Vet Assistant Job Description (2022)

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Free vet assistant job description. A veterinary assistant has many roles to play in an animal care facility. They feed and care for the animals, assist vets during patient examinations, and also perform administrative duties as well. This means that any veterinary assistant job description needs to be explicit about all the duties that veterinary assistants are expected to perform.

Veterinary Assistant Job Description Template & Sample

Please make use of this veterinary assistant job description template to find qualified candidates for your vet office, animal hospital, or clinic. Feel free to adapt the sample based on the specific needs of your animal care facility.

Veterinary Assistant Job Description Brief

We are looking for a Veterinary Assistant to join our team! Our veterinary assistants care for our animal patients and provide support to our veterinarians. Veterinary assistant duties include keeping all areas clean for humans and our animal patients and assisting our veterinarians during exams and operations,

Our veterinarians and veterinary technicians love animals, but they also need to care for them properly. If you know how to feed or bathe animals and you're comfortable with providing care for animals that are scared or injured, if you have good organizational skills, if you're not squeamish about helping to administer medications and with medical procedures, and if you can handle the emotional toll of euthanasia, then we have a position as a veterinary assistant waiting for you.

Veterinary Assistant Duties and Responsibilities

  • Feeding, grooming, and weighing animals
  • Cleaning cages and bathing animals
  • Sterilizing equipment and cleaning examination rooms and tables
  • Restraining animals during vaccinations or examinations
  • Soothing frightened or upset animals
  • Administering medication prescribed by Veterinarians, such as by mixing it with food
  • Observing animal behavior or health conditions and reporting to the veterinarian
  • Helping in cases of emergencies
  • Handling administrative duties such as calling patients in the exam room by priority or scheduling appointments
  • Keeping accurate logs and records
  • Reassuring clients that their pets are being given appropriate care
  • Advising pet owners on healthcare and nutrition needs for their pets

Veterinary Assistant Requirements

  • Experience in working with animals, either as a veterinary assistant or in a similar position at other vet offices or animal hospitals
  • Experience in administrative work is considered a plus
  • Being a current or former pet ownership is helpful
  • Excellent communication skills
  • A caregiver personality (patient and caring)
  • Ability to properly follow instructions
  • No discomfort with being around common pets like cats, dogs, birds, etc.
  • Capable of meeting job demands, such as lifting up to 40 lbs
  • Availability for working nights, weekends, and emergencies on occasion
  • High school diploma; a certificate from a Veterinary Assistant program is an additional advantage

Related job descriptions

Download the free vet assistant job description PDF template. And use the sample vet assistant job description provided to make an efficient job posting for your company. For more information please visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.


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Vet Assistant Job Description Template

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author: patrick algrim
About the author

Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes, Glassdoor, American Express, Reader's Digest, LiveCareer, Zety, Yahoo, Recruiter.com, SparkHire, SHRM.org, Process.st, FairyGodBoss, HRCI.org, St. Edwards University, NC State University, IBTimes.com, Thrive Global, TMCnet.com, Work It Daily, Workology, Career Guide, MyPerfectResume, College Career Life, The HR Digest, WorkWise, Career Cast, Elite Staffing, Women in HR, All About Careers, Upstart HR, The Street, Monster, The Ladders, Introvert Whisperer, and many more. Find him on LinkedIn.

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