This week marks the beginning of National Veterinary Technician Week; a whole week dedicated to me! And all my fellow technicians of course. This week is a time for us to reflect on the joys and trials of the profession as well as receiving extra appreciation and good ole spoiling.
In the veterinary world, a technician is your jack of all trades. We are assigned a wide array of tasks on any given day. We monitor anesthesia during surgery, perform dental cleanings, take radiographs, draw endless blood samples, place IV catheters, administer medications, run blood and other laboratory samples, and assist the veterinarian throughout appointments. In some clinics we are also the receptionist, pharmacist, cashier, and cleaning staff. We help educate owners on behavior, nutrition, obedience, preventative care, and post surgical care. Most importantly, we are advocates for your pets, our patients.
Most of us chose the profession because of our love for animals and our desire to care for them. It is a job however, that comes with its own challenges. There are the more obvious challenges, like staying fur free and the long hours, to the emotional toll of working with patients and clients that can lead to burnout and a high technician turnover.
Every job has its pros and cons. While I don’t enjoy packaging up fecal samples or barely dodging grumpy cat’s teeth, I do enjoy helping make grumpy cat feel better. All to often we are caught up our daily trials and we forget to appreciate the abilities and talents of others. This week was created by the industry to help remind us how appreciated we are to the field because it can be a difficult job.
I know that I can speak on behalf of the technicians here at Wildwood and say that we love our patients and their owners too! We look forward to seeing your pets and helping them be healthy. We are also lucky to have clients that make us feel appreciated. So thank you and happy vet tech week!
