What do veterinarians and vet nurses do?
Veterinarians
Veterinarians look after the health and well-being of animals.
They not only diagnose, treat, prevent and investigate animal disease and injury but are trained in all aspects of the general management of animals.
Many veterinarians own or work in a practice. This requires a variety of management and business skills.
Veterinarians must learn to be good communicators (while their patients are animals, their clients are humans) and work well with others, including veterinary nurses, receptionists and administrators.
Most veterinarians concentrate on at least one field, such as companion animals, horses or livestock.
Many focus on special interests within these fields, such as surgery, medicine, ophthalmology and dentistry.
Veterinary science is a lifestyle as well as a career. Veterinarians work hard and long and must keep up with developments in their chosen field through continuing education and training.
Vet nurses
Veterinary nurses assist veterinarians in the treatment and care of animals needing medical and/or surgical attention.
Veterinary nurses work as part of a team in veterinary consulting rooms, surgeries and hospitals.
To be a vet nurse, you need to enjoy working with animals. You must be able to handle animals with confidence and patience.
You should be able to make accurate observations and have good communication skills, good organisational skills and must be able to work as part of a team.
Some of the tasks Vet nurses may perform include:
- assist veterinarians during consultations, examinations and treatments
- restrain animals while the veterinarian examines or treats them
- prepare animals for anaesthesia and surgery by clipping and shaving their fur or hair and disinfecting or swabbing skin
- assist veterinarians in administering and maintaining anaesthesia and, during surgical procedures, by handling instruments; swabbing blood; monitoring anaesthetics; oxygen and intravenous fluids; and applying post-operative dressings
- perform diagnostic laboratory tests, including urine and faecal tests and simple blood tests, and assist veterinarians to produce diagnostic radiographs
- place animals in cages for recovery from operations and monitor their condition
- give medication to animals under direction of a veterinarian
- bathe, brush, feed and exercise hospitalised animals
Click here to play the drag and drop game 'Words Vets Use'
CLICK HERE to download the worksheet "Crack the Code 2"
CLICK HERE to download the worksheet "Vets are your pet's friend-maze"
Did you know that next year is VET 2011! So what is VET 2011?
The world’s first veterinary school was founded in Lyon, France, in 1761, shortly followed by the Alfort veterinary school, near Paris, in 1764, both of them at the initiative of French veterinarian Claude BOURGELAT.
This means that 2011 will mark the 250th world anniversary of veterinary education.
By setting up the world’s first veterinary training institutions, BOURGELAT created the veterinary profession itself. Thus, 2011 will also mark the 250th world anniversary of the veterinary profession.
Bourgelat was also the first scientist who dared to suggest that studying animal biology and pathology would help to improve our understanding of human biology and pathology. 2011 will also mark the 250th anniversary of the concept of comparative Patho biology, without which modern medicine would never have emerged.
Therefore, it is not just the anniversary of the creation of veterinary training that will be celebrated in France in 2011. The entire world will join in celebrating the veterinary profession, which has been working to improve both animal and human health for the past 250 years. Vet 2011!
CLICK HERE to download the Vet 2011 fact sheet
CLICK HERE to download the Vet 2011 colouring sheet