What goes into making a healthy happy pup? Loads of treats, walks and love, that’s for sure. But it’s more than that! People play a very important role in a pet’s life. From loving owners to trainers to veterinarians, there are many people who work around the clock to make sure pets everywhere live their best life possible. Perhaps the most under-appreciated profession in this category is the veterinary technician. These wonderfully impressive workers of the animal healthcare world often don’t get enough attention for how monumentally important they are! While it requires a veterinarian to make diagnoses, prescribe medicine, and perform surgery, vet techs take on every single other aspect of animal care. Behind every successful veterinarian is a stellar team of veterinary technicians.
These unsung heroes don’t get nearly the amount of recognition they deserve. Not only are they essential for the health and vitality of our pets, vet techs are often overworked, understaffed and experience grief and stress on a daily basis.The vast array of procedures and tasks they need to know to be competent in their work is incredible. Compared to human healthcare, the knowledge that vet techs master spans a great many specialties. Veterinary technicians cover the same territory as nurses, anesthesiologists, dental hygienists, and plenty of other roles that often require lengthy educations and years of practice to perform on people.
We spoke to Stephanie Prountzos who currently works as a vet tech at Marin Humane (a local shelter) about her experiences in the field. When asked about her basic responsibilities she replied, “...there [are] no real ‘basic’ responsibilities because we are required to do so much.” She then proved exactly that by rattling off over 40 jobs that vet techs commonly need to perform when working in clinics - none of them simple. From medical testing, to assisting in surgery, to equipment maintenance, the wide variety of tasks they need to cover is mind-boggling. On top of this monumentally expansive range of knowledge and responsibility, the patients that vet techs deal with on a regular basis vary wildly. Besides needing to know how to perform a multitude of medical procedures, they need to be flexible and knowledgeable enough to switch between species from patient to patient. Those working in animal care always need to be on their toes “...able to perform CPR and be prepared for any emergency.” says Prountzos.
Nobody does this for the money. Being a vet tech isn’t a lucrative job nor does it win much in the way of prestige. People do this work because they are instinctively drawn to it. As Prountzos puts it, “...animals have been my passion since out of the womb. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life other than helping to benefit the lives of animals in need.” Even after an exhausting day at the shelter helping patients with check-ups, administering medicine, doing facility maintenance, and so much more, Stephanie still goes home to her own dog Whiskey, a lovably “needy” Jack Russell, Rat Terrier mix that she adopted 5 years ago from the shelter where she now works. For most, being a vet tech isn’t just a job, it’s an identity. One that comes with scratches, bites, grief and joy but at the end of the day, it’s something that’s truly rewarding.
Veterinary technicians are full of the most admirable traits and qualities people can exhibit. They show compassion and thoughtfulness when our pet’s lives are on the line. This is too often taken for granted. That’s why you should celebrate National Veterinary Technician Week this October. It’s a week to let the vet techs in your life know how much they mean to you and your pets. Take the time to shower them in praise, appreciation and gifts, because they deserve all the love you can give them and more.
Vet Tech Appreciation Week is held each year on the third week of October. In 2019 it will be celebrated October 13th through the 19th. If you’re looking for a way to show your vet tech how much they mean to you, consider our new Medical Collection, perfect for an animal lover in the medical field! You can view the complete collection here: https://inkopious.com/collections/medical-collection
