National Occupation Code (NOC): 31103

Veterinarians prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing and general care of animals. They can also perform surgical procedures. They work in private practice or may be employed by animal clinics, farms, laboratories, government or industry.

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Job Duties for Veterinarians

• Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests
• Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery
• Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases
• Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations
• Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals
• Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia
• May supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers
• May be responsible for overall operation of animal hospital, clinic or mobile service to farms
• May conduct veterinary research related to areas such as animal nutrition, health care products development and disease prevention and control
• May enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal or animal-based food inspection.

Employment Requirements for Veterinarians

• Doctor of veterinary medicine

• Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
• A provincial licence to practice is required.

• Veterinary specialists

• Completion of a degree in veterinary medicine and three to four years of additional postgraduate studies or residency program in the specialty of their choice are required.
• Veterinary specialists must be accredited by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) or the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). In Quebec, they must be accredited by the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec and only 18 specialties are recognized.
• A provincial license to practice is required.

• Research veterinarian

• Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
• Entry into research positions may require postgraduate study.
• A provincial license to practice is required.

Alternate Job Titles

• Animal Behavior Veterinarian
• Animal Pathologist
• Avian Veterinarian
• Companion Animal Veterinarian
• Doctor Of Veterinary Medicine
• Emergency And Intensive Care Veterinarian
• Equine Veterinarian
• Farm Veterinarian
• Food Animal Veterinarian
• Laboratory Animal Veterinarian
• Large Animal Veterinary Internist
• Poultry Veterinarian
• Preventive Medicine Veterinarian
• Research Veterinarian
• Small Animal Veterinarian
• Small Animal Veterinary Internist
• Small Animal Veterinary Specialist
• Veterinarian
• Veterinarian Practitioner
• Veterinary Anatomist
• Veterinary Anesthesiologist
• Veterinary Bacteriologist
• Veterinary Dentist
• Veterinary Dermatologist
• Veterinary Epidemiologist
• Veterinary Inspector
• Veterinary Internist
• Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostician
• Veterinary Microbiologist
• Veterinary Neurologist
• Veterinary Oncologist
• Veterinary Ophthalmologist
• Veterinary Parasitologist
• Veterinary Pathologist
• Veterinary Pharmacologist
• Veterinary Physiologist
• Veterinary Radiologist
• Veterinary Surgeon
• Veterinary Theriogenologist
• Veterinary Virologist
• Zoo Veterinarian