You know who they are: the warmhearted, confident nurse who treats you and your pet with kindness and respect - even though Tigger may be on his worst behavior.

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America proclaims the third week in October as National Veterinary Technician Week. The week promotes the profession and celebrates its contributions to the veterinary health care team.

Vet techs are essentially the heart of animal health care - a veterinarian's ``right arm,'' so to speak. Their primary responsibilities typically involve animal nursing, administering medications, assisting in surgery, taking radiographs or X-rays, monitoring of anesthesia, hospital management and lab work.

Focus Is On The Animal

Depending on the size of a veterinary practice, techs may have specialized duties or be a jack-of-all-trades who runs a front office, answers phones or cleans up patient ``puddles.''

In addition to working in a vet hospital, techs can be found in animal shelters, biomedical research, the military, sales and education.

Brenda Fulcher, a lifelong animal lover, needed a career change from her desk job seven years ago. She considered becoming a veterinarian but was attracted to the technician profession because it offered more of what she desired.

``Vet techs spend more time working hands-on with animals. The focus is on nursing and spending time with animals that need your care,'' she says.

Also, less education and related costs are required compared with those for becoming a veterinarian. A certified vet tech must earn a two-year associate degree (some colleges offer four-year degrees).

St. Petersburg College offers the certification course at its Health Education Center in Pinellas Park. For information, call (727) 341-3687 or go online to www.spcollege.edu/hec/vettech/vt1.html.

``It takes more than a love for animals to work in this field,'' Fulcher says. ``You have to be passionate about the job, willing to work flexible schedules and be prepared to handle the happy side and the tragic side of the business.''

Rewards And Stress

Fulcher is the intensive-care unit nursing supervisor and blood-donor program coordinator at Florida Veterinary Specialists in Tampa. She works 12-hour shifts and monitors the most critical cases. On a given day, her patients may include pets with liver or renal failure, bleeding disorders or heat stroke.

``There's nothing more rewarding than watching a pet go back home with its family after coming in with a bleak prognosis,'' Fulcher says.

But those happy endings are just one side of a tech's day. The emotional side is intense.

``It's possibly higher than in human medicine,'' she says.

Studies show the associated stress and tension are similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.

``We see a lot of very sad cases,'' Fulcher says. ``The toughest are the ones where neglect or lack of finances play a role.''

Sometimes there are medical options that may save a pet's life, but pet owners can't afford them. Unless owners have pet health insurance, there is no third party to step in to pay the costs.

Vet techs usually work at a primary care or family vet hospital, where animals are taken for annual exams, vaccinations and routine procedures. These technicians have diverse duties that range from exams, blood work and dispensing medicine to offering advice on behavioral issues.

Because of their natural desire to care for animals, technicians often are involved in local animal rescue organizations or foster pet programs.

Fulcher says it would be difficult to find a vet tech who doesn't have a host of pets at home that ``no one else wanted.'' She has ``several'' dogs, cats and guinea pigs.

Details on the profession are available from the national association, (765) 742-2216 or www.navta.net, or the Florida Veterinary Technicians Association, 1-866-444-3882 or www.fvta.net.