Each year, the week of October 13-19 is dedicated to veterinary technicians, or "vet techs," a profession that is sometimes little known but essential to the smooth running of veterinary clinics. These professionals play a crucial role in animal care, working hand in hand with veterinarians to ensure the health and well-being of our four-legged companions. To pay tribute to this profession, we spoke with a veterinary technician, Melissa Shea, from Emerson Animal Hospital in the United States (New Jersey).
She shares with us her passion and the realities of her daily life!

What is a veterinary technician?
In a clinic like Emerson Animal Hospital, where eight technicians and three veterinarians work, vet techs are the right-hand assistants to veterinarians. They provide basic animal care, assist during surgical procedures, perform routine exams, offer dental care, and monitor the overall health of the patients.
Although often working behind the scenes, veterinary technicians are at the heart of animal care. They build a special bond with both the animals and their owners, ensuring their well-being during both healthy times and periods of illness.
The primary motivation for becoming a vet tech is, without a doubt, a love for animals. As our interviewee points out: « I feel like the number one reason vet techs choose this career is that they have a love for animals and want to make their lives better by maintaining a good, healthy lifestyle for them and helping them when they are sick.
The most rewarding aspect of the job, honestly, is seeing an owner’s happiness when they get back a pet that has been injured or ill and is now healthy again. It is amazing the bond that we form with animals. They give us so much love, and we regard them (most people) as true family members. »
A rewarding but demanding profession

« I think of two big challenges with the vet tech job.
One would be the cases where you give it your all to save an animal, and for some reason, whether the animal physically cannot overcome the illness or the owners cannot afford to treat the illness, the animal succumbs to the illness and passes away.
« The second challenge is how we are sometimes viewed by clients and outsiders. We put our all into trying to help as many pets as we can; we skip lunch, stay late, and sometimes even work through our breaks to help a client or pet. Some clients, when they are emotional about their pet, can become aggressive towards us, which usually leads to us being bad-mouthed or yelled at, even though we are just trying to do our best in each individual situation. »
Faced with this stress and these challenges, some veterinary technicians end up leaving the profession. We asked Melissa what she believes are the main reasons that could lead someone to leave this passionate career. Here is her response:
« I can think of three major reasons: burnout, too little pay, and a toxic work environment.
Veterinary medicine is a physically and emotionally stressful field. Not only are you physically restraining animals, but you are usually on your feet all day running around for long hours at a time—sometimes working through breaks and even holding your bladder half the time. Emotionally, you have to deal with every single pet and client you come in contact with, and a lot of the time you form bonds with the pets or even clients, so you become emotionally invested in many cases. This takes a severe toll on your mental and physical health, and sometimes even the strongest people can’t overcome this.
Secondly, the pay we receive is usually a lot less than I feel we should be receiving for all the work we put into the field. Most technicians I know have to work two or three jobs and do side projects just to get by. This, paired with burnout, makes it really hard for most people to stay long in the field.
Lastly, there are toxic work environments. I understand that all workplaces have their good and bad aspects, but it seems that because of the high-stress environment, there are a lot of issues with people not supporting each other and being nice to their coworkers. I mean, you don’t all have to be friends, but we should all be here for the same reason: we should be here for the animals, and we should work well together to give them the best care possible. »

To avoid disappointment, I think that candidates for the veterinary technician profession should keep the following two main things in mind:
One, make sure you do your research and are physically and emotionally ready to dive into this field—it’s not all about petting and cuddling animals all day.
Secondly, find a good supportive practice that you work well with and that honors their technicians for the hard work they do, especially one that supports your mental and physical health.”
How can we improve the lives of veterinary technicians?
Compassion and understanding from clients can make all the difference. For veterinary technicians, being recognized for their work and supported by their team and clients would be a true motivator to continue working in this demanding yet rewarding profession, as explained by our interviewee:
« I know that dealing with a sick animal is emotionally stressful for everyone, but I wish clients could see all we do for their pets and understand why we sometimes have to refer them to an ER (Emergency Room) instead of seeing them ourselves.
I also recognize that financial constraints are an issue for many, but I want clients to know that we are NOT in this field for the money. Those veterinary bills do not go into our pockets. So when clients yell at us, questioning how we can make such decisions and accusing us of only doing it for profit, it truly hurts. A little compassion from everyone would make this field so much better. » — Melissa Shea