Veterinary Assistant Resume Template
A finished one-page veterinary assistant resume with the duties, tools and credentials employers look for. Download it as Word or PDF, print it, or change every line in the builder.
Chelsea Scott
Lead Veterinary Assistant, AVA · Small Animal Hospital
Los Angeles, CA · (213) 555-8477
chelsea.scott@email.com · linkedin.com/in/chelseascott
Profile
Approved Veterinary Assistant with 9 years in small animal general and emergency practice, supporting 5 DVMs and 35–45 patients a day. Fear Free certified, with low-stress handling that cut sedation for routine exams by a quarter.
Clinical Experience
2021 – Present
Lead Veterinary Assistant
Silver Lake Animal Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
- Restrain dogs, cats and rabbits for exams, blood draws and vaccines for 5 DVMs and 35–45 visits a day.
- Run CBCs, chemistries and fecals on IDEXX VetLab and position patients for digital radiographs.
- Monitor surgical recovery patients for temperature, heart rate and pain and alert the vet.
- Cut sedation for routine exams by 25% after training staff in Fear Free handling methods.
- Fill and label prescriptions verified by the DVM and keep the controlled drug log current.
2018 – 2021
Veterinary Assistant
Westside Pet Emergency & Specialty, Culver City, CA
- Held patients for IV catheter placement, ultrasounds and wound care on overnight ER shifts.
- Cleaned and restocked exam rooms, ICU runs and the surgery suite between cases.
- Recorded weights, vitals and treatment sheets in ezyVet for 20–30 hospitalized pets.
- Autoclaved surgical packs and tracked sterilization indicators for the surgery team.
2017 – 2018
Kennel Assistant
Pasadena Pet Hospital & Boarding, Pasadena, CA
- Fed, walked and medicated 40 boarding and hospitalized animals per written orders.
- Disinfected kennels and runs and reported vomiting, diarrhea or appetite changes.
Certifications
Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA)
National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America
Veterinary Assistant Controlled Substance Permit
Veterinary Medical Board of California
Fear Free Certified Professional
Fear Free, LLC
Animal Care Skills
Low-stress restraint
Surgical recovery monitoring
In-house lab testing
Radiograph positioning
Prescription filling
Controlled drug logs
Kennel sanitation
Systems & Equipment
IDEXX CornerstoneezyVetIDEXX VetLab StationSound digital radiography
Education
High School Diploma
2016
John Marshall High School
Certificate in Veterinary Assisting
2017
Platt College Los Angeles
Names, employers and dates on the sample are invented. Duties and software come from O*NET 31.0; credentials were checked against the sources listed below.
Licenses and certifications
- Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) NAVTA (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) Optional, valued by employers
- Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) Optional, valued by employers
Sources: www.bls.gov
Licensing rules differ by state; check with your state board before you apply.
Skills to list
- Animal Restraint
- Kennel/Cage Sanitation
- Vital Signs Monitoring
- Medication Administration
- Lab Sample Collection
- Surgical Prep Assistance
- Client Communication
- Animal Handling Safety
Software and tools
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Access
- IDEXX Laboratories IDEXX Cornerstone
- McAllister Software Systems AVImark
- Practice management software PMS
- Scheduling software
Duties to describe on a veterinary assistant resume
- Held or restrained animals during veterinary procedures.
- Monitored animals recovering from surgery and notified veterinarians of any unusual changes or symptoms.
- Filled medication prescriptions.
- Cleaned and maintained kennels, animal holding areas, examination or operating rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- Examined animals to detect behavioral changes or clinical symptoms that could indicate illness or injury.
- Performed routine laboratory tests or diagnostic tests, such as taking or developing x-rays.
Titles along the way
- Veterinary Assistant
- Veterinary Assistant, Approved (AVA)
- Veterinary Technician
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