Private Industry Veterinarians

Private industry veterinarians receive 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. These veterinarians are heavily involved in local, state and federal government agencies and they work closely with legislators to help shape and pass laws that protect the health and overall well being of animals and humans.

Types of Private Industry Veterinarians

There are many types of private industry veterinarians working worldwide. Their duties and the type of animals they work with depend greatly on their place of employment.

Zoological medicine veterinarians perform duties such as collecting urine and stool samples from ill or injured animals, administer injections of medicine, and maintain medical records of all animals in their care.

Aquatic animal medicine veterinarians deal with all types of aquatic animals, ranging from fresh water to salt water species. These animals range from fish to walruses, whales to seals. Sea World offers veterinary programs at different universities and colleges nationwide and helps future veterinarians receive the education and continued education they need in order to have a successful career in aquatic animal medicine. Aquatic or aquaculture veterinarians also have the expertise and legal authority to prescribe medicine.

Wildlife medicine is another field of private industry vets. These veterinarians not only deal with animals in the wild, they also perform surgery, administer care and medicine to animals in zoos, including exotic pet health.

Sports medicine veterinarians also work on a wide range of animals. Whether it’s a horse or a working dog, these veterinarians specialize in areas such as veterinary anesthesia and pain management, veterinary internal medicine, orthotics and prosthetics.

Animal shelters also employ veterinarians, and because most animal shelters are privately owned or nonprofit organizations, these types of vets fall in the private industry category. Duties at an animal shelter include spay/neuter for dogs and cats, including feral cats, 25-35 surgeries daily (including early-age sterilization), oversight of medical staff and controlled substances, implementation of medical and sanitation protocols.

Animal assisted activity and therapy programs offer the sweet side to being a veterinarian. Veterinarians usually train and participate in animal-human therapy, such as using one’s pet as a therapeutic method. Riding horses is highly known and respected as being one of the best therapies for children and adults who suffer from certain psychological diseases.

Private Industry Veterinarian Training and Education

All veterinarians must be trained and license based on the requirements of the state in which they want to work. In order to apply to the 4-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, a student must have a bachelor’s degree or a significant amount of undergraduate coursework completed. Coursework should include:

Vertebrate embryology
Genetics
Systemic physiology
Zoology
Biology

If you are wishing to become a veterinarian to own your own practice, pre-veterinary courses should highlight science, business management and career development.