Wilder Animal Care | Signal Mountain, Tennessee
Full-time or part-time | Monday–Friday | No weekends
Welcome to Wilder Animal Care
We are not your average veterinary clinic—and we are perfectly comfortable with that.
Wilder Animal Care is an independently owned and owner-operated veterinary practice—not part of a corporate chain or private-equity group. Our owner works alongside the team, understands the realities of the day-to-day job, and can make decisions based on what is best for our patients, clients, and employees—not distant shareholders.
At Wilder Animal Care, we believe pets deserve exceptional medicine, clients deserve honesty and compassion, and veterinary professionals deserve a workplace they genuinely enjoy.
We think of ourselves as your other family doctor. We believe great veterinary medicine starts with great client relationships. We aim to build relationships that last for years. We celebrate new puppies and kittens, support families through difficult goodbyes, laugh together, and genuinely care about the people working beside us.
Veterinary medicine can be emotional, fast-paced, and unpredictable. It should also be meaningful, rewarding, and occasionally fun. Around here, you will find music playing, teammates stepping in to help, and perhaps a Nerf gun battle after an especially hectic day.
If that sounds like your kind of workplace, keep reading.
The Position
Wilder Animal Care is seeking a compassionate, capable Licensed Veterinary Medical Technician or Experienced Veterinary Assistant to join our team.
This position includes both hospital-based care and appointments with our house-call service. Flexibility, sound judgment, and comfort working in different environments are important.
One day may include anesthesia, surgery, dentistry, laboratory testing, and hospitalized patient care. Another may involve wellness care, diagnostics, chronic disease management, or supporting an elderly pet in the comfort of the client’s home.
Wherever we are, our goal remains the same: provide compassionate, high-quality veterinary care while treating each patient and client like our own.
What You’ll Do
Patient and Nursing Care
- Assist veterinarians with examinations, diagnostics, treatments, and medical procedures
- Obtain complete patient histories and perform technician assessments
- Safely handle and restrain patients of different sizes and temperaments
- Administer medications, vaccines, fluids, and prescribed treatments
- Perform venipuncture and collect laboratory samples
- Place and maintain IV catheters
- Calculate and administer medications as directed
- Monitor and provide nursing care for hospitalized patients
- Develop and carry out patient treatment plans under veterinarian supervision
- Recognize changes in patient condition and communicate concerns promptly
- Assist with urgent and emergency cases
- Support patients and families during end-of-life care
Anesthesia, Surgery, and Dentistry
- Prepare patients and equipment for surgery and dentistry
- Develop and carry out individualized anesthetic plans under veterinarian supervision
- Induce, monitor, and recover anesthetized patients
- Recognize anesthetic complications and respond appropriately
- Maintain complete anesthetic records
- Assist with soft-tissue, orthopedic, and other procedures
- Perform comprehensive oral health assessments and dental cleanings
- Obtain diagnostic dental radiographs
- Recover and monitor surgical and dental patients
- Calculate and administer perioperative medications as directed
- Clean, sterilize, and maintain surgical and dental instruments
Diagnostics
- Perform in-house laboratory testing
- Prepare and evaluate samples for microscopy, cytology, urinalysis, and other diagnostics within the role's scope of practice
- Obtain diagnostic radiographs, including dental radiographs
- Maintain radiation safety and proper positioning standards
- Assist with ultrasound procedures
- Ensure diagnostic samples are collected, labeled, processed, and documented correctly
- Maintain laboratory and diagnostic equipment
Client Education and Communication
Exceptional patient care requires excellent communication with people.
You will:
- Educate clients about medications, nutrition, preventive care, chronic disease management, and home treatments
- Review discharge instructions and confirm client understanding
- Communicate with empathy during both joyful and difficult appointments
- Provide technician appointments and follow-up communication as directed
- Answer client questions within the role's scope of practice
- Recognize when questions or concerns must be referred to a veterinarian
- Assist with phone calls, prescription requests, scheduling, check-in, and checkout when needed
- Help clients feel heard, respected, and supported
Medical Records and Hospital Operations
- Maintain accurate and complete medical records in EzyVet
- Document nursing assessments, treatments, anesthetic monitoring, and client communication
- Enter treatments and charges correctly
- Keep treatment, surgery, dentistry, laboratory, and exam areas clean and stocked
- Follow established safety, infection-control, and controlled-drug procedures
- Notice problems and help solve them
- Support coworkers during busy periods
- Help train and mentor veterinary assistants and less-experienced team members
- Continue developing your technical, leadership, and communication skills
We work collaboratively. Team members have primary roles, but no one ignores a ringing phone, a frightened patient, or an overwhelmed coworker simply because it falls outside their usual task list.
Our Hospital
We practice progressive, evidence-based medicine and are equipped for:
- Comprehensive in-house laboratory testing
- Microscopy and cytology
- Digital radiography
- Digital dental radiography
- Ultrasound
- Soft-tissue surgery
- Orthopedic surgery
- Dentistry
Our wellness recommendations follow current AAHA and AAFP guidelines.
Who Thrives Here
You are likely to enjoy working at Wilder Animal Care if you:
- Take pride in being a skilled veterinary nursing professional
- Genuinely enjoy helping both animals and people
- Remain calm and useful when the day gets busy
- Use sound judgment and recognize when a patient needs immediate attention
- Communicate clearly and respectfully
- Take initiative without needing constant direction
- Accept feedback and take responsibility for mistakes
- Enjoy collaborating closely with veterinarians and support staff
- Value accurate, thorough medical records
- Want to continue learning and expanding your skills
- Can laugh at yourself
- Believe kindness and accountability can coexist
This is probably not the right workplace for someone who avoids responsibility, resists feedback, consistently does the bare minimum, or prefers to work independently without helping the larger team.
We care deeply about our culture, and every team member affects it.
Qualifications
Applicants must:
- Demonstrate strong veterinary nursing and patient-monitoring skills
- Communicate professionally with clients, veterinarians, and coworkers
- Maintain accurate and timely medical records
- Safely handle dogs and cats of varying sizes and temperaments
- Be comfortable using computers and learning new software
- Be able to perform the physical responsibilities of a veterinary hospital position
Experience with anesthesia, dentistry, surgery, radiology, laboratory procedures, and EzyVet is preferred. However, we are willing to support the growth of a newer LVMT who has a strong foundation, good judgment, and a genuine desire to learn.
What We Expect From Every Team Member
Technical skills matter, but character matters just as much.
We expect every team member to:
- Show up dependable and ready to contribute
- Treat coworkers, clients, and patients with kindness and respect
- Communicate openly
- Ask questions when uncertain
- Take ownership of mistakes and learn from them
- Protect patient safety
- Complete work accurately and thoroughly
- Continue growing professionally
- Treat the role as a skilled and essential part of the medical team
And yes, the job also includes holding paws during euthanasia, celebrating puppy visits, getting covered in fur, finding treats in your scrub pockets, and being part of some of a family’s best—and hardest—days.
Schedule
Our clinic is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
No weekends. Yes, really.
Specific scheduling and the number of weekly hours will be discussed during the interview process.
Benefits
Benefits vary based on employment status and may include:
- Paid time off
- Birthday PTO
- Continuing-education allowance
- Uniform allowance
- Employer IRA contribution
- Generous personal-pet discounts
- Flexible scheduling
- Opportunities to work in both the clinic and on house calls
- Professional development and continued learning
- Supportive, accessible leadership
Sound Like Your Kind of Place?
If you are looking for a veterinary practice where excellent medicine, skilled veterinary nursing, teamwork, accountability, kindness, and laughter all matter, we would love to meet you.
Please submit your résumé along with a brief introduction describing:
- Your veterinary nursing experience
- Your current Tennessee licensure status
- Your preferred number of weekly hours
- Your general availability
- Why Wilder Animal Care interests you
Come join us at Wilder Animal Care.
Job types: Full-time, part-time
Work location: In person
Wilder Animal Care is an equal-opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic.
We are a women-led, LGBTQ+-friendly, age-inclusive workplace committed to welcoming employees from varied backgrounds and experiences.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: $16.00 - $19.00 per hour
Expected hours: 28.0 – 40.0 per week
Benefits:
- Continuing education credits
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Uniform allowance
Education:
Experience:
- Veterinary clinic: 1 year (Required)
- Customer service: 1 year (Required)
License/Certification:
- Veterinary Technician Certification (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Signal Mountain, TN 37377 (Required)
Work Location: In person
