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A veterinary surgeon removes stitches from a cat's face following minor surgery on an abscess.

A veterinarian (North American English) or a veterinary surgeon (British English), often shortened to vet, is a physician for animals and a practitioner of veterinary medicine. The word comes from the Latin veterinae meaning "draught animals." The word "veterinarian" was first used in English by Thomas Browne (1605-1682). Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x826, 183 KB) Veterinary surgeon at work, removing stitches following minor surgery on an absess on cats face. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x826, 183 KB) Veterinary surgeon at work, removing stitches following minor surgery on an absess on cats face. ... North American English is a collective term used for the varieties of the English language that are spoken in the United States and Canada. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Veterinarian. ... British English (BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere in the Anglophone world. ... For other uses, see Doctor. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Veterinary medicine is the application of medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic principles to companion, domestic, exotic, wildlife, and production animals. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Sir Thomas Browne (October 19, 1605 – October 19, 1682) was an English author of varied works that disclose his wide learning in diverse fields including medicine, religion, science and the esoteric. ...

Overview

Although veterinarians in many countries may have been awarded with doctoral degrees and receive extensive training in veterinary medical practice, there are many career fields open to those with veterinary degrees other than clinical practice. Those that do work in clinical settings often practice medicine in a specific field, such as companion animal or "pet" medicine (small animals such as dog, cat, and pocket pets), production medicine or "livestock" medicine including specialties in dairy cattle, beef cattle, swine, sheep, and poultry, equine medicine (e.g. sport, race track, show, rodeo), laboratory animal medicine, reptile medicine, or ratite medicine. Veterinarians may choose to specialize in medical disciplines such as surgery, dermatology or internal medicine, after post-graduate training and certification. PET, see PET. A pet or companion animal is an animal that is kept by humans for companionship and enjoyment, rather than for economic reasons. ... This article is about animals kept for companionship. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... A race track (or racetrack), is a purpose-built facility for the conducting of races. ... A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. ... For other uses, see Rodeo (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Families Struthionidae (ostriches) Rheidae (rheas) Casuariidae (emus etc. ...

Some veterinarians pursue post-graduate training and enter research careers and have contributed many advances in many human and veterinary medical fields, including pharmacology and epidemiology. Research veterinarians were the first to isolate oncoviruses, Salmonella species, Brucella species, and various other pathogenic agents. Veterinarians were in the fore-front in the effort to suppress malaria and yellow fever in the United States, and a veterinarian was the first to note disease caused by West Nile Virus in New York zoo animals. Veterinarians determined the identity of the botulism disease-causing agent; produced an anticoagulant used to treat human heart disease; and developed surgical techniques for humans, such as hip-joint replacement, and limb and organ transplants. Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmakon (φάρμακον) meaning drug, and lego (λέγω) to tell (about)) is the study of how drugs interact with living organisms to produce a change in function. ... Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine. ... An oncovirus is a virus associated with cancer. ... Species S. bongori S. enterica This article is about the bacteria. ... Species B. abortus B. melitensis Brucella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. ... A pathogen (from Greek pathos, suffering/emotion, and gene, to give birth to), infectious agent, or more commonly germ, is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. ... Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites. ... Botulism (Latin, botulus, sausage) is a rare, but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. ... An anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation; that is, it stops blood from clotting. ... Heart disease is an umbrella term for a number of different diseases which affect the heart and as of 2007 it is the leading cause of death in the United States,[1] and England and Wales. ... “Surgeon” redirects here. ... This article is about modern humans. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A limb (from the Old English lim) is a jointed, or prehensile (as octopus tentacles or new world monkey tails), appendage of the human or animal body; a large or main branch of a tree; a representative, branch or member of a group or organization. ... This article is about the biological unit. ... Transplant redirects here. ...

Like physicians, veterinarians must make serious ethical decisions about their patients' care. For example, there is ongoing debate within the profession over the ethics of performing declawing of cats and docking or cropping tails and ears, as well as "debarking" dogs and in the housing of sows in gestation crates. Docking is used as a term for the intentional removal of part of an animals tail or ears. ... Debarking, or devocalization, is a controversial surgical procedure in dogs that many believe permanently stops a dog from barking by cutting its vocal cords or removing laryngeal tissue. ... These female brood sex sows are confined most of their lives in gestation crates too small to enable them to turn around. ...

Education and regulation

A veterinarian gives an injection to a goldfish

Prerequisites for admission include the undergraduate studies listed under veterinary medicine and extensive veterinary and other animal-related experience (typically about 1000 or more hours combined). In the United States the average veterinary medical student has an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and a GRE score of approximately 1350. Veterinary school lasts for four years just like human medicine programs, with at least one year being dedicated to clinical rotations. After completion of the national board examination, some newly-accredited veterinarians choose to pursue residencies or internships in certain (usually more competitive) fields. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Veterinary medicine is the application of medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic principles to companion, domestic, exotic, wildlife, and production animals. ... The Graduate Record Examination or GRE is a standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in English speaking countries. ...

There are some inconsistencies concerning the titles awarded upon completion of veterinary studies. US graduates are awarded either a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or the less common Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (VMD) degree, the latter if they are a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. In Great Britain and Ireland, a qualified veterinary surgeon holds a Bachelor's Degree (BVSc). In continental Europe and other regions adhering to the Bologna regulations of university education, the graduate is awarded a Master's Degree (MVM) that allows him/her to practice clinically. In these regions, the Doctorate (Dr. med. vet. or DVM) is a postgraduate title that requires the writing of an original scientific research dissertation. This can sometimes cause confusion when comparing the North American DVM title to the European DVM. A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... The purpose of the Bologna process (or Bologna accords) is to create the European higher education area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

There is some reciprocal international recognition of veterinary degrees. For example:

Veterinarians graduating from AVMA (North American accredited universities), (e.g. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Royal Veterinary College, Sydney, Massey, Murdoch, Melbourne, etc.) may work in the USA after passing the NAVLE, a veterinary licensing exam taken by all American veterinarians. Graduates from these Universities are granted a BVS or BVSc degree which has been accredited in the US and Canada and is entirely equivalent to the DVM and VMD degrees. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 73,000 US veterinarians working in academia, private and corporate practice, industry, government, and uniformed services. ... Master of Theology (MTh) Dentistry Nursing Affiliations Russell Group Universitas 21 Website http://www. ... The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, commonly referred to as the Dick Vet, is the veterinary school of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. ... The Royal Veterinary College is the oldest and largest veterinary school in the United Kingdom. ... The University of Sydney, established in Sydney in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia. ... Massey University (Māori: ) is New Zealands largest university with approximately 40,000 students. ... Murdoch University is a university with its main campus at Murdoch, 14 kilometres (9 mi) south of Perth, Western Australia, along South Street near the Kwinana Freeway ( ). It commenced operations as the states second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975. ... The University of Melbourne, is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. ...

Non-AVMA accredited university graduates must also sit a week long Clinical Proficiency Examination in order to work in the USA.

In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth nations, a veterinary surgeon is an animal practitioner regulated by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. This legislation restricts the treatment of animals in the UK to qualified veterinary surgeons only, with certain specific exceptions, including physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, under the supervision of a veterinary surgeon. Various alternative medicine therapies (such as homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine) can only be performed by a veterinary surgeon. The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2008. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Veterinarian. ... The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom. ... Physical therapy can help restore lost functionality in many people. ... Chiropractic (from Greek chiros and praktikos meaning done by hand) is a health care profession whose purpose is to diagnose and treat mechanical disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system with the intention of affecting the nervous system and improving health. ... This article is about a type of complementary medicine practiced worldwide. ... Homeopathic remedy Rhus toxicodendron, derived from poison ivy. ... Acupuncture chart from Hua Shou (fl. ... The term Herbalism refers to folk and traditional medicinal practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. ...

Career

In the United States veterinarians in private practice earn an average salary of $66,590 per year, while those working for the US government average $78,769 per year (2004 Bureau of Labor Statistics data). Dr. Morris reported several recent data from the American Veterinary Medical Association reports median earnings of $77,500-$98,500, for all types of private, public, and corporate veterinarians. Owning your own practice can bring in a much larger income anywhere from $200,000 up. Most veterinarians are paid based on production, rather than a straight salary, so earnings can vary based on type of practice, location of practice, and even the season of the year.

The economic outlook for newly graduated veterinarians is clouded by the high debt level carried by many graduates, as the cost of veterinary medical education rises. As in other medical fields, new veterinarians tend to concentrate in urbanized areas and economic competition is limiting post-graduate opportunities in private practice. On the other hand, veterinarians are able to set-up successful new practices in established markets by providing special services such as an emergency and critical care clinics for pets and mobile veterinary clinics or by obtaining advanced training and certification in specialty fields of medicine.

More than 3,800 veterinarians in the USA currently work at veterinary schools where they participate in research and teach vet students; teaching is another career path for a veterinarian. In education, teachers are those who teach students or pupils, often a course of study or a practical skill. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2006) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

There is some concern about the decreasing number of new veterinary graduates pursuing careers in the livestock industry. The majority of today's veterinary students grew up in urban or suburban areas, providing limited, if any, exposure to livestock medicine or farm animals prior to veterinary school. Livestock medicine, once based on serving many family farms such as those depicted in the James Herriot series, is getting increasingly specialized as farms are decreasing in number but increasing in individual size. Today's livestock veterinarian is more likely to work in a one-species discipline, perhaps as a full-time on-site veterinarian for one specific farm, than to work in the charming pastoral settings so common only one generation ago. This change in livestock medicine has brought vast improvements to the health and efficiency of food production. However, without regular exposure to this growing field of veterinary practice, students are less likely to pursue this line of profession. The concern is that as the baby-boomer generation of large animal veterinarians retires, there will not be enough young veterinarians to continue its work. Veterinary schools are aware of this issue, and most now expect a pre-veterinary background which includes large animal experience. Some veterinary schools are doing more to encourage the acceptance of students planning a career in production medicine by providing an alternate admissions process (e.g. Michigan State University's "Production Medicine Scholars Program") and specific scholarships.[1] Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... Herriot’s former surgery in Thirsk is now a tourist attraction. ... For the video game, see Baby Boomer (video game). ... Michigan State University (MSU) is a co-educational public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. ...

Regulatory medicine

Some veterinarians work in a field called regulatory medicine, ensuring a nation's food safety, e.g. the USDA FSIS, or work by protecting a country from imported exotic animal diseases. e.g the USDA APHIS. The emerging field of conservation medicine involves veterinarians even more directly with human health care, providing a multidisciplinary approach to medical research that also involves environmental scientists. For other uses, see Nation (disambiguation). ... Food safety is a scientific discipline describing the handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent Foodborne illness. ... USDA redirects here. ... The United States Food Safety and Inspection Service is charged with ensuring that all meat, poultry, and processed egg products in the United States are safe to consume and accurately labeled. ... Look up Aphis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Conservation medicine is an emerging, interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between human and animal health, and environmental conditions. ... Environmental science is the study of the interactions among the physical, chemical and biological components of the environment; with a focus on pollution and degradation of the environment related to human activities; and the impact on biodiversity and sustainability from local and global development. ...

Government

A U.S. Army veterinarian inoculates a chicken with an anti-mite solution at a medical assistance visit to a nomadic village in Paktya, Afghanistan.

Public health medicine is another option for veterinarians. Veterinarians in government and private laboratories provide diagnostics and testing services. Some veterinarians serve as state epidemiologists, directors of environmental health, and directors of state or city public health departments. Veterinarians are also employed by the US Agriculture Research Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Library of Medicine, and National Institutes of Health. The military also employs veterinarians in a number of capacities — caring for pets on military bases, caring for military working animals, controlling various arthropod-borne diseases, or as food safety inspectors. There are several U.S Senators who are veterinarians, including Wayne Allard (R) Colorado, and John Ensign (R) Nevada. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (1728 × 1149 pixel, file size: 594 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A U.S. Army veterinarian inoculates a chicken with an anti-mite solution at a medical assistance visit to a nomadic village in Paktya, Afghanistan. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (1728 × 1149 pixel, file size: 594 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A U.S. Army veterinarian inoculates a chicken with an anti-mite solution at a medical assistance visit to a nomadic village in Paktya, Afghanistan. ... Public health is the study and practice of addressing threats to the health of a community. ... Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine. ... Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health. ... For other uses, see State (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... The United States Department of Agricultures Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the USDAs chief scientific research agency, supporting research across the United States, as well as around the world. ... The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ... EPA redirects here. ... The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), operated by the U.S. federal government, is the worlds largest medical research library. ... National Institutes of Health Building 50 at NIH Clinical Center - Building 10 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is an agency of the United States Ministry of Health and Human Services and is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. ... A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by and/or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... Alan Wayne Allard (born December 2, 1943) is the senior United States Senator from Colorado and a member of the Republican Party. ... John Eric Ensign (born March 25, 1958) is the junior United States Senator from Nevada. ...

In popular culture

Perhaps the best known depictions of a veterinarian at work are in the autobiographical books by James Alfred Wight, better known to his readers as James Herriot. Dr. Wight's books were also made into a famous BBC adaptation, All Creatures Great and Small. The most popular in mainstream media is Dr. Dolittle, which was a children's book turned into a movie in 1967 with Rex Harrison in the title role. The movie was then remade in 1998 casting Eddie Murphy as Dr. Dolittle. The original Dr. Dolittle involved an island as the main setting, whereas the remake of Dr. Dolittle has a setting in a city. Herriot’s former surgery in Thirsk is now a tourist attraction. ... All Creatures Great and Small was the title given to a compilation volume first published in 1972 comprising James Herriots first two novels, If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldnt Happen to a Vet, which were considered too short to publish individually in the U.S. market. ... Doctor Dolittle is the central character of a series of childrens books by Hugh Lofting. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Eddie Murphy (disambiguation). ...

The US-based cable network Animal Planet, because of its animal-based programming, features shows about veterinarians frequently. Two of its most notable shows about vets are Emergency Vets and E-Vet Interns, both set at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Emergency Vets is a reality television series that airs on the U.S. cable network Animal Planet. ... E-Vet Interns is a reality television series about veterinary interns working at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, Colorado. ... Alameda East Veterinary Hospital is one of the worlds leading veterinary hospitals, like the Mayo Clinic is one of the worlds leading human hospitals. ... Nickname: Location of Denver in the State of Colorado Location of Colorado in the United States Coordinates: , Country United States State State of Colorado City and County Denver[1] Founded 1858-11-22, as Denver City, K.T.[2] Incorporated 1861-11-07, as Denver City, C.T.[3] Consolidated...

In the hit TV-show "Grey's Anatomy", the main character (Meredith) dates a vet named Finn Dandridge for several episodes. Their first date was interrupted when Finn received a call to birth a horse. Later, Finn helps diagnose Meredith's dog, Doc, which she shares with Derek Shepherd. Sadly, the dog has to be put to sleep. Finn becomes known as "McVet" by many of the interns at the hospital, following the show's tradition of McLabeling.

Workplace

Small animal veterinarians typically work in veterinary clinics or veterinary hospitals, or both. Large animal veterinarians often spend more time traveling to see their patients at the primary facilities which house them (zoos, farms, etc).

Further reading

• DVM Newsmagazine
• Firstline
• Veterinary Economics - A business magazine.

External links

• Veterinarian at the Open Directory Project

The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page.