Veterinary Assistant

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.; Elmhurst (IL); On-site; USD 20,664 - 33,062; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and financial benefits

401(k)

Incentives

PTO

Job summary

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is seeking a Veterinary Assistant to provide excellent medical care to patients in their Vetco Total Care full-service hospital. Responsibilities include greeting clients, assisting with appointments and surgeries, performing patient restraint, and maintaining electronic medical records. Ideal candidates should have at least one year of veterinary experience, possess excellent communication skills, and demonstrate compassion in stressful situations. The position offers a salary range of $15.00 - $24.00 per hour along with various benefits.

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of previous experience working in a veterinary practice or related animal care experience.
• Ability to maintain professional attitude during emotional situations.
• Willingness to learn new techniques and treatments.

Responsibilities

• Greet clients and patients, obtain weight and vital signs.
• Assist doctors with appointments and surgeries.
• Perform patient restraint and process laboratory samples.
• Schedule appointments and provide client education.
• Prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures.
• Assist in the training of new staff members.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Compassionate and sympathetic

Team player

Telephone and computer skills

Job description

Position Purpose

The position involves providing excellent medical care to our Vetco Total Care full-service hospital patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners. The Veterinary Assistant represents the mission and values to all clients. Our Veterinary Assistants set the tone for the technical and customer support in the hospital, and are responsible for fostering cohesion and motivation within the practice.

Essential Job Functions

• Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments and escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs (temperature, pulse, respirations) and record the electronic medical record. Veterinary Assistants will collect thorough patient histories and document the patient visit in the EMRs.
• Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), 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 at the direction of the veterinarian and help maintain the electronic medical record.
• Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctors and clients, and maintain and update client/patient records.
• Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist doctor and/or veterinary technician in anesthetizing patients. Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, assistants will maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for hospital discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
• Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including giving injectable and oral medications as well as intravenous fluid therapy; keep patients clean, watered, and fed (when indicated and directed by doctor), safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
• Under direction of the HOM/HLOD, assist in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.
• Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as on a pre-determined maintenance schedule.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

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

Education / Experience

• Preferred to have at least 1 year of previous experience working in a veterinary practice or sufficient related animal care experience to ensure excellent performance at the above‑listed skills.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be compassionate and sympathetic, and be able to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional and stressful situations.
• Must have telephone and computer skills.
• Must be a team player willing to learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change.

Work Environment

The majority of the job duties are conducted in the Veterinary Hospital. Position requires bending, kneeling, lifting up to 30 pounds as necessary, and standing for long periods of time. A large amount of this partner’s time will be spent in direct contact with clients and their pets.

Contacts

This position will regularly communicate with clients, veterinary specialists, and companies that provide products and/or services that the practice utilizes.

Salary Range

$15.00 - $24.00 per hour.

Benefits

Benefits include health and financial benefits, 401(k), incentives, and PTO. For a more detailed overview of Petco Total Rewards, see the Petco Total Rewards page.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.