Intro to Vet Tech

Qualifications to be a vet tech

Genuine desire to nurture and care for animals
Get along well with people
Pleasant and cheerful personality
Good communication skills
Ability to remain calm, alert, and patient when faced with an unexpected crisis
Good organizational skills and time management skills
Being resourceful
Able to cope with with the stress of working with animals that can't be cured and must be euthanized

Euthanasia

the act of ending the life of hopelessly sick or injured animals in a humane and painless way

AVMA

American Veterinary Medical Association

Accredited vet colleges and schools, accredited college training programs for vet techs

What describes the role of the AVMA?

Veterinary Practice Act

the set of laws that allow each state to have the power to license and regulate the practice of vet medicine

Veterinary Medical Board

a group of vets appointed by the governor to oversee the practice of vet medicine within the state

International Council for Veterinary Assessment

formerly the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners; oversees the national licensing exams for vets

Credentialed Veterinary Technician

an individual who has completed an AVMA-CVTEA accredited college program for veterinary technology and passed the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE)

Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA)

an AVMA committee that accredits veterinary technology programs

Veterinary Technician

an individual who has graduated from a two year AVMA-CVTEA accredited veterinary technology program but has not obtained state licensure; has earned an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate in Science (AS)

Veterinary Technologist

an individual who has graduated from a 4-year AVMA-CVTEA accredited vet tech program but has not obtained state licensure; has earned a Bachelor in Applied Science (BAS) or a Bachelor of Science (BS)

Veterinary Assistant

individuals who provide animal care but require less training and fewer skills than vet techs

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

a division of the US Department of Justice that enforces the Controlled Substances Act

The Controlled Substances Act requirements

Vets must obtain a license to purchase, use, or dispense controlled substances
Controlled substances must be kept in a double-locked area
Detailed written records must be kept of any use of a controlled substance
Written records must be kept for five years
Inventory must be taken every two years

US Department of Labor

governs issues that affect workers on the job

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

a division of the US Department of Labor; enforces laws protecting workers from workplace hazards

OSHA's requirements of employers

Display job safety and health protection posters
Record occupational injuries and illnesses
Provide written plans for job safety and health
Train employees in proper procedures
Provide personal protective equipment for employees

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

concerned with regulations that ensure safe and effective food, drugs, and medical devices

Food, Drug, And Cosmetic Act

primary law the FDA exists to enforce

Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)

the FDA branch that monitors the animal health industry, administering the sections of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act that pertain to animals

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

oversees several agencies that regulate the vet industry

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

charged with enforcing the Animal Welfare Act

Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)

charged with ensuring that meat and poultry products are safe and correctly labeled

USDA departments also

Oversee import and export of animals
Develop programs to control disease in food animals
Deal with veterinary issues (Agricultural Research Service and the Extension Service)

To legally write health certificates for animals traveling across state and international borders

Why are vets required to obtain and maintain USDA accreditation?

Continuing education requirements for vets
Educational and licensing requirements for vet techs
Physical facility requirements for vet hospitals

What information can be found in a State Vet Practice Act?

Animal Welfare Act

a group of federal laws designed to ensure that lab animals receive the best possible care

Laboratory Animal

an animal kept in a research facility, zoo, or educational institution

The Animal Welfare Act

Set standards for the care of all warm-blooded animals except rats and mice
Address all aspects of an animal's daily care and environmental conditions
Specifies that a lab animal's environment must be kept clean, at a comfortable temperature and humidity level, and free of sharp objects that could injure the animal
Specific requirements govern exercise for some species of animals as well as regular, consistent contact with other animals and humans

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

a federal government agency; primarily aims to reduce environmental pesticide contamination

Henry Bergh (1811-1888)

Born in New York City and studied at Columbia University
Obtained a charter for an animal welfare organization in 1866 (America Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals/ASPCA)
Responsible for the New York legislature approving the Animal Welfare Act of 1866
When he died in March 1888, there were 33 animal welfare agencies in the US and the ASPCA had 15 state branches

Regulations designed to enforce it

Each state has its own Vet Practice Act along with what?

The terminology and licensing requirements for vets and vet techs

What do the state vet practice acts define?

Enforce laws protecting workers from workplace hazards

What is OSHA's responsibility?

Several state and federal government agencies and associations

Vet hospitals are highly regulated by what?

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Labor, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Agriculture

What are the primary regulatory bodies for vet medicine?

Practice

in the context at medical care refers to the exercise of the profession, the place where vets work

Provide the services that help family pets live long and healthy lives

What is the ultimate goal of the vet team?

Pets, especially dogs and cats

What do small animal practices treat?

Regular physical exams and vaccines against common diseases

What does preventative healthcare include?

Providing necessary information to the client

What might the vet tech and the vet assistant be responsible for?

Both vets and vet techs

Specialty training is available for who?

Farm animals, typically from a mobile clinic

What do large animal practice treat?

American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)

Who provides voluntary professional accreditation?

Outpatient Procedures

short-term admission of patients for the duration of the procedure and recovery; all patients are discharged by the end of the workday

Inpatient Procedures

requires the patient to be admitted to a vet hospital overnight; the animal is monitored closely after the procedure and during recovery; patients who are hospitalized for medical treatments

Tasks that require a Vet License

Make diagnosis
Prescribe medication
Perform Surgery

Tasks that can be delegated to staff

Fill prescriptions
Administer medications
Assist in surgery

Vet techs and other staff

Vets delegate many tasks to who within guidelines and regulations?

Legal requirements
Education
Skill level of the various team members

The type of tasks delegated depends on what?

The vet or vet tech

The vet assistant works under the direct supervision of who?

Veterinary Technicians (VTs)

Graduates of AVMA-CVTEA accredited programs in vet technology are called what?

The vet

Vet techs work under the direct supervision of who?

The size and type of practice
The laws of the state

The specific duties of the vet tech depend on what?

Kennel staff, receptionists/client care coordinators, and office managers

What are examples of other support staff?

Routine visits, removal of sutures, and annual physical exams

What are examples of outpatient visits?

Medical treatment or procedures like dentistry or surgery

What can inpatients be hospitalized for?

Reception Area

where clients are first greeted when they enter a practice and is the practice's coordination center

Greeting clients, coordinating patient visits with surgical schedules, taking payments

What are some examples of activities that take place in the reception area?

Greet the clients, answer the phone, retrieve and file medical records

What are some examples of the receptionist's responsibilities?

Displays of pet products the practice offers, displays of informational brochures, video programs for client education

What might you find in the reception area?

Well lit, comfortable, cheerful

What should the reception area be?

Indoor plants, bright paintings, aquariums

What amenities should the reception area include?

Rotating Stock

placing new shipments in the back of the storage area so that older items are sold first

Exam room, surgical site, treatments area, laboratory area, pharmacy, grooming area

What are the different medical areas?

Hospital Area

the confinement area for pre and post surgical inpatients and those awaiting, undergoing, or recovering from medical treatments

Exam Room

where vets and vet techs take vital signs and conduct physical exams

Surgical Site

should have few fixtures besides those used for surgery to maintain cleanliness

Isolation ward

Where are animals with contagious diseases kept?

X-ray Area

must have easy access to protective equipment for staff

Check the animals daily and notify the researcher of any abnormal conditions that affect the animals

What is a lab animal tech's responsibility?

Care for research facility animals

What does the assistant lab animal tech help the lab animal tech do?

Feeding the animals and keeping them clean and socialized

What are animal care attendants in pet shops responsible for?

Care for animals while their owners are away and check the pet for any signs of illness that may requires vet attention

What do pet sitters do?

Dog trainers

People with a background in animal behavior may find work as what?

Stray animal control and the enforcement of animal license and leash laws

Animal control officers are employed by state or county agencies and are responsible for what?

Care for stray and abandoned animals at animal shelters and humane societies

What do animal shelter aides do?

Daily feeding and observation of captive wild animals

Zoo animal caretakers are responsible for what?

Care for injured and orphaned wild animals

What do wildelife rehabilitators do?

Professionalism

the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person

Enthusiastic, proud, confident, competent, understanding, knowledge, patient

What should veterinary staff always be?

National Association of Vet Techs in America, Academy of Vet Dental Techs, Academy of Vet Emergency and Critical Care Techs and Nurses, American Animal Hospital Association, Association of Zoo Vet Techs, Academy of Vet Techs in Anesthesia and Analgesia

Associations for vet techs and assistants

Ethical Code

a set of standards defining what's good and bad for the profession

Principles of Veterinary Ethics

the official ethical code for vets

Vet Tech Code of Ethics

Aid society and animals by provviding excellent care and services for animals.
Prevent and relieve the suffering of animals.
Promote public health by assisting with the control of zoonotic diseases and informing the public about these diseases.
Assume accountability for individual professional actions and judgements.
Protect confidential information provided by clients.
Safeguard the public and the profession against individuals deficient in professional competence or ethics.
Assist with efforts to ensure conditions of employment consistent with the excellent care of animals.
Remain competent in veterinary technology through commitment to lifelong learning.
Collaborate with members of the veterinary medical profession in efforts to ensure quality healthcare services for all animals.

Breed Defect

any undersirable characteristic that may be genetically passed to the next generation

Food Animals

animals reared for food only

Individuals who meet a profession's requirements and agree to uphold its ethical code

What are professionals?

Learning and staying up-to-date with new developments and trends

Vet professionals have a lifelong commitment to what?

Open communication among team members

There are many challenges in vet med. How can these challenges be addressed?

Treatment Area

Which multifunctional area of the practice may be used for medicating inpatientsor performing minor procedures on outpatients?

Laboratory

In what area of the hospital do diagnostic procedures take place?

Darkroom

In which room would you find equipment for developing x-rays?

Practice

What terms refers to the place where vets may work as well as the actual performance of vet med?

Anatomy

Which of the following is typically a required area of study for vet techs?

International Council for Vet Assessment

What organization oversees the national licensing exams for vets and accredited vet techs?

Assistant lab animal techs

Who helps care for research facility animals?

Vet Tech Oath

Which is a part of professional ethics in the vet field?

Male and treated farm animals

For most of the 20th century, vets were what?

Outpatient

Which of the following refers to a short-term admission and discharge from the clinic on the same day?