The Importance of Veterinary Technician Appointments

Some veterinary appointments do not require a veterinarian to provide a service. Skilled veterinary technicians, who work alongside veterinarians, can handle certain types of visits on their own, or with minimal supervision. These visits are referred to as veterinary technician appointments.

George Melillo, Founder and Chief Veterinary Officer of Heart + Paw, explains that, “Most veterinary technicians are educated in formal programs and pass licensing exams. They work in tandem with a supervising veterinarian to assist in meeting pets’ health care needs.”

Below, we discuss what services can be administered at veterinary technician appointments, why these appointments play an important role in the daily operations of a veterinary practice, and what they mean for you and your four-legged family member.

What Services can be Provided at Veterinary Technician Appointments?

Veterinary technicians can perform a variety of routine and maintenance services for the benefit of your pet’s health and quality of life.

Veterinary technician appointments generally offer the following services:

• Nail trims
• Booster vaccinations in healthy pets
• Anal gland expressions
• Heartworm tests
• Ear cleanings
• Administration of subcutaneous fluids
• Urinalysis re-tests
• Pre-anesthetic blood work

Veterinary Technician Appointments Keep a Practice Running Smoothly

A typical day at a veterinary practice is a tremendously busy one. Often, veterinarians are occupied with caring for their patients and speaking with pet owners to answer questions and explain treatments.

Simple, routine appointments are no less important, but if a pet comes in for urgent or more complex, in-depth treatment, the veterinarian will make them a priority.

While the veterinarian proceeds to handle the more complex or urgent medical case, they can rely on one of their credentialed veterinary technicians to assist a patient and client who are visiting for routine services. This keeps appointments moving and reduces wait times for incoming patients and clients. Furthermore, this allows the veterinarian to give their undivided attention to the patient with the more serious health concerns.

How Veterinary Technician Appointments Benefit You and Your Pet

Having a veterinary technician handle basic appointments for boosters, nail trims, and routine blood draws can make vet visits more convenient for you.

They Provide Convenience for You

Imagine if your pet’s appointment was canceled or delayed because your veterinarian was not available to administer their boosters. That would certainly be inconvenient for you—you’d either have to reschedule your pet’s appointment (and alter your busy schedule to accommodate it) or wait to be seen, which can feel like an eternity and take time away from other plans.

Veterinary technician appointments offer the opportunity to be able to take care of certain services without you having to worry about finding additional time in your schedule.

They Help Reduce the Risk of Potential Illnesses Due to Delayed Appointments

Furthermore, if your pet has to wait until a later date for their booster shots, this could leave them at an increased risk for infection. But that’s not the only consequence of a postponed appointment.

Delayed blood work can result in a developing illness going unnoticed. A missed anal gland expression can lead to days or even weeks of discomfort for your pet. In all these scenarios, your pet could end up requiring more costly treatment, beyond the basic care they originally needed.

Regardless of the nature of your pet’s appointment, these seemingly basic services can make a huge difference in their life (and save you a lot of stress!). This is why veterinary technician appointments are so beneficial for you, and especially for your pet.

Why the Services Provided at Veterinary Technician Appointments are Essential to Your Pet

Nail trims, boosters, and heartworm tests might seem very basic and inconsequential in the greater scheme of your pet’s care. However, all of these services contribute toward their comfort and overall well-being.

They Benefit Your Pet’s Health

Nail trims can prevent snags, breakage, and fungal infections. Routine anal gland cleanings prevent painful irritation for your pet, and the potential for the glands to rupture. Ear cleanings help to prevent chronic ear infections, ear mites, and other conditions. Vaccine boosters help your companion stay protected from rabies, distemper, and other harmful viruses.

They Make Your Life Easier

What’s more, veterinary technician appointments can save you, the pet owner, from having to perform certain tasks yourself, such as nail trims, ear cleanings and anal gland expressions. Most times, these tasks are better left to trained professional veterinary technicians.

Attempting to perform these tasks at home on your own can lead to some conflict between you and your pet, and make them more wary of being handled or receiving those treatments in the future, both at home and at the vet’s office.

Veterinary Technician Appointments are a Boon to Pets, Owners, and Practices

Veterinary technicians are worth their weight in gold. They are able to perform many of the same tasks that veterinarians perform on a daily basis, and care just as much about providing you and your pet with the best experience possible.

Due to the invaluable role technicians play in veterinary practices, it’s no surprise that many veterinarians are happy to delegate certain types of appointments to these skilled individuals.

If for a moment you feel uncertain about trusting your pet’s booster shots, nail trim or blood work to a veterinary technician, rest assured that their experience and dedication make them more than qualified to assist you and your pet.

Veterinary technician appointments keep practices running smoothly, ensure that pets get the treatment they need on time, and make pet care (and life) just a little bit easier for devoted pet owners like you. For more information about this, or if you’re wanting to book an appointment for your pet, contact one of our Heart + Paw locations now. Our team is here to make sure your pet gets the high quality care they deserve in a timely manner.