Veterinary Assistant - Farm Animal

Auburn; Auburn, Northern (AL, KY); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine seeks a Veterinary Assistant to support Farm Animal Services for livestock and large exotic animals. Workdays are Mon–Fri 7:30 am–5:30 pm with occasional call-backs or weekends.

The role involves direct animal contact and initial medical procedures, with rabies vaccination series provided by the university. Opportunity to support teaching and patient care across outpatient, inpatient, and ambulatory settings.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; two to four years of animal care experience preferred.
• Ability to assist with exams, medications, and routine procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assist with initial exams, catheter placement, and routine hoof trims.
• Provide direct patient care including exams and administration of medications.
• Maintain floor stock and restock supplies; clean facilities and equipment.
• Prepare for procedures and assist during surgeries as needed.
• Document client bills and communicate with clinicians and staff.

Skills

Animal care

Patient handling

Medical terminology

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Hoof trims (procedures)

Job description

Overview

The College of Veterinary Medicine seeks a Veterinary Assistant to support Farm Animal Services by performing a variety of duties related to the care and treatment of animal patients, including outpatient, inpatient, and ambulatory cases. This service primarily supports livestock and some large exotic animals.

This position is Mon - Fri from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm. Flexibility is required as call-backs and/or weekends may be needed occasionally.

Learn more about VET MED and take a campus tour here: https://www.auburnvetmed.com/

This position involves direct contact with animals susceptible to rabies. Employees in this role must complete a rabies pre-exposure vaccination series and maintain adequate rabies antibody titer (>=0.5 IU/mL) as recommended by CDC guidelines. Auburn University will cover the cost of the rabies vaccination series, periodic titer checks, and any necessary boosters.

Responsibilities

Essential functions include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with the instruction of veterinary students in completing an initial exam, catheter placement, oral/nasogastric intubation, routine hoof trims, animal handling, animal behavior, surgical preparation, fluid therapy, usage of equipment used in performing medical procedures.
• Provide direct patient care, including but not limited to, physical exams, administration of medications/vaccinations, catheter placement, oral/nasogastric intubation, collection of biomedical samples, administration of fluid/blood/plasma therapy, case monitoring.
• Maintain an adequate floor stock through ordering of supplies, restocking, and perform routine cleaning of hospital barns, lab equipment, research facilities, and ambulatory vehicles.
• Assist with timely completion of client medical records, including bill, through clear communication with clinicians and residents, imputing charges as directed, clear communication with audit department on completion of bills. Assist clinicians, house officers and students with library, medical records search, write procedures and reports, prepare data for presentations and case load summaries. Communicate with clients with concerning bills, appointments, patient history.
• Assist with the preparation for medical procedures, including surgeries, by gathering supplies, preparing surgical fields, nerve blocks, sedation protocols.
• Operates, maintains, repairs, and clean animal handling equipment/laboratory/research/clinical equipment as needed to maintain proper functions of the services.
• Performs routine laboratory procedures on biomedical samples, inspects facilities, equipment, and supplies daily, as well as observes health status of university and client owned animals, environmental conditions, temperature, and sanitation.

Qualifications

Depending upon the combination of education and experience, the qualified candidate will be selected as Veterinary Assistant and assigned Levels II or III.

Level II: Requires a high school diploma plus 2 years of professional experience in the care and comfort of animals.

Level III: Requires a high school diploma plus 4 years of professional experience in the care and comfort of animals. Experience must include at least 2 years at the preceding level or equivalent.

Substitutions allowed for Education: Related work experience may be accepted in lieu of education (2 years of experience for each year of required education).

Substitutions allowed for Experience: Degrees may be accepted in lieu of experience.

Contract Type

Continuing

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