A veterinary assistant is someone who assists a vet with all the task that needs to be done in order to ensure that proper care and treatment is given to the animals that are brought to them. Veterinary assistants need to be well aware of what the job entails and all that needs to be done in order to give the right care. Under this job description, individuals who perform the role of a veterinary assistant need to know how to properly supervise the patients and must also be aware of the different pieces of technology that a vet needs to use in order to examine patients. Most vets require a few vet assistant prerequisites to be fulfilled to ensure that their assistant performs the job well.

Opting for veterinary assistant programs is one of the best courses of action that one can take when trying to get equipped for the job. There are plenty of colleges that offer these courses, but doing these courses simultaneously along with working at a job can be harder. In these instances, opting for an online course is the best solution one can turn to. Vet assistant programs are typically one-year certificate programs. If you are considering going in for online veterinary assistant programs, here is what you can expect from the course offerings:

1. Basic animal care
In this course, potential vet assistants will learn how to attend to the daily care or their animal clients, such as cleaning and disinfecting cages and exam rooms, feeding animals, cleaning of bedding, and, walking/exercise for pets in their care.

2. Animal grooming
Vet assistants may have to groom animals for several health reasons. For instance, basic grooming procedures may be required before or after surgery, or animals may need to be shaved, bathed, or dematted in under vet care.

3. Lab work
Lab work coursework teaches vet assistants how to perform basic laboratory tests (i.e., blood and urinalysis setup and collection), as well as how to extract tissue sampling. Vet assistants will need to know how to safely handle and restrain animals for sampling, as well as how to set up and operate the lab testing equipment and machines for a number of tests (i.e., heartworm, feline leukemia/FIV, automated blood machines, and fecal exams).

4. Equipment care
This coursework will teach how to properly and safely sterilize, prepare, maintain, and use surgical equipment and instruments, and assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians in exams and surgery.

5. Veterinary office clerical duties
Veterinary assistants are often the first point of contact for both animals and pet owners coming into the clinic. Therefore, curriculum will include communication skills, customer service skills, as well as instructions on how to maintain patient charts, files, and other medical documents.