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General Description

This is an ideal career for analytical and logical thinkers. Veterinarians give clinical advice and diagnose illness or injuries in all types of animals. You provide treatment and surgery if necessary.

Career Advice - Veterinarian Career

You also give advice on ways to prevent the occurrence or spread of disease and provide information about ways to help keep animals healthy and productive.

You have responsibilities in the prevention of disease including administering vaccinations, educating owners, ensuring appropriate hygiene and welfare conditions and reviewing quarantine arrangements. You will be able to perform routine surgical operations, conduct scans and X rays, biopsies and ultrasounds.There will be times when you will have to humanely put an animal to sleep to end pain and suffering.

What you do every day

Each day will be varied and interesting. You will examine sick and injured animals, treating them with the appropriate medications required, take tissue samples from some of the sick animals to identify their illness and advise clients how to better care for their animals. Depending on your specialisation, you may attend farms, horse studs, animal shows to monitor and/or advice on the condition of animals.

Personality that best fits this occupation

You will possess a natural love of animals and be highly interested in their health and welfare. You will have exceptional communication skills, a naturally talkative nature and friendly disposition. Your enquiring mind will allow you to problem solve. You are naturally observant and great at organisation of your day to day tasks. You are likely to possess a caring nurturing manner. You are not likely to have a heavy social life as vet work can cut heavily into nights, weekends and holidays.

Best thing about this career

You have a love of animals and are able to work with them each day. It is very rewarding to see the joy on owners’ faces when you reunite them with their pet that you have nursed back to good health. The diversity of work means little repetition of tasks.

Worst thing about this career

You never like seeing a sick, injured or homeless animal. The fact is, at times you will have to be cruel to be kind and put these animals down. It is never easy, nor will it get any easier as your career progresses. The long hours can wear you down.