veterinarians

Veterinarians are licensed medical professionals who care for animals and protect public health. They diagnose, treat illness and injury, perform surgery, provide preventive care, and advise owners on nutrition, welfare, and disease prevention across domestic, farm, and wildlife populations.

Education and licensing: typically require a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD) from an accredited veterinary college, followed by licensing exams and state or national certification. Many veterinarians pursue board specialties after residency programs and examinations.

Practice and specialties: settings include private clinics, hospitals, farms, shelters, laboratories, universities, and research facilities. Common tasks include examinations, vaccinations, dentistry, anesthesia, imaging, laboratory testing, surgery, and preventive care. Specialties include internal medicine, surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology, dentistry, radiology, anesthesiology, cardiology, neurology, wildlife, and equine or dairy medicine.

Public health and welfare: veterinarians play key roles in zoonotic disease surveillance, food-animal health, regulatory medicine, and disaster response; they contribute to expanding animal welfare through policy, shelters, and conservation.

History and current issues: veterinary medicine expanded in the 18th century with veterinary schools; today the profession faces cost barriers for owners, burnout among clinicians, and workforce shortages in certain regions; ethics emphasize welfare, client communication, and evidence-based care.