If you love working with animals, veterinary assistant jobs will give you the chance to do just that, supporting vets and providing basic care in a variety of settings. The most common veterinary assistant jobs are ones in animal hospitals or vet offices. However, veterinary assistants are also in demand at animal shelters, zoos, and in other settings where lots of animals are found.
Veterinary Assistant Jobs Explained
Veterinary assistant training prepares people to support vets in a variety of ways, including preparing examination rooms, maintaining animal records, and making sure instruments are properly cleaned and sterilized. Vet assistants may also carry out routine tests, assist a vet with more complex care by calming animals and keeping them restrained, and administer basic care on the vet’s behalf.
A vet assistant must be flexible and good at working with both people and animals, since they will be communicating with pet owners, supporting the vet, and dealing with the animals too.
Where Can a Veterinary Assistant Work?
Veterinary assistants can work in a wide range of settings, including:
- Veterinary Offices. The most common setting for a vet assistant, especially at the start of their career, is a vet’s office. In this environment, an assistant might take on both a clerical role and help with animal care. Veterinary offices tend to have a list of regular clients and a steady pace of appointments.
- Animal Hospitals. Working in an animal hospital can be slightly more demanding than in a typical vet’s office. These settings are busier, and you might see more urgent cases. While vets often become long-term care providers for family pets, animal hospitals often don’t build up that relationship.
- Zoos and Sanctuaries. In these settings, veterinary assistants will have the opportunity to work with more exotic animals. If you have a passion for a particular type of animal, or you want to build long-term bonds with animals under your care, this setting could be a good option for you.
- Animal Shelters. Veterinary assistants are very much in demand at shelters, because many animals who are sent to shelters have been abandoned or neglected. Working in this environment can be incredibly rewarding, not only because you’re helping the animals recover their health and well-being, but because you may have the opportunity to help them find a new family.
Start a Career as a Vet Assistant Today with Veterinary Assistant Training
At Caris College, we run veterinary assistant training courses to help people start on the road to a career in animal care. Our accelerated 10-month training program includes a 150-hour internship, so you can get real-world experience in the industry.
The hybrid approach of classroom-based training and supervised practice in a fully functioning clinical lab means learners will gain in-demand skills that will help them earn a job as a veterinary assistant once they graduate. Contact us now to learn more or enroll in the course and begin a new, rewarding career in animal care.
Key Takeaways
What does a veterinary assistant do?
Veterinary assistants support veterinarians by preparing exam rooms, cleaning and sterilizing instruments, maintaining animal records, performing routine tests, and helping restrain and calm animals during procedures.
Where can veterinary assistants work?
They can work in veterinary offices, animal hospitals, zoos or wildlife sanctuaries, and animal shelters—any environment where animals require care and support.
How can someone start a career as a veterinary assistant?
Training programs, such as the 10-month veterinary assistant program at Caris College, provide classroom learning, hands-on lab training, and internships to prepare students for jobs in animal care.