This thread was inspired by a thread in General Discussion about a vet tech giving two shots and both causing problems while the vet does it with no problems whatsoever.
I'm sure most vet techs do a great job and vets would have tons more work to do without them, so I am not against techs. I just want opinions.
At Ellie's vet office the techs weigh, take temps, take history, swab ears for cytology if infection is suspected, take blood, do cystocenteses (I think), assist in surgery, give injections and vaccines (if vet has examined the animal and the vaccines are being split up or whatever...it is the difference between a $25 or so vet visit or a free tech visit), remove staples (from incisions)...
Now, I think a WELL TRAINED tech could do any of this but I don't know the techs nearly as well as I know Ellie's vet, so I really have no reason to trust them. Taking temps and weighing is fine but what about blood work and staple removal? I just don't think I'm comfortable because again they may be great, but I don't know them. Ellie's vet is more than accommodating and she has done a couple things before that were "tech jobs" for me, so I know if I ask for her to do certain things, she would. I just don't want to stop good techs from doing things that they are perfectly capable of doing and making the vet busier.
I have had a couple issues with techs before where I just think the vet (with more experience) could've done things better...
So, my question is, what do you let the tech do and would you be comfortable with an average, possibly just out of school tech drawing blood (from the jugular...that is where Ellie's is taken), removing staples..? Would you ask that the vet do some of these things instead?