How to Become a Veterinary Assistant in Idaho

If you are interested in continuing your education, but do not know what to study, and are fond of animals and eager to provide them help and support than the veterinary assistant vocation is ideal for you.

People focused on animal welfare are constantly trying to raise public awareness of veterinary health care issues, which lead to improvement, since the way animals have been treated has significantly changed throughout recent years.

As a treasured member of our families, the care and protection of animals turned into occupation even more difficult and demanding.

The veterinarians and their assistants are in continual demand and their jobs become of greater importance.

Job Description

Veterinary assistants are people of great importance in animal hospitals and clinics because they are the first to encounter the upset pet owner.

Coming to an animal hospital is a stressful situation and they need to be patient people ready to listen and understand the needs and feelings of a terrified pet owner.

Besides being in charge of less important tasks such as administrative work and scheduling appointments, veterinary assistants perform countless demanding responsibilities, including helping veterinarians during surgery, sterilizing the equipment and helping animals while they are recovering.

If they are more educated, some minor interventions are also entrusted to them, as well as laboratory work.

Taking all this into consideration, the job of a veterinary assistant is not naïve at all.

Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Idaho

There are no legal regulations that require a certain license to be able to work as a veterinary assistant.

However, the job itself requires knowledge related to animal health care, and to be prepared for successful work in veterinary hospitals, it is advisable to pass special lessons that will help you gain all the education and training associated with veterinary assistant duties.

You can choose between going to courses in a college or school, or decide to learn online through distance learning programs which have become more and more popular.

Through these classes vet, assistants can learn the specifics of this profession including:

• Getting insight into the recommendations made by veterinarians
• Find out everything about a veterinary hospital from marketing to cash flow
• Learn the duties of a veterinary assistant
• Learn knowledge and skills that can lead to a rewarding career, etc.

To become an AVA (Approved Veterinary Assistant) certification and at the same time earn educational qualifications which will increase the chance of obtaining a higher-end vet assistant position in Idaho, you can enter any of these colleges:

• North Idaho College

• Broadway University

• Carrington College

You will become much more knowledgeable about all matters of a veterinarian’s office.

You will be a veterinary assistant with greater priority and qualifications and can improve the chances of finding employment.

Requirements

Since 2010, the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America decided to help both experienced and inexperienced people enthusiastic about working with animals.

So, they have created a veterinary assistant approval programs offering credentialed veterinary assistant training programs throughout the country.

Today, there are 35 approved programs, with locations in the United States and Canada, as well as four accredited online programs.

The fact that most animal healthcare facilities prefer hiring vet assistants with some type of credentials, there is an increased number of constant demands for licensed programs.

These are the different routes that can be taken to become an approved Idaho veterinary assistant offered by NAVTA:

• Externship Option with practical training that most veterinarians are requiring when hiring.
• Experiential Learner offered to Idaho veterinary assistants working a 20-hour weekly minimum.
• Veterinary Assistant Program also designed for currently employed Idaho veterinary assistants.

However, once you get you Idaho AVA, you will need to renew it every 2 years, by earning 10 continuing education credits.

So, this course is invaluable no matter whether you already work or not.

Getting a Job

The job opportunities in Idaho are numerous and the appropriate candidate who fulfills all the requirements is determined by the employers.

Idaho has to offer a lot of animal clinics and hospitals where veterinary assistants can look for and possibly find work.

Some of the potential employers are:

• Idaho Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA)
• Idaho Veterinary Hospital
• All Valley Animal Care Center
• Ammon Veterinary Hospital
• Banfield Pet Hospital
• Banfield Boise
• Banfield Meridian

Bear in mind the fact that, when hiring, most veterinarians require that assistants hold a certificate achieved at an accredited community college or technical school.

Salary

Regarding the fact that the job growth is expected to continue in Idaho as the rise in animal health care has increased the demand for veterinary assistants throughout the United States, there is the chance that the average annual salary of a veterinary assistant may change.

A salary of a veterinary assistant in Idaho varies among the major cities and the less paid are veterinary assistants in Pocatello with $25 764 per year, while their colleagues in Coeur D Alene get $29 174 annually.

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

Regional Salary in Idaho

Duties

If you already have a certificate and have passed all the training and practices, they are considered to be able to successfully fulfill daily duties that an animal hospital asks you to do.

A veterinary assistant is in charge of assisting veterinarians, greeting the clients and answering all their questions and requests, answering phone calls and set appointments, taking pets’ vital signs upon arrival, feeding, bathing and caring for animals, cleaning and maintaining the surgical room among many others.

This means that the ideal candidate should be familiar with all these and many other tasks and be able to effectively accomplish it since he/she plays a major role there. Also, that person should be emotionally strong and mature in cases of emergency.

Summary

For those who want to become veterinary assistants,  it is important to know the required and preferred skills for this position and that their salary depends on the number of activities performed during the day and the difficulties that they meet when deciding whether this is an ideal position for them.

Veterinary Assisting by State