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Date: 11/20/2025

Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Perform routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
    • Fill medication prescriptions.
    • Prepare feed for animals according to specific instructions, such as diet lists or schedules.
    • Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
    • Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.
    • Provide emergency first aid to sick or injured animals.
    • Administer medication, immunizations, or blood plasma to animals as prescribed by veterinarians.
    • Prepare examination or treatment rooms by stocking them with appropriate supplies.
    • Write reports, maintain research information, or perform clerical duties.
    • Sell pet food or supplies to customers.
    • Place orders to restock inventory of hospital or laboratory supplies.
    • Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories.
    • Groom, trim, or clip animals' coats.
    • Hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures.
    • Prepare surgical equipment and pass instruments or materials to veterinarians during surgical procedures.
    • Assist veterinarians in examining animals to determine the nature of illnesses or injuries.
    • Record information relating to animal genealogy, feeding schedules, appearance, behavior, or breeding.
    • Clean and maintain kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
    • Provide assistance with euthanasia of animals or disposal of corpses.
    • Perform enemas, catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.
    • Monitor animals recovering from surgery and notify veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
    • Prepare examination or treatment rooms by stocking them with appropriate supplies.
    • Perform accounting duties, such as bookkeeping, billing customers for services, or maintaining inventories.
    • Administer anesthetics during surgery and monitor the effects on animals.
    • Perform hygiene-related duties, such as clipping animals' claws or cleaning and polishing teeth.
    • Clean, maintain, and sterilize instruments or equipment.
    • Educate or advise clients on animal health care, nutrition, or behavior problems.
    • Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers.
    • Prepare surgical equipment and pass instruments or materials to veterinarians during surgical procedures.
    • Perform office reception duties, such as scheduling appointments or helping customers.
    • Collect laboratory specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, for testing.
    • Examine animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury.
    • Dust, spray, or bathe animals to control insect pests.
    • Exercise animals or provide them with companionship.
    • Provide assistance with euthanasia of animals or disposal of corpses.
    • Write reports, maintain research information, or perform clerical duties.

    Skills

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    3

    Abilities

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    Knowledge

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 34820/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 16.74/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 5,300
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1020

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Self Control
    • Cooperation
    • Persistence

    Tools

    • Animal catching devices
    • Animal shearing or clipping equipment
    • Animal weighing scales
    • Bar code reader equipment
    • Benchtop centrifuges
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Blood collection syringes
    • Chemical or gas sterilizers
    • Clothes dryers
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital cameras
    • Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Gas anesthesia apparatus or machines
    • Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
    • Hematology analyzers
    • Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits
    • Label making machines
    • Laboratory beakers
    • Laboratory forceps
    • Laundry type washing machines
    • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
    • Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS
    • Medical radiological shielding aprons or masks or drapes
    • Medical radiological shielding gloves
    • Medical x ray darkroom accessories
    • Medical x ray films or cassettes
    • Medical x ray units for general diagnostic use
    • Microcentrifuges
    • Microscope slides
    • Multipurpose or general test tubes
    • Muzzles
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Protective gloves
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Specimen collection container
    • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
    • Surgical scissors
    • Suture removers
    • Tablet counters
    • Tourniquets
    • Urinalysis analyzers
    • Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
    • Veterinary blood pressure testers
    • Veterinary clinical thermometers
    • Veterinary injection or suction unit
    • Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters

    Technology

    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Label making software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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