10/23/2026
🎉🐾 **Happy Veterinary Technician Week! Let’s hear it for our amazing LVT, Zara Hakes !** 🐾🎉
Today, we’re celebrating Zara Hakes, our incredible **Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)**! ❤️ Zara is an important part of our team, helping keep our patients safe, comfortable, and healthy while supporting our veterinarians in providing the best possible care. We’re so grateful for the knowledge, skill, compassion, and hard work she brings to the practice. Veterinary medicine is a team sport, and we’re lucky to have Zara on ours! 🩺🐴🐶
But did you know that being an LVT involves a whole LOT more than cuddling cute patients? (Although we certainly hope there are plenty of those perks, too! 😉)
🎓 **The education is REAL!** In Michigan, becoming a Licensed Veterinary Technician requires completing an approved veterinary technology education program, meeting examination requirements, and obtaining state licensure. These programs include extensive coursework and hands-on clinical training in areas like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, anesthesia, laboratory procedures, radiology, nursing care, and animal health. It takes serious dedication to earn those letters after your name!
💉 **The skill set is HUGE!** Licensed veterinary technicians are trained to perform a wide variety of important medical tasks, including:
🩺 Monitoring anesthesia and keeping patients safe during procedures
💉 Administering medications and assisting with treatments
🩸 Collecting samples and performing laboratory tests
🩻 Taking diagnostic radiographs
❤️ Monitoring vital signs and recognizing changes in a patient's condition
🩹 Providing nursing care, wound care, and post-operative monitoring
🐾 Assisting with surgeries, dental procedures, and diagnostic workups
📋 Educating clients and helping keep medical care running smoothly
And that's just scratching the surface! Veterinary technicians use critical thinking, technical skills, and compassion every single day. They’re often the eyes, ears, and extra hands that help make excellent veterinary care possible. 💪
🐾 **One important distinction:** Veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants are both valuable members of the veterinary team, but they are NOT the same role. Veterinary assistants provide essential support and may learn many skills on the job, while licensed veterinary technicians have completed formal veterinary technology education and met the requirements for licensure. In Michigan, the title *Licensed Veterinary Technician* (LVT) is a professional designation, and the term *veterinary technician* is legally protected. It should be reserved for appropriately credentialed professionals—not used interchangeably with veterinary assistant.
Both roles deserve appreciation and respect, but the education, training, and professional credentials behind an LVT matter! 🙌
So this week, when you see Zara, give her a little extra appreciation for all the knowledge, hard work, and heart she brings to veterinary medicine. ❤️
**Thank you, Zara, for everything you do for our patients, our clients, and our team!** We appreciate you more than you know! 🥳🐾
Drop a 🩺 or ❤️ in the comments to help us celebrate Zara and all the amazing licensed veterinary technicians out there!
