2 answers
Xiomara
Student
Hesperia, California
1
Question
Asked
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Is it emotionally draining to be a veterinary-technician?
Are you able to help in surgeries? What does a vet technician do?
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2 answers
Louise Barton
licensed veterinary technician
3
Answers
Toledo, Ohio
Updated
Louise’s Answer
Hello! I'm an LVT in Michigan and I've been in the veterinary field for about 3 years.
It absolutely can be draining to be a vet tech. A large portion of this field revolves around ill and dying pets and you are often involved in helping pets pass peacefully. On top of that, there is a major shortage of people in the field, but a growing number of pets. Vet techs often deal with being improperly staffed and overbooked.
But, this field can be very rewarding. With putting a pet to sleep, I like to think that I'm helping this beloved and cherished pet have a calm and gentle passing and that I'm helping the owners feel some sense of peace over losing their pet. I like to think that I'm in a position to help many people with their pets in a variety of situations.
As for what a vet tech does, a lot of people compare us to being 'nurses' for animals. We are essentially the doctor's right hand. Vet techs are the ones who are taking xrays, drawing blood, performing ultrasounds, placing IV catheters, placing urinary catheters. The only things a vet tech is NOT allowed to do are: diagnosis a patient, prescribe a medication and perform surgery. Everything else is the vet tech's job. We are heavily involved in surgery. Usually, our main job is the anesthetist - monitoring the pet while they are under anesthesia, like taking their heart rate, their temperature, checking if they need more gas to be more heavily asleep or if they're too deeply asleep. Sometimes we get to 'scrub in', which means we put on a sterile glove and gowns and actually assist in the surgery with the doctor, by holding organs, helping to search the abdomen, etc.
My biggest piece of advise to anyone considering being a technician is to find a vet hospital that will let you shadow/volunteer with them for a few months so you can understand what it is like. Try to shadow at multiple places. Vet techs at a general practice are much different than vet techs at an ER or in a corporate clinic.
It absolutely can be draining to be a vet tech. A large portion of this field revolves around ill and dying pets and you are often involved in helping pets pass peacefully. On top of that, there is a major shortage of people in the field, but a growing number of pets. Vet techs often deal with being improperly staffed and overbooked.
But, this field can be very rewarding. With putting a pet to sleep, I like to think that I'm helping this beloved and cherished pet have a calm and gentle passing and that I'm helping the owners feel some sense of peace over losing their pet. I like to think that I'm in a position to help many people with their pets in a variety of situations.
As for what a vet tech does, a lot of people compare us to being 'nurses' for animals. We are essentially the doctor's right hand. Vet techs are the ones who are taking xrays, drawing blood, performing ultrasounds, placing IV catheters, placing urinary catheters. The only things a vet tech is NOT allowed to do are: diagnosis a patient, prescribe a medication and perform surgery. Everything else is the vet tech's job. We are heavily involved in surgery. Usually, our main job is the anesthetist - monitoring the pet while they are under anesthesia, like taking their heart rate, their temperature, checking if they need more gas to be more heavily asleep or if they're too deeply asleep. Sometimes we get to 'scrub in', which means we put on a sterile glove and gowns and actually assist in the surgery with the doctor, by holding organs, helping to search the abdomen, etc.
My biggest piece of advise to anyone considering being a technician is to find a vet hospital that will let you shadow/volunteer with them for a few months so you can understand what it is like. Try to shadow at multiple places. Vet techs at a general practice are much different than vet techs at an ER or in a corporate clinic.
Lindsey Pitman
Veterinary Technician/Practice Manager
8
Answers
Red Oak, Texas
Updated
Lindsey’s Answer
Hi! To answer your first question: yes, it CAN be emotionally draining to be a veterinary technician. However, I feel that as draining the career can be, it is also just as rewarding if not more rewarding! The best part about working as a veterinary technician is being able to save a pet's life. While many people consider the veterinarian to be the 'life saver' because they are the doctor, in reality it is a team effort. The veterinarian is only 1 person, and while they do a thorough examination on the pet, they still depend on the technicians and other staff members to alert them when the patient is acting/feeling abnormal.
To answer your second question: yes, veterinary technicians are able to help and scrub into surgeries. While working at a smaller general practice I was able to assist in enterotomies, cystotomies and oral surgeries. Emergency medicine has allowed for more opportunities to learn about other surgeries and procedures such as GDV's(gastric dilated volvulus), splenectomies and using endoscopy to remove gastric foreign bodies. Alot of what the technician does is to assess the patient's vitals and update the DVM on how they are doing along with assisting the DVM with supplies needed for the surgery while maintaining sterility.
To answer your second question: yes, veterinary technicians are able to help and scrub into surgeries. While working at a smaller general practice I was able to assist in enterotomies, cystotomies and oral surgeries. Emergency medicine has allowed for more opportunities to learn about other surgeries and procedures such as GDV's(gastric dilated volvulus), splenectomies and using endoscopy to remove gastric foreign bodies. Alot of what the technician does is to assess the patient's vitals and update the DVM on how they are doing along with assisting the DVM with supplies needed for the surgery while maintaining sterility.