By: Roslyn Acuna Be the Veterinarian You Want to Be

What are veterinary specialists? Veterinary specialists are veterinarians who have advanced training in various veterinary medical and surgical disciplines. ●Must pass a board examination in order to be board certified and obtain the title of a specialist ●In the U.S. veterinary specialists are recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) ●22 recognized veterinary specialties ●Veterinary specialist are consulted when an animal’s condition requires specialized care above and beyond that which a regular veterinarian can offer ●Earn 2-3X more $$$ than general practice veterinarians

Types of Veterinary Specialists ●Pathology ●Pharmacology ●Poultry Veterinarians ●Preventive Medicines ●Radiology ●Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation ●Surgery ●Theriogenology ●Toxicology ●Veterinary Practitioners ●Zoological Medicine ●Anesthesia ●Animal Welfare ●Behavior ●Dentistry ●Dermatology ●Emergency and Critical Care ●Internal Medicine ●Laboratory Animal Medicine ●Microbiology ●Nutrition ●Ophthalmology

What is the difference between a Society and and Academy? ●A Society is for individuals interested in a specific discipline of veterinary medicine that must represent a distinct and identifiable specialty, supported by an existing veterinary specialty ●An Academy designates veterinary technicians receiving recognition as a specialty and is restricted to credentialed veterinary technicians, who must complete a formal process of education, training, experience and testing to qualify

Anesthesia ● Veterinarians who specialize in administering anesthesia to animals to manage pain during surgery or treatment ● Duties: ○ Evaluating patients before treatment ○ Developing sedation plan ○ Administering anesthesia/ other pain relief agents ○ Performing diagnostic tests ○ Giving fluids, monitoring vital signs, operating speciales equipment, etc. ● American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia (ACVAA) currently has over 250 board certified diplomates worldwide practicing in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

Animal Welfare ● Animal welfare specialists take care of animals, including feeding and exercising them. ● Duties: ○ Feeding animals ○ Cleaning cages ○ Exercising animals ○ Screening adoption applicants ○ Maintaining records ○ Answering telephones ○ Assisting with vaccinations and euthanasia ● No specialized education requirements pertain to work as an animal welfare specialist. You can receive on-the-job training or take advantage of the many workshops and training programs offered through animal shelters nationwide.

Behavior ● Animal behavior specialist observes animals in order to understand the history and evolution of a species. ● may work in zoos, aquariums and museums, as well as wildlife organizations and medical research industries ● Duties: ○ can include caring for animals in a zoo, shelter, or lab, diagnosing behavioural problems of family pets, rehabilitating rescued dogs, cats, or horses, and aiding in scientific research ○ Ethologists ○ Behavioral Ecologists ○ Comparative Psychologists ○ Anthropologists

Dentistry ● A veterinary dentist is a veterinary professional who specializes in the oral needs of animals. ● Veterinary dentist specializes in procedures that include, but are not limited, to: ○ Endodontics ○ Oral and maxillofacial radiology ○ Oral and maxillofacial surgery ○ Oral medicine ○ Orthodontics ○ Pedodontics ○ Periodontics ○ Prosthodontics

Dermatology ● Veterinary dermatologists are responsible for diagnosing and treating a wide variety of animal skin diseases and disorders. ● Duties: ○ perform diagnostic procedures such as skin exams, biopsies, skin scrapings, and cultures ○ By interpreting the results of these tests, a veterinary dermatologist can make a diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment to solve problems such as hair loss, parasitic infections, emerging cancers, and a variety of other related disorders of the skin, nails, and ears ○ Performing diagnostic laboratory tests ○ Participating in research and development ○ Documenting health cases for medical records

Emergency & Critical Care ● Emergency and critical care veterinarians are specialists with advanced training in emergency medicine ● Most of the responsibilities of an emergency veterinarian may vary depending on the area and/or type of practice (private or public) that they choose to work in. Some of their routine tasks may include, but are not limited to: ○ Taking X-RAYs ○ Monitoring vital signs ○ Cleaning wounds ○ Inserting catheters ○ Administering intravenous fluids ○ Application of bandages and casts ○ Performing surgeries ○ Withdrawing blood samples for lab testing

Internal Medicine ● Internal medicine veterinarians are specialists that are qualified to perform advanced diagnostic services and create treatment plans for illnesses related to internal body systems ● Duties: ○ Internal medicine veterinarians are specialists with advanced training on the function, diagnosis, pathology, and treatment of internal body systems. Areas of training for internal medicine vets can include many fields of study including oncology, endocrinology, hematology, infectious diseases, cardiology, gastroenterology, immunology, neurology, nephrology, and respiratory disease management

Laboratory Animal Medicine ● Laboratory animal veterinarians care for the live specimens used in scientific research. This may include a wide variety of species, from rats to primates ● Duties: ○ training researchers and veterinarian technicians ○ breeding lab animals ○ managing the lab facilities and doing independent research.

Microbiologist ● Veterinary microbiologists are responsible for studying a variety of disease-causing microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Specialize in the study of microorganisms that cause infectious disease in animal species. ● Duties: ○ May vary based upon their specific area of interest but generally will include ■ examining animal tissues and fluids ■ conducting advanced laboratory analysis with microscopes and other specialized equipment ■ providing professional consultations when requested by general practitioners

Nutrition ● Veterinary nutritionists are veterinarians who have been board certified to practice medicine with a focus on the specialty area of animal nutritionv ● Duties: ○ evaluating body condition ○ formulating diets for healthy animals ○ Creating special diets to prevent and manage diseases ○ Balancing complete rations for animals involved in performance production ○ Overseeing veterinary nutrition techniques or other staff members ○ Providing specialty consultation at the request of general veterinary practitioners

Opthalmology ● Veterinary ophthalmologists are specialists with advanced training in ocular medicine that allows them to diagnose and treat conditions of the eye including cataracts, corneal ulcers, conjunctivitis, uveitis, and glaucoma ● Duties ○ In private practice include performing diagnostic tests, ○ Pre-surgical exams ○ Surgical procedures ○ Compiling detailed case reports ○ Overseeing veterinary technicians/ other support staff ○ Providing specialty consultations on cases referred to them by general practitioners

Pathology ● Specialize in the diagnosis of animal diseases ● area of veterinary medicine which diagnoses diseases and other conditions through the examination of animal tissue and bodily fluids. ● Duties: ○ evaluate specimens collected from animals ○ performing biopsies or necropsies ○ Determine the cause of disease through observation and laboratory analysis ○ Advise veterinarians in the field about the diseases they detect in sample tissues or fluids

Pharmacology ● The specialty of veterinary clinical pharmacology is concerned with the composition, usage, and biological effects of animal drugs ● Duties: ○ Conduct rounds at animal hospitals to monitor the progress of animals under their care ○ Responsible for consulting with veterinarians in the treatment of animal patients ○ Work with other scientists and be responsible for managing other staff members

Poultry Veterinarians ● Poultry veterinarians are small animal medical practitioners who specialize in poultry medicine and management. They are licensed animal health professionals with advanced training in the management of poultry species such as chickens, turkeys, and duckssal ● Duties: ○ Providing basic examinations ○ Observing flock behavior ○ Giving vaccinations ○ Conducting inspections ○ Evaluating meat or eggs ○ Taking samples for analysis ○ Making nutritional recommendations ○ Devising flock health management procedures

Preventive Medicines ● Vets who are proficient in food safety, hygiene, infectious disease prevention, and control ● Duties: ○ includes training in environmental health, and disaster response including bioterrorism

Radiology ● Veterinarians with advanced training in the interpretation of diagnostic images ● Duties: ○ Evaluate medical diagnostic images such as MRI scans, CT scans, ultrasound scans, nuclear medicine scans and radiographs to detect sites of injury or disease ○ Those acting as radiation oncologists utilize these scans to develop a course of treatment specifically for cancer patients ○ writing up detailed case reports,

Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation ● Animal physical therapists are usually licensed physical therapists who choose to treat animals. However, physical therapist assistants, veterinarians and veterinary technicians are also allowed to practice physical therapy on animals ● Duties: ○ provide rehabilitative care to animals who have had surgery, been injured or suffer from chronic pain

Surgery ● While all veterinarians are qualified to perform some surgical work, veterinary surgeons are specially trained and certified to perform advanced general or orthopedic surgical procedures on a variety of animals ● Duties: ○ performing pre-surgical exams and diagnostic tests ○ evaluating radiographs and nuclear scans ○ utilizing specialized equipment ○ performing surgical procedures ○ drafting case reports ○ supervising post-operative care

Theriogenology ● Veterinary theriogenologists are specialists with advanced knowledge of reproductive medicine and surgery. Concerned with reproductive systems of male and females. ● Duties: ○ Performing breeding soundness exams and pregnancy checks ○ pre-surgical exams and diagnostic tests ○ performing surgical procedures to correct reproductive issues ○ compiling case reports

Toxicology ● Use analytical and scientific techniques to identify toxins such as chemicals, biological substances and radiation, and to assess the potential risks and harmful effects posed by them ● Duties: ○ Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals ○ Includes veterinarians who conduct research and development, ○ inspect livestock, ○ are for pets and companion animals

Veterinary Practitioners ● Medical practitioner who diagnoses, treats and helps prevent diseases and injuries in animals. They perform surgeries, vaccinate, diagnose and medicate animals. They also regularly advise pet owners on how to best take care of their animal friends. ● Different Types of Veterinary Practitioners Include: ○ Avian Practice ○ Equine Practice ○ Beef cattle practice ○ Feline practice ○ canine/feline practice ○ Exotic companion mammal practice ○ Food Animal Practice ○ Dairy Practice ○ Reptile and Amphibian Practice ○ Swine Health Management

Zoological Medicine ● Zoo veterinarians are specialists with advanced training in the treatment of exotic wildlife species, who care for animals held in captivity ● Duties: ○ performing exams ○ administering sedation ○ Taking samples ○ Giving vaccinations ○ Administering fluids ○ Prescribing medication ○ Performing surgery ○ Cleaning teeth ○ Assisting with captive breeding programs ○ involved with research studies and interacting with the public as a part of educational events

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