How To Become a Veterinary Assistant in Arizona

The way animals have been treated has significantly changed throughout the recent years and not only did they become a member of the family, but also play a very important role in lives of their owners, thus making their care and protection even more difficult and demanding.

That is why the number of veterinarians and their assistants increases daily and the demand for them is growing.

At the same time, their job becomes of greater importance and significance than it used to be.

For those people who love animals and consider that working with them is fulfilling, a veterinary assistant may be the perfect career.

Job Description

Being that just a part of the job in veterinary clinics and animal shelters is based on veterinarians themselves, veterinary assistants have their crucial role in dealing with animals and their owners.

Because coming to a hospital is in itself kind of a stressful situation, a veterinary assistant is the first one who has to take care of the upset and frightened owner and then to pay attention to the animal itself.

Although many people think that they are in charge of less important tasks, their job is demanding, including preparing surgery and sterilize the equipment after it, helping veterinarians and looking after the animals while they are recovering.

Veterinary assistants spend their days providing medical and health care assistance to animals.

Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Arizona

If you want to have a career as a veterinary assistant, the requirements are high school diploma, as well as licensing attained by completing a program and passing an exam.

Job training and completion of a certification examination are required to become a veterinary assistant with greater priority and qualifications, but it is not obligatory.

The certificate can improve the chances of finding employment as an Arizona veterinary assistant.

So, if you are interested in becoming a veterinary assistant with a certificate, there are high schools in Arizona that offer veterinary assistant programs to their students

Some of them are:

• Pima Medical Institute
• Pima Community College
• Mohave Community College
• Western Maricopa Education Center
• Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology
• Mesa Community College

Requirements

Since 2010, NAVTA (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) has offered a veterinary assistant approval programs and has currently approved 35 programs throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as 3 online.

The requirements for entering this program are your desire to help animals and a high school diploma.

The certification programs prepare you to become a veterinary assistant who is a valuable member of an animal health care team by teaching you how to identify breeds, medical terminology, ways to administer medications and much more.

Once finished, the program qualifies you to take the AVA examination and if you pass it, you get a certificate.

Some of the NAVTA programs and campuses in the USA and Canada are:

• Penta Career Center, Small Animal Care Program,
• West-MEC Veterinary Assistant Program
• Parkway West Career and Technology Center among many others.

Getting a Job

Once you have successfully finished the courses, you are qualified to search for a satisfying job.

Arizona has to offer a lot of animal clinics and hospitals where veterinary assistants can find work.

Some of the potential employers in Arizona are:

• Arizona Veterinary Medical Association – the website which is a resource for current job openings in Arizona regarding the veterinary field.
• Veterinary Centers of America with a few of the VCA locations in Arizona such as:
  • VCA Mesa Animal Hospital
  • VCA El Mirage Animal Hospital
  • VCA Paradise Valley Emergency Animal Hospital
• Banfield Pet Hospital, just to mention a few.

The chances of getting a job here are equal for all the applicants.

The employers are those who decide who is going to be hired. However, the greater chances are for those who possess the certificate, for sure.

Salary

When it comes to salary, veterinary Assistant salaries, bonuses, and benefits differentiate throughout the cities in the Arizona area.

This depends on numerous factors that all affect the average salary of an Arizona veterinary assistant.

The lowest is in Prescott, estimated at $27,009, while pay rates might rise to $30,449 in Lake Havasu City per year.

The table below shows the salary of a veterinary assistant in the state of Arizona annually since it varies from one place to another.

Regional Salary in Arizona

Duties

The duties of a veterinary assistant are not at all naïve, since they involve preparing treatment room for examination of animals, administering injections, cleaning teeth, and this all requires being familiar with standard practices, and procedures within that field.

They perform a variety of tasks and work together with the veterinarian, so this means that their services are crucial in the daily activities of a veterinary clinic.

Summary

Veterinary assistants are of great help when assisting veterinarians in providing medical care to pets and other animals.

They always have to pay attention not to be bitten or injured since animals can be aggressive when in pain.

Prevention and precaution are necessary since injuries for workers in this field are high. The job of a veterinary assistant indeed has the difficulties that he/she has to face and they should be respected.

If you want to become a veterinary assistant, your love for animals and a certificate program will be enough to gain the skills and knowledge you need.

Veterinary assistants have a chance to be employed in a variety of animal care environments such as veterinary clinics, animal shelters, pet stores, and wildlife facilities.

The salary will depend on the number of activities performed during the day and the difficulties that the assistant meets daily.

The job requirements are not the same when working with small animals and pets, and when you have to deal with wild animals and reptiles.

So, when choosing the clinic or hospital, a newly certified veterinary assistant needs to bear in mind that fact, too.

However, wish to help the animal in need might overrun all the difficulties and obstacles.

Veterinary Assisting by State