Jessica Valpied - Careers in Animal Healthcare

Jessica Valpied – Careers in Animal Healthcare

Careers in Animal Health • The animal health care service is similar to the human health care field in many admirations of medical information. Some people examine the animals they own to be ‘members of the family’.

• Animal health care workers work in zoos and zoological parks, laboratories, kennels, animal shelters, veterinary clinics and hospitals, stables, pet supply and preparing retail stores, or aquariums.

Veterinarian • In human medicine, the doctor studies one species. Veterinarians are animal doctors and inquire at least 5 species: dogs, cats, horses, cows, and sheep. Some veterinarian institutes focus on housebroken animals and include poultry, swine, and goats. Others focus on birds, reptiles, zoo animals, fish, native wildlife, or small animals such as hamsters and guinea pigs.

Veterinary Technician • There are often two veterinarian practitioners for every veterinarian. Each state has different educational qualifications, but most require 24 years of school and some sort of licensing.

Most professionals work in clinical practice, with varied responsibilities.

Veterinary Assistant

• The veterinary assistant helps the veterinarians and veterinary professionals. It is an entry-level job with on-the-job instruction or some level of certification. • A veterinary assistant cleans cages, exercises, feeds, and bathes animals, accumulates samples for testing, performs clerical duties such as acknowledging phones, greeting clients, collecting payments, sustaining records.

Biomedical Research Technician

• The biomedical research technician cares for animals used in research and teaching. Levels of training vary, but all must be approved by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. • The use of animals for experimentation is closely managed by the federal government. Workers must follow procedures carefully. Some research specialists are able to perform advanced skills such as surgery.

Groomer • Animal groomers may attend school for 4-18 weeks, complete a 6-10 week apprenticeship, or be expected to take a written and practical skills exam from the National Dog Groomers Association of America. • A groomer brushes out, bathes, blow dries, clips, and techniques creature hair. They provide nails and clean ears. They may paint nails or add bows and ribbons.

Safety Concerns in Animal Health Care

• A zoonosis is a disease that humans can get from animals. Even animals that appear healthy can transmit diseases. • The animal health care worker needs to wear masks and gloves during some schemes, manage vaccination programs for animals (such as rabies), use recommended sanitation standards and good personal hygiene.

Emotions in Animal Health Care • The animal health care operator must deal with their own emotions, as well as those of the pet proprietor. They may witness evidence of animal abuse. They may have to euthanize an animal. • Euthanization is the painless and compassionate termination of the life of an automatically sick or injured animal. The animal health care worker seldom assists the pet owner in the final settlement of the pet’s remains.