Editing Veterinary medicine (section)

==Veterinary workers==

===Veterinary physicians===
{{main|Veterinarian}}
[[File:Veterinarian performing surgery.jpg|thumb|Surgery on a dog]]

Veterinary care and management are usually led by a veterinary physician (usually called a veterinarian, veterinary surgeon or "vet") who has received their doctor of veterinary medicine degree. This role is the equivalent of a physician or surgeon (medical doctor) in [[human medicine]], and involves postgraduate study and qualification.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Become a Veterinarian - Guide + Degree Timeline |url=https://www.inspiraadvantage.com/blog/how-to-become-a-veterinarian#p2 |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.inspiraadvantage.com |language=en}}</ref>

In many countries, the local nomenclature for a vet is a protected term, meaning that people without the prerequisite qualifications and/or registration are not able to use the title, and in many cases, the activities that may be undertaken by a vet (such as animal treatment or surgery) are restricted only to those people who are registered as vet.  For instance, in the United Kingdom, as in other jurisdictions, animal treatment may be performed only by registered vets (with a few designated exceptions, such as [[paraveterinary workers]]), calling oneself a vet without being registered or performing any treatment is illegal.

Most vets work in clinical settings, treating animals directly.  They may be involved in a general practice, treating animals of all types; may be specialized in a specific group of animals such as [[pet|companion animals]], [[livestock]], laboratory animals, [[Zoological medicine|zoo animals]], or [[horse]]s; or may specialize in a narrow medical discipline such as veterinary surgery, dermatology, cardiology, neurology, laboratory animal medicine, internal medicine, and more.

As healthcare professionals, vets face ethical decisions about the care of their patients.  Current debates within the profession include the [[veterinary ethics]] of purely cosmetic procedures on animals, such as [[Onychectomy|declawing]] of cats, [[docking (dog)|docking of tails]], [[cropping (animal)|cropping of ears]], and [[Devocalization|debarking]] on dogs.

A wide range of surgeries and operations is<!-- range is the subject, singular --> performed on various types of animals, but not all of them are carried out by vets. In a case in [[Iran]], for instance, an eye surgeon managed to perform a successful cataract surgery on a [[rooster]] for the first time in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/rooster-undergoes-worlds-first-cataract-surgery/|title=Rooster Undergoes World's First Cataract Surgery|website=IFPNews.com|date=22 April 2018}}</ref>

===Paraveterinary workers===
[[File:US and South African Army Vet Technicians Prepare Dog for Spaying.jpg|thumb|US and South African army veterinary technicians prepare a dog for spaying.|left]]
{{main|Paraveterinary workers}}
Paraveterinary workers, including veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants,<ref name="Beatty"/> either assist vets in their work, or may work within their own scope of practice, depending on skills and qualifications, including in some cases, performing minor surgery.

The role of paraveterinary workers is less homogeneous globally than that of a vet, and qualification levels, and the associated skill mix, vary widely.

===Allied professions===
A number of professions exist within the scope of veterinary medicine, but may not necessarily be performed by vets or veterinary nurses.  This includes those performing roles which are also found in human medicine, such as practitioners dealing with [[musculoskeletal]] disorders, including [[osteopathy|osteopaths]], [[chiropractor]]s, and [[physiotherapist]]s.

Some roles are specific to animals, but which have parallels in human society, such as animal grooming and animal massage. Some roles are specific to a species or group of animals, such as farriers, who are involved in the shoeing of horses, and in many cases have a major role to play in ensuring the medical fitness of horses.