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Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists.
Related: Animal Caretakers  Medical Assistants  Paramedics  Surgical Assistants  Veterinary Technologists & Technicians 
Industries: Professional, Science, & Technical 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
    • Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories.
    • Groom, trim, or clip animals' coats.
    • Perform enemas, catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.
    • Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
    • Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers.
    • Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
    • Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
    • Record information relating to animal genealogy, feeding schedules, appearance, behavior, or breeding.
    • Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.
    • Prepare feed for animals according to specific instructions, such as diet lists or schedules.
    • Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories.
    • Prepare surgical equipment and pass instruments or materials to veterinarians during surgical procedures.
    • Write reports, maintain research information, or perform clerical duties.
    • Sell pet food or supplies to customers.
    • Assist veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses or injuries.
    • Provide emergency first aid to sick or injured animals.
    • Prepare examination or treatment rooms by stocking them with appropriate supplies.
    • Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
    • Place orders to restock inventory of hospital or laboratory supplies.
    • Fill medication prescriptions.
    • Examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury.
    • Write reports, maintain research information, or perform clerical duties.
    • Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers.
    • Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.
    • Provide assistance with euthanasia of animals or disposal of corpses.
    • Exercise animals or provide them with companionship.
    • Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians.
    • Prepare surgical equipment and pass instruments or materials to veterinarians during surgical procedures.
    • Educate or advise clients on animal health care, nutrition, or behavior problems.
    • Perform hygiene-related duties, such as clipping animals' claws or cleaning and polishing teeth.
    • Collect laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, for testing.
    • Dust, spray, or bathe animals to control insect pests.
    • Provide assistance with euthanasia of animals or disposal of corpses.
    • Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
    • Prepare examination or treatment rooms by stocking them with appropriate supplies.

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    Abilities

    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    Knowledge

    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    Less than 1 month on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    43590/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    20.96/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    5,640
    Yearly Projected Openings
    1230

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Self Control
    • Cooperation
    • Persistence

    Tools

    • Animal catching devices
    • Animal shearing or clipping equipment
    • Animal weighing scales
    • Bar code reader equipment
    • Benchtop centrifuges
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Blood collection syringes
    • Chemical or gas sterilizers
    • Clothes dryers
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital cameras
    • Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Gas anesthesia apparatus or machines
    • Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
    • Hematology analyzers
    • Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits
    • Label making machines
    • Laboratory beakers
    • Laboratory forceps
    • Laundry type washing machines
    • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
    • Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS
    • Medical radiological shielding aprons or masks or drapes
    • Medical radiological shielding gloves
    • Medical x ray darkroom accessories
    • Medical x ray films or cassettes
    • Medical x ray units for general diagnostic use
    • Microcentrifuges
    • Microscope slides
    • Multipurpose or general test tubes
    • Muzzles
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Protective gloves
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Specimen collection container
    • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
    • Surgical scissors
    • Suture removers
    • Tablet counters
    • Tourniquets
    • Urinalysis analyzers
    • Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
    • Veterinary blood pressure testers
    • Veterinary clinical thermometers
    • Veterinary injection or suction unit
    • Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters

    Technology

    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Label making software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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