Large Animal Veterinary Assistant

Alliance Animal Health; Green Forest (AR); On-site; USD 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Francis Veterinary Clinic in rural northwest Arkansas is seeking a Large Animal Veterinary Assistant to support veterinarians in livestock and equine care.

You will focus on safe animal handling, assist with medical procedures, and keep facilities clean, working on-site at farms or in the clinic. Candidates should have hands-on experience with large animals or in a veterinary setting, a basic understanding of animal behavior and medical terminology, and strong communication and teamwork

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with large animals or in a veterinary environment preferred.
• Foundational understanding of animal behavior and medical terminology.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• High school diploma required; veterinary or animal care training is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Restraint and Handling: Safely manage and restrain large animals—including horses, cattle, pigs, and sheep—during examinations and treatments.
• Medical Support: Assist with procedures such as administering injections and medications, drawing blood, and cleaning and dressing wounds.
• Surgical Assistance: Prepare and sterilize equipment, support veterinarians during procedures, and assist with patient monitoring, cleaning, and surgical preparation.
• Patient Care: Monitor recovery, provide feeding and grooming, and maintain clean stalls and recovery areas.
• Clinic and Farm Maintenance: Sanitize facilities, manage inventory and supplies, and maintain accurate medical and treatment records.
• Diagnostic Support: Collect laboratory samples and assist with imaging, including X-rays, while following proper safety and PPE protocols.

Skills

Animal behavior

Medical terminology

Communication

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma

Vet/Animal care training

Job description

St. Francis Veterinary Clinic is a well-established, progressive, fast paced 3 doctor mixed animal general practice located in rural northwest Arkansas. We offer many services to provide the best comprehensive care to our patients including Preventative Care, Surgery, Urgent Care, Dentistry, In-House Diagnostics, Digital full body radiology, Ultrasonography, Reproductive Health, Medical and/or Vacation Boarding and more.

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

The Large Animal Veterinary Assistant supports veterinarians in the care and treatment of livestock and horses, with a focus on safe animal handling, assisting with medical procedures, and maintaining clean, organized facilities. This role often involves working on-site at farms or in clinic settings, helping administer treatments, prepare surgical equipment, and provide attentive patient care. Success in this position requires physical stamina for lifting and handling large animals, along with strong communication skills to effectively collaborate with veterinarians and animal owners.

Key Responsibilities

• Restraint and Handling: Safely manage and restrain large animals—including horses, cattle, pigs, and sheep—during examinations and treatments.
• Medical Support: Assist with procedures such as administering injections and medications, drawing blood, and cleaning and dressing wounds.
• Surgical Assistance: Prepare and sterilize equipment, support veterinarians during procedures, and assist with patient monitoring, cleaning, and surgical preparation.
• Patient Care: Monitor recovery, provide feeding and grooming, and maintain clean stalls and recovery areas.
• Clinic and Farm Maintenance: Sanitize facilities, manage inventory and supplies, and maintain accurate medical and treatment records.
• Diagnostic Support: Collect laboratory samples and assist with imaging, including X-rays, while following proper safety and PPE protocols.

Qualifications

• Experience: Previous hands‑on experience working with large animals or in a veterinary environment is preferred.
• Skills: Foundational understanding of animal behavior and medical terminology, along with strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; completion of a veterinary or animal care assistant training program is a plus.

Large Animal Veterinary Assistants may work in veterinary hospitals, on farms, or at ranches. This role often involves travel between locations and working outdoors in a variety of weather conditions.

• Experience: Prior hands‑on experience with large animals or within a veterinary setting is strongly preferred.
• Skills: Basic knowledge of animal behavior and medical terminology, paired with excellent communication, teamwork, and multitasking abilities.
• Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; additional training as a veterinary or animal care assistant is a plus.
• Personal Attributes: Compassionate, calm under pressure, dependable, and a collaborative team player with strong communication skills. Must be confident in safely restraining animals and motivated to continuously grow knowledge and skills.

Large Animal Veterinary Assistants may work in veterinary clinics, on farms, or at ranches. The position often requires travel between locations and the ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions.

Additional Information

We offer our staff:

• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time for ALL Employees
• Paid Bereavement Program
• Paid Parental Leave Program
• Competitive Compensation
• Continuing Education Allowance (applies to licensed/registered/certified roles)
• Tuition Reimbursement Program Available to any AVMA Accredited Veterinary Technology Program
• Referral Bonus Program for most positions!
• Additional Benefits May Also Be Available (i.e. Personal Pet Discounts, Holiday Pay, Uniform Allowance, Bonuses etc)
• Hiring eligibility may be contingent to a candidate authorizing and completing a satisfactory pre-employment screening.

*Note - some benefits may only be available to or vary slightly for full time employment status vs part time status.

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