Temporary Relief Veterinary Assistant/Technician

Position Summary

Join us at VCA! We are seeking an experienced Temporary Relief Veterinary Assistant to provide additional support to our veterinary hospital on rotating shifts as needed by the hospital. The ideal candidate is confident working independently in a veterinary environment and can integrate into an established team with minimal orientation.

This position will support both the medical and client-service sides of the hospital, including appointments, surgery and anesthesia, laboratory procedures, diagnostic imaging, patient care, medication management, and maintaining a clean and organized clinical environment.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Care & Appointments

• Assist veterinarians and technicians with outpatient appointments and routine patient care.
• Obtain and document accurate patient histories, weights, temperatures, and other vital parameters.
• Restrain and safely handle patients using appropriate Fear Free and low-stress handling techniques.
• Prepare exam rooms and treatment areas between appointments.
• Monitor patients and communicate any concerns promptly to the medical team.

Surgery & Anesthesia Support

• Assist with surgical preparation, patient positioning, monitoring, and recovery.
• Prepare surgical and treatment areas and ensure necessary equipment and supplies are available.
• Assist with anesthesia induction, monitoring, and recovery as directed by the medical team.
• Clean, disinfect, package, and sterilize surgical instruments and equipment.
• Maintain appropriate surgical and anesthesia records.

Venipuncture & Laboratory

• Perform venipuncture and collect blood, urine, fecal, and other diagnostic samples as appropriate.
• Prepare and run in-house laboratory testing.
• Properly label, handle, process, and submit laboratory samples.
• Maintain laboratory equipment and supplies.

Diagnostic Imaging

• Assist with obtaining diagnostic radiographs while following all applicable radiation safety procedures.
• Properly position and safely restrain patients for imaging.
• Maintain and clean radiology equipment and imaging areas.

Medication & Pharmacy Support

• Prepare, label, organize, and dispense medications under appropriate veterinary direction.
• Maintain accurate medication records and follow hospital protocols for medication handling and storage.
• Monitor medication and supply inventory and communicate shortages to the appropriate team member.
• Assist with client education regarding medication administration when appropriate.

Client Service & Communication

• Provide professional, compassionate customer service to clients.
• Communicate effectively with clients regarding patient care instructions and hospital processes.
• Answer phones, assist with scheduling, and support front-desk operations as needed.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and a professional demeanor in all client interactions.

Hospital Support

• Maintain clean, organized, and appropriately stocked treatment, exam, surgery, and laboratory areas.
• Assist with cleaning, disinfection, laundry, stocking, and other general hospital duties.
• Follow all hospital safety, infection-control, controlled-substance, and patient-care protocols.
• Work collaboratively with veterinarians, technicians, assistants, and client service representatives.

Qualifications

• Previous professional experience as a Veterinary Assistant required.
• Comfortable working independently and stepping into an unfamiliar hospital environment.
• Demonstrated competency with venipuncture, laboratory procedures, patient restraint, radiographs, and surgical support.
• Experience assisting with anesthesia and surgical patient care.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize tasks in a busy clinical setting.
• Excellent communication and customer-service skills.
• Ability to safely handle dogs and cats of varying sizes, temperaments, and medical conditions.
• Ability to adapt quickly to different hospital workflows, protocols, and team dynamics.
• Reliable, punctual, and professional.

Schedule

This is a temporary relief position scheduled for rotating dates and shifts based on hospital needs. Availability for the agreed-upon shifts is expected, and additional shifts may be offered as needs arise.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.

• Ability to lift and safely handle veterinary patients and equipment.

• Ability to bend, kneel, reach, and work in a variety of clinical positions.
• Ability to safely perform duties in a fast-paced veterinary hospital environment.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an experienced Veterinary Assistant who can hit the ground running, provide dependable clinical support, and maintain a high standard of patient and client care without requiring extensive training or supervision. Flexibility, professionalism, teamwork, and the ability to quickly adapt to a new hospital environment are essential.

If you are a current associate, you need to apply through our internal career site. Please log into Workday and click on the Jobs Hub app or search for Browse Jobs.

Benefits: We offer competitive compensation along with a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision and paid vacation/sick days, 401(k), generous employee pet discounts and more!

The information in this position description indicates the general nature and level of work to be performed. It is not designed to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of associates assigned to this job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, change in personnel, workload, or technical development).

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer - Veterans / Disabled. For a complete EEO statement please see our career page at vcacareers.com.