Receive hands-on training from experienced instructors
CHOOSE A CAREER
WHERE LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD
Train to become a veterinary assistant in as few as 9 months.
FURREVER LIFE CHANGING
You love animals and working in a fast-paced environment with lots of other employees. You enjoy connecting with customers and helping educate clients.
If this sounds like you, you may be a fit for an exciting career in veterinary assisting.
Veterinary assistants are the backbone of a vet office, helping to speak with pet owners and managing animals.
Earn a Certificate of Achievement in as few as 9 months
There is a broad range of financial assistance options for those who qualify
Get in Touch
Talk to us about training for a new career in Veterinary Assisting
About The Program
Carrington College’s Veterinary Assisting program prepares students for the clinical, lab, and administrative duties for entry-level employment as a veterinary assistant. The program concludes in an externship that allows students to practice skills in an actual veterinary health care setting. Such skills may include:
- Feeding, bathing, and exercising animals
- Cleaning and disinfecting cages, kennels, and examination and operating rooms
- Restraining animals during examination and laboratory procedures
- Maintaining and sterilize surgical instruments and equipment
- Monitoring and care for animals after surgery
- Helping provide emergency first aid to sick and injured animals
- Giving medication or immunizations that veterinarians prescribe
- Assisting in collecting blood, urine, and tissue samples
Courses Taken By Our Veterinary Assisting Students
Vet assisting courses focus on the clinical, laboratory, and administrative duties of a veterinary assistant. They include animal anatomy and physiology, nursing skills, pharmaceutical chemistry, and a wealth of other surgical and office skills. Some classes you may take as a Veterinary Assisting student at Carrington College, for example, include:
- VAC 113 L Veterinary Assisting Techniques — In this course, students gain hands-on experience with skin assessment and treatments, handling and restraint procedures, large animal, equine, small mammal, and exotic-species procedures.
- VAC 112 T Veterinary Laboratory — This course covers the anatomy and physiology of the renal, urinary, reproductive, and endocrine systems and the related medical vocabulary and terminology. Students will learn laboratory techniques including urinalysis, hematology, serology, and cytology.
- VAC 114 T Surgical Nursing and Specialty Care — This course introduces students to practical skills essential to the veterinary assistant. The course includes surgical, nursing, cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation (CPCR) and other emergency procedures, digestive system including dental care and nutrition, and the respiratory system.
Program Locations
- Mesa, Arizona
- Phoenix, Arizona**
- Portland, Oregon
- Spokane, Washington
- Tucson, Arizona
Continuing Education For Graduates
Carrington’s Health Studies Associate of Science Degree program provides an opportunity for individuals to build on prior education to earn the educational credential that is often needed for advancement in the health and wellness fields.
The Health Studies AS Degree program is an online degree-completion option that offers students a broad base of general education course offerings that can be completed in as few as 7 months.
Want to Learn More?
Request Information
There is a broad range of financial assistance options for those who qualify. Start by requesting information using the form above. We look forward to hearing from you!
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