CHAPTER 27

VETERINARY CAREERS

Interesting Facts

• Kittens are born deaf/blind

• Dogs/cats are born right/left handed

• Rabbits take 18 naps per day

• Common housefly will live for 2 weeks

• Bats always turn left when exiting a cave

• Its against the law to catch a fish with your bare hands in Texas

Careers in Veterinary Care• The purpose of animal health care

is to prevent illness and provide care for sick an injured animals

• Veterinary health care offers a variety of settings to work in such as private practice, public health, research, zoos, circuses, and racetracks

Veterinarian

• Education– College or university degree– 4-year accredited veterinary college– Written and oral examination necessary for

licensure

• Degrees– Doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM)– Veterinarian medical degree (VMD) (if work in research, may have an additional doctoral degree in pathology, toxicology, or animal medicine)

Veterinarian (continued)

• 16 Recognized specialties in veterinarian medicine including:– Anesthesiology– Dermatology– Internal medicine– Neurology– Pathology– Surgery– Zoo medicine

Veterinary Technician (VT)• Education

– Minimum of 2 years of college-level vocational training

– Most states require certification (CVT), registration (RVT), or licensure (LVT)

• Functions– Works in research settings, private clinics, food inspection, and laboratories– Performs research under the supervision of a veterinarian, scientist, or senior technologist– Administers medication, prepares lab samples, and assists the veterinarian (e.g., dressing to a wound)

Veterinary Assistant

• Education– On-the-job training or vocational program

• Functions– Maintains clean environment for animals– Prepares animals for treatment– Bathes and grooms animals– Maintains daily records

Animal Caretaker • Education

– On-the-job training or home study program

• Examples of animal caretakers– Kennel assistants (complete home study program)– Stable assistants– Shelter assistants– Pet shop assistants– Wildlife assistants– Grooming attendants

Animal Breeder

• Education– On-the-job training– 4-year college or university degree in

animal science• Functions

– Raises animals using selective breeding to maintain or improve the traits of existing breeds as well as develop new breeds– Provides all care for animals until buyer

takes them

Marine Biologist • Education

– 4-year college or university degree in botany or zoology (may be employed

as a marine biology technician)– Plus master’s or doctorate degree from a

university

• Function– Studies plant and animal life in saltwater

environments

Signs of Healthy Animals

• Alert and Responsive

• Eating and elimination pattern is consistent and regular

• Full, glossy coat

• Moist and cool nose

• Eyes and ears are clear and clean in appearance

Assessment Techniques

• Vital signs• Collection of Blood Samples – jugular,

cephalic, saphenous, sublingual, anterior vena cava, and the ear – p. 419

• Fecal Specimens – help id. parasites• Urine samples – bacterial or fungal cultures• May need to be restrained – pp. 418• Release and reward animal after exam

Miscellaneous Facts

• There are no poisonous snakes in Maine• Porcupines float in water• The giraffe neck has the same # of vertebrae as

humans• Zebras are white with black stripes• Moths have no stomachs• Lobsters have blue blood• Mosquito’s have 47 teeth

Common Canine Diseases

• Rabies- virus, spread by saliva, vaccination• Distemper-virus, secretions, vaccination• Parvovirus- fecal waste, vaccine, fatal• Kennel cough- infectious tracheobronchitis,

antibiotics• Heartworm- worms, mosquito, strangle

heart, preventative treatment• Parasites are most common and deadly

Feline Diseases

• Feline Panleukopenia- virus, direct contact with blood, urine, feces, fleas, vaccine, death

• FVR- feline viral rhino tracheitis, virus, death, *

• Feline leukemia- cause unknown, death• Feline urologic syndrome- cause unknown,

antibiotics, surgery

Other diseases

• Mastitis

• Colic

• Diabetes

• Glaucoma

• Arthritis

• Kidney Failure

Trivia• What is the fastest animal?

Cheetah• What is the smallest bird?

Hummingbird• What is the most dangerous animal in the world?

Housefly • What is the fastest swimming mammal?

Dolphin

Animals in health care

• Pet therapy• Entertainment• Companionship• Food• Clothing• Protection• Police Dogs• Seeing eye dogs

More facts

• Ants do not sleep• A camel’s spine is straight• Sharks are immune to cancer• Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, 2

rats could have over 1 million descendents• In 1984, a baboon heart was transplanted into

a newborn baby

Review

• Vocabulary

• Careers

• Signs of healthy/unhealthy animals

• Euthanasia