Careers > Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

$34.74K Median Salary 19.8K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 14.3% Job Growth

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About This Career

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists.

Reported Job Titles

Animal Care Provider, Animal Caregiver, Avian Keeper, Certified Veterinary Assistant, Emergency Veterinary Assistant, Inpatient Technician Assistant, Kennel Vet Assistant (Kennel Veterinary Assistant), Research Animal Attendant, Small Animal Caretaker, Veterinarian Assistant (Vet Assistant)

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension
Oral Expression
Information Ordering
Problem Sensitivity
Written Expression
Deductive Reasoning
Manual Dexterity
Near Vision
Arm-Hand Steadiness
Extent Flexibility
Finger Dexterity
Flexibility of Closure
Inductive Reasoning
Multilimb Coordination
Selective Attention
Speech Clarity
Speech Recognition
Trunk Strength
Written Comprehension

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
English Language
Biology
Administrative
Medicine and Dentistry
Computers and Electronics

Skills

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Reading Comprehension
Service Orientation
Writing
Coordination
Social Perceptiveness
Speaking
Time Management

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software
Presentation software
Medical software
Label making software
Electronic mail software
Office suite software
Word processing software
Data base user interface and query software
Calendar and scheduling software

Tools

Veterinary injection or suction unit
Medical x ray units for general diagnostic use
Urinalysis analyzers
Animal shearing or clipping equipment
Medical x ray films or cassettes
Veterinary blood pressure testers
Chemical or gas sterilizers
Gas anesthesia apparatus or machines
Bar code reader equipment
Multipurpose or general test tubes
Microcentrifuges
Medical radiological shielding aprons or masks or drapes
Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
Laundry type washing machines
Tablet counters
Medical acoustic stethoscopes
Clothes dryers
Notebook computers
Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS
Laboratory beakers
Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
Protective gloves
Animal catching devices
Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits
Surgical scissors
Medical radiological shielding gloves
Label making machines
Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters
Animal weighing scales
Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
Special purpose telephones
Medical x ray darkroom accessories
Suture removers
Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
Specimen collection container
Veterinary clinical thermometers
Binocular light compound microscopes
Muzzles
Microscope slides
Benchtop centrifuges
Tourniquets
Digital cameras
Laboratory forceps
Hematology analyzers
Blood collection syringes
Desktop computers
Personal computers