Veterinary Technician at River Ridge Animal Hospital

River Ridge Animal Hospital; Dixon (IL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement benefits or accounts

Bonus incentive

Flexible work schedules

Career and professional development

Employee Assistance Program

Employee Referral Program

Job summary

River Ridge Animal Hospital in Dixon, IL is seeking a Veterinary Technician to support veterinarians with patient care, lab work and surgeries in a busy practice.

The role requires weekend availability, strong communication, teamwork, and basic math skills for dosages. We offer health and dental insurance, PTO, retirement benefits, and flexible schedules to support work-life balance.

Qualifications

• Patience and compassion in all interactions.
• Teamwork and collaboration with veterinarians and staff.
• Clear communication with clients and team members.
• Active listening to understand patient needs and owner concerns.
• Strong organizational skills for lab specimens and workflows.
• Commitment to client satisfaction and professional care.

Responsibilities

• Assist veterinarians in medicine and surgery as needed.
• Take histories, vital signs, and weights during outpatient exams; educate clients.
• Prepare patients for surgery and monitor during procedures.
• Obtain samples and perform in-house lab testing; prepare specimens for outside labs.
• Take, develop, and maintain radiographs following safety procedures.
• Provide basic animal handling and restraint.
• Administer medications, anesthesia, vaccines, and treatments per veterinarian.
• Clean and restock rooms; maintain equipment and assist with cleanliness.
• Demonstrate warmth, courtesy and professionalism with clients.
• Communicate with veterinarians and team about plans and concerns.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Patience & Compassion

Collaboration & Teamwork

Communicating

Active Listening

Organization Skills

Client Satisfaction

Job description

Practice

River Ridge Animal Hospital has been serving the Sauk Valley area for over 75 years.

In our 17,000 square foot veterinary medical center, we offer general veterinary medicine and wellness care, therapeutic and surgical laser, digital radiology and ultrasound diagnostics, rhinoscopy, dental care, internal medicine, pet grooming, doggie daycare, and state of the art boarding. It is home to 6 full-time DVMs, 2 part-time DVMs, 7 CVTs, and 40+ team members in total.

More about the Role

The Veterinary Technician assists the veterinarians and other 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.

Pay $18 - $20

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
• Flexible work schedulesCareer and professional development
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Referral Program

Benefits offered may vary depending on full or part time employment status according to company policy.

Pay Range

USD $18.00 - USD $20.00 /Hr.