A veterinary technician or veterinary technologist, (also called an animal health technician/technologist), is a person trained to assist veterinarians. Common tasks performed by a veterinary technician include: taking histories, taking blood providing treatment to routine problems, and giving counseling to clients. Technical skills include: venipuncture; collecting urine; performing skin scrapings; taking and processing radiographs; and performing routine lab procedures and tests in: hematology, biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology, urinalysis, and serology.

They assist the veterinarian with physical examinations that help determine the nature of the illness or injury. Veterinary technicians also perform and maintain anesthesia, and administer medications, fluids and blood products as prescribed by the veterinarian. Tasks in patient care include: recording temperature, pulse and respiration, dressing wounds, applying splints and other protective devices, and cleaning teeth.

They perform catheterizations - urinary, arterial, and venous; ear flushes; intravenous feedings and tube feedings. Equipment use includes operating electrocardiographic, radiographic and ultrasonographic equipment. Veterinary technicians commonly assist veterinarians in surgery by providing correct equipment and instruments and by assuring that monitoring and support equipment such as anesthetic machines, cardiac monitors, scopes and breathing apparatus are in good working condition.

They may also maintain treatment records and inventory of all pharmaceuticals, equipment and supplies, and help with other administrative tasks within a veterinary practice. The education a credentialed technician receives is in depth and crucial for medical understanding and to give proper health care. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) are responsible for accrediting schools with either Associate's degrees or Bachelor's degrees, though in some states/provinces this is not necessary.

The AVMA also accredits schools that offer distance education. As a requirement of AVMA-accreditation, all distance learning programs require a significant amount of practical clinical experience before the student will be allowed to graduate. Clinical experience is usually obtained by employment or volunteer hours at an animal clinic.

Preceptors must be a veterinarian or a credentialed vet technician and are required to instruct and sign off on clinical tasks, and then submit the records to the school for approval; some tasks must be videotaped and submitted to the school for grading. States award varying post-nominal letters to denote credentialing of technicians. Some call them Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), some, Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), some, Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT), and still others Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician (LVMT).

The term Animal Health Technician (AHT) is still used in some provinces of Canada and was once commonly used in the United States before giving way to the current moniker of veterinary technician. As with VT's there are (or have been) RAHT's, LAHT's, and CAHT's. Graduates of any AVMA or CVMA-accredited program ( and some non-accredited) may take a national certification exam, the Veterinary Technician National Exam or VTNE.

In some states, a state exam and/or references are required as well and, upon passing, the individual becomes certified/registered/licensed in that state or province. The technician is then subject to the regulations of the state Veterinary Medical Practice Act of the state she or he works in.

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