Veterinary Assistant Certificate

Do you enjoy working with animals and people? Earning your veterinary assistant certificate may be just what you need to start a new and exciting career. There are numerous online programs available enabling you to earn your degree with minimal disruption to your current professional and family commitments.

What is a Veterinary Assistant?

With a veterinary assistant certificate, you will help veterinarians care for animals. Not only do assistants care for animals, they also take care of administrative tasks, clinical procedures and record keeping. Some typical duties that veterinary assistants perform include cleaning and sterilizing instruments, general animal care and feeding, surgery preparation, and laboratory testing.

What to Expect

Each veterinary assistant certificate program is different depending on the university you attend. However, you will typically learn about animal and behavior, anatomy, and emergency care. Not only will you learn to work with small domestic animals, you will learn to work with large and wild animals as well.

Coursework generally includes classes such as animal biology, zoology, and animal nutrition. Usually all courses are course material is available online and requires no visit to a campus. However, some programs do require a short internship at a practice near your home location.

Career Opportunities

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 41 percent job growth in the next decade, due to the increasing number of household pets. With a veterinary assistant certificate you will have the skills to work in private clinics or hospitals. There are also positions available conducting research, record keeping, and testing. Beyond working in a veterinary practice, you can also work as a breeder and large animal assistant.  Jobs are available in all different environments, such as kennels, farms, racetracks, and private practices.

While the job as a veterinary assistant can be demanding and challenging, the rewards are great. With a veterinary assistant certificate, you can be working in a high demand and fast growing industry.