Every pet parent’s top priority is to maintain optimal pet health and well-being. A veterinarian who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of animals plays an indispensable role in the lives of pets and their parents. Becoming a veterinary doctor can be a highly rewarding career option, particularly for individuals passionate about science and animals. Moreover, the profession has a wide scope due to the diverse pet healthcare requirements. Here’s everything one needs to know about this profession:

Types of veterinary doctors
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) identifies 41 distinct professional classifications in the veterinary field. Here are some prominent ones among these:

• Veterinary anesthesiologists
  These doctors specialize in administering anesthesia to animals and monitoring its effects. Veterinary anesthesiologists are roped in for animal surgeries, which require the administration of general or local anesthesia to reduce pain and discomfort.

• Animal welfare veterinarians
  Also called veterinary animal welfare specialists, these veterinary doctors pursue additional training in animal welfare, integrating scientific expertise with ethical values. Thus, their primary responsibility is to ensure the well-being of animals in their environments and habitats, whether it is a home, a forest, or a zoo.

• Veterinary surgeons
  Surgery is an essential aspect of treatment for injured and sick animals. Veterinary surgeons take on the responsibility of performing such surgeries. In addition, they perform other tasks like administering vaccinations, neutering the animal, carrying out diagnostic tests, and providing pre and post-operative care.

• Veterinary dentists
  Veterinary dentists specialize in the diagnosis and intervention of dental problems among animals. They also perform essential dental activities, such as teeth cleaning, to ensure oral hygiene. Diagnosis of dental conditions, tooth extraction, root canal, and cavity filling are some of the dental services offered by these professionals.

• Veterinary dermatologists
  Like humans, animals also face skin problems requiring timely diagnosis and treatment. Veterinary dermatologists specialize in treating problems relating to animal skin, ears, hooves, fur, and nails, administering oral or topical interventions based on the nature of the skin condition.

• Research veterinarians
  Research veterinarians conduct in-depth studies on animal health and welfare and possess extensive scientific knowledge about their field. These vets typically work in government agencies, research firms, institutions, or universities and are responsible for several path-breaking discoveries and interventions in the veterinary domain.

General roles and responsibilities of veterinary doctors

• Diagnosing health conditions
  One of a veterinary doctor’s most important job responsibilities is to diagnose the health condition an animal may be grappling with. This diagnosis is based on the doctor’s close evaluation of the animal’s symptoms and an evaluation of its health history and breed. They may refer to specific standardized diagnostic manuals, such as the MSD Veterinary Manual and the World Organisation for Animal Health manuals, to better understand and detect these conditions.

• Neutering and spaying
  Neutering and spaying refer to the surgical removal of a male and female animal’s reproductive organs, respectively. While neutering reduces a male animal’s risk of developing testicular cancer and prostatic diseases, spaying reduces a female animal’s susceptibility to breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers and uterine infections. It also helps eliminate instances of unwanted pregnancies among animals. Vets need to have formal education and hands-on training to perform neutering and spaying of animals.

• Treating injured animals
  Another responsibility of veterinarians is to treat injured animals, clean and dress their wounds, provide topical interventions, prescribe oral treatments, and examine these wounds regularly to check whether they are healing.

• Vaccinating animals
  Vaccinations are an essential aspect of preventing severe health conditions among animals. Rabies, avian influenza, feline leukemia, and foot-and-mouth disease are some conditions against which pets must be vaccinated.

• Performing surgeries
  Veterinary surgeons are qualified to perform surgeries on animals to treat health conditions or internal injuries due to falls or accidents.

• Prescribing treatments
  Once an animal’s health issue is diagnosed, veterinary doctors prescribe a treatment course, which may incorporate oral, topical, and/or intravenous interventions to aid recovery from the condition.

Qualifications
The first step to becoming a veterinarian is to complete a four-year undergraduate course called Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) to kickstart their journeys as veterinarians. After completing this course, students must secure a state license to practice as veterinary doctors. After completing the undergraduate degree program, one may also specialize in certain niche veterinary areas, such as animal dentistry, anesthesia, dermatology, and surgery. Each state has its own set of requirements and procedures to obtain a veterinary license. Thus, students should understand these procedures of individual states in detail before applying for their licenses in the state of their choice. The choice of courses can also vary. It is best to work as a veterinary assistant early in one’s career to gain hands-on experience in dealing with animals.