Veterinarian
On this page
- What's it like to be a Veterinarian?
- How to become a Veterinarian
- Latest Veterinarian jobs
What's it like to be a Veterinarian?
A Veterinarian (Pūkenga Hauora Kararehe) treats sick and injured animals. Their job includes conducting routine procedures like vaccinations and de-sexing, assisting with births, and giving animal owners advice on animal care. Veterinarians can specialise in certain types of animals, such as domestic animals like cats and dogs, farm animals or wild animals. Some experienced Veterinarians work in research or with agencies involved in biosecurity, quarantine, conservation and exporting. Being a Veterinarian sometimes requires being on-call and working outside of regular business hours.
Tasks and duties
- Advising owners on health, nutrition and feeding, hygiene, breeding and care of animals.
- Treating animals and prescribing medications.
- Performing surgery, dressing wounds and setting broken bones.
- Diagnosing and testing animals using medical equipment.
- Testing animals for disease and inoculating against infectious diseases.
How to become a Veterinarian
To work as a Veterinarian in New Zealand you need a specialist degree and registration.
Complete a pre-veterinary degree semester, which includes a minimum of 10 days of work experience. Only selected students who complete this semester will progress to a full degree.
If selected, complete a five-year Bachelor of Veterinary Science.
Register with the Veterinary Council of New Zealand and get a practising certificate, which must be renewed annually.
