Animal Health Technician

Class Specifications – I.10
Animal Health Technician IV – 9534
Animal Health Technician III – 9535
Animal Health Technician II – 9536
Animal Health Technician I – 9537

December, 1978

Series Concept

Animal Health Technicians perform or supervise technical paraveterinary health care procedures, standard nursing activities, and provide diagnostic services and related research support. The series includes those positions that supervise clinical and/or diagnostic units directly supporting facilities related to the collection and handling, housing and disposition, and care and treatment of a wide variety of animals as well as those positions that are involved with technical work directly related to the quarantine and isolation, evaluation and examination, prophylaxis and treatment of hospitalized animals and animals used for teaching and research.

Animal Health Technicians may as ancillary duties install, operate, and maintain specialized instruments and equipment; perform clinical laboratory work in facilities not large or specialized enough to have full-time laboratory technicians; and participate or assist in teaching activities, such as, working with faculty in presenting, developing, or modifying portions of course material, demonstrating procedures, discussing animal health care procedures, and providing technical supervision to students and other animal associated personnel during assigned periods.

The levels within the series are dependent upon the degree of health care, administrative, and supervisory responsibilities assigned to the incumbent.

Class Concepts

Animal Health Technician IV

Under direction, incumbents are assigned major administrative responsibility for technical health care procedures. Such positions might be found in a clinical, diagnostic, research or campus-wide facility. A typical supervisory position at this level is assigned responsibility in a clinical setting for the supervision of seven or more animal health care personnel and for coordinating the related activities of a wide variety of personnel (10-20 staff personnel or 20-40 students) who use the service or facility.

A typical non-supervisory position at this level is responsible to the Laboratory Animal Veterinarian at a campus with a large and varied laboratory animal population for administratively overseeing the campus’ animal care and health practices, the screening of all incoming animals, the campus’ diagnostic and disease control practices, and overall compliance with animal welfare standards.

Animal Health Technician III

Under general supervision, incumbents are assigned supervisory responsibilities for three to eight Animal Health Technicians or associated animal care personnel; or are assigned a major technical-administrative responsibility above that associated with nursing care, animal diagnostic and laboratory animal research services.

Examples of the latter are a position in a major, large animal surgery unit with responsibility for asepsis, scheduling, restraining, anesthesia, and the coordination of all activities of other Animal Health Technicians assisting in the facility; and an Animal Health Technician in an animal diagnostic research laboratory performing technical research and laboratory procedures, coordinating other Animal Health Technicians and related animal care personnel, student associated activities, and other levels of highly technical unsupervised services.

Animal Health Technician II

This is the operational or journeylevel of the series. Under supervision, incumbents perform standard paraveterinary health care procedures. Typical assignments include the performance of (a) a wide variety of standard, repetitive procedures within one clinical or diagnostic specialty; or (b) a limited variety of highly specialized procedures, or of non-standard procedures requiring ingenuity, resourcefulness, and adaptability; and/or (c) diagnostic services on a wide variety of animals.

Procedures are typically performed without detailed technical supervision, usually in a clinical or laboratory animal setting. Positions at this level are typically non-supervisory. They may, however, include lead responsibility for a small clinical laboratory, animal research or animal diagnostic area, with at least one Animal Health Technician I or a group of Laboratory Assistants, or associated Animal Technicians permanently assigned.

Such responsibility typically includes ordering supplies and equipment and insuring proper operation and maintenance of clinical equipment and performing routine animal research and diagnostic procedures. Incumbents may participate in teaching activities by demonstrating techniques or procedures or otherwise assisting faculty and students.

Examples of duties found at this level include performing daily observations of colonies/wards for signs of illness and to follow-up on sick calls; performing gross necropsies to detect abnormal situations; administering gaseous anesthetics and IV fluids; monitoring the effectiveness of medication programs; performing routine physical examinations; applying tourniquets and/or pressure bandages to control hemorrhage; administering pharmacologic agents to prevent or control shock; performing resuscitative oxygen procedures; establishing open airways including intubation appliances; applying temporary splints or bandages; applying wound dressings and external supportive treatment in severe injury cases; recording vital and necessary information pertinent to sick or injured animals; drawing venous blood and inserting indwelling catheters; catheterizing the urinary bladder; performing parenteral injections; intubation and introduction of fluids; collecting and administering whole blood or plasma; taking electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram tracings under anesthesia or sedation; performing routine urine and fecal analysis; taking and preparing skin scrapings for microscopic examination; performing routine laboratory procedures including hematology, parasitology, microbiology, serology, and chemistry; loading cassettes, developing and exposing X-ray film; preparing animal patients for surgery including clipping, scrubbing, and disinfecting the operative site, as well as sterilizing drapes, gowns, gloves, instruments, etc.; scheduling and assisting in surgery; preparing medicaments for dispensing; recording all drugs and procedures prescribed and actually performed on animals in individual case (or animal) records; maintaining surgery, x-ray, and laboratory logs; maintaining pharmacy records; performing nursing duties relative to critical care animal patients including the administration of parenteral fluids, the monitoring of the patients and the operation of ICU laboratory, and/or to patients whose condition (neurologic, cancer, etc.) requires specialized care and treatments; and informing clients or other responsible parties of the status of a hospitalized animal.

Animal Health Technician I

Under direct supervision, incumbents perform standard repetitive, technical health care procedures and/or receive training in the more difficult procedures usually requiring formal education or extensive experience in animal health care. The fields of work are generally those indicated in the Series Concept and further illustrated by the examples in the Class Concept for Animal Health Technician II. Continuing supervision over other staff personnel is not normally assigned. This is the entry level in the series. It is differentiated from Animal Health Technician II by the scope of assigned tasks and the close technical supervision received by incumbents.

Minimum Qualifications

Animal Health Technician IV

A baccalaureate degree in a basic science or health-related field plus four years of applicable experience; certification or eligibility for certification as a registered Animal Health Technician by the California State Board of Veterinary Examiners; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position

Animal Health Technician III

Completion of an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) or State of California approved two-year animal health technician curriculum plus four years of applicable experience; certification or eligibility for certification as a registered Animal Health Technician; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Animal Health Technician II

Graduation from an AVMA or State of California approved animal health technician program plus two years of applicable experience; certification or eligibility for certification as a registered Animal Health Technician; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.

Animal Health Technician I

Graduation from an AVMA or State of California approved animal health technician program; or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and knowledges and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.