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Pet owners usually believe that no one cares more about their beloved animals than they do.
Being certain that they know everything related to health care of their animal, they do not accept that there are situations when they are not capable of giving it the necessary help.
That is the moment when veterinarians and their assistants come into play.
They represent a community of individuals who are passionate about the support of animals and are dedicated professionals who offer veterinary care for our pets.
Earn your accredited, affordable Veterinary Assistant career diploma online with Penn Foster in as little as 12 months!
Many people do not get a chance of becoming veterinarians, so find the job of a veterinary assistant equally satisfying.
If you would like to prepare for a career as a veterinary assistant, take into consideration the proper education provided by a practicing veterinarian or a college instructor.
Article Table of Contents
Job Description
Good veterinary assistants are dedicated people, reliable, hard-working and responsible.
When working in a veterinary clinic where anything can happen and many lives are in your hands, then you need to be in charge of everything and provide the first aid.
The job and requirements of a veterinary assistant are greatly depending on the facility and the amount of work that it has.
Daily duties may include scheduling routine and emergency appointments, taking x-rays, calming animals during and after an examination or administer prescribed medication.
If you are interested in spending your day with animals then this would be an exciting career for you.
As a veterinary assistant, you will be working with people and domestic or exotic animals.
But bear in mind that even though it looks that the work of a veterinary assistant is easy, this vocation can be physically and emotionally very demanding.
Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Kansas
The USA states do not require formal education to become a veterinary assistant.
And many veterinarians will not ask you for a certification or license.
However, veterinary medicine is in constant development and the needs are greater and more serious, thus leading to the demand for higher education related to the veterinary field.
That is why many people, both with and without veterinary assistant practice, decide to enter approved courses which will give all the information they need related to pet nutrition, vaccinations, first aid, euthanasia.
Regarding the fact that working in an animal hospital does not include only working with animals, but also working with papers, colleges provide you with the knowledge on billing, workplace safety, and marketing through math, science and communication courses.
Once you complete a veterinary assistant program at an accredited college you can start work and become a successful veterinary assistant.
Here is a list of a veterinary assistant campus and online programs in Kansas:
- Seward County Community College
- Colby Community College
- Butler Community College
Requirements
As it is already mentioned, a veterinary assistant can be a person with a high school degree passionate to help veterinarians and their clients.
Nonetheless, once he/she gets into the clinic, he/she will realize that to be more effective, they need to have more education and they might find themselves in an unpleasant situation.
Veterinary assistants need to know everything about animal care, including medical conditions, surgeries, vaccines and more. Those who wish to work with laboratory animals need to be qualified and licensed.
Preparing to become a veterinary assistant starts with training in a veterinary assistant program and many of them are organized by NAVTA.
On these campuses, experienced instructors teach their students everything they will need to know and use throughout a workday.
When it comes to Kansas, the VetMed Team provides several certification options for veterinary assistants.
Both experienced veterinary assistants who already possess practice and novice veterinary assistants can both take advantage of three options:
- Externship Option – for unemployed people interested in a veterinary practice.
- Experiential Learner – for employed and full time working veterinary assistants.
- Veterinary Assistant Program – for employed Kansas veterinary assistants that are working in a full-service veterinary practice.
Getting a Job
The veterinary assistant profession has gained more importance in recent years, and that leads to the growing number of employers, resulting in good job opportunities.
Veterinary assistants can work in clinics and hospitals, or animal shelters and zoos.
The licensed candidate can choose between a job in small private facilities or large veterinary hospitals.
Reputable clinics are looking for assistants who know what they need to do and the job offer in Kansas is huge.
Some of the potential employers in Kansas are:
- VCA (Veterinary Centers of America) with more than 750 in the U.S. and two locations in Kansas
- Banfield Pet Hospital opened in 1955 and has over 900 locations in the United States. The Banfield Pet Hospitals located in Kansas are:
- Wichita East
- Wichita West
- Topeka
- Vetco Wellness Centers and Vaccination Clinics inside PETCO are famous for affordable prices and high care quality.
- Located in Salina Petco
- Located in Hutchinson Petco
- Located in Overland Park Petco
- Located in Olathe Petco
Their services include microchipping, parasite prevention, dermatology and much more, which requires the higher level of education of a veterinary assistant working there.
Salary
The growth in new veterinary assistant jobs in Kansas because of the higher spending among pet owners might lead to higher wages of veterinary assistants.
Nowadays, they are modest and among the lowest ones when it comes to similar jobs.
The average salary for a Kansas veterinary assistant, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, varies among the cities, and it is estimated to be $ 27, 422 in Manhattan, while it is the highest in Kansas City where it reaches $29 142 per year.
The table below shows the salary of a veterinary assistant in the state of Kansas annually.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Hutchinson,KS | $28,255 |
| Kansas City,KS | $29,142 |
| Lawrence,KS | $28,184 |
| Lenexa,KS | $29,053 |
| Manhattan,KS | $27,422 |
| Olathe,KS | $28,975 |
| Overland Park,KS | $29,053 |
| Salina,KS | $28,255 |
| Shawnee,KS | $29,053 |
| Topeka,KS | $27,718 |
| Wichita,KS | $28,551 |
Regional Salary in Kansas
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence, KS | 40 | $33,330 | $16.03 | $36,900 | $26,950 |
| Manhattan, KS | 90 | $32,640 | $15.69 | $36,660 | $25,500 |
| Topeka, KS | 100 | $29,950 | $14.4 | $36,860 | $19,820 |
| Wichita, KS | 270 | $30,900 | $14.86 | $36,960 | $22,300 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Duties
The typical day in an animal hospital includes numerous duties that a veterinary assistant has to manage, starting from discussing with the owners what needs to be done, discussing with the vet about all the cases, doing treatments, wounds, x-rays and the anesthetics for the operations.
The daily work of an animal healthcare team depends a lot on the services of veterinary assistants.
Varieties of veterinary assistant responsibilities are:
- Feeding hospitalized animals
- Providing care to patients
- Preparing relevant equipment
- Restraining animals for treatment
- Advising clients on health care
- Record keeping etc.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Veterinary Assistant
Veterinary Assisting by State