Veterinarians

Veterinarians
Significant Points
* Veterinarians should love animals and be able to get along with their owners.
* Graduation from an accredited college of veterinary medicine and a Statelicense are required; admission to veterinary school is competitive.
* Job opportunities should be excellent.
* About 80 percent of veterinarians work in private practice.

Nature of theWork
Veterinarians diagnose and treat diseases and dysfunctions of animals. Specifically, they care for the health of pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, racetracks, and laboratories. Someveterinarians 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 ofanimals and medical science, and in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge.
Most veterinarians diagnose animal health problems, vaccinate against diseases, medicate animals sufferingfrom 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 VeterinaryAssociation, 77 percent of veterinarians who work in private medical practices treat pets. These practitioners usually care for dogs and cats but also treat birds, reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, and otheranimals that can be kept as pets. About 16 percent of veterinarians work in private mixed and food animal practices, where they see pigs, goats, cattle, sheep, and some wild animals in addition to farmanimals. A small proportion of private-practice veterinarians, about 6 percent, work exclusively with horses.
Veterinarians who work with food animals or horses usually drive to farms or ranches toprovide veterinary services for herds or individual animals. These veterinarians test for and vaccinate against diseases and consult with farm or ranch owners and managers regarding animal...