My name is Mélodie, and I am currently in an animal health technology at Lionel-Groulx College. The biggest advantage, in my opinion, to study in this field is the multiple choice of career you can choose after graduating. Combine to my love for animals it was the best choice of career for my. However, even if nowadays animal health technicians are essentials for the veterans, this profession is still unknown for a lot of people. That is why the following article is so interesting for anyone who wondered what in general is the tasks of an animal health technician and to discover this beautiful hidden job. I use two reliable articles to write this one because I work in a veterinary clinic, so I know how technicians day are going in general and I often watch « Refuge animal » a television show where they show this animal shelter, so I know that the day of the technician who wrote the second article is her real daily life at work. The two articles I chose are from employees on a shelter.
It's a lot of work and things to think of. You don't go in this program if you don't have the passion and the vocation but it's also wonderful to work with animals and every day when you can help and make a difference in an animal life is very rewarding.
In general, whenever there's a new patient or just to do the monitoring of a hospitalized animal the technician's job is to pass the animal a general health examination to see if it is in good shape. In a shelter they always check the presence or not of a microchip. They also assisted the veteran in surgery by keeping a constant eye on the vital signs of the animal (monitoring), they give vaccine, prepare all the prescription and give much advice to the clients. They always need to make sure every animal is doing great.
In the articles, we follow Sarah (SPCA) and Amélie (Proanima) during their day. Their typical day is very similar. Sarah started at 8 o'clock in the morning. Her daily check up routine on the cats and dogs that arrived or were already there. She gave an eleven-year-old poodle it's medication and went for a walk afterward. In order to show the other side of a shelter sadder reality, she allowed the interviewer to assist a euthanasia. Hopefully, the adoptions have grown and the veteran assures that when an animal has to be euthanized it's only because there was nothing else do to. All morning Sarah didn't have any time to sit, so she takes a small break to observe a Labrador neuter. In the afternoon some kitten, cats and dog arrived at the SPCA. They have to create their folders and examine each of them. They all get their base vaccine, and they discover that the kitten have lices. Fortunately, the kitten will soon get rid of them thanks to the useful medication. After her lunch, Sarah meet a grey cat but is has ringworm. The team decides to euthanize it.By the end of the afternoon, cats and dogs keep coming and the technician need to deal with a Shih Tzu that tried to bite her and Sarah has to chase on one of three young cats. As Sarah's day at the SPCA might come to an end, it's only the beginning for Amélie who has an evening shift even though she started at eleven a.m. When she arrived at Proanima's sorting room, she checks if the four cats and the rabbit are micro chipped. There's also a Shih Tzu and when she finished their health examination, she gave them vaccine. She's happy to notice that all animals are in excellent conditions. As time goes by, she gives treatments to Bello the Yorkshire, Hook the big cat and to a stray cat. For the rest of her evening she'll be checking on the animals coming and make sure they get the best treatments.
Animal health technicians can work in shelter, in a veteran clinic, in a zoo, in a laboratory, in zoology, in farms, and they if they want they can get a specialization.
You go on an animal health technology program in college.
The beginners can make $37 301/year and the more experiments technicians can reach $58 399/year.
They don't need additional training to practice but if they want they can get certified by passing a big exam and then outside of the province they can do get a specialization to attain a higher level of recognition offered by the Veterinary Technician Specialties.
Animals can be unpredictable. There are chances to get bite or scratch a lot. There's also dangers of getting a needle that contains drugs in the skin because the cap pierced and disease animals can give to humans. However, in school we are so warned about all the potential dangers that we pretty much know how to avoid them.
Not a chance!
Animal health technicians actually can practice as long as they are physically functional. Being surround by animal is the greatest therapy, so I personally can see myself doing this job for as long as I can.
In conclusion, animal health technicians are important to the veterans and hopefully they will get the recognition they deserved.
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: edited reporting
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: edited reporting
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited