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Veterinarians in Research

By PhD candidate Andrea Minella, DVM

Veterinarians have long been the keepers of animal health and indirect supporters of human health, treating and caring for pets and maintaining the health of livestock. However, a less popular career path for veterinarians also is a very exciting one: scientific research.

Though we often picture scientists bent over a laboratory bench pouring bright liquids into shiny flasks, today’s research scientist can look any number of ways. They can be scientists in a lab studying things like chemical interactions or DNA. They can be someone in scrubs performing exams and diagnostics on animals to gain information about diseases and treatments. They even can be out in the field exploring ecosystems and disease transmission. What’s exciting for me is that as a veterinarian, I can fulfill roles in any of these types of settings.

Given the comparative nature of our training, veterinarians make excellent translational researchers because of our strength in extrapolating data from one species to another. As such, vets play an integral role in disease research. We study disease mechanisms, how diseases transmit and spread across populations and between species, and we fervently work toward developing new treatments. We often look at these factors in animals, sometimes rodents, but also in other species and patients. This allows us to gain knowledge relevant to our veterinary patients, as well as provide deeper understandings of diseases in people and work toward developing treatments for all, people and animals alike. 

Veterinarians also have a uniquely fine-tuned expertise in animal care, assessment of comfort, pain management, health, and wellbeing. Veterinarians play a role that cannot be replaced by any other profession in this regard. We are necessary for optimal studies and serve this role as laboratory animal veterinarians or research scientists with interests in the welfare of our animals.

 Vets in the field also are imperative to a broad range of research topics. Field veterinary researchers may study endangered species to help us better prevent the extinction of our precious fauna. Field vets may study ecosystems and how different factors affect those ecosystems to help us preserve them under the increasing pressures of modern society. Veterinary researchers also work in the field in the increasingly important and growing fight against zoonoses, diseases that spread from animals to people. As society continues to encroach on animal habitats, monitoring and learning about zoonoses and developing treatments against them will become ever more integral to our survival and healthy interactions with other species.

 Veterinarians can serve a wide variety of roles in our modern society. They are the keepers of animal health, ranging from our pets to our food supply. They are the sentinels of conservation, researching ecosystems, species distributions, and health to enact positive environmental changes. They are the scientists at the bench-top next to the cage, or in the field making discoveries that will impact the health of all species as animals and people continue to share share ecosystems and diseases.

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National Research Council (US) Committee on the National Needs for Research in Veterinary Science . Critical Needs for Research in Veterinary Science. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2005.

Critical Needs for Research in Veterinary Science.

• Hardcopy Version at National Academies Press

R esearch in veterinary science is critical to the protection of public health and the advancement of science that benefits both humans and animals as individuals and populations. Veterinary research includes studies on prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and on the basic biology and welfare of animals. It transcends species boundaries to include the study of spontaneous and experimental models of both human and animal disease and research at important human-animal interfaces, such as food safety, wildlife and ecosystem health, zoonotic diseases, and public policy.

The rich history of veterinary research, which includes studies on infectious disease and in other biomedical sciences, is replete with seminal contributions to the improvement of animal and human well-being. The many contributions of veterinary research were the results of society's recognition of its important role and society's subsequent support in the form of human, fiscal, and infrastructural resources. The current level of support for veterinary research, however, has not kept pace with the challenges posed by new and emerging threats and the nation's growing demands for knowledge in biomedicine and animal health. That society's needs are outgrowing our knowledge base is seen in examples of missed opportunities to safeguard and improve human and animal health and welfare ( Box S-1 ).

Examples of Opportunities for Veterinary Research to Safeguard and Improve Human and Animal Health. In June 1999, an unusual number of dead birds were reported in the borough of Queens, New York City. Some 6-8 weeks later, an unusual number of human cases (more...)

The capacity of veterinary research depends on the availability of human and financial resources, research facilities, and infrastructure. This report identifies some of the most critical research needs and outlines recommendations and strategies for meeting them. Failure to provide the necessary resources could have devastating effects on both human and animal welfare, impede biomedical advances, and harm the economy and society as a whole.

To prepare this report, the Committee on National Needs for Research in Veterinary Science analyzed national research needs in three fields of veterinary science—public health and food safety, animal health and welfare, and comparative medicine—and looked at a number of emerging issues that fit in two or more those fields. The research needs include scientific investigation in domestic, wild, companion, service, and laboratory animals. The committee's analysis was based on a comprehensive review of published literature; information obtained from stakeholders, including the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and several veterinary specialty colleges; and comments provided by national experts at the committee-hosted Workshop on National Needs for Research in Veterinary Science. Current funding levels and sources also were analyzed. On the basis of workshop input and analyses of available data, the committee identified past and future research trends and gaps and the scientific expertise and infrastructure required to meet the most critical research needs. In accordance with its stated charge, the committee did not make specific budgetary or organizational recommendations. (See Appendixes A and B for complete statement of task and biographical information on committee members.)

• CHALLENGES FOR VETERINARY RESEARCH

Veterinary research offers numerous opportunities for improving animal and human health, and unforeseeable challenges can be met best with a competent and properly equipped veterinary research community. Specific findings and critical research needs are detailed in Chapter 2 and summarized below.

Public Health and Food Safety

Foodborne disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Animals—both domesticated and wild—are frequent reservoirs of foodborne pathogens that can cause human illness. Human public health is affected not only by foodborne pathogens but also by the security of our food animals. A new awareness of the need for research on food and agricultural biosecurity arose after September 11 and the “anthrax letter” attacks later in 2001 because biosecurity research is closely related to maintaining safe agriculture and the food supply. Veterinary research on public health and food safety can contribute to:

• Improving detection and surveillance of foodborne pathogens associated with livestock and poultry production.
• Developing interventions to reduce their dissemination.
• Understanding the development and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance among foodborne pathogens associated with animals in the food chain.
• Developing preharvest and postharvest surveillance systems, diagnostic and detection systems, vaccines, immunomodulating drugs, animal and product tracking systems, and ecologically sound means of disposal of animal carcasses.
• Improving our ability to detect and identify disease and pathogens in animal populations and our understanding of interactions between pathogens and hosts so that effective preventive measures and countermeasures can be developed.

A concerted research effort can reduce the recurrence of food pathogens associated with livestock and poultry and ensure the security of our food supply.

Animal Health and Welfare

The increasing demand for veterinary research in animal health and welfare has several underlying causes:

• The perspective of the role of animals in human society and in the ecosystem has changed.
• A secure supply of food animals—such as poultry, cows, and fish—depends on their health.
• Some food-animal diseases affect human health directly (for example, some strains of high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus).
• Companion and service animals have an important role in human welfare.
• Laboratory animals are integral to our understanding of basic biology and physiology and are crucial for biological and medical advances.
• Wildlife health is important for the maintenance of the ecosystem and for the economy.
• Some emerging infectious diseases are associated with zoonoses (animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans).

Veterinary research is poised to improve human and animal health further through advances in preventive medicine, enhanced treatment for animal diseases, and a better understanding of transmission of zoonotic and other emerging diseases between wild and domestic animals and humans.

Comparative Medicine

Comparative medicine is the field that compares medical and scientific discoveries and knowledge of more than one animal species, including humans. Research in comparative medicine is invaluable for the overall medical research enterprise and for the improvement of animal health. Animal models used in biomedical research provide a whole-animal perspective that cannot be achieved at the molecular, cellular, or organ-system level. With technological advances, many new fields are emerging in comparative medicine, for example:

• Comparative genetics, which aims to develop reliable molecular markers of specific genetic traits to identify carrier and affected animals.
• Genome and phenome research that identifies specific genotypes associated with phenotypes.
• Stem-cell research and cloning.
• Genetically engineered animal models.
• Biomaterial developed to treat human and animal diseases.

Continuous progress in biomedical research will depend on our ability to develop and refine animal models to advance biomedical research, to preserve valuable models, and to improve methods for developing genetically engineered animal species other than the mouse to advance understanding of select diseases.

• RESEARCH AGENDA AND STRATEGIES

The committee outlined a research agenda and recommended strategies for doing the research ( Chapter 3 ) on the basis of the critical research needs described above. The especially compelling scientific opportunities to improve the quality of life of and minimize biological threats to animals and humans include the following:

• –Substantially improve the integration of molecular biology, genomics, immunology, whole-animal physiology, pathophysiology, and other disciplines in clinical disease research.
• –Encourage scientists, through grant-funding mechanisms and other means, to work collaboratively across disciplines, institutions, and agencies.
• –Encourage research institutions to foster research environments that nurture and reward successful team-oriented investigators and research.
• –Expand veterinary student involvement in ecosystem health and increase their opportunities to work collaboratively to study and understand complex systems and the intricate relationships between humans (individuals, cultures, and societies), animals (domestic and wild), and the environment.
• –Emphasize classes of disease agents of the highest economic importance, including those most likely to cause massive epizootics or epidemics and new and emerging diseases and candidate bioterrorism agents.
• –Emphasize the study and eradication of laboratory animal diseases that adversely affect the quality of biomedical data.
• –Focus research on the molecular bases of virulence and on how pathogenic organisms replicate and survive in the environment, including studies of vector biology, wild-animal hosts and reservoirs, host defense factors, and host-pathogen interaction.
• –Develop and validate rapid, sensitive, reliable, and where possible quantitative systems for detecting and monitoring disease-causing organisms.
• –A population-level view of disease and research on the interaction between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans.
• –Tracking of pathogen prevalence in animals, including companion, food-producing, and laboratory animals.
• –Tracking of foodborne diseases.
• –Maximizing the sharing and efficiency of developing, preserving, and housing important rodent and other animal models.
• Quantify critical, scientifically based measures of animal health and welfare to optimize efficient, effective, sustainable, and socially responsible food-animal production and laboratory animal research.
• Expand research on the human-animal bond and the overall role of animals in society.

Although the different disciplines of veterinary research are grouped in three categories—public health and food safety, animal health and welfare, and comparative medicine—the disciplines are intertwined, and many of the committee's recommendations apply to two or all three fields. For example, research in comparative medicine contributes to animal health through development of preventive medicine and treatment. Study of wildlife diseases contributes not only to wildlife health and conservation but also to public health because many human diseases are zoonotic. In short, veterinary research has interfaces with human and animal health and is interdisciplinary; therefore, collaborative and interdisciplinary research is crucial in translating scientific advances from one traditional discipline to another. However, such research may be hampered by administrative barriers, cultural barriers, and lack of economic resources. Agencies that support veterinary research have their own missions. When proposed interdisciplinary research is relevant to the mission of several agencies but does not perfectly fit the mission of any one agency, it can be difficult to get funding to support it.

Recommendation 1: The veterinary research community should facilitate and encourage collaborative research across disciplines, institutions, and agencies by reducing administrative barriers and by nurturing and rewarding successful team-oriented investigators. The community should encourage the development of a long-term national interagency strategy for veterinary research. The strategy could include a specific focus at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on integrated veterinary research via the Roadmap initiative. NIH should consider having a veterinary liaison like the veterinary-medicine and public-health liaison at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help to ensure integration of veterinary and human medical research. Other federal agencies, state agencies, private foundations, and supporters of veterinary research should recognize and provide long-term support for collaborative, integrated veterinary research.

Addressing critical issues in veterinary science requires adequate human, infrastructure, and financial resources. The infrastructure and financial resources for the conduct of veterinary research in institutions that play a major role were examined and compared with the resources needed to do the research proposed to meet societal needs ( Box S-2 ).

Institutions and Organizations Considered in the Assessment of Resources for Veterinary Research in This Report. Schools and colleges of veterinary medicine Colleges of agriculture

The National Research Council report National Needs and Priorities for Veterinarians in Biomedical Research projected a deficit of 336 veterinary pathologists in the United States and Canada in 2007, and the American College of Veterinary Pathologists reported needs for 149 veterinary pathologists in 2004. Similar human resource needs have been reported by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), CDC, and the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. The shortage of veterinary researchers is due partially to declining interests in research among veterinary students, which in turn could be attributed to the following:

• The long period required to attain a DVM, a PhD, and postdoctoral training.
• The substantial tuition debt accrued during DVM training.
• The sparse financial support for graduate students in veterinary science.
• The brief exposure of veterinary students to basic science and research throughout their academic curriculum and internships.

The extended training could be partially addressed by establishing more combined-degree programs, and financial incentives could be provided to veterinary students interested in research through grants, fellowships, and possibly a loan-forgiveness program. However, stimulating students' interest in veterinary research may require a substantial change in the culture of colleges of veterinary medicine (CVMs). Academic faculties are driven to incorporate clinical learning processes into the early years of veterinary education and may not adequately integrate basic science and research in veterinary curricula. The capacity of academic veterinary curricula to incorporate and demand teaching of evidence-based medicine, including the use of research data and statistical analyses, will have a great impact on animal health and the mindset of those who support it. A consequence of failure to train the next generation of veterinary researchers adequately is that opportunities for veterinary science to address public-health needs and to improve animal and human health will be missed. A strong workforce of veterinary researchers is needed to provide the data required for informed decisions in matters that govern day-to-day activity in animal health and welfare—decisions that underlie the economic stability necessary for adequate national animal health care. Veterinary research is essential to informed decision-making by policy-makers who aim to develop effective legislation and regulations based on sound science.

Recommendation 2: Additional veterinary researchers must be trained to alleviate the demands and to meet societal needs for veterinary research. A debt-repayment initiative similar to the NIH Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program could address concerns about the large debt burden faced by graduates of CVMs. If NIH's Center for Cancer Research training initiative in comparative pathology and biomedical sciences and USDA's Agricultural Research Service PhD training program for veterinarians prove to be successful in recruiting and retaining veterinary researchers, they could be expanded and used as models for other agencies and companies.

Recommendation 3: To meet the nation's needs for research expertise in veterinary science, changes in recruitment and programming for graduate and veterinary students will be required. Changes would involve enhancing research cultures in veterinary colleges and strengthening of summer research programs, combined DVM/PhD degree paths, and the integration of basic science into clinical curricula. The AVMA Council on Education, which is charged to review colleges of veterinary medicine for accreditation and publishes guidelines for the process, should strengthen the guidelines for assessment of research in regard to opportunities for research experiences for veterinary students. Research scientists in training should be made aware of national problems in animal health and welfare, be given the opportunity to incorporate cutting-edge science into experimental design, and develop programs of high quality that compete nationally with other disciplines of science.

Increasing the veterinary research workforce requires an enlarged training capacity of educational institutions. The last major federal program to support construction of facilities for CVMs ended nearly 40 years ago. AAVMC has documented that 1,641,000 ft 2 of new and 611,000 ft 2 of renovated facilities are needed to train additional veterinary and graduate students to meet the demands of public practice. Space for classrooms, teaching, and research laboratories at all biosafety levels and housing for research animals is needed. Existing funding sources, such as state and university funds and gifts from foundations and private donors, are unlikely to meet the needs of the nation.

Recommendation 4: AAVMC and its members should identify ways in which the CVMs' facility needs can be met financially and logistically. They should consider mounting an extensive outreach effort to educate policy-makers in federal and state governments about the necessity of additional facilities to train adequate veterinary researchers. The committee did not find useful documentation on facility needs of federal or state agencies to fulfill their roles in veterinary research effectively, with the noted exception of the USDA Report of the Strategic Planning Task Force on USDA Research Facilities: A 10-year Strategic Plan. Report and Recommendations . The report recommended renovation of outdated facilities and noted that biocontainment facilities were required for research on high-risk pathogens. Although replacement facilities at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, were designed and the first phase was constructed in response to the report, not all the documented needs have been met. Expanded biocontainment facility space was one of the unmet recommended needs, which was also given high priority in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9 (HSPD-9).

Recommendation 5: The recommendations of the 1999 Strategic Planning Task Force on USDA Research Facilities and the provisions of HSPD-9 should be implemented immediately. Biocontainment laboratories should receive special attention. Adequacies and shortfalls in facilities—both federal and nonfederal—needed to support veterinary research should be documented and quantified. Other research resources for veterinary research include libraries, databases, animal health monitoring and surveillance systems, electronic communication systems for sharing data and clinical information, specialized populations of animals, and collections of research materials, such as tissue samples. Effective communication among the various entities involved in veterinary research is needed to maximize the value of studies and to leverage the resources of the relatively small veterinary research community. In particular, databases with clinical records that can be exchanged among teaching hospitals, private practices, and diagnostic laboratories would provide data that could serve as valuable cost-efficient tools for retrospective and prospective research. Likewise, tissue samples and other specimens (for example, serum, DNA, and microorganisms) from both healthy and diseased animals offer exciting opportunities to study animal diseases and epidemiology if they are archived properly for research with client or owner confidentiality protected and made available to the research community. Of equal importance, surveillance systems that effectively and efficiently integrate animal health, food-product safety, and human health monitoring findings into user-friendly and easily accessed networks are needed.

Recommendation 6: The American Animal Hospital Association, AAVMC, and AVMA should address the need for more effective communication among the federal, university, and private sector entities involved in veterinary research. The need for databases, animal health monitoring and surveillance systems, specimen collections, and other sharable research tools to support veterinary research should receive special attention. Organization of a working task force or national workshop to devise an operating plan for developing and managing these clinical and research databases and collections and to identify methods for their support would be an important first step toward the formation of national databases and archives (such as specimen banks and clinical databases) for veterinary research.

In addition to databases and tissue samples, many disciplines in veterinary research have benefited substantially from access to well-characterized animal colonies with known diseases. Preserving the genomes of those unique model animals is critical to facilitate research in animal diseases. The genetic similarity between humans and other animals is a compelling argument that studies with such animals would reveal both normal and abnormal pathways and mechanisms. Those animal colonies are imperative for integrative physiology and pathophysiology studies.

Recommendation 7: NIH and USDA should address the importance of engineered and spontaneous model colonies of animals and ensure that these valuable resources are not lost. This can be accomplished for some species by cryopreservation and preservation of their germ plasm in tissue banks until it is needed for funded, targeted research or by transfer of their genetic mutations into smaller laboratory species. For other species, maintenance of the whole animal may be necessary.

A review of the organizations that are most likely to fund veterinary research reveals that some research disciplines do not have an identifiable source of financial support from government agencies. Those disciplines include ecological research on zoonotic emerging diseases, dynamics of select agent, biodefense pathogens in wildlife, companion-animal and equine research, wildlife and conservation research, and zoo animal and exotic-pet research. Those disciplines contribute to animal health and welfare and to important elements of human health research or have direct human social impact, but they do not have dependable, permanent financial resources that would ensure their continuing advancement in research.

Recommendation 8: The veterinary research community should actively engage NIH, USDA, the Department of the Interior, the National Science Foundation, and other federal agencies and urge them to recognize and address the need for financial support for the disciplines of veterinary research that lack identifiable sources of federal funding despite their contributions to public health, comparative medicine, and animal health and welfare.

In this age of reductionist research and the ascension of disciplinary endeavors, veterinary research stands apart because of its breadth and interdisciplinary orientation. The world today is full of unanticipated risks in the form of highly pathogenic avian influenza, foreign animal diseases, and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, to name but a few examples. At the same time, unparalleled opportunities in biomedicine have been afforded by advances in molecular biology, genomics, and other disciplinary sciences. Veterinary research serves as the interface of basic science and animal and human health that is critical to the advancement of our understanding of and response to impending risks and to the exploitation of disciplinary advances in the pursuit of One Medicine. The urgent need to provide adequate resources for investigators, training programs, and facilities involved in veterinary research must be met to seize the opportunities to improve the well-being of humans and animals and to minimize risks to their health.

• Cite this Page National Research Council (US) Committee on the National Needs for Research in Veterinary Science . Critical Needs for Research in Veterinary Science. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2005. Summary.
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What does a veterinarian do?

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What is a Veterinarian?

A veterinarian specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illnesses and injuries in animals. Veterinarians provide medical care to a wide range of animals, including pets, livestock, zoo animals, and wildlife. They perform physical examinations, conduct diagnostic tests such as bloodwork and imaging, prescribe medications, administer vaccines, and perform surgical procedures to treat injuries or illnesses. Veterinarians also offer preventive care services, such as vaccinations, parasite control, and dental care, to help animals maintain optimal health and well-being.

In addition to clinical practice, veterinarians may also work in research, academia, public health, or regulatory agencies, contributing to advancements in veterinary medicine, animal welfare, and public health initiatives.

What does a Veterinarian do?

Duties and Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities of a veterinarian encompass a wide range of tasks related to the care and treatment of animals. Some common responsibilities include:

• Medical Diagnosis and Treatment: Veterinarians are responsible for diagnosing and treating illnesses, injuries, and health conditions in animals. They perform physical examinations, order diagnostic tests such as bloodwork, urinalysis, and imaging studies, and prescribe medications or treatments to address medical issues.
• Surgical Procedures: Veterinarians perform surgical procedures to treat injuries, remove tumors, or address medical conditions that require surgical intervention. This may include routine procedures such as spaying and neutering, as well as more complex surgeries such as orthopedic repairs or emergency surgeries.
• Preventive Care: Veterinarians provide preventive care services to help animals maintain optimal health and prevent illness. This may include administering vaccinations, performing parasite control measures, conducting wellness exams, and providing nutritional counseling to promote overall well-being.
• Client Education: Veterinarians educate pet owners and animal caregivers about preventive care practices, nutrition, behavior management, and other aspects of animal health and welfare. They provide guidance on responsible pet ownership, disease prevention, and treatment options to empower clients to make informed decisions about their pets' care.
• Public Health and Regulatory Compliance: Veterinarians play a critical role in public health initiatives and regulatory compliance by monitoring and controlling the spread of zoonotic diseases, ensuring the safety of food animals, and enforcing animal welfare laws and regulations. They may work with government agencies, public health officials, and industry stakeholders to address health concerns and implement disease control measures.
• Research and Development: Some veterinarians engage in research and development activities to advance veterinary medicine, improve diagnostic techniques, and develop new treatments or vaccines for animal diseases. They may conduct studies, participate in clinical trials, or collaborate with other scientists to contribute to scientific knowledge and innovation in the field.

Types of Veterinarians Veterinary medicine is a diverse field that encompasses a wide range of specialties. While all veterinarians receive a broad education in animal health and welfare, some choose to pursue further training and education in a particular area of interest. Here are some types of veterinarians and their respective specialties:

• Avian Veterinarian : Avian veterinarians specialize in the health and medical care of birds, including both companion birds and those in aviary and wildlife settings. Their responsibilities encompass diagnostics, preventive care, treatment of illnesses, and surgery, addressing the unique physiological and behavioral characteristics of avian species.
• Emergency and Critical Care Veterinarian : Emergency and critical care veterinarians specialize in providing immediate and intensive medical care to animals facing life-threatening conditions or emergencies. Their responsibilities include triage, stabilization, and ongoing monitoring of critical patients, often in emergency clinics or specialty hospitals, ensuring prompt and specialized care during urgent situations.
• Equine Veterinarian : Equine veterinarians specialize in the health and well-being of horses, providing comprehensive medical care for both domesticated and performance animals. Their responsibilities include routine health check-ups, dental care, lameness evaluations, reproductive services, and the treatment of injuries or illnesses, ensuring the overall health and performance of equine patients.
• Exotic Animal Veterinarian : Exotic animal veterinarians specialize in providing medical care for non-traditional and exotic pets, including reptiles, birds, small mammals, and amphibians. Their responsibilities encompass diagnostics, treatment, and surgery tailored to the unique needs of these diverse species, often requiring specialized knowledge and equipment.
• Large Animal Veterinarian : Large animal veterinarians focus on the health and well-being of agricultural and equine species, including livestock such as cows, horses, pigs, and sheep. Their responsibilities often include performing herd health management, reproductive services, surgical procedures, and addressing health issues affecting larger animals in agricultural and equine settings.
• Public Health Veterinarian : Public health veterinarians focus on safeguarding public health by monitoring and controlling the spread of diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Their responsibilities include disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, implementing preventive measures, and collaborating with public health agencies to ensure the well-being of both animal and human populations.
• Small Animal Veterinarian : Small animal veterinarians specialize in providing medical care to domestic pets, such as dogs and cats. Their responsibilities include conducting routine check-ups, administering vaccinations, diagnosing and treating illnesses, performing surgeries, and offering guidance on nutrition and preventive care to ensure the health and well-being of companion animals.
• Theriogenologist : Theriogenologists are specialized veterinarians who focus on the reproductive health and management of animals. Their responsibilities include conducting reproductive examinations, implementing breeding programs, addressing fertility issues, and providing assistance with reproductive technologies, contributing to the successful reproduction and breeding of various species.
• Veterinary Acupuncturist : Veterinary acupuncturists offer alternative and complementary treatments for animals. Their responsibilities include assessing animals' conditions, inserting acupuncture needles at specific points to alleviate pain or promote healing, and integrating acupuncture into comprehensive veterinary care plans to enhance overall well-being.
• Veterinary Anesthesiologist : Veterinary anesthesiologists specialize in administering anesthesia and managing pain control for animals undergoing medical procedures. Their responsibilities include assessing patients for anesthesia suitability, monitoring vital signs during surgeries, and developing anesthetic plans tailored to the unique needs of different species to ensure safe and effective anesthesia.
• Veterinary Behaviorist : Veterinary behaviorists specialize in understanding and addressing behavioral issues in animals. Their responsibilities include evaluating and diagnosing behavior problems, implementing behavior modification plans, and offering guidance to pet owners to improve the well-being and relationship between animals and their human companions.
• Veterinary Cardiologist : Veterinary cardiologists focus on the diagnosis and treatment of heart and circulatory system disorders in animals. Their responsibilities include conducting cardiac evaluations, interpreting diagnostic tests, and developing comprehensive treatment plans to manage cardiovascular conditions and promote the cardiac well-being of their animal patients.
• Veterinary Dentist : Veterinary dentists focus on the oral health of animals. Their responsibilities include performing dental procedures, addressing oral diseases, and providing preventive care to maintain the dental well-being of animals, ensuring overall health and quality of life.
• Veterinary Dermatologist : Veterinary dermatologists specialize in diagnosing and treating skin, ear, and coat conditions in animals. Their responsibilities include conducting dermatological examinations, performing diagnostic tests, and developing treatment plans to address issues such as allergies, infections, and autoimmune disorders, ensuring the dermatological health of their animal patients.
• Veterinary Neurologist : Veterinary neurologists specialize in diagnosing and treating neurological disorders in animals, addressing conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Their responsibilities include conducting neurological examinations, interpreting diagnostic imaging, and developing treatment plans, often involving surgery or medical interventions, to ensure the optimal neurological health of their animal patients.
• Veterinary Ophthalmologist : Veterinary ophthalmologists specialize in diagnosing and treating eye conditions in animals. Their responsibilities include performing eye examinations, surgeries, and providing medical care to address a wide range of ocular issues in various species, ensuring optimal vision and eye health for their patients.
• Veterinary Oncologist : Veterinary oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer in animals. Their responsibilities include conducting diagnostic tests, developing treatment plans such as chemotherapy or surgery, and providing supportive care to enhance the quality of life for animals affected by cancer.
• Veterinary Pathologist : Veterinary pathologists investigate and diagnose diseases in animals by studying tissues and body fluids. Their responsibilities include conducting post-mortem examinations, analyzing samples, and providing crucial insights into the causes and effects of diseases, contributing to advancements in veterinary medicine and animal health.
• Veterinary Surgeon : Veterinary surgeons focus on performing surgical procedures to address a variety of medical conditions in animals. Their responsibilities include assessing surgical candidates, conducting surgeries ranging from routine procedures to complex interventions, and providing post-operative care to ensure the optimal recovery of their animal patients.
• Wildlife Veterinarian : Wildlife veterinarians are dedicated to the health and conservation of wild animals in their natural habitats. Their responsibilities include disease monitoring, population management, and the provision of medical care for injured or endangered species, contributing to the overall well-being and sustainability of wildlife ecosystems.

Are you suited to be a veterinarian?

Veterinarians have distinct personalities . They tend to be investigative individuals, which means they’re intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive. They are curious, methodical, rational, analytical, and logical. Some of them are also realistic, meaning they’re independent, stable, persistent, genuine, practical, and thrifty.

Does this sound like you? Take our free career test to find out if veterinarian is one of your top career matches.

What is the workplace of a Veterinarian like?

The workplace of a veterinarian can vary depending on their specialization and the nature of their practice. Many veterinarians work in clinical settings such as animal hospitals, veterinary clinics, or private practices, where they provide medical care to companion animals, livestock, or exotic pets. In these environments, veterinarians typically interact directly with clients and patients, performing physical examinations, diagnosing illnesses or injuries, prescribing medications, and conducting surgical procedures as needed. They may also collaborate with veterinary technicians, assistants, and other staff members to deliver comprehensive care and support services to animals and their owners.

Some veterinarians specialize in specific areas of veterinary medicine, such as equine medicine, exotic animal medicine, or public health, which may influence their workplace environment. Equine veterinarians, for example, may spend a significant amount of time traveling to farms, stables, or racetracks to provide medical care to horses. Exotic animal veterinarians may work in zoos, aquariums, or wildlife rehabilitation centers, caring for a diverse range of species in specialized facilities. Public health veterinarians may work for government agencies, research institutions, or international organizations, focusing on disease surveillance, food safety, or environmental health initiatives.

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Veterinary related careers and degrees.

• Avian Veterinarian
• Emergency and Critical Care Veterinarian
• Equine Veterinarian
• Exotic Animal Veterinarian
• Large Animal Veterinarian
• Public Health Veterinarian
• Small Animal Veterinarian
• Theriogenologist
• Veterinary Acupuncturist
• Veterinary Anesthesiologist
• Veterinary Assistant
• Veterinary Behaviorist
• Veterinary Cardiologist
• Veterinary Dentist
• Veterinary Dermatologist
• Veterinary Neurologist
• Veterinary Ophthalmologist
• Veterinary Oncologist
• Veterinary Pathologist
• Veterinary Surgeon
• Veterinary Technician
• Veterinary Technologist
• Veterinarian
• Wildlife Veterinarian
• Veterinary Medicine
• Veterinary Technology

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• Comparative Ethologist
• Conservation Behaviorist
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Pros and Cons of Being a Veterinarian

Becoming a veterinarian can be a deeply rewarding career choice, but like any profession, it comes with its own set of pros and cons.

• Helping Animals: Veterinarians have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of animals by providing medical care, treating illnesses and injuries, and promoting overall health and well-being. For many veterinarians, the opportunity to improve the quality of life for animals is a primary motivator and source of fulfillment.
• Variety of Specializations: Veterinarians can choose to specialize in various areas of veterinary medicine, such as small animal medicine, equine medicine, exotic animal medicine, public health, research, and more. This diversity of specializations allows veterinarians to pursue their interests and passions within the field and develop expertise in specific areas of animal health and care.
• Professional Growth: Veterinarians have opportunities for professional growth and advancement throughout their careers. They can pursue advanced training, certifications, or specialty board certifications to enhance their skills and qualifications. Additionally, veterinarians may have opportunities to take on leadership roles, engage in research, or contribute to veterinary education and mentorship.
• Strong Demand: There is a consistent demand for veterinary services, driven by pet ownership, livestock production, and public health concerns. Veterinarians can typically find employment opportunities in various settings, including private practices, animal hospitals, research institutions, government agencies, and academia.
• Emotional Toll: Dealing with sick or injured animals, euthanasia, and difficult client interactions can take an emotional toll on veterinarians. Compassion fatigue and burnout are common challenges in the veterinary profession, particularly for those working in high-stress environments or facing challenging cases.
• Financial Burden: The cost of veterinary education can be substantial, leading to significant student loan debt for many veterinarians. Despite the high cost of education, salaries for veterinarians may not always align with the level of debt incurred, particularly for those working in certain sectors of the profession.
• Work-Life Balance: Veterinarians often work long and irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, to accommodate the needs of their patients and clients. This can impact work-life balance and personal time, leading to feelings of stress or burnout if not managed effectively.
• Physical Demands: Veterinary work can be physically demanding, requiring veterinarians to lift and restrain animals, perform surgeries, and work in various environmental conditions. This can lead to musculoskeletal injuries or fatigue, particularly for those working in large animal or emergency medicine.

Veterinarians are also known as: Vet Doctor of Veterinary Medicine DVM

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Careers in Veterinary Medicine

Embark on an exciting career path in veterinary medicine, where you can put your knowledge and compassion into practice. Preventing disease and healing animals is at the heart of what veterinarians do. But they also do so much more.

You can view a list of potential veterinary career paths  here.

Whether they’re pets, livestock or working animals, animals matter to individuals and society. Every community needs veterinary professionals to provide animal health care, but veterinarians also do many other kinds of jobs. They make sure the nation’s food supply is safe. They work to control the spread of diseases. They conduct research that helps both animals and humans. Veterinarians are at the forefront of protecting the public’s health and welfare.

Besides medical skills, veterinarians often take a holistic approach to human well-being and animal welfare that, combined with communications and problem-solving skills, makes veterinarians uniquely qualified to fulfill a variety of roles. Many veterinarians, of course, provide care for companion animals through private medical practices, but veterinarians are also involved in promoting the health and welfare of farm animals, exotic animals, working animals (like those in the equine industry), and those that need a healthy environment in which to thrive, whether that environment is a rain forest, a desert or even the ocean.

Outside of companion animal practice, the largest employer of veterinarians in the United States is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, but veterinarians are found throughout government in roles where they contribute to public health, the environment, and even homeland security, as well as working in research and public policy.

Many veterinarians are engaged in work at the intersection of both human and animal health. For example, veterinarians play an important role in food safety, where epidemiological research is crucial to forecasting the threat of food-borne diseases and outbreaks. They work to keep cattle and other food animals healthy by developing and testing various farm control methods that help to detect, limit, and prevent the spread of food that might be contaminated by salmonella,  E coli  or other pathogens. And they’re often on the front lines of surveillance where their extensive medical training can help them to detect and treat the outbreak of diseases that have the potential to make the jump from animals to humans.

Unmet needs for veterinary expertise exist in some sectors of veterinary medicine, such as public health, biomedical research, and food safety. To help address the lack of veterinarians in biomedical research, the AAVMC is a co-sponsor of the  Veterinary Scholars Program . The program’s mission is to expose veterinary medical students in their first or second year of veterinary school to biomedical research and career opportunities in research. The program culminates in the Merial NIH National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, where veterinary students participating in the program gather from all over the United States and Canada to present their research findings and share experiences from their various programs.

Learn more about how to embark on a path that will lead to a veterinary medical career on our  Students, Applicants and Advisors portal.

In This Section

• A Career in Veterinary Medicine Overview

How to Become a Research Veterinarian

Step 1: Understand the job description and responsibilities of a Research Veterinarian

What does a research veterinarian do.

A Research Veterinarian provides medical services in support of the health of animals that are part of medical research and studies. Prescribes medications, establishes and administers treatment plans, and performs surgeries on animals. Being a Research Veterinarian provides oversight of animal care and laboratory protocols to ensure compliance with veterinary standards and statutory requirements. Requires an applicable state license to practice. Additionally, Research Veterinarian requires a PhD in veterinary medicine. Typically reports to a manager or head of a unit/department. Research Veterinarian's years of experience requirement may be unspecified. Certification and/or licensing in the position's specialty is the main requirement.

The role of the research veterinarian might be more behind the scenes compared to say, a clinical veterinarian, but this job is equally important.

Research veterinarians are often educators who train those studying in the field of veterinary medicine, are engaged in clinical research along the lines of physicians.

Research veterinarians are often called in to solve both animal and human health problems, such as West Nile Virus, Mad Cow Disease and a host of other critical illnesses that affect huge populations of animals and people.

Sometimes they work in a lab and use animals for research purposes (a highly controversial subject according to some), but even when they are working with animals, their primary goal is always first and foremost to maintain the safety and health of said animals.

Research veterinarians have been involved in identifying and treating Salmonella species, fighting yellow fever and malaria, discovering botulism, and working with animals to create surgical techniques that are then used in human surgeries, such as hip replacements and organ transplants.

Step 2: Learn best tips to become a Research Veterinarian

Best tips for those who want to become a research veterinarian.

Here are some tips to become a Research Veterinarian.

Step 3: View best colleges and universities for Research Veterinarian

Best colleges and universities for research veterinarian.

• Butler University
• Carroll College
• High Point University
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Rollins College

Step 4: Think about whether is it worth to be a Research Veterinarian

Is being a research veterinarian worth it.

Though mental illness among veterinarians isn’t a new phenomenon, Diesch-Chham said that the younger millennial generation of veterinarians is more willing to speak up about expectations that they will continue to work through situations that they find emotionally or ethically challenging.

One important part of a veterinarian’s job is helping to counsel clients around end-of-life decisions for their animals.

The National Institutes of Health used photos of it at a research animal workshop last year.

Additionally… Veterinary Biosciences with an overall goal of establishing a research platform to advance the study and translation of microbial….

In an AAALAC accredited facility, you will be a member of a team providing veterinary medical and surgical services, assist with animal model development, and provide direction and training to research investigators, research support staff and animal care personnel participating in the research and pre-clinical safety assessment processes.

Step 5: Prepare relevant skills for being a Research Veterinarian

What skills do you need to be a research veterinarian.

There are skills required to succeed in every role, and this one is no different.  Strategic knowledge of the follow skills will be required: Scientific Research, Administer Medication, Research Animal Care, Medical Specialty: Veterinary.  Your ability to stand out from the competition depends on these skills, as well as your resume, interview, and other factors.

To be successful you will have a Veterinarian degree and be registered with Veterinary Practitioner’s Board of NSW; have experience in pre-clinical surgical models; track record in the design and development of animal models for the investigation of biological phenomenon and assessment of treatments related to orthopaedics and have experience working in research setting.

You will be a team player with excellent communication skills and be very keen and excited to utilize your veterinarian skills in a research environment.

Experience conducting research in a USDA or FDA regulated environment preferred.

Current and relevant working knowledge of regulations governing the use of animals in teaching and research (e.g., USDA, PHS, AAALAC) preferred.

One + year of experience as a small animal veterinarian is preferred.

Step 6: View average salary for Research Veterinarian

How much does a research veterinarian make.

The average salary range for a Research Veterinarian is from $114,460 to $166,668. The salary will change depending on your location, job level, experience, education, and skills.

Average salary for Research Veterinarian jobs

• Research Laboratory Veterinarian
• University Research Veterinarian
• Research Veterinarian - Higher Ed.
• Veterinarian
• Licensed Veterinarian
• Equine Veterinarian
• Zoo Veterinarian

Step 7: Find relevant Research Veterinarian jobs, and apply.

Looking for research veterinarian jobs.

Here are some Research Veterinarian jobs in the United States.

Step 8: Explore Career Path of Research Veterinarian

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What Does a Veterinarian Do?

A veterinarian is a doctor for animals. They help keep pets, farm animals, and even wild animals healthy and happy. Vets go to special schools to learn all about animal health, so they know just what to do when an animal is sick or hurt. By keeping animals healthy, veterinarians help keep people healthy too!

Veterinarians do a lot of different things. Here are some of the jobs they do:

• Check-ups : Just like you might go to the doctor for a check-up, animals need check-ups too. Vets look at animals to make sure they’re growing right and don’t have any hidden health problems.
• Vaccinations : Vets give animals shots, called vaccinations, to keep them from getting sick from certain diseases.
• Surgery : Sometimes, animals need surgery to fix a problem, like a broken bone or to take out something they shouldn’t have eaten. Vets are trained to do these surgeries safely.
• Medicine : When animals get sick, vets figure out what’s wrong. Then, vets can figure out if medicine can help them feel better.
• Advice : Vets also help animal owners by giving them advice on how to take care of their pets, like what food is best for them or how to keep them fit and healthy.
• Protecting People : Some diseases can spread from animals to people. Vets help stop this from happening by keeping animals from getting sick and teaching people how to stay safe.
• Taking Care of Farm Animals : Vets help on farms too, making sure animals like cows, pigs, and chickens stay healthy. This helps produce safe milk, eggs, and meat for us to eat.
• Helping Wildlife : Some vets specialize in helping wild animals. They might treat injured wildlife or work at zoos to keep the animals there healthy.
• Solving Problems: Some vets are scientists who discover new ways to keep people and their animals healthy. They might invent new vaccines, medicines, or tools that keep people and animals healthy.

For kids and parents looking at our website, vets are really important because they help us keep our friends safe and healthy. If you love people and animals and want to help them stay healthy, being a vet could be a great job for you!

As you explore our site, you can read about different vets and see all of the cool things they do . Maybe you’ll find a vet who does something you think is super interesting. Remember, anyone who cares a lot about people and animals, and wants to learn, can work toward becoming a vet one day.

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Why We Love Being Vets

Discover why vets love their job, from healing pets to learning new things every day, and see how they make every animal’s life better and safer!

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Find out how veterinarians keep our food like milk, eggs, and meat safe by caring for farm animals and doing important science to protect us all from getting sick!

A Day in the Life of a Zoo Veterinarian

Learn about a zoo vet’s day, from morning check-ups to evening care, and discover how they keep every animal—from frogs to elephants—happy and healthy in their wild daily adventures!

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Role of Veterinarians in Public Health and One Health

• Diagnosis, Surveillance, Epidemiology, Control, Prevention, and Elimination of Zoonotic Diseases |
• Food Safety |
• Management of Health Aspects of Laboratory Animal Medicine and Diagnostic Laboratories |
• Biomedical Research |
• Health Education and Extension |
• Production and Control of Biologics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals |
• Government and Legislative Activity |

Most veterinarians contribute, directly or indirectly, to public health goals and outcomes. Veterinary public health contributions can be categorized into six core domains.

Role of Veterinarians in Zoonotic Diseases

Most private veterinary practitioners contribute to public health during routine practice. Both large and small animal practitioners become skilled diagnosticians for acute and chronic diseases of animals that may affect the owners and their families and the surrounding communities. Specific examples of public health activities include performing routine health examinations, maintaining vaccination regimens, implementing parasite control programs, advising on the risks of animal contact for immunocompromised individuals, facilitating the use of guide and service dogs for people with disabilities, and promoting the benefits of the human-animal bond (eg, for the disabled and elderly as well as veterans and others with posttraumatic stress disorder).

Communities are best served when veterinarians approach collective health issues with a population health perspective, applying relevant epidemiological principles at the community or population levels. In addition to these direct services, veterinary practitioners report disease events and trends to state public health and regulatory agencies, collaborate with human medical counterparts on zoonotic disease prevention and control, and advise local health boards and commissions. These relationships would not exist if not for the inextricable link between animal and human health.

Many factors contribute to the increasing vulnerability of production animals to infectious disease. These include increasing intensity and concentration of production agriculture, genetic convergence of many food-producing species, accessibility of production animals to external contact (despite rigorous biosecurity measures), scale and frequency of animal transport (domestic and international), increasing size of feedlots, lack of immunity to foreign animal diseases, the relatively porous nature of national borders, and the marked shortage of trained foreign animal disease diagnosticians and epidemiologists. Many important zoonotic diseases transmitted by food-producing animals (eg, brucellosis and tuberculosis ) have been eradicated or controlled in North America and Europe by pasteurization of dairy products, herd testing and culling, and inspections at slaughter. Other diseases transmitted to humans from food-producing animals (eg, campylobacteriosis , listeriosis , salmonellosis , staphylococcosis , and Shiga toxin–producing E coli disease) cause a sizable fraction of the national and international burden of foodborne morbidity and death .

Role of Veterinarians in Food Safety

Veterinarians in food-producing animal practice and government service contribute importantly to the safety of the food supply . Roles in food animal production can be categorized by stage of production. Antemortem activities include assurance of animal welfare, zoonotic disease recognition and prevention, inspection of preslaughter animals, and antimicrobial residue testing. Postmortem activities include carcass inspection and tissue residue determination.

Veterinarians in food animal practice also contribute generally to public health through herd health programs, including disease treatment and prevention; husbandry, handling, and environmental advice; reproductive efficiency; vaccination regimens; nutrition; stress reduction; commodity group protocols (eg, the national Beef Quality Assurance program); and biosecurity and biocontainment plans. In addition to monitoring herd health, other important activities include appropriate and judicious use of antimicrobials, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation and mitigation, vaccination against specific high-consequence or high-prevalence pathogens (eg, E coli O157:H7 and Salmonella ), collaboration with other health professionals (One Health), food facility inspection (eg, production, retail, and storage), import-export examinations, health department leadership, public health (risk) communication, food supply after disasters, and research into safer food production processes.

Role of Veterinarians in the Health Aspects of Laboratory Animal Medicine and Diagnostic Laboratories

The challenges of recognizing resurgent infectious diseases and developing novel therapeutics have placed unprecedented emphasis on managing and maintaining laboratory animal colonies and facilities for research and diagnostic efforts. Increasing emphasis is being placed on international collaboration and reference centers, many of which focus on zoonotic diseases and comparative medicine. Because most outbreaks of zoonotic disease occur in regions where local surveillance and diagnostic and response capacity is lacking, the role of these international collaboration and reference centers likely will expand, requiring larger numbers of trained, experienced veterinary personnel. Trained laboratory animal medicine practitioners are needed to maintain healthy laboratory animals and ensure their humane use for research and diagnostics. See the following for more on the management of health aspects of laboratory animal medicine and diagnostic laboratories:

American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM)

American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP)

Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC International)

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals , Eighth Edition (2011)

Role of Veterinarians in Biomedical Research

Humans interact with animals in a variety of ways every day, from sharing a loving companionship with pets, to playing and competing together in sports, to managing herds and flocks that provide food. The health and well-being of the animals in our lives is remarkably tied to that of humans in a number of ways. Many naturally occurring diseases and disease processes in animals are identical to those in humans (eg, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and many cancers). Basic biomedical research of these problems yields solutions that can benefit both animals and humans. Animals have benefited from many therapeutic advances adopted from human medicine. Conversely, clinical veterinary trials can inform promising therapies for use in humans. See the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA's) Biomedical Research web page.

Building on the information from public health surveillance, research institutions must follow with a greater understanding of the interactions between hosts, parasites, vectors, pathogens, and the environment. Establishing a causal link between human and animal disease relies on such research efforts, often through some combination of molecular studies, mathematical theory, and experimental epidemiology, using either field or laboratory research. As highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO), research of endemic and resurgent zoonoses is often limited by a lack of basic knowledge of host-pathogen interactions. For many zoonotic species, even the route of transmission to humans remains uncertain. In some cases, the molecular biology of the agents in human and animal hosts may be very different. For example, there are major research efforts aimed toward the identification of virulence factors for E coli O157:H7 and the reasons for their differential expressions in humans and cattle. See National Association for Biomedical Research .

Role of Veterinarians in Health Education and Extension

Training new veterinary practitioners and disseminating new capabilities to those already in practice falls largely on the nation’s academic (especially land-grant) institutions. At the collegiate level, this increasingly involves multidisciplinary relationships between schools of medicine, veterinary medicine, sociology, and basic sciences.

Most epidemiologists are employed by governmental or industrial stakeholders, but virtually all veterinarians help educate the public on the threat of infectious and noninfectious diseases. Veterinary practitioners have a responsibility to remain knowledgeable about disease threats and credible sources of that knowledge for their communities. Enabling appropriate knowledge and awareness among the public requires a blend of risk perception and awareness, especially because community stakeholders play important roles in risk resolution.

See American Association of Extension Veterinarians and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges .

Role of Veterinarians in the Production and Control of Biologics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals

Ensuring that animal drugs, vaccines, and devices are safe and efficacious is a shared responsibility between veterinarians in FDA, USDA, and EPA. In general, FDA, specifically the Center for Veterinary Medicine , regulates animal drugs, animal feeds, and veterinary devices, whereas USDA regulates animal vaccines and biologics. Specific to pesticides, FDA regulates certain flea and tick products for animals, whereas EPA regulates others. Within each of these governmental agencies, veterinarians serve to encourage the development of novel products and, at the same time, protect the consumers of those products from false or misleading claims. See FDA's Federal Veterinarians at Work web page.)

Another important function regarding biological agents is the regulation of their storage, use, and transfer. Because of inherent virulence and transmissibility, access to many disease pathogens, termed select agents , has increasingly been limited to legitimate facilities for legitimate uses. The Federal Select Agent Program is jointly administered by CDC and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This effort oversees the possession, use, and transfer of certain biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to the public, to animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products.

Role of Veterinarians in Government and Legislative Activity

Veterinarians are employed at various levels of state and federal government. More than 3,000 veterinarians are employed at the federal level, nearly two-thirds of which are with USDA. Other federal agencies employing large numbers of veterinarians include the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS; eg, in the CDC, FDA, and National Institutes of Health [NIH]). Public health programs comprise most of these employment opportunities, with direct animal care being a minor fraction. Examples include oversight of food safety inspection programs, disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, laboratory animal care, biomedical research, and public health program management and leadership.

At the state level, each department of agriculture typically has a state veterinarian who is responsible for protecting the production animal, poultry, and aquaculture industries directly, and the public indirectly, through the prevention, early detection, containment, and eradication of economically important production animals, poultry, and fish diseases that, in many cases, are transmissible to humans. The state veterinarian's office regulates the importation, transportation, and processing of animals and is responsible for the control and eradication of poultry and production animal diseases, regulation of fish farming, and emergency response programs. Welfare of farm animals is monitored, and when necessary, the office of the state veterinarian conducts investigations and prosecutions relating to cases of cruelty to animals.

Most states and territories employ veterinarians in their health departments as public health veterinarians, who generally work in zoonotic disease control and prevention. However, they are increasingly involved in One Health efforts. Public health veterinarians typically work in communicable disease epidemiology, toxicology, or environmental health programs within state, regional, or local health departments. For more information, see National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians .

A final category of governmental activity is legislative. A relatively small number of veterinarians serve at various levels to promulgate laws, rules, and regulations that serve to protect public health, domestic preparedness, and national defense. Veterinarians serve in the US House of Representatives, in senior leadership positions of several US cabinet-level departments (including USDA, DHHS, DoD, and Department of Homeland Security [DHS]), and as legislative liaisons for professional associations such as the AVMA. They are assisted in their legislative efforts by the communicative action of practicing veterinarians across the nation who transmit ideas and issues to legislators for improved legal and policy outcomes. For more information, see the following:

AVMA's advocacy web page

National Association of Federal Veterinarians (NAFV)

EPA Science Inventory: Veterinarians in Environmental Health: Opportunities for Veterinarians at the Environmental Protection Agency

USDA-FSIS: Public Health Veterinarian (PHV)

USDA-APHIS: National Veterinary Accreditation Program

US Public Health Service (USPHS): Veterinarian

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): Veterinary Safety and Health

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Veterinary Research

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Veterinary Research is an open access journal that publishes high quality and novel research and review articles focusing on all aspects of infectious diseases and host-pathogen interaction in animals. Food animals, companion animals, equines, wild animals (if the infections are of zoonotic interest and/or in relation with domestic animals), laboratory animals and animal models of human infections are considered. Studies on zoonotic and emerging infections are highly appreciated.

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Featured Article: Comparative evaluation of disease dynamics in wild boar and domestic pigs experimentally inoculated intranasally with the European highly virulent African swine fever virus genotype II strain “Armenia 2007”

Featured Article: Transmission of Norwegian reindeer CWD to sheep by intracerebral inoculation results in an unusual phenotype and prion distribution

Featured Article: : Pasteurella multocida infection induces blood–brain barrier disruption by decreasing tight junctions and adherens junctions between neighbored brain microvascular endothelial cells

Featured Article: : PRRSV hijacks DDX3X protein and induces ferroptosis to facilitate viral replication

Featured Article: Prion protein gene (PRNP) variation in German and Danish cervids

Featured Article: Viral shedding and environmental dispersion of two clade 2.3.4.4b H5 high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in experimentally infected mule ducks: implications for environmental sampling

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A review of the human vs. porcine female genital tract and associated immune system in the perspective of using minipigs as a model of human genital Chlamydia infection

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Columnaris disease in fish: a review with emphasis on bacterium-host interactions

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Foot-and-mouth disease: past, present and future

Authors: Syed M Jamal and Graham J Belsham

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV): a review

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Thematic series Modelling in animal health: mechanisms and data from the genome to the environment and control-related behaviour  Edited by Dr Pauline Ezanno, Dr Carolyn Gates, Dr Elisabeta Vergu and Dr Stefan Widgren

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Thematic series Modeling Johne's disease: from the inside out Edited by: Dr Ad Koets, Prof Yrjo Grohn

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Veterinary Career Fields

Veterinarians are highly trained medical professionals who provide for the health and quality of life of all kinds of animals. They use problem-solving skills and in-depth knowledge of biological, physical and social science to diagnose, treat and prevent animal diseases and help to maintain the quality of our environment. Veterinarians collaborate with physicians and public health agencies to prevent and control diseases transmitted from animals to people. Additionally, they advance medical technology through education and research.

The profession becomes more complex as trade barriers fall, new zoonotic diseases emerge, human travel increases, and production and distribution of food products take place in more concentrated, large-scale operations.

There are so many dynamic career opportunities available right now for our DVM graduates; it's a very exciting time to be entering the field of veterinary medicine! Tina Maher, Assistant Director - Career, Leadership and Wellness Center

Exploring Veterinary Career Options

The field of veterinary medicine is diverse and offers a plethora of employment opportunities. The AAVMC outlines Careers in Veterinary Medicine which provides an overview of careers where graduates of veterinary medical schools can effectively apply their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degrees.

Private Practice

• Corporate Veterinary Medicine
• The Federal Government 
• The U.S. Army Corps and U.S. Air Force

Public Health

• Food Supply Medicine
• Global Veterinary Medicine ( UC Davis Global Veterinary Career Profiles Project )
• Public Policy
• Shelter Medicine

In addition, the AVMA offers a wide array of Career Development Courses (and webinars) on career opportunities in the field of veterinary medicine (i.e. aquatic, corporate, disaster, forensic, government and public health, international, mobile practice, pathology, regulatory and research, wildlife, etc.).

Provide primary health care to livestock and companion animals on a case-by-case, fee-for-service basis. More than 70 percent of practices deal with small companion animals. Practitioners may specialize in one medical area, such as surgery or dermatology. Others emphasize a group or species, such as food animals, exotics, birds or horses. Whatever their interests, all DVM students learn to provide basic care to the general animal population and prevent disease and other health problems.

Veterinarians may work for federal or regional agencies that watch over the health and welfare of domesticated animals or monitor populations of free-ranging wildlife. These experts diagnose diseases, inspect meat and poultry, oversee communicable disease programs (West Nile virus, rabies, BSE, avian flu, etc.) and conduct research. Specialists also handle fish, wildlife, laboratory animals and other animals regulated by federal law. Such careers can include working with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health, Army or Air Force Veterinary Corps, and others.

Research veterinarians investigate scientific problems and develop strategies and new technologies. They develop new diagnostic tests, vaccines and products that prevent human and animal disease and enhance food quality. For instance, veterinary pathologists and toxicologists working in public institutions or private companies test the safety and efficacy of new treatments, monitor environmental conditions and evaluate the effects of environmental pollutants.

Veterinarians have excellent opportunities to teach at veterinary schools or colleges. Instructors teach courses that encourage professional-level students to develop the problem-solving skills and strategies that promote animal health. Faculty members also conduct basic and clinical research and provide various services to the public.

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Veterinarians protect people, animals, and society

Whether or not you own an animal, veterinarians affect you. The health of animals, people, and the environment are interconnected—it's called One Health —and the work of veterinarians protects people in ways you might not realize.

Veterinarians protect people from disease. Veterinarians are the first and best line of defense against animal diseases that could threaten public health and our national security. They prevent and treat zoonotic diseases—diseases that can affect both animals and people—from rabies to avian flu. Veterinarians also are key in responding to bioterrorism threats such as the anthrax attacks that followed 9/11.

Veterinarians safeguard our food. Veterinarians protect the health and welfare of livestock, and oversee meatpacking plants to ensure all meat is safe for human consumption.

Veterinarians make medical discoveries. Veterinarians are crucial to the development of new drugs for both people and animals. As researchers, veterinarians are finding new ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent health disorders in all species.

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Amphibians, Reptiles and Salmonella Bed Bugs and Pets (FAQ) Chicks, Ducklings and Salmonella H3N2v influenza Ebola Virus and Pets Zika Virus and Animals Disease Precautions for Outdoor Enthusiasts and Their Companion Animals Dogs' Social Lives and Disease Risks - Tips for Canine and Human Safety Hunters and Disease Risks Pets and Zoonotic Diseases (FAQ) World Rabies Day Animals in Public Settings Psittacosis and Chlamydiosis

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Disposal of Unwanted Medications Green Veterinary Practices

5 reasons you want a veterinarian on your team in a zombie apocalypse

Under normal circumstances, we'd never recommend that a veterinarian treat a human. But in a zombie apocalypse... physicians might be hard to come by.

Antibiotic use is changing. Talk to your veterinarian.

Talk to a veterinarian about responsible use of antibiotics in animals. Veterinary oversight helps preserve antimicrobial effectiveness in fighting disease.

Dog bite prevention

Any dog can bite—big or small, male or female, young or old. It’s not a dog's breed that determines whether it will bite, but rather the dog's individual history and behavior.

– Veterinary School Blog

What Is a Veterinarian? Uncovering the Role of Animal Doctors

You might think of veterinarians as the medical professionals who simply care for dogs, cats, and similar domestic animals. Like other doctors, veterinarians attend school to get a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree before being a practicing vet. Their jobs are actually surprisingly diverse, spanning numerous industries. So, just what is a veterinarian? The answer is a little more complex than you might first expect.

What is a veterinarian, exactly?

Veterinarians are the doctors of the animal world. They use their skills to evaluate patients, make diagnoses, and treat a wide range of conditions.

“Our goal is to preserve quality of life and alleviate pain while making sure that we work with our pet owners as best we can to help them care for their pets,” says Dr. Justine Lee , board-certified veterinary specialist in emergency/critical care and toxicology. She also notes these medical professionals can treat different species, depending on their specific focus.

Veterinarians improve animals’ lives, and that may even translate to better health outcomes for humans.

What do vets do in a typical day?

Working with animals just scratches the surface of what veterinarians do. Some common veterinarian duties include:

• Diagnosing conditions • Administering vaccines • Prescribing medication • Performing surgeries • Completing diagnostic tests • Educating pet owners

Veterinarians can provide pet owners with valuable information to keep their animals healthy. In fact, Banfield Pet Hospital’s State of Pet Health  suggests listening to a veterinarian’s nutrition recommendations is one of the best ways to combat common issues like osteoarthritis, skin allergies, and animal obesity.

Responsibilities can vary, depending on a vet’s focus area. “Just like human medicine, where there are specialties in internal medicine, surgery, dermatology, and emergency, veterinary medicine has also started to move that way,” Dr. Lee explains.

Veterinarians specializing in behavioral medicine perform detailed evaluations to determine whether there’s a medical reason for animal conduct issues and help develop treatment plans. Veterinary toxicologists, on the other hand, may work in an office setting, often answering pet owners’ questions.

Dr. Lee consults for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center. Pet owners and vets call these types of centers to connect with a specialist when they suspect an animal has consumed a dangerous substance.

“At the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, we counsel both pet owners and veterinary professionals on how best to treat the poisoned pet or patient,” Dr. Lee says. Some potential courses of action are teaching someone how to induce vomiting at home, directing a person to seek veterinary attention nearby, or even nonaction in the event the substance in question isn’t harmful.

Where do vets work?

Exactly where a veterinarian works depends largely on their specific role. You might be surprised by how varied the locations can be. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines some of the common settings:

• Veterinary clinics and hospitals • Animal shelters • Farms and ranches • Animal processing facilities • Zoos and aquariums • Laboratories

Many individuals and group-practice veterinarians, which the CDC estimates to be around 80 percent of all vets, work in clinics. This still allows for some variety. Vets can work in brick-and-mortar clinics as well as in mobile facilities. The latter are often less expensive to operate and allow veterinary professionals to provide more convenient services for pet owners.

What qualities do you need to be a veterinarian?

Every professional relies on specific skills, and veterinarians are no different. They should possess compassion, decisiveness, manual dexterity, and solid communication skills.

Being able to effectively communicate goes beyond interacting with animals. “Potential candidates interested in pursuing the veterinary field as a career have to realize that if they don’t get along with other people, they should not be in the field of veterinary medicine,” Dr. Lee says. “That’s because there’s a lot of interaction with pet owners.”

How do you become a veterinarian?

You’ll need to obtain a number of credentials to practice veterinary medicine—the most important being your Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. There are usually strict course prerequisites you need to complete in order to become an eligible applicant.

Before you start applying to veterinary schools , you need to make sure you meet all the requirements , which cover more than just course credits. Most programs require you to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), submit letters of recommendation, write a personal statement, and obtain a substantial amount of veterinary experience.

Gaining that experience is particularly important. “[Applicants] should have at least 100 hours of experience working—or volunteering—in a veterinary clinic,” Dr. Lee advises. She adds that gaining veterinary experience will also help you understand if you’re truly dedicated to the field before you invest a substantial amount of money in an education.

Once you start veterinary school, you will most likely spend your first three years taking courses on campus and spend your final year away on clinical rotations. Near the end of your education, you’ll sit for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE)   , a 360-question test you must pass in order to practice. After the NAVLE, you may also need to complete an additional licensing exam depending on where you plan to practice.

Some DVM grads choose to pursue a residency or internship to become a certified specialist, but it’s not a requirement. “Once you graduate from veterinary school, you can go straight out to become a general practitioner or family veterinarian,” Dr. Lee notes.

What is the career outlook for veterinarians?

Having a passion for animals is a fantastic reason to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. On top of that, it’s a growing field with plenty of opportunity.

Thanks to increased pet expenditures and a need for professionals who can maintain a safe food supply, veterinarians are poised to see substantial growth in the coming years. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinarian employment is expected to grow by 17 percent through 2030. This far outpaces the national average for all occupations.

Is a career as a veterinarian right for you?

You now have plenty of information about what role vets play in our world. You might even have enough knowledge to confidently fill someone in the next time you overhear a person ask, “What is a veterinarian?”

If veterinary medicine sounds like a field you might want to pursue, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. There’s a lot more to this career than playing with pets. Learn more about what to expect on the job by reading our article, “ 8 Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Veterinarian .”

This article was originally published in 2018. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2021.

Related Articles

7 Signs You Should Consider a Career in Veterinary Medicine

4 Skills Needed to Be a Veterinarian

How to Become a Vet in Canada: Your Ultimate Outline

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• Cat Behavior
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Why Do Cats Trill & What Does It Mean? Vet-Verified Feline Vocalization Facts

Image Credit: Zhuravlev Andrey, Shutterstock

Last Updated on September 16, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

VET APPROVED

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Dr. Maja Platisa

DVM MRCVS (Veterinarian)

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Cats make quite a few different noises, and one of the cutest that we’ve ever heard is trilling. This is a blend between a meow and a purr, and each cat can make their own distinctive version of this sound. But why exactly do cats trill? It’s just one way that our cats let us know that they need something.

Cat trilling happens for a few different reasons. Let’s take a look at them all so you can see if any apply to your furry friend.

How Do Cats Express Themselves?

You might be tuned in to your cat’s behavior and know when they’re hungry, sleepy, or ready for a cuddle. But if you get a new cat or kitten, how can you get to know them better?

• Ear position
• Tail movements
• Facial expressions
• General body language
• Using scent and marking

What Is a Trill?

Trilling is a noise made by cats, and it can sometimes be described as a cross between a purr and a meow. Cats make this noise by keeping their mouths closed and passing air over their voice boxes.

Why Do Cats Trill?

There are a few possible reasons that cats make this trilling noise, and you’ll have to consider your cat’s environment and potential mood when you’re figuring out the reason for their trill. Cat behaviorists agree that it’s almost always a positive noise. However, the full explanation behind why cats produce this noise and the reasons behind using it still remains unclear, and we are relying on speculations and anecdotes rather than scientific advice.

1. Trilling of a Mother Cat to Her Kittens

As kittens grow old enough to start exploring, their mother cats may trill to them as a way to draw their attention back to her or encourage her kittens to follow her.

Kittens learn to respond to this trilling sound very early and often start doing it themselves.

2. A Way to Say Hello

Many cats will trill to their owners and maybe even other cats from their household as a form of greeting. Your cat may come running to the door and greet you with a trill when you come home after a long day at work. Cats may also trill at each other in greeting. It’s the meow that tends to be reserved as a vocal communication with humans.

3. A Way to Ask for Something

If your cat wants to be fed and petted or for you to play with them, they may try to catch your attention by trilling. Much in the same way that a mother cat asks for the attention of her kittens, your cat may use a trill as a way to ask for something. It’s up to you to figure out exactly what they want!

4. Out of Excitement or Surprise

Some cats will trill when they are excited or surprised by something unexpected, such as getting a back rub from their favorite person when they did not expect it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can trilling ever be a problem.

Trilling is almost always used in a positive sense. Every now and again, though, a cat may trill when they’re in pain or if they are scared. If your cat is trilling far more than they used to or has suddenly started trilling when they never used to before, you may want to speak to your vet. Your cat may have an underlying condition that has caused this change in behavior.

Are They Asking You to Follow Them?

A mother cat trilling is a way to encourage her kittens to follow her, so some cats may employ the same technique on their owners! As to where they want you to follow them, you’ll have to tag along with your cat and find out! But usually, this is to the kitchen and their empty food bowl.

What If My Cat Doesn’t Trill?

Not all cats make this sound, so if you never hear your cat trilling , it’s not a cause for concern. Some shy cats don’t tend to use trilling as a form of vocal communication, while some extroverted and loud cats seem to do nothing else!

It all depends on the personality of your cat and isn’t something you need to worry about at all.

• Most Annoying Sounds Cats Make: Possible Causes & Prevention Tips
• Do Cats Hold Grudges? Feline Behavior Explained

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About the Author

Emma Stenhouse

Emma is a freelance writer, specializing in writing about pets, outdoor pursuits, and the environment. Originally from the UK, she has lived in Costa Rica and New Zealand before moving to a smallholding in Spain with her husband, their 4-year-old daughter, and their dogs, cats, horses, and poultry. When she's not writing, Emma can be found taking her dogs for walks in the rolling fields around their home...and usually, at least some of the cats come along, too! Emma is passionate about rescuing animals and providing them with a new life after being abandoned or abused. As well as their own four rescue dogs, she also fosters dogs for re-homing, providing them with love and training while searching for their forever homes.

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