Veterinary Assistant

Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and Petco partners. We are 29,000 strong and operate 1,500+ pet care centers in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including 250+ Vetco Total Care hospitals, hundreds of preventive care clinics and eight distribution centers. Were focused on purpose-driven work, and strongly believe whats good for pets, people and our planet is good for Petco.

• We love all pets like our own
• Were the future of the pet industry
• Were here to improve lives
• We drive outstanding results together
• Were welcome as we are

The purpose of this position inherently involves providing excellent medical care to Vetco Total Care full-service hospital patients and outstanding customer care to their owners. The Veterinary Assistant represents the mission and values to all clients. Our Veterinary Assistants set the tone for the technical and customer support in the hospital, and are responsible, like all team members, for fostering cohesion and motivation within the practice.

All hospital staff are responsible for performing their duties in a way that creates an environment in which:

• The patient needs always come first.
• Every team member understands that they have the power to do what it takes to create an exceptional customer experience.
• Issues are dealt with and resolved as they occur when possible, or as soon as is possible.
• Exceptional teamwork and commitment to shared goals benefits the entire organization.

The incumbent must be able to perform all the following duties and responsibilities with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Greet clients and patients arriving for appointments, escort them to an exam room, obtain weight and vital signs, and record the electronic medical record. Veterinary Assistants will collect patient histories and document the visit in the EMRs.
• Assist doctors with appointments (routine and emergency), 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 at the direction of the veterinarian and help maintain the EMR.
• Schedule appointments, provide client education, relay test results to doctor and clients, and maintain and update client/patient records.
• Help prepare patients for surgical and dental procedures and assist the doctor and/or veterinary technician in anesthetizing patients. Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, assistants will maintain patients safely under anesthesia while monitoring vital parameters, help monitor patients during recovery and prepare them for hospital discharge or transfer to an overnight care facility.
• Under supervision of the veterinarian and/or veterinary technician, perform in-hospital treatments for sick patients including giving injectable and oral medications as well as intravenous fluid therapy; keep patients clean, watered, and fed (when indicated and directed by doctor), safely walk canine patients when necessary for elimination.
• Under direction of the HOM/HLOD, assist in the training of new staff members and general dissemination of knowledge as required.
• Keep hospital environment neat and clean; perform regular cleaning of environment based on necessity as well as a pre-determined maintenance schedule.

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

In all activities related to the care of individual patients, the incumbent will take direct supervision from the veterinarians as well as the Veterinary Technician. For overall supervision, the incumbent takes direction from the HOM/HLOD or from the supervising technician for the shift.

Like all team members, the Veterinary Assistant plays a crucial role in ensuring that day-to-day operation of the hospital is efficient and provides an optimal experience for our patients and clients.

This position will impact the organization by contributing to the growth of productive practice while focusing on a high-quality standard of care. From an overall hospital organizational standpoint, this position is critical to ensuring that we have a cohesive, well-trained, and motivated technical team. The desired end-result is the creation of an optimal environment that ensures employee retention, patient well-being, and customer satisfaction.

This position has no immediate supervisory duties.

• Preferred to have at least 1-year previous experience working in veterinary practice or sufficient relatable animal care experience to ensure excellent performance at the above-listed skills
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must be compassionate and sympathetic, and be able to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor during emotional…