“Only a person who loves a challenge would take on patients who can't tell them where it hurts.” Each day, veterinarians help keep pets healthy and sick pets feel better. They educate and counsel pet owners, and advocate for patients who don’t have a voice. To do their jobs, they often must be patient, analytical, and compassionate. What do you love about your veterinarian? To be entered to win a prize: 1. Respond to this post. 2. Share this post and add the hashtag #ISVMAhealthypetweek

Proud to be a veterinarian serving to keep our pets, food supply, environment, and communities healthy. Veterinarians keep these cattle healthy so that the food we eat is safe to consume. Veterinarians help rehabilitate injured wildlife, and contribute to research that helps us conserve endangered species. Though you may think of veterinarians as medical professionals who treat domestic species like dogs, cats, and horses, there are veterinarians out there who treat just about every species imaginable! In addition to providing medical care to animals, veterinarians play a key role in food safety, research, environmental conservation, and animal welfare. Veterinarians perform specialized surgeries to restore vision in blind pets. Veterinarians vaccinates your new puppy, ensuring your new best friend stays healthy for life and all your adventures together.

“Animals do speak, but only to those who know how to listen” Veterinarians help your pet live a healthier, happier, and longer life: Nutritional and weight management: choosing the best diet to fuel your pet’s lifestyle, age, and health status Vaccinations/deworming/heartworm prevention: to keep harmful parasites and diseases away! Dental health: to enjoy meals and have fresh breath but also prevent heart disease! Behavioral consultation Routine check-ups: to make sure that diseases are caught as early as possible Diagnosis and treatment of disease: from kidney disease to diabetes, your vet can figure out what’s wrong and prescribe treatments to help Here are some of the many ways that your veterinarian can help you to keep your pet healthy!

“Most veterinary dreams begin long before the training” Did you know? To earn the DVM title, your vet has: Before vet school: Completed 2-4 years of pre-veterinary courses including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math, etc. typically graduating at the top of their class Spent hundreds of hours earning hands-on animal and leadership experience In veterinary school: Completed 4 years of rigorous courses in basic science and medicine pertaining to multiple species Completed practical rotations working on cases under the supervision of veterinary professors Passed a national and often a state licensing exam After veterinary school: Many veterinarians will also pursue an additional one year internship to further develop their medical skills and knowledge Some will pursue specialty training (typically 3 year programs) or additional advanced degrees