Top 12 Animal Care Technician Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the dynamic and rewarding field of animal care, technicians are pivotal in safeguarding health and comfort. A sharp, well-rounded skill set on your resume does more than fill space—it signals calm hands, quick judgment, and a fluent grasp of animal needs, from day-to-day routines to high-stakes moments.
Animal Care Technician Skills
- Veterinary Assistance
- Animal Nutrition
- Behavioral Observation
- Grooming Techniques
- Medication Administration
- Surgical Support
- Emergency Response
- Record Keeping
- Animal Restraint
- Laboratory Procedures
- Biosecurity Protocols
- ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System)
1. Veterinary Assistance
Veterinary assistance, for an Animal Care Technician, means hands-on support under veterinary direction: feeding, grooming, preparing animals and spaces, assisting with procedures, administering treatments, and monitoring recovery.
Why It's Important
It’s the backbone of daily care. Precise help enables early detection of problems, smooth procedures, and healthier animals that recover faster and stay well longer.
How to Improve Veterinary Assistance Skills
Build depth and speed without losing compassion:
Continuous education: Take ongoing courses and read credible veterinary references to stay current.
Hands-on experience: Volunteer or intern at clinics, shelters, and hospitals. Repetition builds confidence.
Soft skills: Sharpen communication, empathy, and client education. Clear explanations calm anxious owners and teams alike.
Certification: Consider the Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) credential from NAVTA to formalize your training.
Organization: Use checklists and task boards (Trello, Asana, or clinic software) to keep treatments and follow-ups airtight.
Professional networks: Engage with associations such as AALAS to learn, share, and grow.
Layer knowledge on top of repetition, and your support becomes smooth, safe, and trusted.
How to Display Veterinary Assistance Skills on Your Resume
2. Animal Nutrition
Animal nutrition covers the science and practice of feeding animals properly—matching nutrients to species, life stage, medical needs, and activity—so they grow, heal, and thrive.
Why It's Important
Good nutrition powers immunity, recovery, behavior, and longevity. Poor diets ripple into skin issues, gastrointestinal trouble, and preventable disease. Technicians who understand diets help prevent problems before they bite.
How to Improve Animal Nutrition Skills
Know species and life-stage needs: Use reputable veterinary manuals and clinical guidelines to tailor diets.
Prioritize quality feed: Select fresh, contaminant-free options; understand ingredient labels and nutrient profiles.
Monitor and adjust: Track weight, body condition score, stool quality, appetite, and lab results; tweak as needed.
Supplements with purpose: Add only when there’s a clear deficiency or medical indication, and document response.
Hydration first: Clean, accessible water at all times. More crucial than fancy additives.
Stay current: Follow professional organizations and nutrition societies for evidence-based updates.
How to Display Animal Nutrition Skills on Your Resume
3. Behavioral Observation
Behavioral observation is the structured watching and recording of animal actions and interactions to spot stress, illness, enrichment needs, and welfare concerns before they escalate.
Why It's Important
Behavior shifts whisper long before lab work shouts. Early, accurate observation prevents suffering and guides better care plans.
How to Improve Behavioral Observation Skills
Learn normal first: Study species-typical behavior using respected behavior societies and textbooks.
Use structured methods: Focal sampling, scan sampling, and ethograms reduce bias and sharpen insights.
Leverage technology: Video and mobile logging tools capture behavior without adding stress.
Analyze lightly, correctly: Basic stats and clear summaries help teams act on what you see.
Keep learning: Read applied animal behavior and welfare journals; attend workshops when possible.
How to Display Behavioral Observation Skills on Your Resume
4. Grooming Techniques
Grooming techniques include bathing, brushing, coat care, nail trims, ear cleaning, and skin checks—hygiene with a health lens.
Why It's Important
Good grooming prevents mats and infections, flags dermatologic or parasitic issues early, and keeps animals comfortable and calm.
How to Improve Grooming Techniques Skills
Study breed/species needs: Coat types, skin sensitivities, and risk factors vary widely.
Right tool, right job: Choose quality brushes, clippers, shampoos, and dryers suited to the animal.
Low-stress handling: Fear-reducing methods, desensitization, and calm positioning make everything safer.
Clean workflow: Sanitize stations and tools; separate clean and dirty zones to halt cross-contamination.
Seek feedback: Ask experienced groomers and technicians to critique your technique.
Workshops and credentials: Short courses and professional associations can sharpen skills fast.
How to Display Grooming Techniques Skills on Your Resume
5. Medication Administration
Medication administration means giving the right drug, dose, route, and timing—then documenting everything and watching for adverse effects.
Why It's Important
Treatments only work if delivered accurately. Precision here prevents harm and speeds recovery.
How to Improve Medication Administration Skills
Verify identity every time: Patient, species, and chart must match before you begin.
Know the drug: Purpose, contraindications, side effects, storage, and handling—review before dosing.
The Five Rights: Right patient, drug, dose, route, time. Say them out loud; check them twice.
Hygiene and asepsis: Hand hygiene, clean prep, and sterile technique where required.
Document immediately: Time, dose, route, lot numbers if applicable, and any reactions.
Keep learning: Use reputable veterinary references and professional networks (VIN, AVMA, Merck Veterinary Manual) to stay current.
Communicate clearly: In team settings, confirm who administers what and when to avoid duplication or omission.
How to Display Medication Administration Skills on Your Resume
6. Surgical Support
Surgical support spans pre-op prep, instrument sterilization, anesthesia monitoring under supervision, intraoperative assistance, and meticulous post-op care.
Why It's Important
Good support keeps procedures efficient and sterile, reduces complications, and shepherds animals safely through recovery.
How to Improve Surgical Support Skills
Expand your knowledge: Study current surgical protocols and lab animal standards (AALAS and similar resources).
Practice technical skills: Induction setup, monitoring, recovery checks, bandaging, and wound care—repetition matters.
Team communication: Closed-loop communication with veterinarians and techs prevents errors.
Sterility mastery: Understand sterilization, disinfection, and aseptic field maintenance in detail.
Stay organized: Track packs, expiration dates, and surgical schedules with a clear system.
How to Display Surgical Support Skills on Your Resume
7. Emergency Response
Emergency response is the rapid, composed action you take when an animal faces trauma, sudden illness, disaster, or environmental hazard.
Why It's Important
Seconds matter. Prepared technicians stabilize patients, prevent worsening injuries, and move cases to definitive care quickly.
How to Improve Emergency Response Skills
Keep skills fresh: Take regular CE on triage, CPR, shock, toxicities, and trauma stabilization (NAVTA, AVMA, and similar groups offer resources).
Know the plan: Memorize your facility’s emergency protocols for fire, evacuation, outbreak, and power loss.
First aid certifications: Pet first aid and CPR training (e.g., Red Cross, PetTech) add structure and speed.
Drills: Practice mock scenarios so real events feel familiar.
Equipment ready: Stocked first aid kits, oxygen, carriers, muzzles, leashes, and PPE at known locations.
Strong communication: Clear, concise updates to veterinarians, coworkers, and owners keep care coordinated.
How to Display Emergency Response Skills on Your Resume
8. Record Keeping
Record keeping means accurate, timely documentation of health observations, treatments, behavior notes, procedures, and outcomes—every animal, every time.
Why It's Important
Good records protect animals and teams. They enable continuity of care, compliance, audits, and meaningful trend tracking.
How to Improve Record Keeping Skills
Go digital when possible: Clinic software or platforms such as SmartFlow or VetBadger streamline entries and retrieval.
Standardize forms: Use shared templates and checklists; align with best practices (AZA and similar bodies publish guidance).
Train the team: Short, frequent refreshers reduce errors and improve consistency (universities such as Cornell offer helpful materials).
Audit routinely: Spot gaps early with monthly checks and corrective action.
Back up data: Automated backups and access controls keep records safe and available.
How to Display Record Keeping Skills on Your Resume
9. Animal Restraint
Animal restraint uses humane, low-stress techniques and tools to safely limit movement for exams, treatments, or transport—protecting animals and people.
Why It's Important
Proper restraint reduces injury, stress, and procedure time. Done well, it looks calm and almost effortless.
How to Improve Animal Restraint Skills
Read behavior: Species-specific signals and thresholds guide timing and approach (AVMA and behavior resources are useful).
Use the right equipment: Towels, muzzles, cat bags, slip leads, squeeze cages—match the tool to the context.
Low-stress methods: Incorporate Fear Free principles; reward calm and reduce triggers.
Ongoing training: Workshops and veterinary college resources help refine your technique.
Safety first: Follow OSHA-aligned safety practices; protect your hands, back, and posture.
How to Display Animal Restraint Skills on Your Resume
10. Laboratory Procedures
Laboratory procedures for technicians include animal care in lab settings, sample collection, equipment prep, basic assays under supervision, and unwavering attention to welfare and ethics.
Why It's Important
Reliable procedures produce reliable results. They also protect animals and staff through controlled, sterile, validated steps.
How to Improve Laboratory Procedures Skills
Standardize SOPs: Use clear, approved protocols; AALAS guidance can help ensure consistency.
Train and certify: Refresh techniques regularly; NIH OLAW resources support compliance and ethics.
Maintain equipment: Calibrate, clean, and log maintenance; apply CDC-style quality management practices.
Digitize records: Use ELN/LIMS tools (e.g., Labguru) for traceability and audits.
Prioritize welfare: Follow the Animal Welfare Act and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
Iterate with feedback: Review near-misses and improve processes continuously.
Safety compliance: Align with OSHA safety standards to protect teams and animals.
How to Display Laboratory Procedures Skills on Your Resume
11. Biosecurity Protocols
Biosecurity protocols are the guardrails that stop pathogens from entering, spreading, or leaving your facility—cleaning, PPE, traffic control, quarantine, and vigilant monitoring.
Why It's Important
They protect animals, staff, and the public. One weak link, and outbreaks travel fast.
How to Improve Biosecurity Protocols Skills
Train regularly: Update staff on procedures and changes; test understanding.
Hygiene and PPE: Handwashing, appropriate gloves, gowns, masks, and changing zones—all enforced.
Effective disinfection: Use the right agents, contact times, and schedules for surfaces and tools.
Controlled access: Limit entry, define clean/dirty pathways, and track who goes where.
Health monitoring: Daily checks; isolate newcomers and symptomatic animals immediately with clear quarantine rules.
Waste management: Segregate, contain, and dispose of waste safely; document everything.
Report quickly: Fast communication to veterinarians and leadership triggers timely containment.
How to Display Biosecurity Protocols Skills on Your Resume
12. ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System)
ZIMS is a cloud-based platform from Species360 used by zoos and aquariums to manage husbandry, medical records, population data, and conservation insights across institutions.
Why It's Important
It centralizes accurate records, supports evidence-based care, and enables collaboration that benefits individual animals and entire species programs.
How to Improve ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System) Skills
To sharpen your ZIMS skills as an Animal Care Technician:
Take ongoing training: Use official Species360 courses and refreshers to learn new features.
Enter clean data: Standardize names, codes, and measurements; audit records regularly.
Go mobile when appropriate: Use the ZIMS for Husbandry app to update records in real time.
Share feedback: Suggest improvements to administrators or Species360 based on daily workflows.
Learn from peers: Join user groups and professional communities that discuss ZIMS best practices.
How to Display ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System) Skills on Your Resume
