Veterinarian Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the veterinarian job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the veterinarian role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Veterinarian Do?

Veterinarians provide medical care to household animals and livestock such as cattle, dogs, birds, and horses.

The veterinarian job description entails diagnosing and treating animals with injuries or diseases to nurture them back to health.

In performing their duties, veterinarians work with a range of instruments to administer healthcare services to animals.

They use X-ray machine, ultrasound equipment, and CT scanner to conduct animal diagnosis to determine type of disease or injury.

They wear appropriate medical gear such as nose masks, latex gloves, and sterile scrubs to minimize risks of transferring or contracting a disease.

Their role also involves conducting research on diseases to determine the best form of treatment.

Veterinarians administer medications and inoculations to treat animal diseases and also perform surgeries to remove or repair infected or defective parts of an animal.

They also monitor the recovery process of animals to determine the need for changes in treatment plan.

As part of their responsibilities, veterinarians conduct spaying operation on animals to neuter them and inhibit reproduction.

They educate pet owners on proper ways to feed, clean, and care for their animals to promote their health.

Their work description also involves organizing seminars to educate the public on zoonotic diseases (diseases transmittable from animal to man) and ways to prevent them.

Usually, veterinarians collect animal tissue, blood, and urine samples for laboratory examination and analysis.

They implement quarantine and testing processes when dealing with communicable disease to prevent transmission other animals or to humans.

They also carry out post-mortem examinations to determine the cause of an animal’s death.

Veterinarians work with veterinary assistants and technicians who handle and provide healthcare for animals.

They guide and supervise them to ensure their operations are in accordance with set standards.

In fulfilling their role, veterinarians maintain proper records of animal profile and treatment plan, and often collaborate with colleagues to conduct medical procedures.

Also, administering lethal injections to euthanize terminally ill or old animals is part of their description.

To work as a veterinarian requires having a degree in veterinary medicine and licensure for practice.

You will also need to have qualities such as manual dexterity, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to succeed on the job.

Veterinarian Job Description Example/Template

Veterinarians perform various functions to keep livestock and household animals in good health, here is a job description example showing the common tasks, duties, and responsibilities associated with the role:

• Examine animals using diagnostic equipment such as X-ray, CT scanner to identify the cause of an illness
• Prescribe medications, administer inoculations, and perform surgeries to treat animal health condition
• Proffer recommendations to animal owners on ways to feed, clean, and care for animals to promote their health
• Neuter animals through spaying operation to prevent them from having offspring
• Immunize animals to protect them against various diseases
• Visit farms or pet houses to assess the living condition of animals and make necessary recommendations for improved health
• Inspect animal food products to ensure they are fit for human consumption
• Liaise with other veterinarians and animal care professionals to develop effective treatment plan for animals
• Insert identification microchips and provide appropriate paperwork for animals
• Collect and examine blood, urine, feces, and tissue samples during diagnosis
• Realign broken animal bones and apply splints or casts to immobilize a fracture
• Educate the public on ways to avoid diseases that spread from animals to man
• Guide and direct the activities of veterinarian assistants and technicians
• Execute quarantine processes to prevent spread of disease from an animal to others
• Monitor foods animal consume to ensure they are safe and beneficial to health.

Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for Veterinarian Job

If you are interested in working as a veterinarian and want to know the skills and other qualities you need to have to be hired, here are common employer requirements for the position:

• Education and Training: To become a veterinarian, you require a doctorate degree in veterinary medicine. Usually, a Bachelor’s degree is prerequisite for entry into a vet. medicine program. Veterinarians are required to pass a licensing exam, and complete a one-year internship and three-year residency in specific field of practice
• Manual Dexterity: Veterinarians are able to use various medical instruments to treat animal injuries and perform surgeries
• Problem-solving Skill: They are able to implement treatment plans and effective in addressing animal health problems
• Decision-making Skill: They are able to determine the best course of treatment for different kinds of ailments.

Conclusion

Employers in the process of hiring for the veterinarian role and needing a job description can quickly make one using the sample copy and information provided in this post.

They will be able to create a comprehensive veterinarian work description that gets the best candidates applying for the job.

This post also provides useful information to individuals interested in the veterinarian career for them to learn about the duties and responsibilities of the job so they can properly prepare themselves ahead for the role.