32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians

What this occupation covers

Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians provide technical support to veterinarians by caring for animals and assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health disorders. They are employed in veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, animal shelters, humane societies, zoos, animal research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and government. Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians who are supervisors are included in this unit group.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 12 main duties for this code.

• Provide nursing care and rehabilitation therapy for animals
• Handle, restrain and care for animals undergoing treatment and surgery
• Produce radiographs, collect and analyse samples and perform other laboratory tests to assist in diagnosis of animal health problems
• Assist veterinarian with animals before, during and following surgery by preparing surgical equipment, administering and monitoring anaesthetics and cleaning up after surgery
• Prepare and administer medications and vaccines under direction of a veterinarian
• Administer treatments as prescribed by a veterinarian
• Provide wound and bandage care
• Conduct specialized procedures such as animal identification and hoof trimming
• Educate and advise clients on animal health care including nutrition and home care
• Assist in laboratory research
• Perform routine animal dental procedures and assist veterinarians with animal dentistry
• May perform a variety of office management and clerical duties.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 12 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 65220 Pet groomers and animal care workers

Excluded from this code

• Pet groomers and animal care workers (See 65220 Pet groomers and animal care workers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

animal care technician · animal care technologist · animal health technician · animal health technician - agriculture · animal health technologist · animal health technologist supervisor · animal operating room attendant · laboratory animal technician · laboratory animal technologist · registered animal health technologist · registered animal health technologist (RAHT) · registered veterinary technician (RVT) · veterinarian assistant · veterinary laboratory technician · veterinary technician · veterinary technician supervisor · veterinary technologist

Employment requirements

• Completion of a two- or three-year animal health/veterinary technology college program is required.
• Successful completion of a national registration examination may be required in some employment settings.
• Registration with provincial animal health technologists' or veterinary technicians' associations is available, and is mandatory in some provinces.