What a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) Is and Does

A Certified Veterinary Technician has many duties that are vital to the running of a veterinary clinic or hospital.

Job Description

A Certified Veterinary Technician's duties include taking medical histories, treating routine problems, and counseling pet owners. Technical duties involve:

• taking blood, urine, skin and other samples
• performing lab procedures
• administering anaesthesia and other medications
• taking x-rays, ultrasounds, and sonographs
• Assisting veterinarians in surgery
• maintaining and servicing veterinary equipment
• keeping treatment records and supply inventories

Qualifications of a Certified Veterinary Technician

In order to become a Certified Veterinary Technician, you need to complete a two to three year degree course at an AVMA-accredited veterinary technician college. After college, you must then take the Veterinary Technician National Exam to obtain veterinary technician certification. Some states may require an additional exam.

Special Certification

Certified Veterinary Technicians with advanced skills in areas such as anesthesiology, dentistry, small animal internal medicine, large animal internal medicine, cardiology, or oncology may receive special certification to work as a specialist in those fields. A Veterinary Technician Specialist is known as a VTS.