Veterinary Assistant at The Sound Cat Veterinary Hospital

The Sound Cat Veterinary Hospital; Wilmington (NC); On-site; USD 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plan

Bonus incentive

Job summary

The Sound Cat Veterinary Hospital in Wilmington, NC is seeking a Veterinary Assistant to support veterinarians and technicians with patient care, laboratory work, and client education. The ideal candidate has weekend availability and prior veterinary experience preferred.

Responsibilities include assisting with surgeries, monitoring hospitalized pets, preparing prescriptions, and maintaining inventory. Strong communication and compassionate patient care are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Patient-focused, compassionate care for feline patients.
• Strong teamwork skills to coordinate with veterinarians and staff.
• Clear communication with clients and team members.

Responsibilities

• Assist veterinarians and technicians with patient care and treatment.
• Monitor hospitalized pets and maintain inventory.
• Prepare prescriptions and perform routine in-house lab work.
• Educate clients about veterinary care and procedures.
• Assist with surgical procedures.

Skills

Patience & compassion

Collaboration & teamwork

Communication

Active listening

Organization

Client satisfaction

Job description

Practice

The Sound Cat was a vision that came to life in 2006. The mission to provide top-quality feline healthcare founded The Sound Cat Veterinary Hospital. Beyond the state-of-the-art medical facility, the Sound Cat team provides various feline-only wellness, surgical, diagnostic, and specialty veterinary services.

We are AAHA accredited meaning our practice coincides with the highest standards of veterinary medicine. Our hospital is spacious, well maintained, and always equipped to provide patients with the best wellness, diagnostic, and surgical care. Everyday we utilize equipment such as:

• Digital radiology
• Ultrasound
• Full in-house laboratory
• Surgical suite with laser equipment, anesthesia system, and heating system
• Dental suite
• Tonopen and Digital Retinal Imaging
• Endoscopy and Rhinoscopy

More about the Role

The Veterinary Assistant assists the veterinarians and technicians with patient care and treatment, monitors hospitalized pets, maintains inventory, prepares prescriptions, performs routine in-house laboratory work, educates clients regarding veterinary care and procedures, and assists with surgical procedures.

The ideal candidate will have prior surgery experience and have weekend availability.

Competencies

• Patience & Compassion: Remaining professional while still making teammates, clients, and patients feel as comfortable as possible regardless of the situation or challenges presented. Responding quickly and calmly to crisis while maintaining a high standard of patient care.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Carefully coordinating actions with veterinarians and practice team members. Providing feedback appropriately and in a timely manner. Quickly incorporating feedback to ensure positive results. Sharing ideas and being open to other’s ideas.
• Communicating: Conveying instructions to clients and teammates to ensure successful patient care.
• Active Listening: Following the instructions of veterinarians and sometimes patient owners. Picking up the needs of veterinarians and teammates based on prior experiences and feedback.
• Organization Skills: Clear tracking of lab specimens, medications, patient instructions, workflow, and other job-related items while managing multiple patients and clients.
• Client Satisfaction: Ensuring all activities and interactions result in the highest level of client satisfaction.

Essential Responsibilities

• Assist veterinarians in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery and other tasks as needed.
• Assist veterinarians in outpatient exams by taking histories, vital signs, and weights, as well as providing client education.
• Prepare patients for surgery and monitor vital signs of the patient during surgery.
• Obtain blood, stool, and other samples; perform in-hospital laboratory testing and prepare specimens for outside laboratories.
• Take, develop, and maintain radiographs following proper safety procedures.
• Provide basic animal handling and restrain animals during exams.
• Administer and monitor medications, anesthesia, vaccines, and treatments at the discretion of the veterinarian.
• Clean and straighten exam rooms, treatment, and lab areas; restock exam rooms with supplies. Assist other team members to keep the public areas of the practice clean; clean and maintain all medical equipment.
• Demonstrate warmth, courtesy and professionalism in all interactions with clients; exercise compassion and care in all interactions with patients.
• Communicate with veterinarians and practice team members including client discussions, patient plans, client concerns, etc.
• Any other duties as assigned.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Ability to work on weekends as required
• Previous veterinary experience preferred
• Ability to lift patients and carry equipment up to 25 pounds; ability to lift patients or carry equipment over 25 pounds with assistance
• Practice OSHA safety techniques including proper PPE
• Basic math and the ability to calculate medication dosages
• Basic computer skills, familiarity with MS office applications, etc.
• Strong communication skills to ensure patient safety

Benefits Offered

• Paid time off
• Health insurance; dental insurance; vision insurance
• Retirement benefits or accounts
• Bonus incentive