Veterinary Assistant-Equine

Midwest Veterinary Dental Service is looking for their next team member for Equine Veterinary Clinical Aide/Assistant

Full-time

Location and hours: Must be available days and hours listed below. 
Midwest Veterinary Dental Services W3143 Co Rd D, Elkhorn, WI 53121 
Monday-Thursday 7:30-5:30 --some weekend hours are possible as well
We are closed on all major holidays 

Job Duties:

• Office and hospital procedures, client relations and communication
• Office and clinical tasks
• Assist with patient admit, discharge and triage patients according to client, patient and clinic needs via phone, in person, email or other electronic or digital means.
• Handle financial transactions
• Assist with inventory control
• Maintain patient records and records of client communications
• Use appropriate medical terminology and abbreviations
• Emojis are not appropriate
• Maintain clinic facilities
• Appropriate cleaning, and other janitorial duties to maintain a clean facility
• Remove accumulated trash and deposit in the dumpster
• Assist with laundry turnover
• Assist with stall cleaning and stall turnover
• Communication
• Utilize appropriate, professional and courteous communication between veterinary team members
• Assist in procedures as requested with or for the doctor with a professional and courteous behavior.
• Utilize appropriate interpersonal and public relation skills
• Provide client communication
• Review chart to ensure accurate information is provided
• Interact with owners for surgical or sick appointments
• Be able to answer questions and make appropriate recommendations for possible diagnostics
• Discuss and obtain authorization for blood work, fluids or other diagnostics as indicated
• Written
• Assist with creating discharge instructions

• Pharmacy and Pharmacology
• Administration
• Handle pharmacological and biological agents to ensure safety and efficacy of the product
• Administer oral medications as directed
• Read and follow veterinarian pharmacy orders
• Accurately record medical information
• Understand controlled substance regulations and maintain logs
• Dispensing
• Prepare and dispense medications
• Relay handling, storage and administration to clients
• Understand which products are considered over the counter (OTC) or prescription
• Maintain controlled drug logs – computer and paper
• Nursing
• Patient examinations
• Obtain pertinent and thorough patient history
• Understand basic normal parameters for TPR
• Obtain TPR on equine patients
• Normal temperature: 98-101.5
• Normal heart rate:  36-48
• Normal respiratory rate:  8-20
• Auscultate heart and lungs using a stethoscope
• Emergency procedures
• Recognize and appropriately respond to emergency situations (alert appropriate veterinary staff immediately)
• Know the location and be able to quickly retrieve emergency medications as needed
• Patient care/husbandry
• Recognize common breeds
• Demonstrate the ability to perform various grooming tasks
• Cleaning out the hooves
• Basic horse grooming
• Administer oral medications
• Apply and maintain bandages
• Assist with managing IV fluid set up and maintenance of IV catheters and IV fluids
• Ensure patients are clean, dry and comfortable
• Includes boarding patients
• Ensure all patients have access to water and food when indicated
• Nutrition
• Counsel clients on dietary needs of the patient
• Feed and provide water to patients as directed
• Feed post-surgical mash when directed, update doctor on patient appetite or willingness to eat
• Behavior
• Recognize and assess body language and behaviors
• Respond appropriately to body language and behaviors demonstrated by patients
• Restraint
• Restrain patients in a manner safe for patient and staff
• Safely apply twitch or other equine restraint

• Laboratory Procedures
• Properly prepare, label and submit samples for diagnostics including but not limited to:
• Blood work
• Cytology specimens
• Biopsy specimens
• Culture specimens
• Ensure laboratory specimens are placed in the IDEXX box before leaving for the day
• Perform various laboratory tests
• Run CBC, blood chemistry and fibrinogen samples in house

• Dentistry
• Perform or assist with dental radiographs (will train on this skill until comfortable)
• Understand and be able to communicate client education regarding home care
• Understand clinic protocol for extractions and post extraction home care
• Understand clinic protocol for endodontic and periodontal treatments

• Diagnostic Imaging
• Perform or assist with dental radiographs (will offer training on this)
• Utilize appropriate protective equipment
• Aprons, thyroid shields, gloves, other
• Properly utilize radiographic technique charts
• Appropriately label and orient images
• Left or Right digital marker
• Other as indicated
• Appropriately position for images
• Obtain diagnostic images
• Understand protocol for transferring images to the server

• Anesthesia
• Understand and maintain documentation necessary for procedures
• Controlled drug logs
• Authorization and consent forms
• Maintain and operate equipment
• Syringe pump for equine CRI
• Understand set up for equine IV catheter placement and maintenance
• Appropriate gauges and lengths for different sized patients
• Heparinized saline
• Appropriate interval for flushing the IV catheter
• Monitor patients with complete attention
• Utilize monitoring equipment
• Focus on visual assessments of patients
• Understand assessment of standing anesthetic planes
• Recognize post-operative pain and respond appropriately

• Surgical Assisting
• Appropriately prepare patients for surgical procedures
• Understand aseptic technique
• Appropriately position patients for a surgical procedure
• Understand and provide equipment needed for various procedures
• Operate and maintain suction
• Appropriately prepare surgical packs and drapes
• Appropriately sterilize surgical equipment and supplies
• Provide oroscopic and/or endoscopic assistance as needed
• Have knowledge of locations of equipment utilized
• Understand the differences in suture types
• Sinus lavage kits
• Minimally invasive buccotomy kit with drill
• Intraoral radiographic equipment
• Maintain sterility around the surgical site and equipment when necessary
• Assist in procedures as requested with aseptic technique
• Provide post-operative care
• Pain management
• Fluid therapy
• Bandaging
• Discharge instructions
• Should include patient first and last name
• Date of procedure
• Procedure performed
• Nutritional instructions
• Incision care
• Post-operative medications with accurate dose and frequency
• Absorbable vs skin sutures
• Other special instructions as indicated
• Pictures included in report
• Assist with post-surgical clean-up of equipment and room
• Communicate patient updates with the veterinarian post-operatively. (Example:  continue to monitor post-op recovery while the doctor is working on the next horse.  The doctor may instruct you to send a follow-up text to the owner with a progress report)

• Phone usage
• Personal cell phones are not to be used when handling or working with a patient.
• Personal cell phones are not to be used while driving a vehicle.
• Personal cell phones are not to be used while assisting at off-site appointments or locations.

• Wear appropriate footwear for working around horses
• Sturdy closed-toe shoes
• No Crocs

Clinic aides are to assist certified veterinary technicians and doctors in aspects of patient care and client communication. They are also expected to be able to work as a team with all Midwest Veterinary Dental Services team members and fill in as needed.

The responsibilities of clinic aide at Midwest Veterinary Dental Services include but are not limited to the tasks and duties outlined above.

 

PAY/BENEFITS 
Hourly pay based on experience  --  $20-22/hr
PTO, Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance,401K Retirement Plan, Clothing Allowance, Veterinary Product & Service Discounts  
 
 
Check us out at www.midwestvetdental.com or on our Facebook page 

We are a great team looking for our next team member who is passionate about client & patient care with a strong interest in learning about animal dentistry. 

Salary : $20 - $22