Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Animal Health Technologist

🎯 Role Definition

The Animal Health Technologist is a skilled veterinary allied health professional who performs clinical support, diagnostic testing, sample collection, animal handling, and biosecurity tasks across clinical, laboratory, and field settings. This role routinely supports veterinarians, animal scientists and public health teams by carrying out diagnostic assays (hematology, biochemistry, serology, PCR), preparing and processing samples, assisting with anesthesia and surgical monitoring, implementing vaccination and herd-health programs, and maintaining accurate records in LIMS or electronic medical records. Ideal candidates demonstrate strong animal handling, laboratory technique, regulatory compliance, client communication, and problem-solving skills. Keywords: animal health technologist, veterinary technician, diagnostic lab, sample collection, biosafety, vaccination, field sampling, LIMS, anesthesia monitoring.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Veterinary assistant or kennel attendant transitioning with formal training.
Laboratory technician or medical laboratory assistant with animal-focused experience.
Agricultural or livestock technician with hands-on animal handling background.

Advancement To:

Senior Animal Health Technologist / Lead Veterinary Technologist.
Clinical Laboratory Supervisor or Diagnostic Laboratory Manager.
Veterinary Technologist / Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) with expanded scope.
Animal Health Program Coordinator or Biosecurity Officer.

Lateral Moves:

Research Technician in animal health or zoonotic disease labs.
Field Epidemiology Technician or Farm Health Advisor.
Animal Welfare and Shelter Operations Specialist.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Collect, properly label, transport and process clinical samples (blood, serum, plasma, feces, urine, swabs, tissues) from companion animals, livestock and wildlife, maintaining chain of custody and sample integrity for accurate diagnostic testing.
Perform routine and advanced diagnostic tests including hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis, ELISA, rapid antigen tests, microscopy, bacterial culture preparation, and PCR setup under standard operating procedures and biosafety guidelines.
Prepare reagents, maintain and calibrate laboratory equipment (centrifuges, microscopes, pipettes, PCR thermocyclers, spectrophotometers), and document quality control and maintenance activities in lab logs and LIMS.
Triage and stabilize emergency cases, provide basic life support and monitoring (vital signs, IV fluids, oxygen therapy), and communicate critical patient status to supervising veterinarians.
Assist veterinarians in anesthesia induction, monitoring and recovery for surgical procedures, including intubation, administering anesthetic agents, monitoring ECG/SpO2/respiratory rate, and recording anesthetic records.
Perform radiographic positioning and basic image acquisition, adhere to radiation safety protocols, and prepare animals for imaging procedures under veterinary direction.
Administer vaccines, treatments and injections (subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal), and maintain accurate vaccination and treatment records for individual animals and herd/flock programs.
Conduct farm and field visits to perform herd health assessments, collect environmental and animal samples, advise on biosecurity measures, and support outbreak investigations and disease surveillance activities.
Assist with elective and emergency surgeries by preparing surgical instruments, scrubbing in, maintaining sterile fields, and providing intraoperative support to minimize risk and improve patient outcomes.
Manage specimen accessioning, data entry and test result reporting into LIMS/EHR systems, prepare diagnostic test reports, and escalate abnormal or critical results to veterinarians and clients.
Perform necropsy assistance by preparing tissue samples for histology, conducting gross post-mortem examinations when authorized, documenting findings, and packaging samples for referral to external labs.
Implement and monitor biosecurity and infection control protocols including PPE use, disinfection procedures, waste disposal, and quarantine measures to protect staff, animals, and the public from zoonotic risks.
Maintain up-to-date records of inventory, manage stock levels for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, reagents and consumables, reorder supplies, and ensure secure storage following cold-chain and hazardous material requirements.
Follow regulatory and accreditation requirements (local veterinary board, provincial/state/federal animal health regulations, GLP/GMP where applicable) including proper documentation and record retention for audits and inspections.
Provide client education, counseling and clear instructions on post-treatment care, sample collection at home, vaccination schedules, preventive medicine, and zoonosis prevention in an empathetic, professional manner.
Participate in outbreak response teams, assist with quarantine logistics, field testing campaigns, and coordinate sampling protocols with public health and agricultural stakeholders.
Support clinical trials and applied research by enrolling animals, executing study protocols, collecting and documenting study-specific data, and ensuring animal welfare and protocol compliance.
Train and mentor junior technicians, students and volunteers on proper animal handling, laboratory techniques, safety protocols, and compassionate client interactions to maintain consistent service quality.
Conduct quality assurance activities including review of test procedures, validation of new assays, troubleshooting anomalous results, and implementing corrective action plans to improve lab reliability.
Prepare and ship diagnostic samples and reagents to external reference laboratories, complete required paperwork and shipping manifests, and ensure compliance with infectious substance transportation regulations.
Maintain clean, organized clinical and laboratory workspaces by executing routine cleaning, sterilization, autoclaving of instruments, and documenting environmental monitoring where required.
Coordinate referrals and specialty appointments by communicating patient history and diagnostic results to external specialists, and facilitate seamless transfer or follow-up care.
Participate in continuing education and professional development activities, maintain certifications and licensing requirements, and incorporate new evidence-based practices into daily workflows.
Support vaccination clinics, community outreach and preventative health programs by planning logistics, documenting outcomes, and providing on-site technical support.

Secondary Functions

Support departmental reporting by compiling diagnostic volumes, turnaround times, and quality metrics for management review.
Contribute to the development and refinement of SOPs, safety manuals and training materials for clinical and laboratory operations.
Assist with basic IT troubleshooting for clinic and laboratory equipment, coordinate with vendors and IT support for software upgrades and LIMS integration.
Participate in cross-functional projects such as facility upgrades, accreditation preparation, and process-improvement initiatives.
Provide after-hours on-call technical support for urgent sample processing or field sampling events when required.
Assist with public communications and educational materials related to animal health campaigns, vaccination drives, and disease prevention.
Help manage billing codes and sample fee tracking with administrative staff to ensure accurate invoicing for tests and services.
Support inventory audits and supplier evaluations to improve cost control and supply chain reliability.
Contribute to animal enrichment and welfare programs to reduce stress during hospitalization or handling.
Participate in benchmarking activities with partner clinics and laboratories to share best practices and continuous improvement.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Clinical sample collection and handling (venipuncture, catheterization, lavage, swabs, fecal sampling).
Diagnostic laboratory techniques: microscopy, hematology and chemistry analyzers, ELISA, culture preparation, PCR setup and nucleic acid extraction.
Proficiency with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and electronic medical records (EMR/EHR) for sample accessioning and result entry.
Anesthesia and surgical monitoring skills, including drug calculations, intubation, and interpretation of monitoring devices (ECG, pulse oximetry, capnography).
Radiography positioning and basic image acquisition with adherence to radiation safety practices.
Aseptic technique, sterilization (autoclave), and instrument processing.
Biosecurity, biosafety level practices and hazardous materials handling (OSHA, WHMIS, or local equivalent).
Vaccine handling and cold-chain management, including storage, thawing and administration protocols.
Necropsy assistance and tissue sampling for histopathology and microbiology.
Data recording, quality control documentation, specimen shipping and regulatory compliance (transport of infectious substances).
Basic laboratory troubleshooting, equipment calibration and preventive maintenance.
Field sampling logistics, herd/flock health assessment and on-farm biosecurity implementation.
Familiarity with relevant legislation and guidelines for animal welfare, euthanasia, and recordkeeping.

Soft Skills

Clear, compassionate client communication with the ability to explain complex diagnostic results and care plans.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy for lab protocols, recordkeeping and medication administration.
Critical thinking and problem-solving under pressure for triage, sample troubleshooting and unexpected lab results.
Teamwork and collaboration across veterinary, laboratory and public health teams.
Time management and prioritization to handle fluctuating caseloads and urgent diagnostics.
Emotional resilience and empathy when dealing with stressed clients, sick animals, and euthanasia situations.
Instructional and mentoring abilities for training students and junior staff.
Adaptability to fieldwork conditions, mobile clinics and changing workflows.
Professionalism and ethical judgment in handling confidential client and patient information.
Initiative in continuous learning and applying evidence-based practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Diploma or certificate in Veterinary Technology, Animal Health Technology, Veterinary Technician program, or equivalent accredited qualification.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's degree in Veterinary Technology, Animal Science, Microbiology, or related life sciences.
Registration or credentialing as a Veterinary Technologist/Technician where applicable (RVT, CVT, etc.).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Veterinary Technology / Veterinary Nursing
Animal Science / Animal Health
Biology, Microbiology, or Biomedical Sciences
Agricultural Science with emphasis on livestock health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of hands-on experience in a veterinary clinic, diagnostic laboratory, animal shelter, or field- based animal health program.

Preferred:

3+ years experience in diagnostic lab testing, veterinary surgical assistance, or field disease surveillance.
Experience with LIMS, PCR workflows, and herd-health or public health campaigns is a strong asset.
Previous experience in livestock/farm visits, outbreak response or research-study support considered highly desirable.