In Australia our pets are very important to us, which is why it is so important to us all to make sure that they are properly looked after. After all, your pets will quite often become members of your family that need looking after! If your kids are sick then you will take them to see your doctor, however if your dog or other pet is ill then you can take him to see your Vet.

What is a Vet?

A vet or veterinarian is like a doctor for your animals. The name comes from the Latin word “veterinae” which means draught animals. Thomas Browne first used the term in 1646, so it's by no means a new concept!

What can a Vet do?

Many people have said that training to be a vet is extremely difficult and actually takes longer than becoming a human doctor. This is because a vet has to know about lots of different animals.

A vet can do a number of different procedures for your pets, including operations if required. They can also put your pets to sleep if they are in too much pain. They work under anaesthetic in a similar way to human operations so that the animal doesn't feel any pain, and it's all done very humanely which just goes to show how much we love our pets here in Australia!

Medications

Animals also sometimes need medications, especially antibiotics. Vets are licensed to prescribe this to your pet, although actually getting your pet to swallow it might be more complicated than your vet suggests!

Specialist Vets

Some vets choose to specialise in certain areas, some for example might choose to specialise in equine, farm animals, dairy animals, reptiles, laboratory animals, or working animals. Some might also specialise in a certain field similar to conventional medicine, such as surgery, internal medicine, or dermatology.