Understanding Veterinary Practice Roles

Objective 1: Identify the type of work performed within a veterinary practice. I. To get an understanding of the type of work that is performed, list and describe job positions and specific duties within a vet clinic. A. Job titles within a veterinary clinic: 1. A veterinarian is a highly qualified individual who provides veterinary medical care to animals. The veterinarian diagnoses disease, prescribes medication, and performs surgery. In order to practice veterinary medicine a person must have receive a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and pass a state examination. 2. A veterinary technologist is a support professional in veterinary medicine that may be employed as a research associate, sales manager, clinical technologists, or teacher. Vet technologists typically have a four-year degree from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited veterinary technology program.

3. A veterinary technician performs a wide range of supporting tasks in a vet clinic. A two or three-year program at AVMA- accredited school is required to become a veterinary technician. 4. A veterinary assistant performs general tasks such as cleaning cages, restraining, feeding, and exercising animals, collecting blood samples, assisting with surgeries, and countless other responsibilities. Veterinary assistants are typically trained on the job and require no college education. B. Other duties within veterinary clinic: 1. Client communication such as answering the telephone, making appointments, answering questions, receiving mail and packages, etc. 2. Financial activities such as preparing invoices, sending bills, receiving payments, making bank deposits, paying bills, etc.

Objective 2: Identify proper restraint techniques to ensure patient and caregiver safety. II. Restraint is the act of controlling movement and activity of an animal so that it can be examined and treated. Animal restraint is sometimes necessary to prevent injury to the animal or to the caregiver. A. There are several ways to restrain animals: 1. A feline bag is used to restrain cats to reduce the likelihood of scratches. 2. Physical restraint involves physically holding an animal in place. Squeeze chutes, nose snares, ropes, halters, or other instruments may be used to physically restrain an animal in order to safely treat the animal. 3. Chemical restraint is the use of tranquilizers, sedatives, or other anesthetics to sedate or immobilize an animal. Use of chemical restraint should be monitored closely. An overdose or adverse reaction may occur. 4. Diversionary restraint is often times used with large animals to divert their attention away from the procedure. For example, with horses you may hold an ear tightly to draw attention away from the insertion of a needle in some other part of the body.

Objective 3: Identify hazards in the veterinary workplace. III. Working in a veterinary clinic can be rewarding yet the employees are exposed to several potential safety hazards. In order to avoid these hazards, they must first be identified. A. Safety hazards in the veterinary workplace can be placed into five categories. 1. Physical hazards may include the following: cuts from sharp instruments, being stepped on or kicked by large animals, bites or scratches from small animals, high noise levels, x-ray radiation, and others. 2. Chemical hazards involve the exposure to drugs, pesticides, anesthesia, and others. Special care should be taken when handling and administering chemicals. 3. Biological hazards include exposure to vaccines, laboratory procedures, and medical wastes such as blood, needles, and syringes.

4. Zoonotic infections are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Examples include: rabies, tuberculosis, brucellosis, anthrax, ringworm, and others. 5. Parasitic hazards involve the potential for parasites to transmit disease from animal to human. Flies, mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas can all transmit disease from animals to humans. Exposure to internal parasites such as the hookworm or roundworm can also be considered a parasitic hazard.