If you’ve visited your veterinarian lately, you’ve probably met one or more veterinary technicians. These dedicated professionals are responsible for many of the tasks that keep your veterinarian’s office running smoothly and efficiently.
Veterinary technicians perform lots of jobs in the average veterinary practice. They help restrain us in the exam room as the veterinarian examines us. If we need to have blood tests done, a veterinary technician is often the person who draws that blood from us. A well-trained veterinary technician will know how to perform these tasks in a cat-friendly manner that makes the veterinary visit much less stressful for us.
But a veterinary technician has lots of other jobs as well. They are most often the person that talks to and helps educate our owners about our needs. They are knowledgeable about everything from vaccinations to flea control to the benefits of spay/neuter and much more. When we’re ill or need additional care, once our veterinarian has determined what we need, it is often the veterinary technician that explains the specifics of those needs to our people.
Veterinary technicians perform numerous procedures and tasks behind the scenes also. They collect and process laboratory samples such as blood, urine and feces. They take x-rays (which your veterinarian probably refers to as radiographs instead). In surgery, they help with anesthesia, patient monitoring and nursing care. They serve as nurses for hospitalized animals. They also make sure that hospitalized animals get their medications and treatments at the proper times.
My advice to all my feline friends: Make friends with the veterinary technicians in your veterinarian’s office. Don’t forget to tell your people to treat these folks well too. Our owners often only see a small part of what veterinary technicians do for us and may not fully understand the crucial role they play in keeping us happy and healthy.
Though a visit to my veterinarian may never be at the top of my list of favorite things to do, I know how important it is for my health that I see my veterinarian on a regular basis. The technicians know that too and they always go out out of their way to make my visit as pleasant as possible. Plus they always make a big deal over how handsome I am. Of course, that’s not much of a stretch because I am very handsome. But still, I love when people notice my good looks.
