Veterinary Assistant

Petco•San Jose, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Veterinary Assistant position at Petco's Vetco Total Care full-service hospital is dedicated to providing excellent medical care to patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners. This role represents the mission and values of Petco, setting the tone for technical and customer support within the hospital. Veterinary Assistants are responsible for fostering cohesion and motivation within the practice, ensuring that patient needs always come first, empowering team members to create exceptional customer experiences, resolving issues promptly, and promoting teamwork towards shared goals.

Requirements

At least 1-year previous experience working in veterinary practice or sufficient relatable animal care experience.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Compassionate and sympathetic demeanor.
Ability to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional and stressful situations.
Telephone and computer skills.
Team player willing to learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change.

Responsibilities

Greet clients and patients, escort them into exam rooms, obtain weight and vital signs, and record information in the electronic medical record.
Collect thorough patient histories and document patient visits in EMRs.
Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia under supervision.
Perform patient restraint.
Obtain and process laboratory samples.
Handle and dispense medications as directed by the veterinarian.
Help maintain the electronic medical record.
Schedule appointments.
Provide client education.
Relay test results to doctors and clients.
Maintain and update client/patient records.
Prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures.
Assist doctors and/or veterinary technicians in anesthetizing patients.
Safely maintain patients under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters under supervision.
Monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for discharge or transfer.
Perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients, including administering medications and intravenous fluid therapy.
Keep patients clean, watered, and fed as indicated and directed by the doctor.
Safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
Assist in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.
Keep the hospital environment neat and clean, performing regular cleaning based on necessity and a predetermined maintenance schedule.
Perform additional duties as assigned.
Provide backup phone and front desk support as needed.