Veterinary Assistant, Large Animal Hospitals

We are seeking a Veterinary Assistant to join our Large Animal Hospitals at the College of Veterinary Medicine. This position will split time between both the Equine and the Food Animal Hospitals, providing support to both teams. You will impact a wide range of clients, including food animal producers, hobby farmers, pet farm animal owners, and both large- and small-scale equine owners. Clients bring their animals for preventative care, internal medicine, reproductive care, surgery, and emergency care. Our facility is a regional center for animal health care, equipped with sophisticated therapeutic equipment, advanced imaging, and groundbreaking equine lameness diagnostic methods.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the clinic is kept neat, sanitary, and orderly.
• Supervise safe unloading, loading, and handling of patients to minimize injuries.
• Assist faculty with research projects, including treatments, technical procedures, and record-keeping.
• Supervise professional students in teaching laboratories.
• Manage record-keeping for whole herd tests and coordinate sample submissions to internal and external laboratories.
• Maintain records of routine vaccinations and testing procedures during on-farm visits.
• Oversee instruments and supplies, ensuring sterility, proper rotation, and adequate stock.
• Order surgical, medical, obstetrical, and research supplies.
• Maintain invoices and financial records in accordance with university fiscal policies.
• Conduct weekly inventory of medication in the clinic and on ambulatory vehicles.
• Maintain laboratory equipment (e.g., centrifuges, refractometers, blood chemistry analyzers).
• Coordinate shadowing requests from pre-vet students.
• Other duties as assigned.

Schedule

• Full-time, 40 hours per week.
• Normal hours: Monday through Friday, daytime.
• Participation in an on-call rotation for evening and weekend emergency calls.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent experience.
• Prior experience handling and working around equines, food, or other large animals is required.
• Prior experience in a veterinary setting is highly desirable but not required.

Skills

• Excellent communication and ability to interact with clients, owners, referring veterinarians, and hospital staff.
• Strong team orientation and willingness to work in a collaborative environment.
• Understanding of animal behavior and clinical skills, or the ability to learn them.
• Detail-oriented and well-organized for medical histories, instructions, and record-keeping.
• Ability to comfort, handle, and restrain large and small food, farm, and equine animals.

Pay

Hiring at $16.00/hour.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Retirement benefits.
• Paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, and paid caregiver leave.
• Educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses.