What's your life like as a vet tech?

February 19, 2010 10:44 AM

What's life like as a veterinary technician?

Do you work more with animals, or people? What are your daily tasks? Do you enjoy your job? Does it offer a comfortable living on it's own? What are the ups and down?

posted by biochemist to Work & Money (5 answers total)

When I was a tech, I worked in a 5 doctor practice, and made about $8/hour (8 years ago). I really enjoyed my job, and it was about 60/40 in terms of the animals/people ratio. A lot of client education, taking in patients and getting history, and I did x-rays ,bloodwork (including getting the samples), fecal floats, dentals on dogs and cats, walking boarders, assisting with euthanasias (a big down), and whatever else the doctors would come up with. I also did shifts as a surgical tech, which involved inducing anesthesia and monitoring the patient throughout surgery, and then staying with them until they recovered from anesthetic.

Ups: I learned a ton, I loved going to work, I got to see and do so many things.

Downs: euthanasias (as stated before), clients that expected services for free because it's "just an animal", people who treat animals like crap, mean people, gossipy co-workers (happens everywhere), and co-workers who didn't care about their job (again, everywhere).

A great job, just didn't pay really well.
posted by bolognius maximus at 11:04 AM on February 19, 2010

The Veterinary Technologists and Technicians article @ Occupational Outlook Handbook might be helpful.
posted by booth at 11:15 AM on February 19, 2010

I work for an animal health nonprofit. I know a couple of folks who are both CVTs. Neither one works as a vet tech any more because the pay is so bad. Just a couple of data points for you.
posted by fieldtrip at 2:07 PM on February 19, 2010

It really depends where you work. It can be a very satisfying job, or a very frustrating one. Either way, it doesn't pay all that well, which is something to keep in mind.
posted by biscotti at 4:38 PM on February 19, 2010

I was a vet assistant (never went to tech school) but I absolutely loved my job. During the little bit of down-time we had, I actually was getting paid to play with kittens, and it doesn't get much better than that!

My experience was very similar to bolognius maximus's post except I worked in a smaller practice. I did all of the same work though.

The only reason I left the field was the low pay, and the lack of opportunity for advancement. I'm now in nursing school, just for people this time :)
posted by mabelcolby at 4:49 PM on February 19, 2010