Nature of the Work Veterinarians care for pets, livestock and sporting and laboratory animals and help to protect humans from diseases carried by animals. They diagnose animals' medical problems, dress wounds, set broken bones, perform surgery, prescribe and administer drugs and inoculate animals against diseases. They also advise owners on general care of animals to ensure health and safety. Veterinarians are a very small occupational group.
Most veterinarians work in private practice in animal hospitals and clinics.
Other veterinarians are employees in governments, the food processing industry, or educational institutions. They may work in offices and laboratories or on farms. In private practice, what veterinarians do varies with the type of veterinary specialty and location. Some veterinarians are general practitioners who treat a wide range of animals. There is a growing trend for veterinarians to specialize in treating one group of animals, for example, large animals, such as dairy cattle and horses, or small animals, such as domestic cats and dogs.