Do you love the idea of working alongside care givers to animals? Are you keen to help vets give vital treatment to pets and other animals? If so, a career as a Vet Assistant could be for you. Explore courses and see how you can kickstart your career in this field.
Vet Assistant Courses found:
Online Vet Assistant courses also available
Vet Assistant Roles Explained
Working as a Vet Assistant will allow you to work closely with animals on a daily basis, helping Vets treat animals with health issues or diagnose health issues the animals may be facing.
The range of animal issues you will help treat will be wide-ranging, from delousing and vaccinations to help with behavioural issues. You’ll work alongside Vets to get animals back to full health. You may also have an overview of animal nutrition and help Vets decide the best nutritional information for animal owners.
Working in this field can be challenging, but for those who care about animal welfare and want to ensure that their health is optimal, it can be a dream career.
A Career as a Vet Assistant
Starting a career as a Vet Assistant can be a natural step for those who already have hands-on work experience with animals in a veterinary practice setting or for those who have an academic background in veterinary care or similar fields such as dog grooming or relevant care assistant tuition.
Typically, Vet Assistants will work alongside Vets in a medical setting and be expected to ensure that Vets have everything they need to complete their jobs effectively. The tasks you will be asked to do will vary from day to day, and you may be expected to work with lots of different animals and breeds. This means that being versatile and adaptable is key to succeeding in this role.
As a Veterinary Assistant, You may also occasionally be required to work in other settings, such as a kennel, a zoo, or even at a pet shop if it’s not possible to administer healthcare in a formal medical setting.
You may also take on administrative tasks, such as organising and maintaining animal health records and ensuring that the right information is shared with your colleagues. Having some knowledge of pet first aid will be vital as well, as you may need to assist during first aid administration during an urgent health emergency.
Becoming Qualified as a Vet Assistant
Becoming qualified as a Vet Assistant is the best way to begin your career in this field. To work as a Vet Assistant in Ireland, you’ll need to have completed a relevant course to demonstrate to employers that you have the knowledge needed to care for animals in a medical setting.
Learners should look for Vet Assistant courses that include modules around vaccination processes for animals, contain teaching on how to deal with parasites and common lice, how to keep and maintain prescription records of animals, guidance on animal behaviour and psychology, animal anatomy, and the processes around euthanising animals. Understanding the fundamentals of pet care and other animal care will allow you to move forward in your professional development. Course content should allow learners to have the confidence and competency to enter into a full-time role or work placement.
When thinking about the suitability of course delivery for your further education, part-time online learning and distance learning can be beneficial for those who live away from cities like Dublin or Cork. Online courses can be done at your own pace, which is good for those who need to fit their higher education around other commitments. For other learners, full-time, in-person courses may be preferred. In either case, learners can explore payment plans that ensure that they can comfortably afford course fees.
