By: Shannon Kyla Atchison 3rd period, Speech Coach Jordan. Veterinarian By: Shannon Kyla Atchison 3rd period, Speech Coach Jordan.

Introduction Veterinarians specialize in the treatment of animals. They give medicine to the patients, perform surgeries, and overall, just care for the animals. There are many types of vets that specialize in different things, making vets needed anywhere and everywhere. Because as long as there are animals, there’ll need to be vets to care for them. I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian. Ever since I was little, sitting and watching animal planet I wanted to be a vet. I’ve always loved animals, and would do anything to help them. So being a vet and helping animals is the perfect profession for me.

Types of Veterinarians There are different types of vets that specialize in different things, here are a few of the types…. There are avian vets- These vets specialize in the health and welfare of birds. Small animal Vets- These vets specialize in the health and welfare of small animals such a guinea pigs, cats, dogs, etc… Equine/Livestock Vets- These people take care of the health of larger animals, such as cattle, cows, horses, pigs. Mostly farm animals. Wild animal Vets- These people care for wild animals and normally will be found working at zoos, animal sanctuaries, aquariums, and certain water parks, like Seaworld.

Education and Qualifications. To be a vet you will need to receive a bachelors degree from an accredited university, then you need to acquire 90 undergraduate hours. Along with that you have to get a DVM, (Doctor of veterinary medicine.) From an accredited veterinary school. Some good veterinary schools are, Texas A&M, The University of Delaware, and Kaplan college in Arizona. I plan on going to A&M.

Duties and Responsibilities Duties- Some of the duties of being a vet, are cleaning up after the animal, performing surgeries, giving shots, giving tick and flea baths, and even having to do Euthanasia. (Sadly) You also have to replace the medicine you use and keep the medical tools clean. Along with keeping a clean and organized practice. Responsibilities- When you are a vet your responsibilities are your patients. You have to give the animal the correct medicine, the correct amount and type of food, along with suitable living spaces, if you are to keep the animal over night or any other amount of time.

Personality and Skills To be a vet you cannot shy away from blood, pus, scabs, saliva, feces, or bowels- They frequently show up in veterinary medicine, and a vet will have to deal with, and sometimes get covered in these extremities. You will also need to be strong, you can’t save every animal and you will have to put some down. Sure it’ll be depressing, but you’ll have to learn to get over it. You’ll also need to be strong for when you tell the owners, because if they see you upset, it’ll upset them, even worse than they already are. Not to mention kind. You can’t be a good vet if you are constantly yelling at your helpers or the animals, or if you have no sympathy for the people who have lost the life of their pet, or is worried about them. Along wit strong and kind you also need to be organized. Keep your records straight, have the correct medicine to give, etc…

Work Environment Where and when you work, all depends on what type of vet you are. If you are an equine/livestock vet you will be on the move, going and visiting your patients. But if you’re a small animal or avian vet, you will more than likely be working in a animal medical practice, having your patients brought to you. Your hours also depend on what you want. You can work the traditional 8-5. Or you could start the practice up earlier, or close it down later.

Salaries Vets can make anywhere from 0-104,000 dollars a year, depending on how much experience they have, and what vet job you have.

Bibliography Thank you for listening to my report about Veterinarians. Works Cited Mangan, Katherine. "What Kind of Degree Do I Need to Become a Veterinarian?" Education-Portal.com. 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://education-portal.com/what_kind_of_degree_do_i_need_to_be_a_veterinarian.html>. Prader,, Jason. "What Do I Need to Become a Veterinarian Assistant? | EHow.com." EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/about_6740059_do-need-become-veterinarian-assistant_.html>. "What Does a Veterinarian Do?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Ed. Bronwyn Harris. 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-veterinarian-do.htm>. Thank you for listening to my report about Veterinarians.