# Advice on becoming vet assistant



## auntiemissa (Apr 19, 2010)

I have decided to do an online course through penn foster to become a veterinary assistant.It is extremely affordable and i can do it at my own pace.Do you know anything about this position? I have to have college classes to start the veterinary technician program and i dont have that.Being 30yrs old i wanted to get into something fairly quickly and the assistant program sounds great.Please let me know if you have any tips/knowledge etc etc or maybe u work in a vet and can tell what to expect.I absolutely love animals and really want to work with them.Is this a good start if i eventually want to be a technician? thanx!


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

This is absolutely a great way to get your foot in the door. It's how I started and I love my job. What to expect depends on the hospital but do expect to learn tons! Good luck with it all!


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

I, at one time, thought I wanted to be a vet tech. I decided that the best way to get started was to actually work for a vet even if it meant doing files and answering phones.

I got a job at an exotic pet clinic and did just that and because the vet knew that I wanted to eventually work my way towards vet tech, he did teach me quite a bit and allowed me to weigh and take temps on the pets that came in.

I was allowed to watch during some surgeries, (if they were "after hours"). I didn't get to DO anything but I did get to watch, to learn.

I got to do OT on weekends and learn, basically shadow, a vet tech, watch what they were doing and they taught me things as well.

I don't know how it is now but back then, and at least in the state of WA where I was located, you could either go to school to become a vet tech and practice on stuffed animals or you could work for a vet and once you had 5 years of work experience under your belt, at the vet, you could take the test. But, you were around the real thing. This is the route I was going to take.

I eventually realized I didn't want to be a vet tech. Not because some animals died...although that was not easy but because I realized it was more about dealing with humans. It got too hard for me to hear, "I'm not spending that kind of money on a $4 guinea pig!!!" 

I am not the kind of person who can push the emotions down when it comes to humans seeing their animals as a dollar figure. It was also difficult to push the emotions down when a person was told that what they were feeding their animal was wrong, that's why it had to keep coming in for teeth problems, health problems, etc. But they wouldn't listen and the animal suffered for it and came in constantly. (Again, exotic pet or not, it was difficult.) It was also hard for me to keep my emotions down when people would buy a bob cat kitten online, of all things, and bring it in to have it declawed and defanged.

I do not have the personality to work at a vet clinic and realized this early on...so I pursued other things.

It takes a special person to work in the medical field whether it be humans or animals and you have to be able to deal with the stupidity of some humans, be patient with humans and you also have to break the bad news to people sometimes...that is especially hard when the human truly loves their pet and will do just about anything for that pet. 

I couldn't do it.

Of course there are moments of joy, don't get me wrong. You just have to be able to handle all of it, good and bad and ignorance and the refusal to listen.

So, while you are taking your classes online, I would highly, highly suggest, if you do not already, (I don't know what you do), work in a vet clinic. If you already do that, you are light years ahead and I wish you the best of luck.


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## auntiemissa (Apr 19, 2010)

wow! thank you for taking the time to write all that. Iam currently working as a nanny and that means im in between jobs every few years.I figure if i did the online course to be a vet assistant,then at least i would have my foot in the door if i chose to be a tech.I know that working in a vet is something for me When i had to put my dog to sleep i was there watching and i honestly felt comfort seeing the procedure and knowing she wasnt gonna suffer from cancer anymore.I have worked with alot of families in the childcare business who dont"raise" their kids properly so i think i might be familiar with pet parents and if they dont do things "properly" LOL thanks again for all the tips!


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

Definitely if you have had experience around parents and their children and them not listening, you have a much better chance of succeeding.

If you don't mind, I'll tell you the story, the breaking point for me, when I realized, I just wasn't right for this job.

All those other things I mentioned did actually happen, the guinea pig, the wallaby that was fed improperly, the bob cat kitten, (thankfully the vet refused that procedure), the overweight gerbils, etc.

These people actually made me angry and I was not allowed, naturally, to show that anger. I had to push that all down and it was very hard for me. It meant that I had to release elsewhere and for someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, that can be deconstructive, at times.

Anyway, the night I realized this wasn't for me was when a little girl came in with her rat. I had rats as pets at the time as well and I knew how awesome rats can be. I adored my rats, took them everywhere with me, set them up with the best fricken room a rat could dream of so I knew where this little girl was coming from when she brought her rat in.

Apparently her little rat got its leg caught somehow in the cage and it broke. She and her mother were in the exam room. I walked in to weigh the rat and take the temp. I was allowed to stay in the exam room and observe the vet do the exam and discuss options. I then went out to do my job of coming up with the estimate.

I came back in the room with the paperwork and the vet proceeded to have this discussion with the mom and the child. It was clear that this child absolutely loved her little rat.

I remember the mother telling the child that she could either a) have whatever it was they had already promised the child, (some kind of gift she had earned), or b) use that money to take care of her rat.

After seeing so many people put their pets down because it was a "$4 guinea pig" and the estimate to fix was $100 or so, I was touched beyond belief to hear the child, without hesitation, abandon whatever great gift she was supposed to get to fix her little friend rat.

This ended up being one of those after hours surgeries and I was allowed to watch. The little girl and her mother went home and the vet got everything set up and began the surgery to amputate the leg.

At some point, the rat stopped breathing. I had noticed this, said something and the vet tried to resuscitate the rat but it was too late. It was too much for such a little creature.

Everyone in the room, the vet, the techs and myself were upset. Of course, no one wants to see the animal die but I think I was a little more affected because I was still new to the whole thing, I also had rats and I had witnessed what the girl gave up to save her rat and that didn't work.

I hung around while the vet called the family and as you can imagine, the girl was horribly distraught.

Driving home that night, I felt sick to my stomach. I wasn't concentrating on the road, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what I wanted to do, I didn't know how to act when I got home. I just felt sick. 

Here I had seen idiots come in and not care all that much about their pets or they would not listen to the vet telling them how to properly care for their pet, (exotic pets need specific diets, you cannot feed a fricken wallaby table scraps!!!), they didn't want to sacrifice money for their pets, etc and yet this little girl, who loved and adored her rat, was willing to give up everything for that rat and she lost the gift AND her friend.

It was too much for me. I had no idea what to do with my emotions. I had no idea how to handle it. And to be completely honest, it made me that much angrier at those who didn't care as much as the girl did for her rat.

That's when I realized it was more about dealing with humans than it was the animals. Sure, the job means you do what you can to save the animals but you can only do so much, as much as the human will allow you to do. Some refuse to spend a dime, some will spend thousands and thousands and thousands until you have to step in and say, "Listen, you may want to think about this...."

I saw tears of sorrow, tears of joy, heart break, ignorance, stupidity, anger and blame on the vet, excuse after excuse, animals dumped off....it was a lot.

But that little girl and her rat...that did me in.

If you can handle all of that and keep your composure, know how to handle the emotions, have a healthy outlet somewhere else, have a strong support system, find a great clinic to work in....you can do it. 

The only reason I even say anything at all, not just to you but to anyone who wants to be a vet tech or vet, is because sometimes we romanticize what the job entails and the reality isn't always pleasant. 

But, if you have the right personality, and you know this stuff going in, (this is why I highly recommend you work in a vet clinic while doing the school, even if it's part time, get in there and experience the real thing not from your point of view having a pet go in there, but experience it watching how others act at the clinic and with their pets), and you really think you can do it, you have what it takes, then you will do good and you will succeed and it can be very, very rewarding.

Again, I wish you the best of luck and I hope you do well.


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## chocolatelabguy (Nov 17, 2009)

Thank you for sharing this honest, heartfelt account of your experience. It should be required reading for anyone thinking about entering the vet tech or vet assistant field.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Serenity really does touch on some highly important points. It's very difficult sometimes because you get emotionally attached to animals and then they are not cared for the way you see fit, health wise or behaviorally. But you are obligated to keep your mouth shut or be as polite and respectful to those clients as possible. 

I spend a lot of my time speaking with owners about routine healthcare, behavior and nutrition. I've found that instead of becoming angry towards clients for their lack of knowledge I instead focus my efforts to educating them. Sometimes my efforts pay off and other times its just wasted breath. But when they do listen to you the rewards are worth the effort! Knowledge is contagious, the more I can teach people the more they will want to do the same. 

In the long run it will be more productive and be better for the animals if you just sit down and talk to owners about things. I think being in the position of a vet tech or assistant you can have a more personable and down to earth relationship with your clients. They tend to listen to you more like they would a friend instead of "being told what to do by the vet" type of attitude. Although when it comes down to more serious health issues typically clients want to just speak with the vet as soon as they possibly can. 

I've been the lead tech at my clinic for three years now. It's a small clinic with just one fabulous doc and two techs (me being one and "Jem" on here being the other- she doesn't post much). I love my job, I'm lucky to have it. Even though it's hard sometimes when a favorite dog of mine needs to be PTS, or an animal gets injured or it's obvious the owner is to blame for behavioral issues...I wouldn't change it for the world. The only thing I would change is being able to talk about raw feeding at work, and educate my boss/vet...but that's it. 

I do think that it takes a certain type of person to be in this position, being able to emotionally disconnect so you can still manage to function. What I've found my "release" for these emotions is to talk about them with other techs/assistants/vets who can relate. I think it's a favorite past time for most of us in the field! 

Best of luck and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask them :wink:


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

auntiemissa said:


> I have decided to do an online course through penn foster to become a veterinary assistant.It is extremely affordable and i can do it at my own pace.Do you know anything about this position? I have to have college classes to start the veterinary technician program and i dont have that.Being 30yrs old i wanted to get into something fairly quickly and the assistant program sounds great.Please let me know if you have any tips/knowledge etc etc or maybe u work in a vet and can tell what to expect.I absolutely love animals and really want to work with them.Is this a good start if i eventually want to be a technician? thanx!



Auntie,

Make sure you do one thing...

Stop into a couple Vet offices and try to talk to some of the Vet's... ask them what they think about this type of program that you are taking. I asked my Vet about it and he kind of laughed at it... I'm by no means saying he was right or justified in doing so. But if you are going thru the program with some type of expectation on what jobs await you when you finish... you should confirm this.


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## auntiemissa (Apr 19, 2010)

thanks again! i guess i didnt think it all the way through about the downside(girl losing rat etc) but working as a nanny,and see how "bad" some parents raise their kids makes me wish i could be supernanny and come in here and "educate" these parents.Being employed by the parents and considering them "my boss" i feel like i dont have a right to tell them "how to raise their kids" LOL but maybe by being a vet assistant i would have the "right" to offer my suggestions etc etc to pet parents.Iam very close with my vet and employees because they talk to me like a friend etc etc and arent just out there for the money and i feel strongly that i would be "good" for the animals that come in.Thanks again for all the advice.My puppy actually has an appt this am and im gonna talk with the tech there on her thoughts.I will keep ya posted


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Auntie,

I'd ask the Vet if you even NEED the Penn Foster Degree to get a job as a Vet Assistant. As I recall, my Vet told me he would rather just hire solid people and train on the job to what he deems correct. 

Again, I'm not knocking Penn Foster. Just looking at it from all angles. 

good luck whatever you decide.


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