Dr. Jim Surrell, Journal columnist

Veterinarians provide great needed medical care for our pets, our farm animals, and so many various types of animals in significant need of their great health care delivery.

Today, let’s take a brief look at this wonderful caring profession that does so much for so many animals in need.

Veterinary medicine is that branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of animal diseases, various health disorders, and injury in many types of animals.

This wonderful, caring medical profession also deals with animal rearing, breeding, research on nutrition, and development of needed medications. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all animal species, both with domesticated and wild animals, and with a wide range of conditions that can affect the many different species that they treat.

Veterinary medicine is widely practiced, with the professional care most often led by a veterinary physician (also known as a veterinarian, veterinary surgeon, or “vet”), and truly great animal care is also provided by others, such as veterinary nurses or veterinary technicians.

Veterinary science certainly also helps human health through the monitoring and control of any infectious diseases that may be transmitted from animals to humans, and veterinarians continue to also do significant medical research. They also help to maintain a safe animal food supply through livestock health monitoring and treatment. Our veterinarians also work on animal mental health to keep pets healthy and long-living. Overall, our veterinarians feel obliged to look after animal welfare as they diagnose various medical problems, and then treat them to help keep our animals safe and healthy.

Most of our veterinarians work in clinical settings, where they are treating animals directly. They may be involved in a general practice, treating animals of all types. Further, veterinarians may also be specialized in a specific group of animals such as companion animals, livestock, laboratory animals, zoo animals, horses or others. Our veterinarians may also choose to specialize in a narrow medical discipline such as veterinary surgery, dermatology, cardiology, neurology, laboratory animal medicine, internal medicine, and other veterinary specialties as well.

As with all healthcare professionals, veterinarians also face ethical decisions about the care of their animal patients. When they treat the animals in their care, they may also make suggestions to the animal owners to provide excellent at home care. They also look for any signs of specific animal abuse and go to great lengths to be sure the animals under their care are treated properly and respectfully.

Let’s all now give a big thank you to all our veterinarians, veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians, and many others who provide this great care to our animals each and every day. On behalf our all of our animals, that so many of us love so very much, we sincerely thank you all for your great animal care.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Jim Surrell is the author of “The ABC’s For Success In All We Do” and the “SOS (Stop Only Sugar) Diet” books.Contact Dr. Surrell by email at sosdietdoc@gmail.com.