Veterinarians

Nature of work

Veterinarians prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing, and general care of animals. They may choose small-animal, large-animal, or mixed practice, or specialize in a species or medical field. Veterinarians work in private practice or may work for animal clinics, farms, laboratories, government, or industry. Small (companion) animal practices generally accept dogs and cats as patients and sometime treat exotic species like birds, small mammals, and reptiles. Services provided often include pet selection and care, nutrition and behaviour counselling, boarding, and grooming. Large-animal practices provide medical and surgical services for livestock and horses. Large animal veterinarians offer preventative herd health management and monitor for possible disease outbreak.

Job duties

Veterinarians:

• Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests.
• Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
• Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases.
• Perform routine, emergency, and post-mortem examinations.
• Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene, and general care of animals.
• Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry, and euthanasia.
• May supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers.
• May be responsible for overall operation of animal hospital, clinic, or mobile service to farms.
• May conduct veterinary research related to areas like animal nutrition, health care products development and disease prevention and control.
• May enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal or animal-based food inspection.

Sample job titles

• equine veterinarian
• farm veterinarian
• veterinarian
• veterinary dentist
• veterinary inspector
• veterinary laboratory diagnostician
• veterinary parasitologist
• veterinary physiologist
• veterinary surgeon

Skills

• You should have compassion, a fondness for animals, and an interest in science, especially biology, chemistry, and physics. Good health, stamina, and emotional stability are necessary, as veterinarians often work long and irregular hours. You must be patient, reliable, mature, and responsible. Good oral and written communication skills are also needed. Some business knowledge would be helpful in running a private practice.

Job requirements

• Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and completion of national certification examinations are required.
• A provincial licence to practice is required.
• Entry into research positions may require post-graduate study.

Other considerations

• Although many veterinarians work regular hours, those in private practice often work long hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. The work can be physically demanding and emotionally draining. Hazards include contact with potentially dangerous animals and diseases that may be transferred to humans. The duties of veterinarians performing research may be like those of some biologists.

Regulations

Contacts