Veterinary Technician - Cattle Hand

AAVMP; Elgin (TX); On-site; USD 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

401(k) with employer match

Mental health resources

Paid parental leave

Pet perks

Job summary

Elgin Veterinary Hospital in Elgin, TX, is seeking a Cattle Hand (Veterinary Technician) to support veterinarians and the clinical team with care for cattle and small ruminants. The role includes lab work, medication preparation, and assisting with procedures in a fast-paced farm animal setting.

Applicant should be reliable, detail-oriented, and comfortable working outdoors and around large animals. On-site work with rotating weekends and on-call duties is required to ensure urgent care coverage.

Qualifications

• Experience with livestock or large animals (bovine/cattle, small ruminants preferred).
• Ability to assist with animal restraint safely in clinical or farm settings.
• Comfort with indoor and outdoor environments and physical tasks.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Follow protocols for sterilization, lab procedures, and biosecurity.
• Reliable, team-oriented, and willing to learn.
• Basic computer skills for inventory or records.

Responsibilities

• Assist veterinarians during appointments and patient care for cattle and small ruminants.
• Perform and process laboratory work following protocols and safety standards.
• Administer treatments orally, IV, IM, and ophthalmic medications.
• Prepare medications, supplies, and treatment areas.
• Set up for procedures and assist with surgical, diagnostic, and treatment needs.
• Monitor and record vital signs (temperature, pulse, respiration).
• Participate in on-call rotation after training to support urgent care.

Skills

Livestock handling

Animal restraint

Lab work & procedures

Detail oriented

Team oriented

Basic computer skills

Job description

Cattle Hand (Veterinary Technician)

Elgin Veterinary Hospital

Elgin, TX

Full-time: Monday-Friday, rotating weekends, and on-call required

About You

You are dependable, detail-oriented, and enjoy hands-on work in a fast-paced environment. You’re comfortable working around large animals and take pride in supporting a team that delivers high-quality care to cattle, goats, and sheep. You’re organized, proactive, and willing to jump in wherever needed-from lab work and surgery prep to maintaining a clean and safe facility. You have experience with bovine and small ruminants and are confident assisting with animal handling and restraint.

Your Experience & Skills

What You’ll Do

• Assist veterinarians and the clinical team during appointments, exams, and patient care for cattle and small ruminants
• Perform and process laboratory work accurately, following established protocols and safety standards
• Administer treatments as directed, including oral, IV, IM, and ophthalmic medications
• Prepare medications, supplies, and treatment areas to support efficient patient care
• Set up for procedures and assist with surgical, diagnostic, and treatment needs as appropriate
• Monitor and record vital signs, including temperature, pulse, and respiration
• Participate in the on-call rotation once trained to help support urgent patient care needs

Required Qualifications

• Experience working with livestock or large animals (bovine/cattle and small ruminants preferred)
• Large animal veterinary experience is preferred
• Ability to safely assist with animal restraint in a clinical or farm setting
• Comfortable performing physical tasks in indoor and outdoor environments
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to follow protocols for sterilization, lab procedures, and biosecurity
• Reliable, team-oriented, and willing to learn
• Basic computer skills for inventory or record tracking

Physical and Schedule Requirements:

• Physical Requirements: Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and safely assist in the movement, positioning, and restraint of bovine patients (typically 1,000+ lbs) using proper equipment, team support, and established safety protocols, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to stoop, bend, and stand for extended periods of time as required by the role, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Work Environment: Ability to perform essential job functions outdoors in varying weather conditions (including heat, cold, rain, and icy conditions), with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Schedule Requirements: Hours will vary between 7am-6pm, Monday-Friday. Rotating weekends and some on-call shifts are required.

You’ll Grow with Us

• Our vast, diverse, and free library of continuing education courses - ThriveU
• Live, virtual interactive workshops to develop valuable leadership skills
• A program designed to teach you the fundamentals of running a pet hospital

Benefits - our care in action

Thrive offers a suite of benefits to support team members’ emotional, physical, professional, and financial wellbeing. In addition to our health and life insurance, and short- and long- term disability plans, we offer eligible team members:

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) with employer match
• Mental health resources, including easy access to therapy through Lyra Health
• Paid parental leave
• Purr-ental leave for when you adopt a pet
• Subsidized backup childcare and elder care
• Expert advice, support and network discounts for fertility and family planning
• FREE CE courses
• Pet perks and veterinary service discounts
• Student loan support tools and assistance

*Some benefits shown are only for full-time team members who work 30 hours or more per week. Certain Benefits may be subject to waiting periods or length of service requirements.

About The Hospital

Elgin Veterinary Hospital is a Bovine and Equine emergency referral and primary care facility that offers the best medical and surgical treatments.

About Thrive

Thrive Pet Healthcare creates the future of pet well-being through medical excellence, innovative technology, and a connected community of teams and partners. Today, its network of 360+ primary, emergency, and specialty hospitals across the U.S. cares for pets of all ages and health needs, while portfolio companies provide tools and technology that help veterinary teams work smarter and deliver better care. Thrive invests in its people-through mentorship, leadership programs, continuing education, and well-being initiatives-so teams can grow and feel supported. For pet owners, convenient solutions such as a mobile app, digital booking, Thrive PlusTM membership, HereFurYou Helpline, an online pharmacy and flexible financial options* make accessing quality care simpler- giving families the peace of mind their pets deserve. Learn more at thrivepetcare.com.

We welcome you to join our story and join where #WeThriveTogether.