The veterinary assistant provides support to veterinarians and technicians in their daily tasks. This includes cleaning and maintaining equipment, feeding and grooming patients, exercising them, preparing and sanitizing surgery suites, handling and restraining patients, as well as performing clerical and administrative work. The veterinary assistant’s main objective is to deliver high-quality care to all patients and provide exceptional service.

Tasks include:

  • Triaging patients, conducting physical exams, administering treatments and medications as directed by Licensed Veterinary Technicians, and maintaining accurate medical records.
  • Assisting doctors and technicians in medication administration and patient restraint.
  • Performing laboratory tests and taking radiographs.
  • Operating and maintaining hospital equipment such as EKG, fluid pumps, syringe pumps, scales, anesthetic monitors, and machines. • Filling prescriptions, calculating and administering medications, and ensuring proper documentation, logging, and security of controlled drugs.
  • Feeding patients according to prescribed guidelines or client requests, recording appetites, and promptly reporting any unusual conditions or abnormal behaviors.
  • Maintaining daily cleanliness of the hospital, including cleaning equipment, kennels, and facilities using appropriate chemicals and supplies, ensuring safe chemical usage, and completing laundry tasks.
  • Other duties may be assigned based on specialization in areas like dentistry, surgery, emergency, radiology, cardiology, neurology, internal medicine, etc.

Minimum Qualifications/Requirements:

  • High school diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • One or more years of experience in a veterinary environment performing the aforementioned duties.
  • Ability to perform moderately physically demanding work involving lifting (up to 50 pounds), cleaning, and constant movement.
  • Ability to work with or around sick animals, potentially hazardous materials, cleaning chemicals, gas anesthetics, zoonotic diseases, and unpleasant odors.
  • Familiarity with hospital procedures, treatment protocols, computer systems, and terminology commonly used in a veterinary hospital.
  • Flexibility in scheduling, with the availability to work on some weekends and holidays.

Austin Veterinary Team
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