Veterinary technicians are some of the most important people in the AZPetVet family. A certified veterinary technician, or CVT, has earned an associate’s degree or higher in veterinary technology from an accredited school. Most importantly, a certified Vet Tech has passed a national exam demonstrating specific knowledge and competencies. A Vet Tech’s training includes laboratory and clinical work with live animals. You’ll find Vet Techs wherever you find veterinarians on staff – from animal hospitals like AZPetVet to the zoo.
What Does a Vet Tech Do?
Vet Techs perform a variety of functions every single day. Here are just a few:
Educate about pet health
Initial evaluation of an animal’s condition
Collect blood and stool samples
Check vital statistics
Clean and wrap wounds
Provide nutritional advice
Assist in surgery
Administer medications
Perform rehabilitative therapies
Provide nursing care
Take X-rays of patients
Provide scratches and cuddles
The Veterinary Technician’s Oath
“I solemnly dedicate myself to aiding animals and society by providing excellent care and services for animals, by alleviating animal suffering, and promoting public health.
I accept my obligations to practice my profession conscientiously and with sensitivity, adhering to the profession’s Code of Ethics, and furthering my knowledge and competence through a commitment to lifelong learning.”
AZPetVet salutes all of the hard-working Vet Techs who make a difference in animals’ lives each day! Looking for a job as a Vet Tech? We’re always hiring great team members! Send your resume to HireMe@AZPetVet.com for consideration.
It’s National Veterinary Technician Week! This event was created in 1993, and is celebrated every year during the third week of October. This holiday is near and dear to our hearts, as the AZPetVet family values our veterinary technicians beyond words. They spend their time working with our sweet furry clients and are often times asked to do things that are nowhere near glamorous. So thank you, vet techs! We appreciate you and honor your commitment to our AZPetVet family of both colleagues and clients.
If you are interested in becoming a veterinary technician, some of the duties to look forward to might include:
Assist doctors and team members with treatment of animals seen in the exam rooms, as well as those being hospitalized for treatments or surgery.
Have the ability to do blood draws, place IV catheters, give injections and vaccines, SQ fluids, express anal glands, clipping and scrubbing wounds, and provide restraint when needed.
Position animals and have the ability to take and process radiographs.
Perform laboratory procedures such as blood draws, fecal floats, urinalysis, heartworm tests, and parvo tests.
Support the doctors prepping for surgery, wrapping packs, autoclaving and sterilizing surgical materials, and assisting in surgeries and dental cleanings; assist with monitoring vital signs on all patients.
Assist with euthanasia.
In order to become a certified veterinary technician in the state of Arizona, you must graduate from a minimum two year AVMA accredited program in veterinary technology and pass a national and a state veterinary technician examination.
If you have any questions about becoming a technician or are already a certified technician looking for a new job, we’re always looking for awesome team members with the right attitude to join our family! With 22 locations and growing, we have wonderful opportunities all across the valley. Visit the careers page on our website (www.arizonapetvet.com/careers) to see our current openings.
This past week we celebrated National Veterinary Technician Week. It was created in 1993 and is celebrated every year during the third week of October. This is a holiday that is near and dear to our hearts at each of our hospital locations, as the AZPetVet family values our veterinary technicians beyond words. They spend their time working with our sweet, furry clients and are often times tasked to do things that are nowhere near glamorous. So thank you, techs! We appreciate you and your commitment to our AZPetVet family of both colleagues and clients!
If you are interested in becoming a veterinary technician, some of the duties to look forward to might include:
Assist doctors and team members with treatment of animals seen in the exam rooms, as well as those being hospitalized for treatments or surgery.
Have the ability to do blood draws, place IV catheters, give injections and vaccines, SQ fluids, express anal glands, clipping and scrubbing wounds, and provide restraint when needed.
Position animals and have the ability to take and process radiographs.
Perform laboratory procedures such as blood draws, fecal floats, urinalysis, heartworm tests, and parvo tests.
Support the doctors prepping for surgery, wrapping packs, autoclaving and sterilizing surgical materials, and assisting in surgeries and dental cleanings; assist with monitoring vital signs on all patients.
Assist with euthanasia.
In the state of Arizona to become a certified veterinary technician you must graduate from a minimum two year AVMA accredited program in veterinary technology and pass a national and a state veterinary technician examination.
If you have any questions about becoming a technician or are already a certified technician looking for current employment, we are always looking for team members with the right attitude to join our family! And with 18 locations and growing, we have opportunities across the valley. Visit our careers page on our website (www.arizonapetvet.com/careers) for more information.
Veterinary technicians are a vital part of our healthcare team. Vet techs perform a variety of functions in the practice. Here are just a few.
Vet Techs:
• Educate about pet health
• Draw blood
• Provide nutritional advice
• Assist in surgery
• Perform rehabilitative therapies
• Provide nursing care
• Take X-rays of patients
• Provide scritchies and cuddles
The Veterinary Technician’s Oath
“I solemnly dedicate myself to aiding animals and society by providing excellent care and services for animals, by alleviating animal suffering, and promoting public health.
I accept my obligations to practice my profession conscientiously and with sensitivity, adhering to the profession’s Code of Ethics, and furthering my knowledge and competence through a commitment to lifelong learning.”
AZPetVet salutes all of the hard-working Vet Techs making a difference in animals’ lives each day!
It was 21 years ago that the U.S. Congress voted to declare the third week of October, National Veterinary Technician Week (NVTW). With this act Veterinary Technicians, the preeminent pet nurses working in the treatment area of the veterinary hospital, were celebrated for the tireless work they perform as advocates for animals and caretakers for hospitalized pets.
The week-long celebration, with sponsorship from the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Partners for Healthy Pets, and the Ontario (Canada) Association of Veterinary Technicians, seeks to elevate public awareness of the importance of the veterinary nursing staff. Veterinary Technicians work throughout animal clinics and hospitals providing nursing care, patient assessment, and surgical assistance. Additionally, veterinary technicians work as radiography technicians, dental hygienists, client communicators, educators, medical laboratory technicians, and often as hospital and practice managers. This year’s theme for NVTW is: “Your Trusted Partner in Lifelong Care;’ as advocates for pet health Veterinary Technicians believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
“The Credentialed Veterinary Technician is so much more than an assistant to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.” said Dennis Lopez, M.Ed., LVT, and 2013 President of NAVTA. “The public is often uninformed about the importance of the veterinary nursing staff behind the scenes, working long shifts in the treatment rooms of animal clinics and hospitals. Our view at NAVTA is that the Veterinary Technician is an extension of the Doctor, performing many critical nursing tasks in support of patient care.”
Following a series of legislative changes culminating in 2010, credentialed veterinary technicians (Certified, Registered, or Licensed), are now required to graduate with a minimum of a two-year Associate Degree, perform many hours of clinical externship, and pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) before being allowed to practice. “Credentialed technicians really are the equivalent of a human Registered Nurse,” stated Lopez. “They go through a science heavy education, learn and experience a wide variety of skills, and then have to pass a very difficult national board
exam. However, unlike human medical professionals, the Veterinary Technician must learn the anatomy, disease process, patient care, and nursing skills to practice on 20-30 species. The education and ability to practice is very rigorous.” Most states require the Credentialed Veterinary Technician to maintain continuing education hours and to stay on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine.
National Veterinary Technician Week celebrates these hard-working individuals with activities at educational and college programs, state Veterinary Technician Associations, and at local and national conferences. For more details about veterinary technicians, visit the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America at www.navta.net.
Veterinary technicians are some of the most important people in the AZPetVet family. A certified veterinary technician, or CVT, has earned an associate’s degree or higher in veterinary technology from an accredited school. Most importantly, a certified Vet Tech has passed a national exam demonstrating specific knowledge and competencies. A Vet Tech’s training includes laboratory and clinical work with live animals. You’ll find Vet Techs wherever you find veterinarians on staff – from animal hospitals like AZPetVet to the zoo. 
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