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OaSIS 2023 Version 1.0
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31103.00 – Veterinarians

Veterinarians prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing and general care of animals. They can also perform surgical procedures.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Farm veterinarian
  • Small animal veterinary specialist
  • Veterinarian
  • Veterinary inspector
  • Veterinary pathologist
  • Veterinary physiologist
  • Veterinary surgeon
  • Zoo veterinarian

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests
  • Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery
  • Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases
  • Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations
  • Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals
  • Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia
  • May supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers
  • May be responsible for overall operation of animal hospital, clinic or mobile service to farms
  • May conduct veterinary research related to areas such as animal nutrition, health care products development and disease prevention and control
  • May enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal or animal-based food inspection.

Additional information

  • The duties of veterinarians performing research may be similar to those of some biologists.
  • In its regulations, the 'Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ)' recognizes only the following specialties: Animal behavioural medicine; Laboratory animal medicine; Large animal internal medicine; Large animal surgery; Pet internal medicine; Pet surgery; Veterinary anesthesiology; Veterinary clinical pathology; Veterinary dermatology; Veterinary emergency and intensive care; Veterinary medical imaging; Veterinary microbiology; Veterinary neurology; Veterinary oncology; Veterinary ophthalmology; Veterinary pathology; Veterinary theriogenology; and Zoological medicine.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (32104)
  • Biologists and related scientists (21110)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

31 – Professional occupations in health

Sub-major group

311 – Health treating and consultation services professionals

Minor group

3110 – Physicians and veterinarians

Unit group

31103 – Veterinarians

Occupational profile

31103.00 – Veterinarians

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.