2 answers
Patrick
Student
Grundy Center, Iowa
3
Questions
Asked
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What does the everyday life of a vet entail?
I am from a small town and agriculture has played a large part in my life I have always wanted to become a #veterinarian
2 answers
Ross Singletary
Pharmacist
5
Answers
Amarillo, Texas
Updated
Ross’s Answer
Hey Patrick, great question! So, the everyday life of a veterinarian is highly variable. The broadest differences are between small vs large animal practice. A large animal will be doing things like palpating heifers, dehorning cattle, administering vaccinations, neutering, fixing broken bones/lacerations. While small animal practice will include a lot of vaccinations, neutering/spaying, radiology, cancer, worms, parvo, foreign body ingestions, and traumas to name a few. There are vets that specialize in each of these as well as ones that like to do a bit of both. Generally, the hours include typical 9-5 (ish) clinic hours but also has a significant on-call component. Depending on the size of the clinic these hours may vary. I recommend becoming a dog walker or veterinary technician to explore the ins and outs of this line of work.
Bryndalyn Corey
Veterinary (DVM) student
2
Answers
Pullman, Washington
Updated
Bryndalyn’s Answer
Hello, current veterinary student here!
Veterinarians have a wide range of career options and the day-to-day varies depending on the type of practice they choose. All vets learn about many animals as students including dogs, cats, horses, cattle, small ruminants (sheep, goats), pigs, camelids, and some others. In practice, they can choose which animals to work with, and many choose mixed practice. While less common, you can also work with other species such as aquatics or wildlife. Daily life also varies by where you choose to work; many choose private practice, but there are also careers in government agencies (such as with the FDA ensuring healthy and safe agricultural practices), zoos, animal shelters, forensics, research, conservation, and many others.
In my experience in small animal private practice, every day is different from the last. They typically take appointments throughout the day and these can include wellness checks and routine care, behavior consultations, diagnosing and treating illnesses or infections, rechecking progress for ongoing issues, assisting with breeding, giving palliative care or euthanasia, or stabilizing and treating emergencies. They often use diagnostics such as bloodwork, urinalysis, x-ray, or ultrasound, and can prescribe medications and create treatment plans as needed. All veterinarians are trained to do surgeries such as spays, neuters, mass removals, laceration repairs, and foreign body removals, and some choose to do additional surgeries such as orthopedics or cosmetics. Depending on their level of experience with a specific issue, doctors may refer a given patient to a specialty center or teaching hospital for the best care, though you may not have this luxury with every client or in more rural areas.
Above all veterinarians are advocates for their patients, clients, and team members, and while it is an extremely physically and emotionally demanding profession, I believe it is also one of the most fulfilling.
Hope this helps!
Veterinarians have a wide range of career options and the day-to-day varies depending on the type of practice they choose. All vets learn about many animals as students including dogs, cats, horses, cattle, small ruminants (sheep, goats), pigs, camelids, and some others. In practice, they can choose which animals to work with, and many choose mixed practice. While less common, you can also work with other species such as aquatics or wildlife. Daily life also varies by where you choose to work; many choose private practice, but there are also careers in government agencies (such as with the FDA ensuring healthy and safe agricultural practices), zoos, animal shelters, forensics, research, conservation, and many others.
In my experience in small animal private practice, every day is different from the last. They typically take appointments throughout the day and these can include wellness checks and routine care, behavior consultations, diagnosing and treating illnesses or infections, rechecking progress for ongoing issues, assisting with breeding, giving palliative care or euthanasia, or stabilizing and treating emergencies. They often use diagnostics such as bloodwork, urinalysis, x-ray, or ultrasound, and can prescribe medications and create treatment plans as needed. All veterinarians are trained to do surgeries such as spays, neuters, mass removals, laceration repairs, and foreign body removals, and some choose to do additional surgeries such as orthopedics or cosmetics. Depending on their level of experience with a specific issue, doctors may refer a given patient to a specialty center or teaching hospital for the best care, though you may not have this luxury with every client or in more rural areas.
Above all veterinarians are advocates for their patients, clients, and team members, and while it is an extremely physically and emotionally demanding profession, I believe it is also one of the most fulfilling.
Hope this helps!
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