What type of veterinarians are there

In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association AVMA reports about 75 percent of all veterinarians in private practice work mostly or exclusively with companion animals. These practitioners, also called small animal veterinarians , are sort of like primary care physicians who work with humans. They also euthanize animals nearing the end of their lives.

Small animal practitioners can even pursue shelter medicine, a relatively new field that entails caring for animals in need of homes. Just like doctors who work with people, veterinary physicians can pursue countless specialties. In fact, the AVMA recognizes more than 20 different kinds of veterinarians that fall under this category. Veterinarians can also opt to specialize in a particular species or group of animals, like cats, dogs, poultry, or wildlife.

Vet Specialists act as consultants for other vets when a particular type of equipment or expertise is required. Because each role calls for different skill sets, daily duties will vary substantially across specialties. Food animal veterinarians work primarily with animals raised for human consumption to ensure products are safe to eat. Do you really need two different vets? Maybe not. Mixed practice veterinarians work with different types of animals.

Because they see many different types of animals, they can often help keep all of your pets healthy and happy. So if you have a variety of pets, a mixed practice veterinarian might be a good option! He is a renowned vet that focuses on cats and dogs of any size. Jeff will help to keep them in good health! Contact Dr. Jeff today to see how your pets can benefit from personalized, professional medical attention.

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Juan Gomez, Unsplash. Annie Spratt, Unsplash. Hike Shaw, Unsplash. Tamara Gore, Unsplash. Marlene Prusik, Unsplash. The RVSOs are referred to as colleges, but they're not schools or universities. A board-certified veterinary specialist's expertise complements that of your animal's primary care veterinarian.

It's critical you, your veterinarian, and board-certified veterinary specialist communicate and work together to provide the best care for your pet. For more information about the specialties, click the link to go to the website of the specialty college responsible for certifying veterinarians in that specialty:. Anesthesia and analgesia : veterinary specialists who are experts at assessment and mitigation of anesthetic risks, delivery of anesthetic and analgesic drugs, maintaining and monitoring physiologic well-being of the anesthetized patient, and providing the highest levels of perioperative patient care including pain management.

Animal welfare : veterinary specialists with advanced training and experience in animal welfare. Behavior : veterinary specialists with advanced knowledge of animal behavior and behavior modification.

Dentistry : veterinarians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of dental, oral, and maxillofacial diseases. Emergency and critical care : veterinary specialists who work exclusively in both emergency rooms and intensive care units to care for animals that are often the "sickest of the sick". Internal medicine , which includes specialties of:.

Laboratory animal medicine : veterinary specialists working in research or in practice, making sure laboratory animal species rabbits, rats, mice, etc. Specialties include:.

Veterinary nutrition : veterinary specialists dedicated to the research and the clinical application of nutrition and diet in health and disease. Ophthalmology : veterinary specialists who study diseases and conditions of the eye. Pathology : veterinary specialists practicing microscopic and clinical pathology to protect and improve animal, human and environmental health to benefit society.

Poultry : veterinary specialists who work with chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other fowl, usually in food production settings. Preventive medicine : veterinary specialists improving animal, human, and environmental health through surveillance, recognition, outbreak investigation, and management of animal diseases; prevention and control of zoonotic diseases and foodborne illnesses; reduction of bites, injuries and other environmental and occupational human health hazards related to animals; promotion of food protection and wholesomeness; and promotion of humane animal care and the use of animals in animal-facilitated therapy.

Radiology : veterinary specialists who focus on the study of x-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography CT , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , and other imaging procedures that allow us to see "inside" an animal's body; radiation oncologists specialize in the treatment of cancer patients using radiotherapy.