Types of Veterinarians
Veterinarians care for the health of pets, livestock, and animals in zoos, racetracks, and laboratories. There are several different types of vets, roles they play and what their jobs entail. Although most people are looking for a specific veterinarian, one that will tend to their companion, it’s important you know which vets cater to which animals. Like with human medical physicians, there are several types of veterinarians that range from private practice, to research and development, educational, pharmaceutical and military veterinarians. They also diagnose and control animal diseases, treat sick and injured animals, prevent the transmission of animal diseases to people and advise owners on proper care of pets and livestock. Some vets ensure a safe food supply by maintaining the health of food animals. Veterinarians are also involved in wildlife preservation and conservation and public health of the human population. Below are brief descriptions of each type of veterinarian, to learn more about them, simply click on their title.
Private Practice – These vets take part in private clinical practice and are responsible for the health of millions of types of animals, including small and large animals and livestock. They work to prevent disease and other health problems among their patients.
Teaching and Research - These vets are engaged in educating future vets at schools and colleges of veterinary medicine, located worldwide. Plus, they are also involved in several basic and clinical research, continuing education programs and more.
Regulatory Medicine - These vets have two main responsibilities; controlling and/or eliminating diseases and protecting the public from diseases in animals that can do or cause harm to humans. These vets also work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and ensure that food products are safe and wholesome.
Public Health - Also known as Epidemiologists, these vets work for public health, within cities, counties, states and federal agencies. They help control and prevent animal and human diseases, as well as investigate animal and human disease outbreaks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employs these veterinarians to determine the safety and the efficacy of medicines and food additives.
Uninformed Services - These vets serve as officers in the US Army Veterinary Corps and are responsible for biomedical research and development, plus they are engaged in programs within the military and other government agencies.
Private Industry – These vets have specialized training and deal with such things as pharmaceutical and biomedical research. They also supervise the production of chemicals, drugs and vaccines for human and animal use.
