This week is National Veterinary Technician Week. You may think of our technicians as “that nice person that talks to us before the doctor, and then brings us medications when we leave” – but they do so much more. We’ve compiled a short list of some of the things our technicians do every day – we quite literally could not do what we do without them!
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• Nurse – handles general overall care of patients

• Oral Hygienist – takes dental x-rays, cleans and polishes patients teeth

• X-Ray Technician – properly positions and takes x-rays of patients

• Lab Technician – prepares, runs, and analyzes a number of tests on blood, urine, feces, etc

• Caterer – feeds patients while they are in our hospital ward

• Educator – discusses many topics with clients to best care for their pets both to treat their current condition and to prevent future concerns

• Anesthetist – prepares patients for surgery, administers anesthesia, and monitors during surgical procedures

• Stylist – gives baths, trims nails, expresses anal glands, and clips fur

• Phlebotomist – draws blood and places IV catheters

• Caretaker – keeps the hospital clean, and cleans up after patients (and doctors!)

• Dog Walker – takes dogs for walks when needed

• Emotional Support – a friend to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, a comfort in times of stress

• Patience – a technician gets sprayed with bodily fluids, restrains less than cooperative animals, feels the emotional toll of caring for sick pets, and works long hours – but they gladly move on to the next patient once their current one has been taken care of. They do this every day, and keep coming back for more!