Veterinarian
Quick Facts
What They Do
A Veterinarian provides medical care to animals. Diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries. Specializes in treating either pets and small domesticated animals, or large animals and livestock, or wild animals. May work on farms, in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, in animal shelters, or in hospitals or clinics that specialize in caring for animals. May inspect livestock used for food and check compliance with food safety regulations, or work in laboratories doing clinical research on animal and human diseases.
Core Tasks:
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
- Counsel clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
- Euthanize animals.
- Advise animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
- Attend lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.
- Train or supervise workers who handle or care for animals.
- Perform administrative or business management tasks, such as scheduling appointments, accepting payments from clients, budgeting, or maintaining business records.
- Plan or execute animal nutrition or reproduction programs.
- Conduct postmortem studies and analyses to determine the causes of animals' deaths.
What to expect as a Veterinarian
36% of people achieve this level of education.
See Veterinarian related courses on Tallo
7116 openings for Veterinarians
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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