I am an ACA - Animal Care Assistant AMA

[stayingontop]

I am an ACA at our local vets, ask me anything lol x

What's an ACA? How do you become one?

We support a veterinary nurse with the overnight care of animals.
There are ACA courses x

What animals do you mostly look after? Is it dogs and cats? And are you doing this in order to progress to becoming a nurse/vet? Do you have any pets?

We have a hoard of bunnies lol, may become a veterinary nurse one day but children are too young at the moment, hence why working nights is good.
We usually have cats and dogs, but also have a lot of bunnies and some wildlife too x

Do you see a lot of cats involved in RTA's?

When you say there are ACA courses, are these different from City & Guilds Animal Care L2 & Animal Management L3?

Are jobs really hard to get like in zoos, or more available?

Do you deal with the owners too or just the animals?

What is the most unusual animal you have cared for?

@dizzyrabbit

Do you see a lot of cats involved in RTA's?

Sadly yes, the hardest ones are the ones that come in as a stray (still alive) and if not microchipped we need to try and find the owner. Obviously pain medication and oxygen is given immediately. X

Do you have any animals yourself?

@TeenMinusTests

When you say there are ACA courses, are these different from City & Guilds Animal Care L2 & Animal Management L3?

Are jobs really hard to get like in zoos, or more available?

Do you deal with the owners too or just the animals?

What is the most unusual animal you have cared for?

The course for an animal care assistant is slightly different, as in you should have a placement at a vets, rather than just going to college. The course is called Level 2 Diploma for Veterinary Care Assistants (VCA) I think jobs are harder to get at a zoo as there are not as many as vets, it is interesting though as I think you either want to work with small animals/horses/farm animals or exotics. Usually people don't want to do all of them and specialise in something specific. At college I had a breeding programme with Bearded Dragons. I did love that lol x

And sorry yes we deal with the owners too.
Some of the pets we look after are critical and we always ask if they would like to be contacted in the night if they go down hill. It is a rewarding, but often sad job too x

staying Thank you (DD is hopefully about to start an Animal Care course )

We have recently had a very poorly cat and ended up having concerns about the trratment he was getting so reluctantly changed vets. Our new vet has been very careful about what they say but we are increasingly starting to think that the old vet was negligent and has potentially caused long term damage. Is there any come back on vets for this or a way of getting it independently looked at? Happy to pm you some details if it helps. Thanks in advance xx

What has been your absolute favourite moment so far?

@TeaChocKitKat

We have recently had a very poorly cat and ended up having concerns about the trratment he was getting so reluctantly changed vets. Our new vet has been very careful about what they say but we are increasingly starting to think that the old vet was negligent and has potentially caused long term damage. Is there any come back on vets for this or a way of getting it independently looked at? Happy to pm you some details if it helps. Thanks in advance xx

Yes you can actually contact the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and they have a responsibility to investigate concerns raised x

@XenoBitch

What has been your absolute favourite moment so far?

Being there when a doggo has a c section and then making sure the pups are independently breathing. It was absolutely amazing

Being there when a doggo has a c section and then making sure the pups are independently breathing. It was absolutely amazing

Aw, wow! That does sound amazing! Was it a breed that often struggles with natural births?

Was it easy to find a job once you had passed your course?

I’m currently doing my veterinary care course and working part time at pets at home so I’m hoping that will help me.