Vet assistant? Really confused...please help?

I worked as a vet tech for almost ten years. I loved my job and loved the fact that I was one of the few people who genuinely loved their work. That being said, however, it is a very, very hard job to do well. You will get bitten, kicked, stepped on, scratched, covered in vomit, feces, blood and urine, you'll get slammed into and off of things. You have to be very aware of everything and everyone around you. You have to keep in mind that if you're restraining a large aggressive dog for someone, you essentially have their life in your hands. You will see the worst things people can do to animals and you'll get mad when people do stupid things like not vaccinate their dogs and then wonder why they die of distemper. You'll see animals hit by cars, attacked by other animals, starved, or abused by people. You'll loose animals you've become attached to. My first patient as a tech ever was a large cat that had an enlarged esophagus and colon. One day, he came in to be put to sleep and one of my friends asked if I wanted them to do it and I decided it was my job. I'd been his nurse since the day I started as a tech. I was a wreck, crying more than the owner was. When he came back to pick up the cat's ashes, I apologized for being unprofessional. He said it meant a lot to him to know his cat was loved by his nurse that much. It's hard to go through that and you will cry at work for one thing or another.

That's all the negative things. The great things, the things that make the job worth it, is seeing an ill dog greet you one morning with a wagging tail when you thought he wouldn't make it overnight. It's a joy to watch a young puppy or kitten grow up into a healthy, happy animal. You'll get to handle a HUGE variety of dog and cat breeds and get to work with people who love animals as much as you do.

Look into distance learning with Cedar Valley Community College in Lancaster, Texas. You can get an associates degree as a vet tech and it's one of only two schools that graduate you with an actual degree. There is a lot of information you have to know and school is invaluable. You have to know lab procedures, symptoms of various illnesses, medications, restraint, radiology, anatomy and many, many other things.

It's not an easy job and the pay is usually horrible, but people don't do that job for the money. If you can do it, though, it's the best job in the world.

Hope this helps and good luck.