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Introduction
Veterinary science is a medical
profession that deals with the control
of disease in animals. A veterinarian
or a doctor of animals' primary
responsibility is to look after the
health and welfare of the animals. It
also includes the breeding and
scientific handling of livestock.
Veterinarians can choose to work in
urban areas, where the work would
mostly include the care and handling
of domestic pets, or with the
government's animal husbandry
departments. The demand for veterinary
doctors has increased tremendously.
More and more people are keeping pets,
both for companionship and protection,
than ever before. Many more women,
too, are entering this profession
today.
Nature of work
The job profile of veterinarians is
probably much more than that of a
general physician or a surgeon. They
diagnose the disease; work to prevent
and control animal diseases; treat
sick and injured animals; prevent the
transmission of the animal diseases to
people and advise owners on proper
care of the pets and the livestock.
Approach in treatment can also vary
according to different animals. Those
handling domestic pets have to keep in
mind the owner's attachment to the pet
and provide individual attention and
care. In farm animal practice, vets
are concerned not only with treating
animals which are owner's investment,
but also with advising on the
well-being and productivity of the
entire stock.
Personality
A veterinarian should have a genuine
love for animals. Aptitude and
interest in the biological sciences
are important. Scientific learning and
undertaking of animals is required.
Working with large animals requires
physical stamina and quick body
reflexes to tackle the animal's moody
behaviour. Other qualities are:-
ability to inspire confidence in
animals; power of observation and
self-reliance; adaptability;
indifference to the occasionally
disagreeable conditions of work; the
ability for team work.
Specialization in work
Most veterinary surgeons develop a
particular area of expertise.
Private Practice:- Veterinary doctors
in urban areas can set up private
practice to deal mainly with small or
domestic animals. This can be quite
profitable, especially in big cities,
but tends to get restricted to canine
and feline pets.
Hospitals:- Veterinary surgeons
attached to veterinary hospitals in
cities may also find themselves
handling mainly domestic pets. But the
government postings could also be in
rural areas where responsibilities
extend to cattle, sheep, goats,
horses, poultry, etc.
Extension Officers:- Veterinary
doctors are required for extension
programmes, i.e. they educate and
encourage livestock farmers to build
up the quality of their animal stock.
They also advise on animal farm
management and animal health problems.
Dairy Sector:- The veterinarian
doctors employed by the dairy sector
work at ensuring increasing yields in
milk production, and also the health
and breeding of dairy cattle.
Pharmaceutical Companies:-
Veterinarians are employed in the
pharmaceutical companies where they
handle the production of vaccines, or
the development of animal feeds and
fertilizers.
Wildlife and Environment:- Vets play
an important role in captive breeding
of wild animals, particularly those
feared to be getting extinct. This
helps in maintaining the ecological
balance and in catering to the health
of wild animals.
Career prospects
Within the veterinary field itself,
there are several career options.
After a student graduates as a vet,
he/she can opt for a Post Graduation
or Ph.D. in specialized areas like
surgery, andrology or medicine, or
take up the job of a livestock
development officer. Other than these,
a vet can also join dairy and poultry
farms as a doctor or become a
marketing officer for a pharmaceutical
company. Wildlife and zoo
veterinarians promote natural ecology
and cater to the health problems in
wildlife in zoos, national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries. Army
veterinarians can work as officers of
the Remount Veterinary corps.
Professional institutes
College of Veterinary Science,
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
College of Veterinary Science,
Guwahati, Assam.
College of Veterinary Science and
Animal Husbandry, Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Bihar Veterinary College, Patna,
Bihar.
College of Veterinary Science and
Animal Husbandry, Anand, Gujarat.
Bombay Veterinary College, Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
College of Veterinary Science,
Ludhiana, Punjab.
College of Veterinary and Animal
Sciences, Bikaner, Rajasthan.
Madras Veterinary College, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu.
College of Veterinary Science and
Animal Husbandry, Mathura, Uttar
Pradesh.
College of Veterinary Science,
Pantnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal
Sciences University, Chennai.
West Bengal University of Animal and
Fishery Sciences, Calcutta.
Remuneration
In India, an average vet makes
anything between Rs.10,000 to
Rs.80,000 per month. This depends upon
the kind of practice and the animals
that are treated
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