Vet technician livestock
Agriculture, environmental and animal care
Level 5 -
Carry out common husbandry and technical tasks for livestock.
Reference: OCC0946
Status:
SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 6129/08 Veterinary assistants
Technical Education Products
Employers involved in creating the standard:
AHDB Bishopton Veterinary Group Dove Vets Evolution Vets Harper/ Keel Vet school LLM Farm Vets Meadow Farm Vets and RCVS Paragon Veterinary Group Penbode Vets RABDF Reaseheath College Synergy Farm Health Tyndale Farm Veterinary Practice Westpoint Farm Vets Wood Veterinary Group XL Vets
Summary
This occupation is found in large animal livestock veterinary businesses. Veterinary Technicians (Vet Techs) typically undertake work on behalf of the practice on their clients’ premises, which are predominantly commercial Farms and smallholdings.
The veterinary practice can range in size from large multi-site operations to small independent employers.
Vet Tech’s work in line with relevant standards.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to carry out common husbandry and technical tasks that are generally in the interest of promoting the health and welfare of livestock or in the breeding of livestock. This may include vaccinations, mobility assessment, foot trimming, disbudding, and growth monitoring. Other tasks may be preparing livestock for procedures such as surgery or embryo transfer and assisting veterinary surgeons who are undertaking procedures, recording data, and handling semen or embryos.
The Vet Tech aids the Veterinary Surgeon (vet) to monitor and improve the health and welfare of livestock through preventative measures.
They help to deliver health plans and protocols to prevent health issues and diseases. They deliver treatment following a diagnosis carried out by a Veterinary Surgeon, and when agreed treatment protocols are in place.
A Vet Tech will typically collect data on incidences of certain health conditions. This will help when setting health and disease control plans, including livestock health and welfare checks in line with vet practice protocols. They work independently on client’s premises and carry out dynamic risk assessments.
They also conduct environmental assessments to find out areas that could be contributing to health and welfare issues. This could include housing, comfort/ ventilation, and walkways that could cause lameness.
A Vet Tech will not give advice or carry out treatment unless on an agreed protocol set out by the vet. Whilst on the farm, the Vet Tech can, with the agreement of the client, take non-intrusive samples to check for problems. Samples will be collected and either analysed in practice or sent off for further investigation to enable diagnosis of any condition. Any treatment would be discussed with the vet and a protocol set out for the livestock. The Vet Tech would be responsible for using the correct sample collection procedure and communicating information to the client’s vet. The Vet Tech may support the Vet in practice in collecting blood samples.
The Vet Tech often views onsite livestock conditions more regularly than the vet and they need to regularly communicate health and welfare matters to both the client and the vet.
The Vet Tech will report directly to a vet. In their daily work, they will also interact with practice administrative staff, other Vet Techs, vets, clients (farmers, enterprise managers, smallholders), and other agricultural professionals e.g. Nutritionists, Consultants, Animal and Horticulture Advisory Board (AHDB) staff. They may also be required to support and guide vet and agricultural students so will need to be able to work independently and as part of a team.
Livestock health and financial pressures can be stressful for clients. Vet Techs also observe the welfare of clients and report any concerns to the vet or vet practice vet responsible for the client/livestock so that help and support can be arranged. It is important that the Vet Tech maintains professional working relations as they will be responsible for full client confidentiality.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for scheduling their own workload and complying with vet practice protocols. They will be responsible for operating good biosecurity and maintaining equipment.
Employers involved in creating the standard:
AHDB Bishopton Veterinary Group Dove Vets Evolution Vets Harper/ Keel Vet school LLM Farm Vets Meadow Farm Vets and RCVS Paragon Veterinary Group Penbode Vets RABDF Reaseheath College Synergy Farm Health Tyndale Farm Veterinary Practice Westpoint Farm Vets Wood Veterinary Group XL Vets
Typical job titles include:
Keywords:
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
Duties
Duty D1
Communicate effectively using a variety of appropriate methods. Take account of the factors which affect working relationships between clients and practice colleagues.
Duty D2
Practise biosecurity to prevent transfer of pathogens between businesses premises and stock.
Duty D3
Handle livestock in a safe manner, adapting to the facilities, environment and type of stock to reduce stress and risk of injury to self and stock. Carry out dynamic risk assessments.
Duty D4
Carry out standard husbandry procedures and provide husbandry advice to clients where appropriate. This may include but is not limited to disbudding, foot trimming, body condition and mobility assessment.
Duty D5
Collect and digitally record and store data. Use software to prepare reports on data used to inform business and health care planning, and to meet regulatory requirements of medicine legislation.
Duty D6
Monitor and record signs of animal health and welfare issues, which may include but are not limited to lameness, feed intake, abnormal weight.
Duty D7
Administer preventative medicines under the direction of a qualified vet or as part of a pre-agreed healthcare plan. This may include but is not limited to medications such as vaccinations and parasite control.
Duty D8
Collect samples under the direction of a vet and prepare them to be sent for external lab testing and in-house testing where relevant. Use the results to inform health plans in conjunction with the vet.
Duty D9
Identify potential health and welfare issues across a range of livestock and environments. Provide advice to the client and vet to make improvements. Use the appropriate channels to report concerns.
Duty D10
Carry out environmental assessments and collect relevant data.
Duty D11
Assist the vet with additional duties as required, such as help with handling livestock during fertility routines or surgical procedures.
Duty D12
Liaise with outside organisations to promote collaborative approaches to enhance animal health & welfare.
Occupational Progression
This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.
In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.
It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.
Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.
Technical Occupations
Levels 2-3
Higher Technical Occupations
Levels 4-5
Professional Occupations
Levels 6-7
Agriculture, environmental and animal care