Position Overview
Southpaw Veterinary Clinic and Emergency Care is seeking a skilled, motivated Veterinary Technician to join our urgent care and emergency team with a primary focus on hospitalized patient care.
This position is ideal for a technician who enjoys hands-on medicine, critical care, and inpatient management while maintaining a limited client-facing role. You will play a vital role in monitoring, treating, and supporting hospitalized dogs, cats, and exotic patients, ensuring continuity of care and high medical standards throughout their stay.
Key Responsibilities Patient Monitoring & Nursing Care
- Monitor hospitalized canine, feline, and exotic patients
- Record and interpret vital parameters (TPR, pain score, mentation, oxygenation)
- Identify and communicate changes in patient status promptly to the medical team
- Maintain accurate, detailed medical records
Medical Treatments & Procedures
- Administer medications (IV, IM, SQ, PO) as prescribed
- Maintain and troubleshoot intravenous catheters, including long-term IV care
- Perform and manage urinary catheter placement and maintenance
- Set up and monitor fluid therapy (including infusion pumps)
- Perform bandage changes, wound care, and basic nursing procedures
Diagnostics
- Collect samples (blood, urine, cytology)
- Run and interpret in-house diagnostics (CBC, chemistry, urinalysis, etc.)
- Assist veterinarians with additional diagnostic procedures
Hospital & ICU Support
- Assist with oxygen therapy (oxygen kennels, nasal cannulas, monitoring)
- Maintain a clean, organized treatment and ICU environment
- Follow strict sanitation and infection control protocols
- Support emergency and critical care cases as needed
Client Communication (Limited Role)
- Provide phone updates to owners regarding patient status
- Assist with discharge of hospitalized patients, including reviewing medications and care instructions
Qualifications
- Credentialed Veterinary Technician (CVT, LVT, RVT) preferred
- Experienced veterinary assistants with strong technical skills will be considered
- 1–2+ years of clinical experience (ER, ICU, or urgent care preferred)
- Experience with hospitalized or critical patients strongly preferred
- Comfort handling dogs, cats, and exotic species
Required Skills
- Strong technical proficiency (venipuncture, catheter placement, medication administration)
- Ability to assess and monitor critically ill patients
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
- Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment
- Calm, professional demeanor under pressure
- Team-oriented mindset with strong communication skills
Work Environment
- Fast-paced urgent care and emergency setting
- Primary focus on treatment area and inpatient care
- Collaborative, supportive team culture
- Exposure to a wide range of medical and surgical cases, including emergency and critical care
Schedule & Benefits
- Full-time and part-time positions available
- Flexible schedules, including Day, Evening, and Weekend positions
- Competitive compensation
Benefits include:
- Health/Vision/Dental/Life insurance
- Continuing education (CE) allowance
- 401k with employer matching
- Scrub allowance
- Employee pet care discounts
- Opportunities for skill advancement in emergency and critical care
Why Join Southpaw Veterinary Clinic and Emergency Care?
At Southpaw, we are committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate emergency care while fostering a team-focused, supportive work environment. This role is perfect for technicians who want to deepen their skills in hospitalized and critical patient care and make a direct impact on patient outcomes—without a heavy front-facing client workload.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: $28.00 - $32.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- License reimbursement
- Life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
