Pets and Pet Health

VetWrap: A Day in the Life of a Veterinary Technician … Condensed 

Every October the veterinary world takes some time to appreciate our veterinary technicians. They are too often the unsung heroes of our profession, and the importance of highlighting the role they play in the functioning of our offices, clinics, hospitals, ERs and ICUs is undeniable.

Veterinary technicians are very skilled. They perform many complicated tasks throughout the day. To shed light on this, I contemplated sharing a play-by-play of the vet tech’s typical day … but my word count was getting out of control.

Safe to say — a veterinary technician’s schedule is VERY busy. It is also chock-full of challenges and replete with responsibility.

They can:

collect a blood sample from a 2-lb. kitten for a retroviral screen,

place an intravenous catheter in a 150-lb. mastiff that is dehydrated from gastroenteritis,

intubate a bulldog (trust me, this can be challenging) going into surgery for a routine ovariohysterectomy,

monitor anaesthesia for a pug having a C-section,

analyze the stool sample of an unwell sphynx cat,

adjust the fluid rate of a corgi with pancreatitis,

refill and dispense medications for an epileptic poodle and  …

and that’s all before noon. Their jobs are as varied as is the population that walks through the doors of the veterinary hospital.

Veterinary technicians not only perform all of these technical responsibilities, they are also the ones that comfort pets when their pet parents can’t be around. They keep them warm in recovery, they encourage them to eat when they are unwell, they give extra hugs after vaccines and encouraging words during a medical procedure. Their compassion is what really sets them apart.

Veterinary technicians do ALL of this … and now they are also doing it during a pandemic. Curbside appointments in most clinics in Ontario mean donning PPE, collecting pets from cars — 2-lb. kittens, and 150-lb. mastiffs alike — and being the general go-betweens for doctors and clients.

Our vet techs are tired — not only mentally (as we all are from COVID fatigue) but also physically — from the extra long hours, and the physical back-and-forth during curbside. Burnout is a real concern in our field right now, and we are doing everything we can to combat it.

If you know a vet tech, please thank them for all they do. Please reach out to them and ask them how they are doing. Thank you to all veterinary technicians out there, and especially to those near and dear to my heart.

 

 

One Comment

  1. Candace Anderson

    A great tribute for a vet technician. I am better informed of what responsibilities are connected to this position. Sounds like a nurse.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*