Pet Care Assistant

Banfield Pet Hospital•Arlington, TX

5d•$15 - $17•Onsite

About The Position

The Pet Care Assistant works with the veterinary medical team to provide and prepare for the best medical care of pets. This role involves supporting the veterinary medical team, preparing the treatment room, restraining pets, preparing laboratory tests, monitoring hospitalized patients, bathing pets, cleaning the surgical suite and instruments, and ensuring the overall cleanliness of the hospital. The position requires the ability to work with animals, handle potentially stressful environments, and work more than 40 hours per week, including weekends and evenings. Physical requirements include the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, climb, and lift up to 50 pounds, along with good hand-eye coordination and visual acuity. Associates are exposed to potential hazards such as animal bites/scratches, anesthesia, radiation, biological hazards, and controlled substances.

Requirements

Ability to work at a computer for long periods of time.
Ability to be confident around pets (i.e., dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.).
Client needs and work volume may require more than 40 hours per week to complete essential duties of this job.
This position requires special hours including working weekends and evenings.
Must have mental processes for reasoning, remembering, mathematics and language ability (reading, writing, and speaking the English language) to perform the duties proficiently.
The noise level in the work environment is moderately high.
Requires sufficient ambulatory skills in order to perform duties while at hospital.
Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb as well as manipulate (lift, carry, move) up to 50 pounds.
Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm-hand-finger dexterity with the ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard and operate equipment.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
Associate is routinely exposed to a variety of pets that may bite or scratch, and on occasion, exposed to anesthesia, radiation, biological hazards and medication/controlled substances.

Responsibilities

Live and exemplify the Five Principles of Mars, Inc. within self and team.
Prepare the treatment room for examination of pets and all necessary medical items and supplies (e.g. vaccinations, fecal loops, slides, etc.) for the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician.
Set up fecals, smears, and skin scrapings as allowed by state rules and regulations.
Serve as support to the Client Services Coordinator, Veterinary Assistant and Veterinary Technician.
Hold or restrain pets during examination, treatment, or inoculation.
Prepare routine in-house laboratory tests (e.g. canine heartworm, feline leukemia, FIV, and canine parvovirus) as allowed by state rules and regulations.
Monitor the comfort of hospitalized patients.
Ensure the comfort of hospitalized patients by "walking", exercising, feeding, and cleaning cages and pet (when approved by the veterinarian or veterinary technician).
Bathe and dip pets when necessary to treat dermatological conditions (when advised by veterinarian or veterinary technician).
Clean the surgical suite and instruments.
Ensure cleanliness of the hospital including but not limited to housekeeping such as laundry, dishes, mopping, cage cleaning, trash collection and removal and instrument cleaning as outlined by hospital protocols.
Other job duties as assigned.