Not sure what to get your favorite veterinary technician in your life? Here, the top 10 gifts that they’ll love (Vet techs, feel free to forward this to your boss, colleagues or family members! Drop the hint.)

1. Coffee. Seriously, to keep up with all the craziness in the veterinary hospital, caffeine is a must.

2. Good bandage scissors These are multi color rainbow, so you know who stole them from you also.

3. Dansko clogs OK, these are pricey. And likely way out of budget for the crappy $15 hourly rate that veterinary technicians make. So this gift is an awesome splurge for the vet tech in your life. Because after running around the clinic for 12-16 hours a day, their feet really hurt.

4. The card game Exploding Kittens. Because when your vet tech isn’t exhausted, they need a fun way to blow off steam.

5. A Stethoscope Watch. Since people hardly wear watches anymore, it’s really helpful to have a second-hand on a watch face… especially when this one can attach to the stethoscope (You have to remove your stethoscope tubing to get this one on). But it’s super helpful for obtaining heart rates and respiratory rates!

6. Some free healthy meals. Seriously, how many vet techs have time to cook? Consider getting them a gift certificate to Blue Apron or something similar.

7. A VETgirl continuing education subscription. Seriously. If you boss isn’t sending you to conferences, drop the hint that the $269/year for 40+ hours of RACE-approved online CE is worth it. Because you’re worth it (BTW, vet techs get 30% off with proof of being a vet tech here!).

8. A well balanced – but concise – veterinary textbook like The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult.

9. A raise. Or bonus. For real. You know your vet tech is your right – and left – hand. You couldn’t do your job half as well without them. So how about giving them a liveable wage? Too many of my favorite, best technicians have left the field to go to human nursing for a better salary (Wait. Don’t they know that humans are gross?). In the least, how about a few hundred to thousand as a bonus? They’ll take an Amazon gift card too.

10. A nice Littmann stethoscope. (#ad) Most of the stethoscopes I see on the necks of techs need a major revamp. Or to be donated to parvo ward. Help improve your quality of care in your clinic by giving your tech a really nice stethoscope.

Pay it forward. Give your techs a gift they’ll really love.

Any other gifts you’d want? Comment below!

And with that, a happy holiday to all…

  1. “A Stethoscope Watch. Since people hardly wear watches anymore” Call me a luddite it you wish, but I rely on my wrist watch 50 times/day (TPR, glucose measurements, anesthetic monitoring, SNAP tests, etc.). I have the alarm set to vibrate, so it doesn’t bother other people and it makes me a LOT more efficient!

  2. A certificate for a massage is always welcome. Goodness knows after all the bending, lifting, crouching, and standing during the day, more than a few muscle groups tend to protest.

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