Vet Tech Appreciation

It’s Vet Tech Appreciation Week

What is vet tech appreciation?

Vet Tech Appreciation Week, also called National Vet Tech Week, is an annual celebration of Veterinary Technicians. This awesome tradition started in 1993 by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians (NATVA) and is celebrated every year during the third week of October.

Veterinary professionals are the heroes of animals and the caretakers of our pets. Vet technicians play an enormous role in making sure our furry friends receive the care they need and their job is often stressful and demanding, both physically and emotionally. Vet techs often work long hours caring for our sick pets, cleaning their messes, and dealing with anxious, worried pet parents.

What Do Vet Techs Do?

Vet technicians support veterinarians in diagnostics and treatments for your pet. Their role might be considered similar to that of a nurse in human healthcare. Their responsibilities include:

• performing initial exams and taking vitals
• collecting medical history
• collecting specimens and drawing blood for labs
• performing lab work
• administering the medications or vaccines that your vet recommends
• taking x-rays

And one of the most important roles of vet techs: they educate the pet parents about their pet’s health and care.

With this, it’s important to have a good relationship with your vet tech. As pet parents, there are lots of questions you might have regarding your pet’s temperament, dental care, risk of illness and disease, pre-existing conditions, vaccinations, and more. Vet techs are essential not just for providing your pet with care when they’re sick on in for a checkup, but for answering the questions you may have.

It is for all of these reasons that Vet Tech Appreciation Week exists. So how do we show them we care?

Recognizing Your Vet Tech

Simply recognizing Veterinary Technicians and the important work they do is one way to show you appreciate them. If you’d like to do something more during their special week, consider the following suggestions:

• Bring coffee or a giftcard for coffee.

Everybody loves (and needs) coffee. Vet techs often work late, long hours and would certainly appreciate being treated to a cup or two of joe.

• Drop off a handwritten note.

Nothing is sweeter than writing a card or note to show you’re thinking of someone and to give thanks. Everyone loves a cute card with a kind message.

• Give a giftcard to a local store or Amazon.

Let your vet tech treat themselves to a gift of their choosing.

• Drop off a plant to the vet techs in your vet’s office.

A lush green plant is always a welcome addition to any office space. And everytime they see it, they’ll think of you and your pet.

Vet Tech Appreciation Week is an opportunity for us to recognize the important work that these animal lovers do.