Vet Tech Spotlight

In veterinary medicine, we have our own support team to lend our veterinarians a helping hand: Veterinary Technicians and Assistants

Like human medicine, our doctors can’t carry out all of their daily duties without support. That’s where our amazing veterinary technicians and assistants come into play!  In veterinary medicine, we have our own support team to lend our veterinarians a helping hand. Our veterinary assistants and veterinary technicians ensure our days run smoothly and that every pet receives personalized care here at Brook Farm Veterinary Center.

One crucial role here at Brook Farm is our veterinary technicians. We couldn’t operate the way we do without them. Like nurses in human medicine, our vet techs wear many hats throughout a typical day here at Brook Farm Veterinary Center.  At any given moment, you may find them performing a variety of these skilled tasks:

  • Taking X-rays
  • Running a urinalysis
  • Checking a fecal sample for parasites
  • Performing diagnostic tests
  • Preparing pets for surgery
  • Assisting in surgery
  • Monitoring anesthesia
  • Helping pets recover from anesthesia
  • Cleaning surgical instruments and sterilizing equipment
  • Administering vaccines, medications, or treatments
  • Observing and reporting on their patient’s condition
  • Assisting the veterinarians
  • Performing dental cleanings
  • Educating pet owners 
  • Collecting and recording patient histories
  • Restraining pets for exams or treatments
  • Providing nursing care or emergency first aid 
  • Expressing anal glands, bathing and grooming patients, or cleaning ears


Our vet techs are capable of doing much more than what is listed here. There is a legal prohibition against any certified veterinary technician performing the following four tasks: prescribing medication, diagnosing, forming a prognosis, and performing surgery.There is a legal prohibition against any certified veterinary technician performing the following four tasks: prescribing medication, diagnosing, forming a prognosis, and performing surgery. They are invaluable when it comes to taking care of your beloved pet in every other way.

 

A Rewarding, Fulfilling Career

In addition to the basic principles of normal and abnormal life processes, veterinary technicians are trained in many laboratory and clinical procedures. A veterinary technician generally has 2-4 years of post-high school education and a Bachelor's or Associate's degree in veterinary technology. The term licensed/registered/certified (the term used varies by state) veterinary technician means they have passed a credentialing examination and maintain continuing education requirements.

Veterinarian technicians handle many of the same responsibilities that nurses and other professionals perform and are often trained to work with many different species of animals. Our Vet Techs at Brook Farm Veterinary Center specialize in small animals, specifically dogs and cats. It is their responsibility to obtain and record patient case histories, collect specimens, perform laboratory procedures, provide specialized nursing care, prepare animals, instruments, and equipment for surgery, assist with diagnostic, medical, and surgical procedures, expose and develop radiographs (X-rays), advise and educate animal owners, supervise and train practice personnel, and perform nail trims, anal gland expressions and assist with dentals. 

At Brook Farm Veterinary Center our veterinary assistants support the veterinarian and/or the veterinary technician in their daily tasks. In addition to kennel work, the assistant may help restrain and handle animals, feed and exercise them, or perform clerical duties. Training programs for veterinary assistants exist, and some are taught on the job. There is no credentialing exam for veterinary assistants at this time.

Join our amazing team!

 

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