Dental Registered Veterinary Technician

PetVet Care Centers' Surfside Animal Hospital is currently seeking a Dental Registered Veterinary Technician to join their team!

We are seeking a Registered Veterinary Technician with extensive dental experience to join our team. We are a high-volume general practice in the heart of Oceanside, offering an alternate work-week schedule of four 10 hour days each week. As our dental guru, you will be responsible for training existing RVT's in dentals, as well as performing dentals regularly. The more you are willing to train, the better!

Because we want to provide our clients with the best dental experiences, we are offering a $3,000 sign on bonus for this position! Surfside is proud to be under new leadership, and is focusing on creating a culture of care for both our clients and team alike. If you're an RVT that loves to see patients, provide exceptional dentistry care and teaching others, apply today.

Position Overview

• The Veterinary Technician supports hospital operations by providing dedicated quality veterinary care and exceptional service to our patients and clients. Responsibilities include providing patient care by determining animal requirements, conducting examinations and diagnostic procedures, assisting during surgery and operations, providing nursing care, assisting with feeding and caring for patients, maintaining medical supplies and equipment, overseeing triage and discharging patients, and maintaining patient medical records.

Key Responsibilities

• Determine animal requirements by conducting examinations and interviews, reviewing care plans and records, completing laboratory tests and studies, and diagnostic imaging.
• Care for patients by taking vital signs, collecting samples, administering medications, drugs, and vaccines, and bandaging and wrapping wounds.
• Support patient examinations and operations by assembling required supplies and instruments, securing and bringing patients to examination rooms, and restraining patients; aids as directed by the veterinarian.
• Provide excellent pet care by applying full knowledge of anatomy, physiology, disease processes, pharmacology, specialized equipment usage, and specialized drug administration.
• Obtain and verify medications.
• Ensure that patients have food and water, clean patients' rooms, cages, and equipment; observe patients for clinical signs of disease.
• As directed, fill prescriptions and administer medications, including proper documentation, logging, and security of controlled drugs.
• Maintain a safe, secure, healthy, and humane environment by sterilizing and wrapping instruments, sanitizing and disinfecting holding and operating areas, storing sterile supplies, verifying shelf life, following standards and procedures, and in compliance with applicable legal regulations.
• Maintain medical records by documenting patients’ conditions, reactions, and changes; update the database in an accurate and timely manner.
• Communicate with the pet owner about the status of the patient, as directed by the veterinarian.
• Maintain equipment by following operating instructions, troubleshooting breakdowns, maintaining equipment supplies, performing preventive maintenance, and calling for repairs.
• Maintain inventory, place orders for needed supplies, verify, and maintain receipts.
• Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities and reading professional journals.
• Release pets to their owners as directed; ensure that every animal released is clean and properly groomed before their release.
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions.
• Perform other duties as assigned by Manager or practice.

Qualifications (Required)

• Must have a current RVT License in the state of California
• Must have 3 years of active canine and feline dentistry experience
• Perform and train others in dental cleanings, polishing, and intraoral radiographs.
• Perform and train others in nerve blocks.
• Perform gingival flaps, extractions using a high-speed drill, and suture extraction sites
• Assist with dental procedures and oral surgery.
• Teach existing RVT's and VA's dental radiology positioning, prophies, cleaning/polishing and monitoring.
• Discharge dental patients to owners, providing extensive insight on aftercare
• Assist veterinarians with a variety of emergency procedures and critical care situations.
• Monitor vitals, place catheters and take x-rays.
• Clean wounds and apply casts or bandages.
• Give injections and take blood samples.
• Knowledge of the preparation, monitoring, and recovery of pets receiving surgery, as well as basic pet nursing.
• Ability to demonstrate and follow correct procedures in catheter placement, phlebotomy, emergency medicine, and digital radiology.
• Understand and limit the potential exposure to bites, scratches, and potential injuries.
• Able to restrain patients according to standard procedures.
• Fill prescriptions and monitor sedation procedures as directed by the veterinarian.
• Ability to work with or around sick animals, potentially hazardous materials, cleaning chemicals, gas anesthetics, zoonotic diseases, and unpleasant odors.
• Display confidence and reassurance when dealing with pets experiencing severe stress, illness, or pain.
• Communicate and approach job duties in a professional and mature manner.
• This is a strenuous job that requires a lot of lifting, cleaning, and constant motion.
• Depending on the functional area of assignment, tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation and/or extended periods of time standing and/or walking.
• May include some climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.
• Some tasks involve the periodic performance of moderately physically demanding work, usually involving lifting or carrying moderately heavy animals (up to 50 pounds).
• Answer phones and perform other duties as needed by the hospital.
• Other duties and responsibilities asassigned by Manager or practice.

Preferred Skills (Nice to Have)

• Additional dental CE/training preferred.

Schedule

• Flexible for this position, as we would need 4 days weekly (10-hour shifts), but open to this being any of the 4 days Monday through Friday.

What We Offer
We care deeply about supporting our team members — professionally and personally. Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid Parental Leave (birth, adoption, foster)
• 401(k) with discretionary contribution
• Team Member Pet Discounts
• Emotional wellbeing support — including Calm app access and 24/7 EAP
• CE stipends and career development resources
• Grant Circle — a relief fund for team members facing personal hardship
• Local hospital culture backed by national resources