PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Promotes and restores patients' health; collaborates with veterinarians and multidisciplinary team members; providing support to patients, clients, friends, and families; supervising assigned team members.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries

Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery

Inoculate animals against various diseases such as rabies and distemper

Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis

Operate diagnostic equipment such as radiographic and ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images

Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, and general care necessary to promote health of animals

Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans

Train and supervise workers who handle and care for animals

Provide care to a wide range of animals

Euthanize animals

Establish and conduct quarantine and testing procedures that prevent the spread of diseases to other animals or to humans, and that comply with applicable government regulations
Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths

Plan and execute animal nutrition programs

Document animal care including history, physical examination, diagnostics performed and the interpretation of the same, assessment and plan of treatment by the standards set by AAHA

Maintain continuity among veterinary teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs

Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed 

PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

Education/Experience

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Clinical skills

Interpersonal

Good interpersonal skills to maintain effective rapport with clients, veterinarians, other staff members, and community

Effective verbal skills to communicate with patients and staff

Multi-tasking

Listening