How to Become a Veterinary Assistant in Kentucky

Opportunities for higher education are not equally available for people in the US, and some students do not get the possibility of becoming veterinarians due to numerous factors.

Though, they might find satisfaction in the job of a veterinary assistant who is less responsible than veterinarians themselves, but not at all negligible when it comes to animal health care.

Veterinarians rely on a team of assistants to support their work and assist during surgical procedures. Less-demanding clinical roles are entrusted to assistants but that does not diminish their value.

Job Description

Veterinary medicine grows daily and people dedicated to helping the animals in need may be in constant demand.

A veterinary assistant is a person who has a desire to work with and help animals, whose commitment to giving the pet the best possible treatment makes the veterinary assistant a vital member of any veterinary team.

Even though they work under the supervision of a veterinarian when the surgeries and serious interventions are in question, they also have individual essential tasks on sick or injured animals.

They often perform the duties related to a safe and sanitary environment, feeding animals, cleaning and disinfecting cages.

Additionally, they perform office tasks, such as scheduling appointments, documenting medical histories, etc.

Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Kentucky

The veterinary hospitals want to ensure that every pet owner has access to basic veterinary care since it is very important to help keep pets healthy to protect the pet’s owner’s health either.

If you have finished high school and are attracted to a veterinary assistant vocation, you can look for a job in veterinary clinics that employ assistants without certification.

Or, you can decide to improve your qualifications by entering one of a few veterinary assistant campuses and online programs in Kentucky.

You can gain the needed education and certification by finishing programs in:

• Locust Trace AgriScience Center
• Louisville Central High Magnet Career Academy
• Hopkinsville Community College

Another chance is finding a NAVTA approved the program.

Requirements

The only requirement when entering any of the courses or programs is to have a high school diploma or GED equivalency.

Both online programs and regular programs at school are designed to suits both employed veterinary assistants and newcomers.

The lessons are provided by licensed veterinarians or instructors and they focus on medical terminology, proper restraining techniques, medication and chemicals and much more.

Even though some people learn the occupation on the job while helping veterinarians, there might come a situation where everything depends on you, and you, as a novice, do not know what to do.

That is why these programs prepare you to be able to act properly in an emergency, thus making you more self-confident.

Regarding the fact that nowadays most veterinarians rather choose people with education, having a certificate will increase your chances of being first on the list of becoming employed.

The details about the different options offered by NAVTA that can be taken to become an approved Kansas veterinary assistant are:

You need to enter one of 36 approved programs throughout the U.S. and Canada or 4 online programs where you will have lessons and practical training in a real environment.

Once you complete the chosen program, you need to take the AVA exam. It is necessary to achieve a passing score and then you become an approved Delaware veterinary assistant.

Then, your Kentucky AVA is required to be renewed every two years, so you will need to fulfill 10 continuing education credits.

Some of the NAVTA programs that can be found online are VetMedTeam program and Penn Foster, while others are campuses organized in various institutes, centers and hospitals, such as Locust Trace Agriscience Farm Technical HSin Lexington, KY or Louisville Central High Magnet Career Academy in Louisville, KY

Getting a Job

The successfully finished studies give you the priority when finding a job, and put you before the others who are not certified.

The veterinary field is in constant growth causing new job openings for assistants.

If you have experience working with animals, and at the same time are qualified for the job of a veterinary assistant, you may consider looking for a job in one of those animal clinics.

Potential veterinary assistant employers in Kentucky are:

• Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association which offers several advantages
• VCA (Veterinary Centers of America)
  • VCA Fairleigh Animal Hospital
  • VCA Woodford Animal Hospital
• Vetco Wellness Centers and Vaccination Clinics inside PETCO.
  • Located in Versailles Petco
  • Located in Frankfort Petco
  • Located in Crescent Springs Petco
  • Located in Louisville Petco

Salary

Veterinary assistants’ salary in various parts of Kentucky differs.

The number of employees in this field is expected to increase causing a greater demand for veterinary assistants.

This might expand the earning potential and make this profession more paid than it currently is.

At the moment, veterinary assistants have a modest salary which is different among the cities throughout Kentucky.

The amount of money that a veterinary assistant earns during one year ranges from $ 26 683 in Hopkinsville up to $28 993 in Covington.

The table below represents the average annual salary of a veterinary assistant in major cities in Kentucky.

Regional Salary in Kentucky

Duties

Veterinary assistant duties are versatile.

They need to be both administrative and medical workers.

Their first duty which is usually perceived by the client and thus believed to be the only one duty during the day is to schedule an appointment, receive and manage paperwork and deal with the patient, its owner, and their concerns.

If you take this to be their only everyday activity, this looks like an easy job.

However, it certainly is not, since their other obligations include working in labs under the supervision of a veterinarian, do some scientific research, deal with blood work and urinalysis.

Animal health care clinics and veterinarians themselves entrust them with numerous demanding activities, like minor surgeries and interventions, thus considering their services of crucial importance in their daily activities.

Summary

The veterinary assistants care about our animal health, and if our pets are happy and healthy, we feel satisfied, too.

That is why this job and people who are doing it should be given a deserved respect and admiration.

Veterinary Assisting by State