Veterinary Assistant

Petco; Cary (NC); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Petco in Cary, NC is seeking a Veterinary Assistant to join our team. In this role, you'll provide excellent medical care to our patients while ensuring top-notch customer service to our clients.

The ideal candidate should have at least 1 year of experience in a veterinary practice, alongside strong communication skills and a compassionate demeanor. Join us at Petco to help pets live their best lives with dedicated care.

Qualifications

• Preferred to have at least 1 year of experience in veterinary practice or relevant animal care experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Compassionate, professional demeanor under emotional and stressful situations.

Responsibilities

• Greet clients and patients, obtain weight and vital signs, and record medical records.
• Assist doctors with routine and emergency appointments.
• Perform patient restraint and assist in surgical procedures.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Compassionate and professional demeanor

Team player willing to learn

Education

At least 1 year of experience in veterinary practice or relevant animal care experience

Job description

Overview

Want to help pets live their best lives? We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you. Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.

About Petco: We’ve been connecting families with pet care for more than 60 years — from meals and toys to trusted supplies and expert support. We are 29,000+ strong and operate in more than 1,500 Petco stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics, and eight distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love and support thousands of local animal welfare groups nationwide, helping find homes for millions of animals through in-store adoption events.

Position Purpose

The purpose of this position involves providing excellent medical care to Vetco Total Care full-service hospital patients and delivering phenomenal customer care to their owners. The Veterinary Assistant represents the mission and values to all clients and helps foster cohesion and motivation within the practice.

Essential Job Functions

The incumbent must be able to perform all the following duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs, and record the electronic medical record. Collect thorough patient histories and document the patient visit in the EMRs.
• Assist doctors with routine and emergency appointments, surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia under supervision from the veterinarian credentialed veterinary technician, HOM, and HLOD.
• Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications under the direction of the veterinarian, and help maintain the EMR.
• Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, and maintain/update client/patient records.
• Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist in anesthetizing patients; monitor under anesthesia and assist with recovery and discharge or transfer to an overnight facility as directed.
• Under supervision, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including medications (injectable and oral) and IV fluid therapy; keep patients clean, hydrated, and fed as directed; walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
• Assist in training new staff and disseminate knowledge as required under supervision of HOM/HLOD.
• Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning based on necessity and maintenance schedules.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform additional duties as assigned
• Provide backup phone and front desk support as needed

Nature of Supervision

In all patient care activities, the incumbent reports to veterinarians and the Veterinary Technician, with overall supervision from the HOM/HLOD or supervising technician for the shift.

Planning and Problem Solving

Like all team members, the Veterinary Assistant plays a crucial role in ensuring efficient day-to-day hospital operations and an optimal patient experience.

Impact

This position supports growth of a productive practice by maintaining high-quality care, contributing to a cohesive, well-trained, and motivated technical team, and fostering employee retention, patient well-being, and customer satisfaction.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no immediate supervisory duties.

Education/Experience

• Preferred to have at least 1 year of experience in veterinary practice or relevant animal care experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Compassionate, professional demeanor under emotional and stressful situations
• Telephone and computer skills
• Team player willing to learn, contribute ideas, and adapt to change

Work Environment

The majority of duties are conducted in the Veterinary Hospital. Position requires bending, kneeling, lifting up to 30 pounds, and standing for long periods. Significant client and pet interactions are expected.

Contacts

This position regularly communicates with clients, veterinary specialists, and suppliers.

For details on Petco Total Rewards benefits, see the official careers site. Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.