How to Become a Vet Assistant

Veterinarian Assistant Jobs

Veterinary assistants typically work in animal hospitals and veterinarian clinics, providing routine care and helping treat animals with illnesses and injuries. According to the BLS, 86% of Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers work for veterinary services.⁷

Vet assistant work hours may be full- or part-time and may include nights, weekends and holidays. Since animals may require care any time of day, any day of the year, there are typically veterinary services available 24/7 by various providers.

Vet assistants may specialize in working in regular or emergency veterinary medicine. In addition to providing care for pets, some Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers work at educational institutions (4%) and some work in animal research and development centers (3%).

With vet assistant training, you might pursue roles such as the following.

• Vet assistant to an animal care provider: An animal caregiver at a veterinary clinic assists veterinarians with routine animal care. An emergency veterinary assistant may specialize in assisting a veterinarian who provides emergency animal care.
• Inpatient technician assistant: Vet assistants in this type of role help vet technicians who care for animals in inpatient clinics. These include animals who are staying at animal hospitals for an extended period of time, including overnight.
• Kennel vet assistant: Vet assistants who work for kennels help take care of animals who are staying at a boarding facility, such as when a pet owner goes on vacation.

If you’re curious about what veterinarian assistant jobs are available in your area, check out California Registered Veterinary Technicians Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association.^{9 10} You can get more information on general veterinary medicine by visiting the Department of Consumer Affairs Veterinary Medical Board.¹¹

Skills for Veterinary Assistants

Veterinary assistants require diverse skills to be successful. Physical strength and manual dexterity are important because vet assistant jobs are typically very physical. You may be handling animals, lifting cages or equipment, administering medication, using medical equipment and collecting blood and urine samples. Some pets can weigh 100 pounds or more, so being able to maneuver animals and adapt to their size and strength is helpful.

You’ll also likely be on your feet for a significant part of the day. Fitness and physical stamina help you stay energized in this physical job.

A love for animals and empathy for their pet owners is also important. Good communication and customer service skills help you connect with clients. Treating animals with care is important to pet owners and for providing animals with optimal support.

Communication skills are also important for vet assistants because they must communicate effectively with their team members, including veterinarians. Vet assistants must also be detail-oriented and vigilant of developments that may affect an animal’s health.

Vet assistants also benefit from emotional skills. Often there are challenging and difficult situations in environments like vet clinics, including abused and injured animals or pets who are euthanized. You must be able to handle tough circumstances like these on the job.

How to Become a Veterinary Assistant

If you want a job as a veterinary assistant, it helps to get education and certifications that can help you stand out as a candidate. Some positions may require a high school diploma and on-the-job training. Some employers may choose to hire only those who have completed formal training such as a Veterinary Assistant Certificate of Completion program. These are some typical steps to become a vet assistant.

1. Get educated. Veterinary assistant education requirements will depend on the employer and what types of duties you’ll be performing. If you want to go beyond cleaning cages and perform duties like assisting with laboratory procedures, animal nursing and diagnostic imaging, a Veterinary Assistant certificate program teaches you those skills.
2. Apply for jobs. Wondering the answer to how long does it take to become a veterinary assistant? You may be able to secure a vet assistant job in less than a year. Vet assistant certification programs take as few as 9 months to complete. Once you have a certificate, you can network in national and local vet assistant groups and upload your credentials to LinkedIn for job opportunities.

Before you begin the process for becoming a vet assistant, research jobs you’re interested in to see what they require. Then, you can align your veterinary assistant training with those jobs. 

You may apply for licensure by meeting all of the Veterinary Medical Board Alternate Route requirements, including completion of 4,416 hours of practical experience under the direct supervision of a California licensed veterinarian. The candidate must also submit all SJVC course outlines to the Veterinary Medical Board. 

SJVC prepares students to take appropriate certification and licensure exams related to their individual majors. The College does not guarantee students will successfully pass these exams or be certified or licensed as a result of completing the program. You may also be interested in applying for a Registered Veterinary Technician license.¹³

What to Look for in Veterinary Assistant School

The Veterinary Assistant program you choose should ultimately help you achieve your desired vet assistant position. As you research veterinary assistant schools, keep the following factors in mind.

• Time: If you want to start your career more quickly, look for a vet assistant school that has a shorter program. Some vet assistant programs may require students to learn topics that aren’t related to their careers, whereas some veterinary assistant programs teach job-specific skills and enable you to earn a certificate in as few as 9 months.
• Cost: The length of a program can also impact how much it costs. Wherever you’re considering going, enquire about financial aid opportunities including scholarships, grants and loans.
• School experience: You may be interested in a vet assistant program that provides hands-on experience, including an externship where you can apply what you’re learning in a real-world environment. Also, research what the instructor qualifications are and how their experience can help you as a student.
• Career outcomes: Research what graduates can expect to pursue career-wise once they graduate and how the skills they learn in school will translate to the job. Ideally, a vet assistant school will help students prepare for the best practices in a veterinary office, since that’s the predominant location for vet assistant work.

Not all vet assistant schools are created equal. Take into account the curriculum, instructor quality, hands-on experience, accreditation and expected career outcomes as you’re researching schools.

How Long is a Vet Assistant Program?

Vet assistant training will vary depending on the school, what curriculum is included and what award is provided upon graduation. For a Veterinary Assistant certificate program, you may be able to complete that in as few as 9 months.

Can I Attend Veterinary Assisting School Online?

Yes, there are vet assistant schools available online. Before signing up for an online program, consider how hands-on a vet assistant career is and whether the in-person experience you’d get at an externship is important to you.

Many students prefer attending a campus vet assistant program because they get to work directly with animals. That valuable hands-on experience is important to them as they prepare for vet assistant careers.