Veterinary medicine is informally as old as the human animal bond but in recent years has expanded exponentially because of the availability of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for most species. Veterinary medicine ensures the quality, quantity and security of food supplies by controlling the health of animal stocks and meat itself. Also pets (particularly cats and dogs) nowadays often receive advanced medical care including hip replacements, cataract surgeries, and pacemakers. This is mainly a question of how much money the pet's owner is willing to spend on his animal. Same goes for equine and bovine medicine, though from a more financial / economical aspect. For a horse that is worth a few thousand of dollars it is economic to spend a certain amount of money to lengthen it's lifespan, whereas cows, that often don't have a high economic value, especially if they are very young, will not receive expensive operations.
Veterinary Scientists are very import in chemical, biological and pharmological research.
In many countries, equine veterinary medicine is also a specialized field. Clinical work with horses involves mainly locomotory and orthopaedic problems, digestive tract conditions (including equine colic, which is a major cause of death among domesticated horses), and respiratory tract infections and disorders.
Many universities worldwide confer undergraduate degrees in veterinary medicine. In most countries, veterinary practitioners are regulated and registered on a national or state level. While the duration and exact content of undergraduate degrees in veterinary medicine varies, they are typically from 4 to 7 years in duration. They consist of several introductory years which may include some "pre-vet" or general scientific training. These pre-clinical years provide a basis in veterinary anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, parasitology, animal breeding, botany, animal feeding, radiology, virology, microbiology, zoology, animal physiology, physics, chemistry and other important subject areas. The final years of most veterinary medicine degrees consist of a greater proportion of practical clinical work, in which students are guided to apply the theory they have learnt in a supervised environment.
See also: School of Veterinary Medicine Hanover
Introduction
Education in Veterinary Medicine
Some Schools of Veterinary Medicine (external links)
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in Australia
School of Veterinary Medicine in Austria
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in Canada
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in France
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in Germany
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in Great Britain
School of Veterinary Medicine in Ireland
School of Veterinary Medicine in the Netherlands
School of Veterinary Medicine in New Zealand
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in Sweden
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in Switzerland
Schools of Veterinary Medicine in the United States
