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Mel
Student
San Marcos, California
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How do I become a livestock vet?
How do I become a livestock vet? What classes do I need to take in high school? What major would I need to take in college? What school would I need to go to? Where would I need to work?
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2 answers
Nirah Shomer, DVM PhD DACLAM
Senior leader in laboratory animal science, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance
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Nirah’s Answer
To become a veterinarian, you first need to complete a four-year bachelors degree, usually a bachelor of science, and then complete a four year post graduate degree at a college of veterinary medicine. There are some programs that offer an accelerated degree, for example if you go to a state university that also has a veterinary school, you can sometimes combine your last two years of undergraduate with your first two years of vet school. To become a veterinarian, you don’t have the option to specialize only in livestock until typically your third or fourth year. All veterinarians need to learn the basics about companion and food animal species. In your third year, you’ll get to start taking electives and can gravitate towards more classes about livestock animals. In your fourth year, you will be doing internships and rotations, and would focus on doing that in livestock practice. Livestock encompasses a variety of species, from poultry, pigs, sheep, and cows. The life of an avian veterinarian is quite different from the life of a Veterinarian specializing in hoofstock, and care of pigs for commercial production is very highly specialized. In general, however, veterinarians who work with livestock specialize in herd health as opposed to health of individual animals. Your concerns are more with nutrition, infectious disease control, and disease prevention. It would be unusual to provide individualized veterinary care to a particular chicken or pig. Veterinarian to work with cattle, especially dairy cows, also tend to need to work on reproductive medicine quite a bit. To be a livestock Veterinarian, you will typically need to live and work in an area where that kind of livestock is ranched or raised. Not many livestock veterinarians in New York City, L O L.
You’ll be able to learn about all of these when you’re in vet school, and can do research now to see if this is really what you’re interested in.
You’ll be able to learn about all of these when you’re in vet school, and can do research now to see if this is really what you’re interested in.
Marshall Main
Director, Manager, Videographer
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Raleigh, North Carolina
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Marshall’s Answer
Mel-
My father was in Animal Sciences. You will want to look at schools that specialize in those degrees. By livestock, I am assuming you are looking at rural vet medicine? (Cows, Horses, Sheep, exotics etc?)
I would focus on taking as much advance Biology classes you can in high school. Also any Pre-Med classes will be helpful. Anatomy basics will apply to animals and people.
You can also look to volunteer or even work at a Vet clinic near you. It will give you some experience and ability to ask questions of people who do it for a living.
You will then want to focus on schools that offer Veterinary medicine degrees. When you get to high school, you will have access to a career counselor. They can help you with the school search. Here is another resource:
https://www.avma.org/education/center-for-veterinary-accreditation/accredited-veterinary-colleges
My father was in Animal Sciences. You will want to look at schools that specialize in those degrees. By livestock, I am assuming you are looking at rural vet medicine? (Cows, Horses, Sheep, exotics etc?)
I would focus on taking as much advance Biology classes you can in high school. Also any Pre-Med classes will be helpful. Anatomy basics will apply to animals and people.
You can also look to volunteer or even work at a Vet clinic near you. It will give you some experience and ability to ask questions of people who do it for a living.
You will then want to focus on schools that offer Veterinary medicine degrees. When you get to high school, you will have access to a career counselor. They can help you with the school search. Here is another resource:
https://www.avma.org/education/center-for-veterinary-accreditation/accredited-veterinary-colleges