These veterinarians are skilled in medicine and surgery. They apply their skills to maintain the health and well-being of individual pets. Typically a large animal veterinarian is concerned with the health and productivity of a group of animals rather than an individual animal. She or he works as part of the farm team to increase animal production by balancing nutrition, economics, and management, as well as by treating disease. A large animal veterinarian is also a vehicle for technology transfer and helps implement new ideas and systems on farms so they become more efficient and profitable.
Veterinarians specializing in exotic animals find work in private practice as well as in zoos.
More and more people are keeping snakes, ferrets, iguanas, turtles, and various bird species as pets. For this reason the demand for the expertise of exotic animal veterinarians is increasing. Laboratory animal veterinarians work for pharmaceutical companies and universities doing research with animals. These veterinarians provide animal care and also make sure that stringent federal guidelines regarding housing, environmental temperature, and health care are adhered to. Laboratory animal veterinarians are motivated by a genuine concern for animal welfare.