There are approximately 60,829 active veterinarians in the United States.
Most veterinarians work in private practice.
Many practitioners restrict their practices to either small companion animals or to large animals, or to a single species, for example, exclusively to cats, cattle, or horses. Expanding career opportunities exist for DVMs with postgraduate education in laboratory animal medicine, toxicology, diagnostic pathology, public health, zoo and wildlife medicine, pharmacology, and environmental medicine. Veterinarians are also entering new fields, such as biotechnology, space medicine, comparative medical research, international disease control, animal control, and agribusiness administration. Licensing Requirements Information regarding national and state requirements for licensure is available at the Colorado Veterinary Teaching Hospital library or in the AVMA Directory.