Careers

Summary:

Kennel staff members are responsible for proper husbandry care of all hospitalized and boarded animals, including feeding, bathing, record keeping and the cleanliness of cages, runs and ward areas.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides compassionate care to patients. 
• Can conduct oneself in a confident and professional manner even when stressed and/or focused on individual tasks. 
• Receives animals to be admitted, is responsible for their proper identification and for recording their respective locations. 
• Releases animals to their owners, ensures that every animal released is clean and properly groomed prior to their release. 
• Has the ability to communicate with owners and make them feel comfortable with leaving their pet(s) in our care. 

• Can follow a regular schedule for cleaning and sanitizing all cages, runs, wards and related areas; changes litter boxes and food/water bowls. 
• Can feed each animal as prescribed by the attending doctor or as the owner has requested and records appetites. 
• Understands the importance of prioritizing tasks and keeps oneself busy and productive during work shifts.  
• Can maintain laundry for the kennel and hospital. 
• Can give baths and brush out patients. 

• Can collect urine and fecal specimens. 
• Can give kennel tours while highlighting features that differentiate us from other kennels in our area. 
• Can recognize and report any unusual condition or abnormal behavior. 
• Can assist doctors and technicians with the administration of medications or with patient restraint. 
• Cleans equipment and facilities using chemicals and supplies; understands the importance of safety of use of chemicals in our facility. 
• Maintains the cleanliness of the kennel each day. 
• Understands and carries out the weekly and monthly chore list to maintain the kennel cleanliness, the equipment, and overall appearance of the kennel. 
• Maintains positive, cooperative relationships with other employees. 
• Observes playcare during unleashed play, watch for negative behavior 
• Performs other duties as assigned. 

Reports to:

Lead Kennel Assistant

Approved by:

Practice Manager

Summary:

The receptionist is the client’s first contact when calling or visiting the practice and as such represents the professional image of the practice to callers and visitors.  The receptionist answers telephones, greets clients, prepares patient files and escorts clients and patients to exam rooms, receives and relays client correspondence, updates client financial records. The exceptional receptionist has the ability to diffuse negative client situations and foster client bonding. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Veterinary Knowledge / Client Education:

• Can answer client’s inquiries about basic animal care questions and routine procedures. 
• Can educate clients on over-the-counter products such as shampoos and nutraceuticals; has full knowledge of heartworm and external parasite preventives to promote client education and sales.  

Admitting / Discharging Patients/ Cash Handling 

• Can admit patients and handle medical records entries accurately. 
• Can prepare health certificates, immunization certificates, laboratory requests, and euthanasia certificates. 
• Can handle client/patient transfers with ease. 
• Can prepare client invoices for services performed. 

• Can accurately handle payment transactions. 
• Can accurately and empathetically communicate estimates/treatment plans to clients. 

Schedule Management 

• Can work to maintain an effective veterinarian appointment schedule, screening emergencies and prioritizing cases that need to be seen.  

Computer Knowledge / Telephone Skills 

• Receives and relays telephone, fax, and email messages accurately and promptly. 
• Answers telephones and handle calls quickly, efficiently and in a professional and friendly manner using a multi-line system. 
• Can Enter and update client and patient information into practice computer software. 
• Has good computer skills and shows accuracy in inputting details. 

Personal Conduct/Attitude/Teamwork 

• Can maintain positive, cooperative relationships with other employees. 
• Can display tact and respect with team members even when busy or hectic. 

• Feel and express a genuine liking for animals and their owners and for working in an animal care field. 

Client Communication 

• Can conduct oneself in a confident and professional manner with clients even when situations are stressful and/or focused on individual tasks. 
• Can deal intelligibly, pleasantly and efficiently with clients, often doing several things at one time. 
• Can outline costs and fees in a positive light while supporting hospital payment policies. 

Other 

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Reports to:

Practice Manager

Approved by:

Practice Manager or Medical Director

Summary:

The veterinary technician is the veterinarian’s primary medical support. They begin the examination procedure and continue to assist the doctor throughout the examination, diagnosis and treatment phases.  They aid the veterinarians in achieving greater efficiency by relieving them of technical work and administrative detail.  They have a very significant role in communicating with and educating clients about their pets.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Can provide compassionate care to patients and clients. 
• Can conduct oneself in a confident and professional manner even when stressed and/or focused on individual tasks. 
• Can legibly keep accurate medical records in accordance hospital policy. 
• Can prepare and maintain the exam rooms and treatment areas. 
• Can perform physical assessments; record observations legibly in files or computer. 
• Can effectively restrain pets even when large or difficult. 
• Understands all common vaccinations and vaccination protocols and can explain to clients. 
• Understands the importance of a clean and orderly facility, does not hesitate to clean or organize as part of a normal job duty. 
• Maintains positive, cooperative relationships with other employees. 
• Gives SQ, IM and IV injections. 
• Can handle client’s medical questions with confidence and direct to veterinarians when appropriate. 
• Can prepare estimates for procedures and discuss financial commitments with clients supporting hospital financial policies. 
• Can explain necessary follow-up and homecare instructions. 
• Understands usage, dosage, and common side-effects for commonly used prescription drugs and can readily explain them to the clients. 
• Can assist the veterinarian in medical, surgical and dental procedures; prepares patients for surgery; administers anesthesia; monitors patients during surgery and recovery; administers fluids. 
• Can properly care for all surgical materials; keep the operating room properly stocked and prepared for surgery. 
• Can perform emergency procedures such as control of bleeding, resuscitation with oxygen, opening airways, and external cardiac massage. 
• Can perform clinical laboratory procedures such as fecal flotation exams, heartworm checks, skin scrapings, urinalysis, and fungal cultures; draws blood for laboratory analysis; maintains file of lab test results and ensures that test results are recorded in patient records. 
• Can effectively position for and take radiographs. 
• Can place IV catheters and properly care for them. Understands the use and care of IV pumps as well. 
• Knows common disease states and can alert veterinarians when symptoms change or when concerns arise with hospitalized patients. 
• Can prepare a patient and the machine for an ultrasound procedure. 
• Can admit patients following hospital policy and doctors written orders.  
• Can discharge patients based on the veterinarian’s orders, ensuring that patients are well groomed and in a medically appropriate state.   

Reports to:

Practice Manager or Medical Director

Approved by:

Practice Manager or Medical Director