Veterinarians care for the health of pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, racetracks, and laboratories. 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 our knowledge of animals and medical science, and in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge.
Most veterinarians 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.
According to the American Medical Veterinary Association, more than 70 percent of veterinarians who work in private medical practices 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, ferrets, 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, cattle, sheep, and some wild animals in addition to companion animals.
A small number of private-practice veterinarians work exclusively with large animals, mostly horses or cattle; 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 animals. These veterinarians test for and vaccinate against diseases and consult with farm or ranch owners and managers regarding animal production, feeding, and housing issues. They also treat and dress wounds, set fractures, and perform surgery, including cesarean sections on birthing animals. Other veterinarians care for zoo, aquarium, or laboratory animals. Veterinarians of all types euthanize animals when necessary.
Veterinarians who treat animals use medical equipment such as stethoscopes, surgical instruments, and diagnostic equipment, including radiographic and ultrasound equipment. Veterinarians working in research use a full range of sophisticated laboratory equipment.
Veterinarians 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 and inspection. Veterinarians who are livestock inspectors, for example, check animals for transmissible diseases, such as E. coli, advise owners on the treatment of their animals, 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. More veterinarians are finding opportunities in food security as they ensure that the Nation has abundant and safe food supplies. Veterinarians involved in food security often work along the Nation's borders as animal and plant health inspectors, where they examine imports and exports of animal products to prevent disease here and in foreign countries. Many of these workers are employed by the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service division.
Work environment. Veterinarians in private or clinical practice often work long hours in a noisy indoor environment. Sometimes they have to deal with emotional or demanding pet owners. When working with animals that are frightened or in pain, veterinarians risk being bitten, kicked, or scratched.
Veterinarians in large-animal practice spend time driving between their office and farms or ranches. They work outdoors in all kinds of weather and may have to treat animals or perform surgery, under unsanitary conditions.
Veterinarians working in nonclinical areas, such as public health and research, have working conditions similar to those of other professionals in those lines of work. These veterinarians enjoy clean, well-lit offices or laboratories and spend much of their time dealing with people rather than animals.
Veterinarians often work long hours. Those in group practices may take turns being on call for evening, night, or weekend work; solo practitioners may work extended and weekend hours, responding to emergencies or squeezing in unexpected appointments.
| 1. | Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries. |
| 2. | Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery. |
| 3. | Inoculate animals against various diseases such as rabies and distemper. |
| 4. | Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis. |
| 5. | Operate diagnostic equipment such as radiographic and ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images. |
| 6. | Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, and general care necessary to promote health of animals. |
| 7. | Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans. |
| 8. | Train and supervise workers who handle and care for animals. |
| 9. | Provide care to a wide range of animals or specialize in a particular species, such as horses or exotic birds. |
| 10. | Euthanize animals. |
| 11. | Establish and conduct quarantine and testing procedures that prevent the spread of diseases to other animals or to humans, and that comply with applicable government regulations. |
| 12. | Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths. |
| 13. | Perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, accepting payments from clients, and maintaining business records. |
| 14. | Direct the overall operations of animal hospitals, clinics, or mobile services to farms. |
| 15. | Drive mobile clinic vans to farms so that health problems can be treated or prevented. |
| 16. | Specialize in a particular type of treatment such as dentistry, pathology, nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine. |
| 17. | Inspect and test horses, sheep, poultry, and other animals to detect the presence of communicable diseases. |
| 18. | Plan and execute animal nutrition and reproduction programs. |
| 19. | Research diseases to which animals could be susceptible. |
| 20. | Inspect animal housing facilities to determine their cleanliness and adequacy. |
| 21. | Determine the effects of drug therapies, antibiotics, or new surgical techniques by testing them on animals. |
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