Veterinary Assistant

Overview

Want to help pets live their best lives? We’re proud to be where the pets go and where the pet people go. If you want to make a real difference, create an exciting career path, feel welcome to be your whole self and nurture your wellbeing, Petco is the place for you. Our core values capture that spirit as we work to improve lives by doing what’s right for pets and people.

About Petco:
We’re proud to be "where the pets go" to find everything they need to live their best lives for more than 60 years — from meals and toys to trusted supplies and expert support. We are 29,000+ strong with stores across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, Vetco Total Care hospitals, preventive care clinics, and distribution centers. In 1999, we founded Petco Love to support animal welfare nationwide and have helped find homes for approximately 7 million animals through in-store adoption events.

The purpose of this position involves providing excellent medical care to Vetco Total Care hospital patients and phenomenal customer care to their owners. The Veterinary Assistant represents the mission and values to all clients. The Veterinary Assistant sets the tone for technical and customer support in the hospital and, like all team members, fosters cohesion and motivation within the practice.

The incumbent must be able to perform all duties with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments, escort them into an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs, and record the electronic medical record. Collect thorough patient histories and document the patient visit in EMRs.
• Assist doctors with routine and emergency appointments, surgery, dentistry, and euthanasia under supervision from the veterinarian credentialed veterinary technician, HOM and HLOD.
• Perform patient restraint, obtain and process laboratory samples, handle and dispense medications as directed by the veterinarian, and help maintain the EMR.
• Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, and maintain/update client/patient records.
• Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures; assist in anesthetizing patients and monitor vital parameters; assist in recovery and prepare for discharge or transfer to overnight care facility.
• Under supervision, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including injections, oral medications, intravenous fluids, keep patients clean, hydrated, and fed as directed, and walk canine patients as needed for elimination.
• Assist in training new staff and disseminating knowledge as required, under supervision of HOM/HLOD or supervising technician for the shift.
• Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning per necessity and maintenance schedule.

• Perform additional duties as assigned
• Provide backup phone and front desk support as needed

In all patient care activities, the incumbent will take direct supervision from veterinarians and Veterinary Technician. For overall supervision, direction comes from the HOM/HLOD or supervising technician for the shift.

Like all team members, the Veterinary Assistant helps ensure efficient day-to-day hospital operations and an optimal experience for patients and clients.

This position contributes to the growth of a productive practice and focuses on high-quality care. It supports a cohesive, well-trained, and motivated technical team, aiming to create an optimal environment that supports employee retention, patient well-being, and customer satisfaction.

This position has no immediate supervisory duties.

• Preferred to have at least 1 year of experience in veterinary practice or sufficient relatable animal care experience to perform the listed duties
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Compassionate, professional demeanor in emotional or stressful situations
• Telephone and computer skills
• Team player willing to learn new techniques, offer ideas, and adapt to change

The majority of duties are performed…