How to Become a Veterinary Assistant in Oklahoma

With veterinary assistants in high demand, the number of young people interested in becoming part of veterinary personnel increases.

If you want to prepare for a career as a veterinary assistant, you do not have to possess a certificate or license, but it is recommended to achieve some kind of further post-secondary education to successfully perform your future job.

Because this job is underestimated, the public awareness of how important veterinary staff is for our animals should be raised.

Job Description

There are a few qualities that a veterinary assistant should possess and those are compassion, dedication, empathy, and attention to detail.

Animal life is in their hands every day, and it is their responsibility and obligation to help it.

Their job includes tasks such as: compassionately and effectively restraining pets, ensuring that blood work is properly recorded, assisting in surgical procedures, ensuring that all owners receive proper medications upon departure, maintaining appropriate medical records and assisting other team members when needed among many others.

The tasks performed by less educated veterinary assistants are answering telephones and answer the pet owner’s questions and concern, deal with the cost of routine procedures and products, preparing client invoices.

Some tasks may be added to them if they are necessary for the safety and well-being of the patient.

Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Oklahoma

After finishing secondary education, you can rapidly become a veterinary assistant.

The GED or high school diploma is the only prerequisite for starting work.

However, you might find yourself in a hopeless situation if you have to give first aid to an injured animal, and you do not know what to do.

That is why people have organized special lessons through courses and programs that target specific aspects of veterinary assistant duties.

Through these lessons, students will understand that they need to be careful since their health might be threatened.

The hazards of working in a veterinary setting include x-ray exposure, infections carried by animals, and injuries from teeth and claws.

On the other hand, they will learn about economics and marketing because veterinary hospitals are small businesses and not just places of medicine.

Some veterinary assistant campus in Oklahoma are:

• Community Care College
• Moore Norman Technology Center
• Murray State College

Requirements

If you want to get educated about veterinary medicine, there are certificate programs widely available, providing you with the necessary knowledge and skills.

You can gain certification by enrolling in training programs throughout the USA and Canada organized by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), or you can learn from various online programs.

They are designed for people eager to achieve knowledge and qualifications to become better veterinary assistants.

The instructors will teach you about pet nutrition, health and safety issues, how to treat and prevent parasites, but you will also get insight into how to deal with the very emotional issues of euthanasia, pet loss, and how best to assist pet owners in a time of need since that will be your job.

Getting a Job

If you want to become employed in a veterinary hospital, you will find those courses invaluable in helping you give quality care to animals.

When applying for a job, your chances are equal with those without a license, but the prospects of choosing you are higher, as veterinarians elect those candidates who will be ready to start working immediately without being previously taught.

The opportunities are numerous, since there are many places where veterinary assistants can look for a job, and the number of clinics and shelters is increasing even more.

Potential veterinary assistant employers in Oklahoma are:

• Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA)
• VCA (Veterinary Centers of America)
  • VCA Woodland Broken Arrow Animal Hospital
  • VCA Owasso Animal Medical Center
  • VCA Veterinary Medical Center
  • VCA Kickingbird Animal Hospital
• Vetco Wellness Centers and Vaccination Clinics inside PETCO
  • Located in Oklahoma City Petco
  • Located in Norman Petco
  • Located in Edmond Petco
  • Located in Stillwater Petco

Salary

The salary of a veterinary assistant differs since many factors affect it.

Those assistants who only work on scheduling appointments and talking to pet owners worried about the health condition of their pets should not expect to have the same income as those involved in performing dental exams and dental cleanings, electrocardiograms and take radiographs.

Because the job of a veterinary assistant is underestimated, since people believe that their job is not demanding at all the salaries are modest and not satisfying.

Still, they enjoy their work and find fulfillment in the happiness and health of their patients.

When it comes to Oklahoma, salaries are lower than in some other states, ranging from $25 142 to $28 385.

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

Regional Salary in Oklahoma

Duties

The duties of assistants who are not certified might be providing customer-service, talking with animal owners and collaborate with other facilities.

They might be asked to answer phone calls, maintain clean and sanitary conditions in the exam and operating rooms and cleaning cages.

The educated veterinary assistants get a chance to provide assistance to veterinarians, to care about animals before and after surgery or other medical procedures, do lab work and administer medication.

To be able to handle all these duties, veterinary assistants need to possess good emphatic, medical and communication skills since they are seriously involved in the medical care and curing process of wounded or ill animals.

Summary

Veterinary Assistants are in high demand now, and many veterinary offices hire only trained workers to staff their clinics.

That is why you should consider becoming a trained student for this specialized job upon graduation.

You will be given the training and a certificate for use in veterinary clinics, ranching, zoos, and thus you will be given priority when looking for a satisfying job.

You might not want to get further education but bear in mind that it will give you all the necessary knowledge to become a valuable member of the veterinary health care team.

Veterinary Assisting by State