. All this responsibility must be handled with aplomb and professionalism. This career requires a solid educational background.
An accredited curriculum should include coursework in animal physiology, pharmacology, and behavioral studies. Emergency procedures and laboratory tests are likewise crucial to an assistant. Studies of common diseases and how to tend to animals from the wild are fundamental. There is no shortcut to success when it comes to tending to animals.
A professional veterinary assistant must have the wherewithal of an emergency room nurse. The priority for aspiring veterinary assistants is that they should enjoy working with animals and their owners. After all, animals seldom drag themselves into a clinic. Understanding animal behavior is often as important as understanding human behavior. Lifting, handling, and restraining beloved pets can cause some owners to panic or protest.
The median hourly wages of a veterinary assistant are approximately $9.98 an hour, with the median annual wage clocking in around $21,000. It remains a relatively stable profession, capable of withstanding sharp economic downturns. According to the Department of Labor, veterinary assistants should enjoy unprecedented job growth through 2016. This is attributed to the fact that pet ownership is on the rise and that during times of economic hardship; people tend to buy more pets to assuage their depression.
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