Veterinarians and veterinary nurses work in private, corporate-owned, or charity clinics. They interact with humans a lot, from calming pet owners during emergencies to educating them on preventive care.
Vets Near Lapeer give animals check-ups, vaccinate them against diseases and perform surgery. They also advise animal owners on issues such as what food to feed their pets.
Veterinarians are a unique group of medical professionals who are uniquely qualified to protect both animals and humans. They can be found worldwide in clinical practice, research, academia, and government. The scope of work that veterinarians can perform spans all areas of the animal sciences, from disease epidemiology, to laboratory animal medicine, to zoological health management and control.
Whether in clinical practice or in research, the vast majority of veterinarians spend their time directly with animal patients. They may specialize in a broad group of species, such as companion animals, livestock, laboratory animals, zoo animals, or horses; or they can focus their attention on a narrow medical discipline such as veterinary surgery, bacteriology, cardiology, neurology, and others.
Many veterinarians are employed in public service, helping to shape laws that promote animal welfare. They can be found in governmental agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control, conducting food safety investigations, monitoring disease outbreaks in both people and animals, and preventing bioterrorism. They can also be found in the uniformed services, rebuilding and improving animal care systems in underdeveloped or war-damaged countries where populations rely heavily on animal agriculture for their livelihoods.
It is the responsibility of all individuals in animal care and use programs to promptly report any abnormalities or concerns to a veterinarian or the veterinarian’s designee. A well-designed animal care and use program should have procedures in place to allow for timely communication about these issues and ensure that the best interests of all animals are met. A clear line of communication is essential among all individuals involved in the program, and this includes both internal and external stakeholders.
Helping People
Veterinarians do much more than treat sick pets. They protect people’s health, safety and livelihoods. They work in clinical practice, research, food safety, animal welfare, public health, the uniformed services and environmental protection. Their expertise is critical to the economy.
Veterinary medicine is an important part of public health in many countries. Veterinarians who investigate animal and human disease outbreaks, help ensure the safety of food processing plants, restaurants and drinking water, and assist in public health education programs. They also make medical discoveries that benefit both humans and animals, including vaccines to prevent malaria, yellow fever, botulism and rabies, as well as permanent artificial limbs and other life-changing treatments for broken bones and joint disease.
Many veterinarians work in private practice, treating domestic and exotic pets in small animal clinics. They are the equivalent of primary care physicians for pets and work with owners to diagnose problems using a variety of methods, including observations and a complete medical history, laboratory tests (such as bloodwork, radiography and urinalysis) and surgery. They also provide preventive care, administer vaccines and medications, and euthanize animals near the end of their lives.
In addition to clinical service, veterinary practitioners can perform other government-mandated functions, such as inspection of breeding centres and quarantine premises. In some countries, veterinarians may be employed as epidemiologists in city, county and state governmental agencies, investigating animal disease outbreaks and working to prevent the spread of diseases that affect both animals and people, such as avian flu and food-borne illnesses.
Despite the public service aspects of the job, it is not without its stresses. According to a study by Merck, the majority of veterinarians experience some level of burnout and nearly half report considering quitting the profession altogether.
Helping Farm Animals
In rural areas, veterinarians are vital to the survival of animals and agriculture. They provide a wide range of services to livestock owners, from vaccinations and disease management to animal welfare and environmental sustainability. They also play a role in improving agricultural productivity and the quality of our food supply.
Veterinary medicine can be used to treat almost any species, from domestic pets (cats and dogs) to exotic animals like reptiles and birds. However, many vets choose to specialise, either because they prefer the routine work of smaller animals or they prefer the challenges of large animals. Large-animal vets may need to make house calls or drive to a farm to see large animals such as cows and horses, which can be quite difficult and time-consuming.
For many vets, the rewards of their job come from their relationships with livestock owners and farmers. They enjoy their daily interaction with these people, who share their passion for the animals they love. Often, these people will help them when they are struggling with financial or emotional problems.
Some of the work that vets do is important for human health, such as investigating disease outbreaks in humans and animals. They are also responsible for ensuring that meat, milk and eggs meet public health standards before they reach consumers. In some countries, the government employs veterinarians to perform these services. This allows the government to maintain a high standard of service, but also reduces costs. In other countries, the vet profession is privatised, with gazetted private veterinarians carrying out many of these duties.
The decline in rural veterinarians is a worrying trend that needs to be addressed. Farmers can help to promote the role of vets by encouraging and supporting new graduates into the profession, and making regular contact with their own local vet. This will enable them to work together on a range of animal health and welfare issues, from disease prevention to breeding and calving.
Helping Wildlife
Many people who find an injured or orphaned wild animal often contact a local veterinarian clinic for help. While veterinary practices usually concentrate on domestic animals, many vets also have experience treating wildlife and can offer advice. In some cases, a local wildlife rehabilitation center may be able to take in injured or orphaned wild animals for care and release into the wild.
Wildlife rehabilitators often work with local veterinary clinics to ensure that the animals they care for get veterinary services that will give them the best possible chance of survival in the wild. These treatments often involve administering medications, feedings and fluids.
Captive rearing of endangered or threatened species is another area where wildlife veterinarians can help. The goal is to keep these animals healthy in captivity so that when they are ready to be released back into the wild, they can do so without spreading diseases that could affect the entire population of that species.
In addition, wild animal vets can help to monitor the health of wild animals and their ecosystems. This work can help inform the development of conservation strategies and policies, for example by highlighting areas where wild species are being put at risk from habitat loss or other environmental threats.
Moreover, wild animal vets can work closely with public health officials, particularly when studying zoonotic diseases (those that can spread from wild animals to humans) such as rabies and certain influenza strains. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of such work, as the virus is believed to have originated in wild bats.
According to a paper published in “Journal of Veterinary Medical Education,” some veterinarians who specialize in free-ranging wildlife health have advanced degrees in epidemiology or ecology in addition to their DVM degree. However, others with a general veterinary background may be qualified to fill these roles, particularly if they have a good understanding of the laws and regulations that apply to capturing and treating wildlife.
Solving Problems
Some veterinarians work on farms, making sure the cows, pigs and chickens we eat stay healthy and produce safe milk and meat. Veterinarians also help solve health problems in humans and other animals by finding new medicines, vaccines, tools and techniques.
In some cases, a veterinarian will decide it is appropriate to euthanize an animal, particularly if the condition is incurable or would not improve with treatment and the patient’s quality of life would be poor. This is the most difficult aspect of veterinary work.
Necropsy procedures require special caging and specialized equipment, and SOPs should be in place that specify PPE requirements, traffic patterns, decontamination procedures, and other protocols. Specialized refrigeration and storage are also required to avoid cross-contamination.