Veterinarians


Veterinarians play a major role in the healthcare of pets, livestock, and zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Some veterinarians use their skills to protect humans against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical research on human and animal health problems. Others work in basic research, broadening the scope of fundamental theoretical knowledge and, in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge.
Most veterinarians perform clinical work in private practices. More than one-half of these veterinarians predominately, or exclusively, treat small animals. Small-animal practitioners usually care for companion animals, such as dogs and cats, but also treat birds, reptiles, rabbits, and other animals that can be kept as pets. About one-fourth of all veterinarians work in mixed animal practices where they see pigs, goats, sheep, and some nondomestic animals, in addition to companion animals. Veterinarians in clinical practice diagnose animal health problems; vaccinate against diseases, such as distemper and rabies; medicate animals suffering from infections or illnesses; treat and dress wounds; set fractures; perform surgery; and advise owners about animal feeding, behavior, and breeding.
A small number of private practice veterinarians work exclusively with large animals, focusing mostly on horses or cows; some also care for various kinds of food animals. These veterinarians usually drive to farms or ranches to provide veterinary services for herds or individual animals. Much of this work involves preventive care to maintain the health of the food animals. These veterinarians test for and vaccinate against diseases and consult with farm or ranch owners and managers on animal production, feeding, and housing issues. They also treat and dress wounds, set fractures, and perform surgery—including cesarean sections on birthing animals. Veterinarians also euthanize animals when necessary. Other veterinarians care for zoo, aquarium, or laboratory animals.
Veterinarians who treat animals use medical equipment, such as stethoscopes; surgical instruments; and diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic and ultrasound equipment. Veterinarians working in research use a full range of sophisticated laboratory equipment.
Veterinarians can contribute to human as well as animal health. A number of veterinarians work with physicians and scientists as they research ways to prevent and treat various human health problems. For example, veterinarians contributed greatly in conquering malaria and yellow fever, solved the mystery of botulism, produced an anticoagulant used to treat some people with heart disease, and defined and developed surgical techniques for humans, such as hip and knee joint replacements and limb and organ transplants. Today, some determine the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics, or new surgical techniques by testing them on animals.
Some veterinarians are involved in food safety at various levels. Veterinarians who are livestock inspectors check animals for transmissible diseases, advise owners on treatment, and may quarantine animals. Veterinarians who are meat, poultry, or egg product inspectors examine slaughtering and processing plants, check live animals and carcasses for disease, and enforce government regulations regarding food purity and sanitation.

Related news articles
Veterinarian pleads no contest to killing Maine native - 16 Oct 2006
Boston Globe,SAN ANGELO, Texas --A veterinarian charged with killing her airman husband with drugs used to euthanize animals pleaded no contest Monday, then was found ...

Gene Bierhaus, prominent athlete, veterinarian and veteran of ... - Oct 13, 2006
Brainerd Daily Dispatch,Gene Bierhaus, a prominent Brainerd athlete, decorated World War II veteran and well-known veterinarian, passed away Wednesday at his home in Lake Shore at the ...

Karkala: Lightning Strikes Claiming Veterinarian Murari Bhandarkar ... - Oct 14, 2006
Daijiworld.com,Karkala, Oct 14: A veterinary surgeon of veterinary hospital at Kaup in Udupi taluk was killed after being struck by lightning at Belman near here on Friday ...

Veterinarian touts vasectomies for elephants - Oct 11, 2006
CTV.ca,AP. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- At Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, head veterinarian Mark Stetter demonstrates the 5-foot contraception tool for a procedure ...

Veterinarian: Don't just look at grades - Oct 10, 2006
Pryor Daily Times,POND CREEK, Okla. — Pond Creek veterinarian Harry James can ... James sees much of the veterinarian shortage problem starting from the academic process itself. ...

Veteran veterinarian: More should be done to draw new blood to ... - Oct 9, 2006
Enid News & Eagle,Veterinarian Harry James, of Pond Creek Veterinary Clinic & Supply, can tell people a few things about the critical shortage of rural veterinarians and what ...

How to give pills like a veteran veterinarian - Oct 11, 2006
Belleville News-Democrat,If for any reason you aren't able to accomplish this mission, call your veterinarian and ask for recommendations of different TREAT-ment aids and techniques ...

Search on for 'Veterinarian of the Year' - Oct 9, 2006
Monterey County Herald,By DR. MARTY BECKER. It's been said there's only one greatest veterinarian in America, and every family has them taking care of their pets. ...

Licenses Suspended for Modesto Veterinarian and Veterinary Clinic - Oct 12, 2006
California Department of Consumer Affairs (press release),Department of Consumer Affairs' Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) suspended the licenses of a Modesto veterinary clinic and its managing veterinarian as the ...

Adventures of a new veterinarian - Oct 10, 2006
Thoroughbred Times,...by Brent Kelley, DVM. MY STEPDAUGHTER is now a veterinarian employed by one of the major equine veterinary firms in Central Kentucky. ...

Talking pets Veterinarian, co-host discuss animal topics on radio ... - Oct 10, 2006
nwitimes.com,BY JEAN STARR. When veterinarian Randi Olson agreed to co-host "All About Animals" on WVLP 98.3 FM radio, her goal was to help people and their pets. ...

Bowie veterinarian to star in Neil Simon play in first stage ... - Oct 11, 2006
Business Gazette,Bowie veterinarian, Jim Murphy, stared at a casting call clipping he had put on his refrigerator for two weeks before deciding to take the plunge and audition ...

Houston City Council will pay fired veterinarian $875,000 - Oct 5, 2006
Houston Chronicle,The City Council on Wednesday agreed to pay $875,000 to a veterinarian who successfully sued the city, claiming he was a whistle-blower unfairly fired from his ...

Ozark Profile : Local veterinarian sees chance to make a ... - Oct 2, 2006
Northwest Arkansas Times,Her experience also includes a one-year stint with the Peace Corps working as a veterinarian in Morocco, mainly treating mother and baby sheep and goats that ...

Pet Misbehaving? Call a Veterinarian for Help - Oct 10, 2006
Yahoo! News (press release)They sought advice from friends, but they didn't know a veterinarian could help and were unaware there were board-certified veterinary behaviorists trained to ...

Cary veterinarian tells federal court lethal injection is cruel - Sep 27, 2006
WHNSA Cary veterinarian has told a federal court hearing in California that lethal injection is unconstitutionally cruel and that he wouldn't use it on animals. ...

Veterinarian says 10 dogs must be destroyed - Sep 19, 2006
DesMoinesRegister.com,Mason City, Ia. — A veterinarian says 10 dogs seized in a dogfighting case must be euthanized. Jeff Cornick, a veterinarian at ...






More information on Veterinarians from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Overview of Veterinarians occupation
Number of Veterinarians in the U.S.
Salary and earnings for Veterinarians
Working conditions for Veterinarians
Significant points for Veterinarians
Training requirements for Veterinarians




Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search
Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new