About This Career

Diagnoses, treats, or researches diseases and injuries of animals. Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, inspect livestock, or care for pets and companion animals.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Treats sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
• Inoculates animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
• Examines animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
• Collects body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
• Operates diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interprets the resulting images.
• Educates the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
• Counsels clients about the deaths of their pets or about euthanasia decisions for their pets.
• Advises animal owners regarding sanitary measures, feeding, general care, medical conditions, or treatment options.
• Euthanizes animals.
• Attends lectures, conferences, or continuing education courses.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Exposed to radiation more than once a month
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overtime work
• Weekend work