Animal massage therapist to animal therapist
An animal massage therapist already meets 63% of what the animal therapist role asks for. Every required skill of the target role is already in the profile.
46.4/ 100
1 How much of what an animal therapist is expected to do is already part of an animal massage therapist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the animal therapist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An animal therapist role treats 20 of its required skills as things an animal massage therapist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise on animal welfare
- anatomy of animals
- animal behaviour
- animal welfare
- animal welfare legislation
- apply animal hygiene practices
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 22 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An animal therapist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an animal massage therapist background worth leading with.
- already held perform massage techniques on animals handling and moving
- already held assess the animal’s rehabilitation requirements information skills
- already held plan physical rehabilitation of animals handling and moving
- already held prepare animal therapy equipment handling and moving
- already held protect health and safety when handling animals assisting and caring
- already held manage animal welfare handling and moving
All 22 carried skills, including the 20 the animal therapist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 34 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- optional, not held assess animal behaviour optional
- optional, not held control animal movement optional
- optional, not held interact safely with animals optional
- optional, not held maintain animal accommodation hygienic optional
- optional, not held prescribe physical therapy to animals optional
- optional, not held provide animal training optional
- optional, not held provide osteopathic treatment to animals optional
- optional, not held select animals for training optional
- optional, not held understand the animal's situation optional
- optional, not held use animal chiropractic techniques optional
- optional, not held use physiotherapy for treatment of animals optional
- optional, not held advise on long-term care for animals optional
- optional, not held collaborate with animal related professionals optional
- optional, not held interview animal owners on animals' conditions optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held provide mentorship optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
- optional, not held assess animal nutrition optional
- optional, not held assess animal's condition optional
- optional, not held calculate rates per hours optional
- optional, not held maintain veterinary clinical records optional
- optional, not held take advantage of learning opportunities in veterinary science optional
- optional, not held apply numeracy skills optional
- optional, not held cope with challenging circumstances in the veterinary sector optional
- optional, not held design plans to address undesirable behaviour in animals optional
- optional, not held develop an animal handling strategy optional
- optional, not held make decisions regarding the animal's welfare optional
- optional, not held administer hydrotherapy optional
- optional, not held provide support to veterinary clients optional
- optional, not held treat animals ethically optional
- optional, not held animal production science optional
- optional, not held veterinary terminology optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 22 skills that carry over
- already held advise on animal welfare skill
- already held anatomy of animals knowledge
- already held animal behaviour knowledge
- already held animal welfare knowledge
- already held animal welfare legislation knowledge
- already held apply animal hygiene practices skill
- already held apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting skill
- already held assess the animal’s rehabilitation requirements skill
- already held biosecurity related to animals knowledge
- already held deal with challenging people skill
- already held environmental enrichment for animals knowledge
- already held handle veterinary emergencies skill
- already held manage animal biosecurity skill
- already held manage personal professional development skill
- already held monitor the welfare of animals skill
- already held physiology of animals knowledge
- already held plan physical rehabilitation of animals skill
- already held prepare animal therapy equipment skill
- already held protect health and safety when handling animals skill
- already held signs of animal illness knowledge
- already held manage animal welfare skill
- already held perform massage techniques on animals skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held assistive instruments optional
- optional, not held safe work practices in a veterinary setting optional
34 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held administer hydrotherapy optional
- optional, not held advise on long-term care for animals optional
- optional, not held animal production science optional
- optional, not held assess animal behaviour optional
- optional, not held assess animal nutrition optional
- optional, not held assess animal's condition optional
- optional, not held calculate rates per hours optional
- optional, not held collaborate with animal related professionals optional
- optional, not held control animal movement optional
- optional, not held cope with challenging circumstances in the veterinary sector optional
- optional, not held design plans to address undesirable behaviour in animals optional
- optional, not held develop an animal handling strategy optional
- optional, not held interact safely with animals optional
- optional, not held interview animal owners on animals' conditions optional
- optional, not held maintain animal accommodation hygienic optional
- optional, not held maintain veterinary clinical records optional
- optional, not held make decisions regarding the animal's welfare optional
- optional, not held prescribe physical therapy to animals optional
- optional, not held provide animal training optional
- optional, not held provide osteopathic treatment to animals optional
- optional, not held provide support to veterinary clients optional
- optional, not held safe work practices in a veterinary setting optional
- optional, not held select animals for training optional
- optional, not held take advantage of learning opportunities in veterinary science optional
- optional, not held treat animals ethically optional
- optional, not held understand the animal's situation optional
- optional, not held use animal chiropractic techniques optional
- optional, not held use physiotherapy for treatment of animals optional
- optional, not held veterinary terminology optional
- optional, not held apply numeracy skills optional
- optional, not held assistive instruments optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held provide mentorship optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
0 held skills the animal therapist role does not ask for
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held animal production science optional
- optional, not held safe work practices in a veterinary setting optional
- optional, not held veterinary terminology optional
- optional, not held assistive instruments optional
Common questions about this move
Can an animal massage therapist become an animal therapist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An animal massage therapist already covers 63% of what an animal therapist is expected to do: 22 skills carry over, 20 of which the animal therapist role treats as required.
What skills does an animal massage therapist need to become an animal therapist?
None of the animal therapist role's required skills are missing from an animal massage therapist profile. 34 optional skills are not yet covered.
How hard is the move from animal massage therapist to animal therapist?
Its learning distance is 46.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.