Any Vet Techs out there?
 

I am thinking of a career change.

I have been a Hairstylist for about 14 years.

Growing up I had a Dream of being a Vet.

I have been trying to see if Vet tech is the career for me.
I am to meet wit the admissions person for Vatterott college in the next couple of days.

What I want to know is if any one here is a Vet Tech and what they Love and Hate about there Jobs.

I know school will take about 90 weeks. And that I will get a Associate Degree so that is pretty good a 4 year degree in less than two years.
I am really scared though It has been 14 years sense I went to school.

Thank you for any and all help and encouragement in advance.

Good luck, and I hope that you go ahead and pursue a career as a Vet Tech., no matter what! It's worth doing what you dream of, and I would do it if I had the chance!

I just wanted to say go for it, and good luck. We share the same dream and Im married with kids and still in school trying to make it happen.

My wife Eileen is a Vet Tech. She absolutely loves her job. She'd do it for free if I let her ;)

From what she tells me:

Good - Helping animals, the joy that comes when you can save an animals life, the happiness it brings to their owners, learning new treatments, applying what she has learned while getting into breeding

Bad - dealing with owners that don't really care about their animals, mistreated animals, the sadness of an owner when they put their baby to sleep (for whatever reason), people that care more about money than the care of their animal, dealing/working with bad vets (although she hasn't had this issue at the practice she is at)

She is loved by her clients, they bring her gifts and ask for her by name because she remembers each and every one of them and their babies and she REALLY cares about each and everyone of them that walks through the door.

I'm quite sure there is much more but thats the top of the list.

Terry Ferragame
www.ferragame.com

Thank you everyone...

for those of you that don't Know me I have a 9 year old Girl and have been married 13 years.
Also,
I will have to work at least 25 hours a week while going to school.

Good luck with it! This is my dream also... I wanted to be a vet for as long as I can remember. It wasn't until last year, my last year of college (for civil engineering tech) that I discovered they offer the vet tech program at a different college here. I can't stop thinking about it now! But I'm paying off loans and lines of credit for engineering school right now. I know one day I will go take that course!

Go for it Lori, I wish you the best of luck!!:thumbup:

Do it Lori, if that's what you want-you can do it. Your love for animals has been quite clearly demonstrated here.

good-seeing all kinds of pets and animals,helping them get better ,having a bond with a certain pet,and tons more

bad- when the pets you bond with have to be euthanized,too many homeless pets being put down,careless irresponsible owners,vicious animals ..because they do not know any better!

if you have a weak stomach or can be easily upset it's not a job for you it can crush you! maybe you could volunteer somewhere see what you think about it all i like doing it personally!

No advice, but I just wanted to say good luck!

Thank you for your honesty.
I was a volunteer at the NHS for several years untill we moved to far to make it anymore.
I also spent long hours at my vet a few years ago. I
have also had Many many animals all my life.
I am 35 so it will be a big change but I think I am Really ready for change.

i'm a tech. I've worked in a few general practice clinics and now i work for a emergency and referral center for surgery. i like my job, but some days i hate it. my last job in a general practice was ok. I liked the doctors and the clients. Towards the end tho i was getting very bored with the routine. Every day was the same. appointments in the morning, surgery in the afternoon, and appointments at night. also all the surgeries were the same every day.... dental...spay... neuter....declaw....dental... spay....neuter... declaw...blah...blah....blah....blah... I eventually left the clinic because of a horrible fellow technician who i wanted to kill.
My current job is never routine. We mostly do surgery throughout the day and see appointments first thing in the morning and some days at night. It is A LOT more stressful then a general practice. Today for instance was interesting. We did 11 surgeries ranging from different LP surgeries to foreign bodies to tail amputations. In the morning i was carrying around a 3 pound Chi who had bilat LP surgery yesterday and in the afternoon i was trying not to get my face ripped off by a 120lb cane corso. ...never a dull moment :D

So i do get to play with cute puppies and give/get loving from a lot of different cats and dogs. I save a life almost everyday in someway or another. its amazing sometimes.

But then you have to remember you WILL be scratched and bitten by dogs and cats, you will have to euthanized animals, sometimes for NO good reason, you will see hit-by-cars that come in with severe pain and all beat up, you will have to deal with rude/careless/horrible/annoying/psychotic clients, you will be yelled at by the doctors, you will need to move your ass if a life depends on it be it the animals or a co-worker, and you will have to see things you never thought you would. Just last week i was up to my elbows in intestines, literally.

So i don't want to scare you or discourage you but i want you to know its a lot of work. in the end you have to decide if its something you can do. The blood and guts of surgery really get to some people and others can't handle the euthanasia aspect.

if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Thank you Kellie For you knowlege. I am Going to go check the school out tomorrow and ask Loads of questions. If you can think of any I should ask Let me know:)

i didn't go to school to be a tech. in NJ you do not have to be certified. i started working as a tech during the summer months of my college years. i was debating going to school now but i'm still not sure i want to spend the money. maybe i'll find a good vet tech online program to take.

anyway, i found this a few years ago and it is so so true. sometimes when i don't think i can get up and go to work i'll read it.



"I Can... So I Do"

Written by: Pamelia Ridley, RVT St. Louis, MO


I talk myself into going to work everyday. I have just as many complaints, if not more, than the average tech. But I get up and go. Someone is counting one me. There is a puppy or a kitten, dog or cat that got itself into a mess and I need to be there for it. There is always a doctor that needs my assistance too. Some animal is sitting in a cage getting IV fluids and it has soiled its cage. It does not want to get urine scald. So I go to work to clean that cage and if possible to take the pet out for a breathe of fresh air. Someone needs their pain meds on schedule because the last dose is wearing off, I need to be there for that.
Most everyone is hungry, so I go to feed them. There is an owner sitting in the waiting room, and that owner is scared because there is a new lump on their dog, and the owner is scared to death it might be a bad thing.
I go to work because maybe I can offer them some company while they are waiting. I can listen to the stories of how great this dog is and how much they love them.
I go to work because I am capable, and I am needed. But I have complaints, I want to have the best of everything. I want more money, I want more help, I want to get along with my coworkers. I want equipment that is fancy and heaven willing a clipper blade that actually clips...heehee. Minor things...
I go to work because I am not sick, and I wasn't hit by a car, and I did not eat my latest toy, and my BUN is normal, and my hairballs are going through my digestive system ok, and I don't need any shots today. Somebody, on the other hand, needs me.
So I am going to drag my butt out of bed, have my coffee, and face the day because I CAN...

Just a quick note to wish you good luck, Lori. As you know, I too am in for a career change. I'm pretty sure I couldn't be a Vet Tech...I've assisted in a medical office for over 20 years. The part I didn't like was to have to see people in pain...in my mind, seeing animals in pain would be so much worse...you can't explain sickness and pain to an animal. I know my heart can't take it. But I say if you think you could deal with the bad, go for it...You will make a difference, think of all the good you would do. I'm sure the good out-weighs the bad, it's just a matter of having a strong mind and a big heart. Please let us all know how everything goes and best of luck to you always...