infinite joy.
Kara M. Burns
It has been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to write a textbook for veterinary assistants. I can only hope that this second edition continues to teach and inspire students to become loving and caring professionals.
I have been very fortunate to have the support of friends, family, and colleagues throughout the writing of this textbook. These individuals have provided the assistance and encouragement necessary for me to successfully complete this book. To all of them, I express my sincere thanks.
I would like to thank my parents, Marilyn and Joe Renda, for always believing in me, encouraging me, and supporting my love for animals, and for allowing me to keep all the little critters that I snuck into the house. Mom’s heartfelt encouraging words and Dad’s strong work ethic and persistence taught me that working hard for things you want will be worth it in the end.
I would also like to thank my sisters Wendy and Shelly, my son Brad and daughter‐in‐law Jen for being by my side encouraging me. Most of all, I would like to thank my husband Steve for the incredible sacrifices he has made to ensure I was successful in this endeavor. Steve, you are a great husband and wonderful father. Thank you for your love, dedication, support, and encouragement and for believing in me even when I did not believe in myself.
Thank you to all of the contributors of this book. Most importantly, thank you to my wonderful staff members, who always support me through all of my endeavors, and to my students, who continue to teach me as much as I teach them.
In addition, I would like to thank Merryl LeRoux and Erica Judisch at Wiley Blackwell for their patience and guidance, and a very special thank you to my co‐author and good friend Kara Burns. It has been a true honor working on the second edition with someone I admire and respect so much. The idea for this book came about because of the love that we share for veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants. I pray that we can inspire students to reach their goals.
Finally, I am grateful to God for His gracious blessings and guiding hands.
Lori Renda‐Francis
About the Companion Website
This book is accompanied by a companion website:
www.wiley.com/go/burns/textbookvetassistant2
The website includes:
An Instructor Site:
Textbook Fill in Blank Questions Key
Homework Assignments Key
Power Points for teaching
A Student Site:
Student Study Guide Notes
Textbook Fill in Blank Questions
Homework Assignments
Multiple Choice Questions
Figures from the book in Power Point per chapter
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Veterinary (or Assistant) Profession
Welcome to veterinary medicine! Congratulations on choosing one of the most rewarding and enriching professions! Veterinary medicine is a profession that involves medicine, compassion, technical skills, and teamwork. It provides care for species that cannot speak for themselves. As in human medicine, the veterinary health‐care team is composed of many members, each with an important role in the proper care of patients and functioning of a veterinary hospital.
The goal of the veterinary practice should be excellent patient care and exceptional customer service. This textbook will look at the veterinary assistant’s role in making this goal a reality. Veterinary practices should also provide team members with a friendly, well‐organized, and safe workplace. Every veterinary health‐care team member is responsible for the success of the practice.
The veterinary health‐care team works together in the best interest of the patient. All team members, regardless of their role in the veterinary hospital, have the responsibility to ensure the safety and comfort of all patients. Each member of the health‐care team has specific roles and responsibilities, and often times these responsibilities are shared. Whatever the hierarchy in the practice, all members must provide the best care to all patients at all times. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) likewise recognizes the value of the various health‐care team members: “The veterinary profession is enhanced through efficient utilization of each member of the veterinary healthcare team by appropriate delegation of tasks and responsibilities to support staff.”
The various members of the health‐care team include the following.
Veterinary assistant
Veterinarian
Veterinary technician
Veterinary technologist
Veterinary technician specialist
Receptionist
Office managers
Groomers
Kennel assistants
Veterinary assistants may be approved through the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA)‐approved veterinary assistant program or trained on the job (www.navta.net/assistants). The term veterinary assistant is used typically for a person who assists in the care of animals but is not a credentialed veterinary technician, laboratory animal technician, or veterinarian.
The roles and responsibilities of veterinary assistants will be covered in detail in the forthcoming chapters. The duties of the veterinary assistant may include restraining and exercising patients, cleaning hospital and boarding premises, setting up equipment and supplies, cleaning and maintaining practice and laboratory facilities, and feeding patients. They may also be responsible for other clinical support tasks assigned by the credentialed veterinary technician and/or veterinarian. Most veterinary assistants are trained on the job by a supervising veterinary technician or veterinarian, but some assistants complete 6–12 months of training in a formal course of study.
The veterinarian is a doctor of veterinary medicine. Veterinarians have graduated from a 4‐year AVMA‐accredited postgraduate doctoral program culminating in a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) or veterinary medical doctor (VMD) degree. Veterinarians
