Emergency Veterinary Assistant

VCA Animal Hospitals, Inc; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 28,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision insurance

401(k)

Pet care discounts

Paid vacation and sick time

Tuition support

Job summary

VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver seeks a Veterinary Assistant to support the emergency department. You will assist DVMs, interact with clients, and care for patients across their hospital stays.

Responsibilities include restraining animals, taking histories and vitals, performing basic lab work and imaging, and maintaining medical records while upholding a clean, safe hospital environment.

Qualifications

• Experience assisting in emergency veterinary care is preferred.
• Strong client communication and compassionate patient care.
• Ability to take histories, vitals, and assist DVMs during procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assist emergency DVMs and maintain a low-stress environment.
• Restrain and handle patients during exams and procedures.
• Take detailed medical histories and monitor vitals.
• Fill prescriptions as allowed by law and maintain records.
• Perform basic lab work and diagnostic imaging as directed.
• Keep hospital area clean and assist other staff as needed.

Skills

Restraint

Vital signs

Medical history

Pharmacy duties

Lab work

Imaging/diagnostics

Medical records

Client communication

Team support

Tools

Lab equipment

Imaging equipment

Job description

VCA Alameda East is seeking a Veterinary Assistant to join our team in the emergency department. Our veterinary assistants are responsible for assisting our emergency DVMs, client communication and patient care related to their role and department.

Location: Denver, CO

Schedule: Full-time, four ten-hour shifts.

Application deadline: 8/31/2026

Compensation: $20.00-24.00/hr.

VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital has an exciting history ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Vets ). We were established in 1971, became a 24 hour hospital in 1974, and we aren't slowing down. We take pride in providing outstanding, innovative patient care. We are so proud of the hospital and team we work with and we want you to join us.

Benefits of working with our highly skilled team:

• Work closely with experienced emergency doctors.

• Hands-on learning, didactic training, and collaboration on case management and treatment to provide the highest quality patient care.

Our hospital is located in beautiful Denver, CO. You can be in the mountains within 30 minutes to enjoy all the sports and outdoor activities your heart could desire. Outdoors isn't your thing? Not to worry, Denver is in top ranking for Craft Breweries and the food scene is amazing.

As a member of the VCA team, you will support the Technician and Doctor teams by creating a positive, low-stress atmosphere for our clients and patients. Your mission will be to win the confidence of every pet parent -by delivering an outstanding client experience -so we can provide exceptional care to every patient. The skills that will be utilized include, but are not limited to:

• Restraining and assisting in patient exams and routine procedures.

• Taking detailed medical histories and patient vitals.

• Filling prescriptions (as allowed by law).

• Performing laboratory work and diagnostic imaging.

• Providing compassionate care for our hospitalized animals.

• Maintaining medical records.

• Assisting our wonderful Doctor and Technician staff as needed.

• Maintaining a clean, safe hospital environment.

Why Join the VCA Family?

We are passionate about supporting Veterinary Assistants and are committed to your continuing education and personal career development. VCA is a community of dedicated professionals that will encourage you to explore everything a Veterinary Assistant career has to offer. At VCA, we are committed to equity, inclusion, and diversity and strive to be a place where a talented mix of people want to come, stay, and do their best work. In addition, we support a work environment where you can focus on your career, happiness, and the patients you serve. Below are some of the many benefits of joining the VCA team!

• Access to the people and financial resources of a large veterinary community

• Leadership opportunities

• Career development programs

• Opportunities to give back through strong Shelter partnerships and VCA Charities

• Continuing education opportunities

• Tuition support and sponsorships

• Free mental health and wellness subscriptions (Head Space)

• Referral bonuses

• Competitive wage

• Medical, dental & vision insurance

• Generous pet care discounts

• Life, long and short-term disability insurance

• Paid parental leave

• Paid vacation and sick time

• 401(k)

Benefits: We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision and paid vacation/sick days, 401(k), generous employee pet discounts and more!

The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development)

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com