Veterinary Assistant

Petco • Kansas City, MO

1d

About The Position

The Veterinary Assistant provides medical and customer care to patients and their owners at a Vetco Total Care full-service hospital. The role represents Petco’s mission and values, supports the technical and customer service needs of the hospital, and helps foster teamwork and motivation within the practice. The patient’s needs come first, and team members are expected to help create an exceptional customer experience and address issues promptly.

The position supports veterinarians and veterinary technicians with appointments, procedures, patient monitoring and treatment, medical records, client communication, and hospital upkeep. The Veterinary Assistant works under direct supervision for patient care and follows direction from the hospital operations manager, hospital leader on duty, or supervising technician for overall shift responsibilities. The role has no immediate supervisory duties.

Requirements

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Compassionate and sympathetic demeanor, with the ability to remain professional during emotional and stressful situations.
• Telephone and computer skills.
• Ability to work as a team player, learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change.
• Ability to perform the listed duties with or without reasonable accommodation, including bending, kneeling, lifting up to 30 pounds as necessary, and standing for long periods.

Nice To Haves

• At least one year of previous experience working in a veterinary practice, or sufficient relatable animal-care experience to ensure excellent performance.

Responsibilities

• Greet clients and patients, escort them to exam rooms, obtain weights and vital signs, and record information in electronic medical records.
• Collect patient histories and document patient visits in electronic medical records.
• Assist doctors with routine and emergency appointments, surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia under supervision.
• Restrain patients, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications as directed by the veterinarian, and maintain electronic medical records.
• Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctors and clients, and maintain and update client and patient records.
• Prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist with anesthetizing patients.
• Under supervision, maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, monitor recovery, and prepare patients for discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
• Perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients under supervision, including administering injectable and oral medications and intravenous fluid therapy.
• Keep patients clean, watered, and fed when indicated and directed by the doctor, and safely walk canine patients when needed for elimination.
• Assist with training new staff and sharing knowledge as directed by the hospital operations manager or hospital leader on duty.
• Keep the hospital environment neat and clean, including regular and scheduled cleaning.
• Perform additional duties as assigned and provide backup phone and front desk support as needed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed