10/22/2026
It's all in a days work....veterinary technician style.
Do you ever wonder about what happens behind the scenes of a veterinary clinic?
The day starts with patient care of pets that have either been hospitalized or are simply boarding. They are fed, watered, cleaned, taken for a walk (dogs), and given medications if they have any. And maybe a snuggle or two.
Once patients start walking through the doors to be dropped off for surgery an RVT takes blood and runs bloodwork to ensure organ function is appropriate for anesthesia, to those who have elected to have it done. Results are then reported to Dr. Leighr. The RVT then is creating an anesthetic drug plan for each surgery patient, placing an IV catheter if needed, setting up surgery that is specific to the patient's needs. Along side the RVT you will find a trusty sidekick, a veterinary assistant.
When Dr. Leighr is ready an order of surgeries is put into place. Patients will then be induced (under direct supervision of the doctor), intubated, attached to the anesthesia machine, hooked up to monitoring equipment, and finally aseptically cleaned at their surgery site.
While Dr. Leighr is performing surgery, the RVT is responsible for monitoring the patient to ensure they remain in an appropriate plane of anesthesia for the surgery they are getting. In between monitoring they will get surgical supplies that Dr. Leighr needs. If the surgery is non-routine Dr. Leighr will have and RVT scrub in and assist, as another will step in to monitor. One RVT and assistant will help Dr. Leighr in surgery while another RVT and assistant are working on performing a dental cleaning.
After surgery the patient is admistered pain medication, cleaned up, and monitored until awake and safe to be unattended.
In the midst of all of surgeries and dental procedures, the day consists of assisting Dr. Leighr in exam rooms, taking/making phone calls to clients, filling prescriptions, taking x-rays, looking at cytologies, running diagnostic bloodwork, collecting and running f***l and urine samples, completing technician appointments, triage an unexpected emergency/walk in, cleaning the surgery room, sterilizing surgery equipment, laundry, performing ultrasounds, and other responsibilities that have not been mentioned.
Our RVT's are so very grateful to our amazing assistants that work along side us day in and day out. We would not be able to keep up or stay organized without them.
