Veterinary assistants are becoming more important as valued members of the veterinary health care team in today’s modern practices.

This is a one-year program that prepares students to support veterinary technicians and veterinarians in a veterinary practice. Duties performed by veterinary assistants include animal restraint, preparing animals for surgery, care of surgical instruments and other equipment, care and feeding of in-patients, processing radiographs, and front office procedures. Veterinary assistants are not trained to give injections, take blood samples, perform laboratory procedures, administer anesthetics, monitor patients during anesthesia, or assist in surgery.

Students choosing to advance their career may become veterinary technicians by completing the veterinary technology program in an additional two years.