Veterinary technicians and assistants don’t talk to the animals. But, communication with animal patients’ owners is a key qualification for their success. “If you don’t like people, this is the wrong job,” said veterinary assistant Marlaina Clements of Arvada.
Obviously, animals don’t talk. It’s their owners that Clements and her colleagues must know how to communicate with “because they speak for the animals,” she said.
She has been with five family members as they say good-bye to their elderly cat at her euthanasia. She has talked with a wife in person about her dog’s hip surgery, then explained it again on the telephone to the husband.
“It’s really a person-to-person job,” said Clements, a 2000 graduate of Pima Medical Institute’s one-year veterinary assistant program. She has been at Golden Animal Hospital from the start.
One reason for her loyalty is the variety of responsibilities open to her and the seven vet assistants/techs she works with. Four of them ride to barn calls assisting the four large-animal doctors in the practice. They all must “work smarter, not stronger” to provide health care services to up to 1,000-pound-plus horses, cattle, llamas, alpacas, goats and even reindeer.
In the office, Clements and other techs assist with surgeries, do lab tests, monitor anesthesia during surgery, perform other medical procedures and apply bandages, among other duties. Then, when the animal patients go home, techs often explain ailments, procedures, treatment and home care to pet owners.
“We’re all trained to do many jobs,” she said. Veterinarians “rely a lot on us. We work as a really big team.”
For animal-lovers like Clements, the occupation can be satisfying and rewarding. It also is described as physically dangerous and emotionally challenging, in the latest _Occupational Outlook Handbook_ from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
It’s true that she cried almost every time an animal died when she was new at the job. Now, she can offer her shoulder to grieving animal owners. “Sometimes, it (euthanasia) is the best thing we can do” for an elderly or ailing animal, “so they can be at peace,” she said.
*Tail-wagging forecast*
For job prospects, there is nothing but smiles and optimism in Colorado. Ranked No. 13 among the top 50 fastest-growing occupations in the state requiring post-secondary or an associate’s degree, employment of veterinary technicians and assistants is predicted to grow 37 percent by 2016.
Jobs are estimated to increase from 2,090 in 2006 to 2,860 in 2016, according to Colorado Department of Labor & Employment data. In comparison, registered nurses placed No. 14 on the list, with openings increasing a predicted 36 percent.
Similarly, veterinarians are No. 31 in the fast-growing occupations in Colorado requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher. Forecasters see 32 percent job-growth, from the 1,750 positions now to 2,320 by 2016.
November job openings on the employment link from Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology in Denver include a vet tech for a small veterinary hospital in Lafayette, with pay based on experience. A veterinary oncology nurse is being sought at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins. Pay is $29,892 annually with benefits.
In Colorado, a veterinary tech or assistant legally can work for a veterinarian without formal training. The Colorado Association of Certified Veterinary Technicians in Denver promotes formal training from an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited program in veterinary technology in order to become a CVT.
One of the main qualifications for becoming a CVT in Colorado is passing the Veterinary Technician National Exam. To do that, students must graduate from an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited program (either a physical program or an online program) and graduate within six months of taking the exam. Vet tech programs are offered at Colorado community colleges, universities and private programs.
Information is available online at www.cacvt.com/vettechprograms, as well as job postings and related links. Call (303) 318-0652.
_Linda Gaber is a copywriter in the Design Department and coordinator of JobsWeekly at The Denver Post._