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.
Each day at work is a surprise. Being an animal health technician, you never know what is waiting when you start the day and it's exactly why it's so fun. At the end of your busy day you'll always feel accomplish. It's an incredible rewarding profession.
Animal health technicians do a lot. They do the animal monitoring in surgery, they take care of pre and post operation, they give advice to the client, they collect blood, they make the animal a general health examination, they have appointments, they the urinalysis and different tests on the animal whenever they have problems like wound on the skin or diarrhea technicians have to discover what's the origin of the problem in order to give the right treatment. They also make the x-rays, dental decalcification, make sure the clinic is always clean and restraint the animal.
The typical day in an animal health technician in a veteran clinic can start really early in the morning like 7:30 a.m. There are surgery pretty much every day, that is why the technician has to arrive early to give information to the owner like the price of the intervention, explain the surgical intervention its animal is going to have and take information like their phone number, and make sure that the animal has fasted since the evening before. Then, the technician evaluate the animal general health by taking the temperature, the heart rate, the breathing rate and the weight to afterward prepare the pre-anesthetic, the anesthetic and fluid. The technician also observe if the animal seems in a normal mood. While the technician is preparing the animal for the surgery and the surgery room, the veteran will more often than not ask for help in appointments. When the veteran is finally free, the technician will give the sedative which will make the animal a little bit dizzy then it's the time to put the IV catheter to have an easy access the vein.When the animal is anesthetize, it will have an endotracheal tube to breath. The technician will always check to oxygen and the isoflurane gas level and the animal will be plugged on heart rate and blood pressure monitor. The surgery starts the technician's work is far from being done. Throughout all the intervention the technician constantly checks and write down the vital signs. Once the surgery is done, the animal will keep getting check in order to make sure it is still on a good shape and health. There are papers to fill and medication to prepare for when it goes back home in recovery. When everything relates to the morning surgery, the technician will do daily task in the clinic; help in appointments, x-rays, vaccine, blood test, etc.
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 apply in 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: this author’s opinion
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: this author’s opinion
Date: still relevant
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited