NKPD code: 2250
Veterinarians diagnose, treat, cure and prevent diseases, injuries and disorders in animals. They may provide care for a wide range of animals or specialise in a particular species or in a specific area, and may provide professional services to companies producing biological or pharmaceutical products. Veterinarians perform the following main tasks: • determining the presence and nature of abnormal conditions and diseases through physical examination, laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging such as radiography and ultrasound; • treating animals medically and surgically, and prescribing medicines, sedatives or analgesics; • performing surgery, dressing wounds and setting broken bones; • providing obstetric and dental care to animals; • participating in animal disease prevention programmes; • vaccinating and testing animals for infectious diseases and notifying government authorities of outbreaks of infection among animals; • performing autopsies to determine the cause of death; • advising clients on healthy feeding, breeding, husbandry, hygiene and similar care of animals; • providing euthanasia services for animals. Examples of occupations in this unit group: – Veterinarian – Veterinarian, pathologist – Veterinarian, epidemiologist – Veterinarian, internist – Veterinarian, surgeon