The Kinds of Veterinarians
Veterinarians are an indispensable part of animal care. They are medical doctors who have devoted their career to the medical treatment of animals. The University of Illinois acknowledges that it is more difficult to get into a veterinarian degree program than one for human medicine, as there are only 29 universities with a veterinary science program and over 160 general medical schools. Each year about 2,500 students are accepted into veterinary medicine programs out of 15,000 applicants.
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Education
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A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is a four-year degree program with emphasis in organic, inorganic and bio-chemistry, micro-, cellular- and animal-biology, animal nutrition, vertebrate embryology and many more sciences. Advanced studies include diagnostics and treatment, surgery, lab work and anatomy. Experience working around animals is considered favorably in an applicant and acceptance into a program is highly competitive. As with all medical doctors a veterinarian must pass a state board examination and become certified.
Small Animals
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According to the U.S. Department of Labor the majority of veterinarians work in animal hospitals or clinics and care for pets. During a typical day they may see dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles and other small animals. They diagnose problems, give vaccinations, treat infections and illness, dress wounds and set fractures. and give advice to owners. A clinic or hospital usually has a small operating room, recuperating rooms, kennels, and a place where very ill pets can be put to sleep with dignity. They often have a small crematorium.
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Large Animals
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Some vets in rural communities also work with larger, farm animals. Their practice extends to sheep, pigs, horses, goats, fowls and other animals. Other veterinarians specialize in larger farm animal practice and generally never see pets. Every zoo has veterinarians who work with exotic animals that most other vets never see in a lifetime of practice. A zoo vet must be ready and knowledgeable to take on medical challenges from small animals such as lemurs and monkeys to larger apes, giraffes, hippos and elephants.
Specialties
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Veterinarians also specialize in areas such as pathology, radiology, epidemiology, dermatology, cardiology and oncology. Others work as livestock inspectors for food processing plants. Many labs that work on human-based products such as foods and medicines also use animals as part of the research, which requires veterinarians who understand that field. Because many diseases are jointly carried by both animals and humans, such as bird flu, public health veterinarians provide a needed service.
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