3 Lesser Known Kinds Of Veterinarian Services

Most people are aware that veterinarians help keep their pets healthy. Whether it's companion animals or exotic pets, veterinarians provide a variety of services in order to keep these animals as healthy as possible. Some of these veterinarian services include vaccinations, routine exams, emergency care, microchipping, and grooming. For pets that are too sick and suffer a poor quality of life, veterinarians provide euthanasia services. Veterinarians also diagnose and treat a variety of illnesses. What some people might not realize is that besides caring for companion animals, veterinarians also provide other kinds of services.

Here are three lesser-known kinds of veterinarian services.

1. Livestock Services

It's not just small animals that veterinarians look after, it's the big ones, too. These large animals include livestock, such as cattle and horses. Livestock veterinary services are crucial to farmers and ranchers who need to keep their herds healthy.

Veterinarians that provide livestock services also advise farmers and ranchers on how to maintain sanitary conditions to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. It's not uncommon for veterinarians that offer these services to work in rural areas and travel many miles.

2. Food Safety Services

Another service that some veterinarians provide is to inspect food-producing animals, such as chickens, cattle, and pigs. These veterinarians make sure these animals are healthy and that they meet sanitation requirements set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These veterinary services also ensure that animals are healthy before they go to slaughter and that the animals are handled humanely.

Making sure that meat, dairy, and poultry products are labeled correctly is another service provided by these veterinarians. All of these services ensure that the food Americans consume is safe and helps to prevent the spread of diseases in animals and humans.

3. Research Services

Some veterinarians are involved in research for the government, education institutions, or pharmaceutical companies. These research services include finding better ways to diagnose and treat sick animals, as well as preventing sickness. Veterinarians that work for pharmaceutical companies are involved in research that tests and develops drugs for animals.

If there is an outbreak of certain health conditions that involve both humans and animals, research veterinarians are some of the first people that are called in to help come up with an effective form of treatment. Examples of these kinds of diseases include the West Nile virus, cat scratch disease, rabies, and mad cow disease.