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Veterinary Technician Frequently Asked Questions
What types of patients do veterinary technicians treat?
While dogs and cats make up the majority of patients a vet tech sees, there certainly are a wide variety of animals they are skilled to treat. There are practices that specialize in exotic animals such as birds, reptiles, and “small furries” (such as rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, and chinchillas to name a few). Because these animals are so different from dogs and cats, some general vet practices do not see exotics. For instance, with a cockatiel, if the vet tech were to draw too much blood, they may die. Most clinics know their limitations so they’re able to provide the best care to their patients. There is also the field of equine medicine that employs vets and vet techs that specialize in working with only horses. Some others specialize in farm animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs or on poultry farms.Learn more about veterinary technician programs.
Are there other titles for a professional in this field?
The American Veterinarian Medical Association uses the term “Veterinary Technician”. However, for those who have a four-year
bachelor’s degree, “veterinary technologist” is commonly used. When a vet tech is credentialed by his/her state, the terms registered, licensed or certified are used depending on the state. The title given to a vet tech is entirely based on the hierarchy of the state’s credentialing process. For example, in Wisconsin a credentialed vet tech is referred to as “certified” whereas in Michigan they are “licensed”, yet in Indiana they are “registered”. In some European countries the title is Veterinary Nurse.
What types of questions does the vet tech ask the pet’s owner?
It is crucial for vet techs to have excellent communication skills and ask probing questions that are open ended so the pet owner doesn’t just provide “yes” or “no” responses. When asking closed ended questions, oftentimes the owner may feel led to respond a certain way which doesn’t provide the vet tech with the information they need to help the animal. For instance, asking, “is your dog eating” is not nearly as useful as the following types of questions.- What kind of food are you feeding your dog?
- How much does he eat?
- What type of flea and heartworm prevention are you using for your pet?
- Where did you have his/her last vaccinations given?
- When were vaccinations last given?
- How much exercise does your dog get? How often and how far do go for walks with the dog?
- Has there been anything unusual that you have noticed with your pet in past few weeks?
- What medications does your pet take?
- How much water does your pet drink in a day?
- How many times a day do you think your pet urinates?
What types of professionals does a vet tech come in contact with regularly?
- Veterinarians: The doctor who sees the animals and usually owns the practice comes in contact frequently with the vet tech.
- Vet Tech Assistants: These are professionals help provide an extra set of hands for the vet tech. They help by stabilizing and restraining animals during procedures like radiographs and blood draws. Using a vet tech assistant is much more cost effective than having the vet tech restrain while the vet draws the blood.
- Kennel Assistants: Veterinary offices sometimes employ kennel assistants to help clean kennels and feed animals who are kenneled.
- Rehabilitators: People who are passionate about wild life rehabilitation oftentimes bring animals such as raccoons or hawks in that need medical attention.
- Breeders who need their animals examined.
- Sales staff or vendors meet with the person charged with ordering products and discussing new options. Sometimes a vet tech is tasked with this.
- Police or Animal Control Officers may become involved in neglect cases or cases that involved a bite or attack.
