Veterinary Assistant

Petco•Ave Y Sheepshead, NY

15d•Onsite

About The Position

The Veterinary Assistant provides medical care support to patients at a Vetco Total Care full-service hospital and customer care to their owners. The role represents Petco’s mission and values, supports technical and customer-service operations, and helps foster teamwork and motivation within the practice. Patient needs, excellent customer experiences, timely issue resolution, and commitment to shared goals are central to the position. The Veterinary Assistant assists veterinarians and veterinary technicians with appointments, procedures, treatments, patient monitoring, documentation, and client communication. Duties are performed under the direction and supervision of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and hospital leadership. The role also helps maintain a clean and orderly hospital, supports training of new staff as directed, and provides backup phone and front-desk support as needed. The position is primarily conducted in a veterinary hospital and involves frequent direct contact with clients and pets. It requires bending, kneeling, standing for extended periods, and lifting up to 30 pounds as necessary. The role regularly communicates with clients, veterinary specialists, and companies providing products or services used by the practice. The position 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 member, learn new techniques and treatments, offer creative ideas, and accept change.
Ability to bend, kneel, lift up to 30 pounds as necessary, and stand for long periods.
Ability to perform the listed duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

At least one year of previous veterinary-practice experience, or sufficient relatable animal-care experience to ensure excellent performance of the listed skills.

Responsibilities

Greet clients and patients, escort them to exam rooms, obtain patient weight and vital signs, and enter information into the electronic medical record.
Collect thorough patient histories and document 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 at the veterinarian’s direction, and help 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 doctors or veterinary technicians 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.
Under supervision, provide in-hospital treatments for sick patients, including injectable and oral medications and intravenous fluid therapy.
Keep patients clean, watered, and fed when indicated and directed by a doctor, and safely walk canine patients for elimination when necessary.
Assist with training new staff and sharing knowledge as directed by the HOM/HLOD.
Keep the hospital neat and clean and perform regular cleaning according to need and a predetermined maintenance schedule.
Perform additional duties as assigned.
Provide backup phone and front-desk support as needed.