Veterinary Assistant - Urgent Care

VCA Animal Hospitals; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking Experienced Veterinary Assistants to join a high-tech Urgent Care hospital in Salt Lake City. This role offers the chance to rekindle your passion for veterinary medicine while providing high-quality nursing care in a collaborative environment. The hospital emphasizes low-stress handling and efficient patient care, allowing you to focus on what you love most—caring for animals. With a supportive team and innovative tools at your disposal, you’ll thrive in a fast-paced setting that values your expertise and contributions.

Benefits

Paid vacation

Free mental health sessions

Medical, dental & vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Generous pet care discounts

Paid parental leave

Free Continuing Education

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of veterinary experience in a general practice or emergency setting.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills required.

Responsibilities

• Follow digital treatment plans prescribed by DVM.
• Obtain quality lab samples and perform diagnostic radiographs.
• Administer injections and monitor patients under anesthesia.

Skills

Veterinary experience

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Job description

We are looking for Experienced Veterinary Assistants to join our VCA Urgent Care hospital in Salt Lake City, UT.

Have you ever wanted to be on the front lines of innovation? Do you enjoy a fast-paced environment with a collaborative, team-oriented approach to patient care? Can you provide high-quality nursing care while creating a fear-free environment for the patients under your care? You just may find yourself rekindling your JOY for veterinary medicine in this well-designed, people-focused, high-tech hospital with an innovative approach to Urgent Care.

Our Technical team works in pairs to maximize efficiency while providing patient care. Utilizing a digital whiteboard, all diagnostics and treatments are clearly communicated allowing the medical team to complete cases quickly while keeping the doctor up to date on diagnostic results. An emphasis on low-stress handling, hands-free radiology, and a well-organized treatment space allows you to keep the patients calm and safe during their visit. The virtual waiting room has a dynamic capacity analyzer that assesses the team’s pace and updates clients on the wait time digitally. When the team reaches capacity for the day, the waiting room automatically closes. This allows all team members to leave on time, with all medical records and patient care completed. The technician and assistant team only does patient care, not answering phones, presenting estimates, or checking out clients needed.

What You’ll Do

• Follow digital treatment plans prescribed by DVM
• Obtain quality lab samples via venipuncture, cystocentesis, fecal collection, etc.
• Place intravenous catheters in feline and canine patients
• Perform in-hospital laboratory diagnostics including urinalysis, cytologies, etc.
• Process lab samples utilizing in-hospital laboratory equipment
• Use low-stress patient-handling techniques
• Perform diagnostic radiographs (hands-free as allowed)
• Administer injections (intravenous, subcutaneous, intramuscular), medications, and nursing care as directed by a veterinarian
• Monitor patients under general anesthesia and sedation utilizing multi-parameter assessment equipment
• Maintain accurate, complete digital medical records
• Fill prescriptions (as allowed by law)
• Maintain a clean work environment including following any infectious disease protocols, handling medical/biomedical, and infectious waste appropriately

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of veterinary experience in a general practice or emergency setting
• Ability to operate with a sense of urgency and high pace
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Willingness to jump in as needed
• Able to work in a collaborative, team-oriented environment
• Comfortable asking for help and clarification when needed
• Possess high attention to detail

Schedule:4/10’s. Full and Part-time positions available. The hospital is open 7 days a week, 10 am- 8 pm. One weekend day per week and holiday coverage are required.

Compensation: The pay range for this position is $16 - 23 / hour. Compensation is negotiable based on education, experience, and other relevant credentials.

Location: 729 E. 2100 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84106

Benefits: Below are some of the many benefits of joining the VCA team for full-time associates (part-time benefits may vary)!

• Paid vacation, sick time, and holiday pay
• Free mental health sessions (Lyra) and wellness subscriptions (Head Space)
• Referral bonuses
• Medical, dental & vision insurance for you and your family
• Health saving account, and Flexible spending account
• Generous pet care discounts plus discounts on Mars, Royal Canin, and more
• Life, short, and long-term disability insurance (company-paid)
• Paid parental leave for new parents
• 401(k) (company match)
• Opportunities for growth and leadership roles at VCA and Mars Veterinary Health
• Dedicated onboarding and development support
• Associate-led equity, inclusion, and diversity groups
• Free Continuing Education through our online WoofU

If you are a current associate, you need to apply through our internal career site. Please log into Workday and click on the Jobs Hub app or search for Browse Jobs.

Benefits: We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision and paid vacation/sick days, 401(k), generous employee pet discounts and more! The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development). We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com.