Profession specialised veterinarian

Specialised veterinarians are professionals with a comprehensive scientific education. They have the authority to carry out, in an independent, ethical and personally responsible capacity, all aspects of veterinary medicine, in the interest of the health and welfare of animals and public health in accordance with national and international legislation. In addition they need a recognized qualification and/or experience in a specific species and/or veterinary procedure. Veterinary specialisms are generally classified according to species and/or procedures, for example: Species covered may include equine and zoological animals Procedures covered may include cardiology, orthopaedics Current lists  of specialisms and details for the specific qualifications and experience required can be found at: http://www.ebvs.org/ https://www.avma.org/Pages/home.aspx You are advised to contact the relevant national regulatory body for further information.

Personality Type

• Investigative / Realistic

Knowledge

• Animal behaviour

  The natural behavioural patterns of animals, i.e. how normal and abnormal behaviour might be expressed according to species, environment, human-animal interaction and occupation.

• Animal welfare

  Universally recognized animal welfare needs as applied to species, situation and occupation. These are: need for a suitable environment need for a suitable diet need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

• Fundamental veterinary sciences

  Veterinary anatomy, histology, embryology, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, pharmacology, pharmacy, toxicology, microbiology, immunology, epidemiology and professional ethics.

• Safe work practices in a veterinary setting

  Safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and working environment.

• Signs of animal illness

  Physical, behavioural and environmental signs of health and ill health in various animals.

• Anatomy of animals

  The study of animal body parts, their structure and dynamic relationships, on a level as demanded by the specific occupation.

• Animal welfare legislation

  The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.

• Environmental enrichment for animals

  Types, methods and use of enrichment for animals to allow the expression of natural behaviour, including the provision of environmental stimuli, feeding activities, puzzles, items for manipulation, social and training activities.

• Animal production science

  Animal nutrition, agronomy, rural economics, animal husbandry, hygiene and bio-security, ethology, protection and herd health management.

• Physiology of animals

  The study of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical and biochemical functioning of animals, their organs and their cells.

• Biosecurity related to animals

  Awareness of hygiene and bio-security measures when working with animals, including causes, transmission and prevention of diseases and use of policies, materials and equipment.

• Conduct ante-mortem veterinary health inspection

  Perform clinical assessment and certification of the health status of food animals prior to slaughter.

• Veterinary clinical sciences

  Aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases and disorders. This includes veterinary areas such as propaedeutics, clinical and anatomic pathology, microbiology, parasitology, clinical medicine and surgery (including anaesthetics), preventive medicine, diagnostic imaging, animal reproduction and reproductive disorders, veterinary state medicine and public health, veterinary legislation and forensic medicine, and therapeutics.

Skills

• Communicate specialised veterinary information

  Communicate the relevance of and the advances in the area of specialisation to general practice veterinarians and to non-veterinarians.

• Apply specialised veterinary knowledge

  Resolve problems which are beyond the competence of a general practice veterinarian.

• Implant microchips in animals

  Implant microchips under the skin of animals.'

• Conduct veterinary client consultation

  Conduct structured and empathetic communication with clients in order to ascertain or provide relevant clinical information concerning health status, treatment options or other ongoing care of the veterinary patient.

• Perform euthanasia on animals

  Kill painlessly an animal suffering from an incurable and painful disease.

• Manage the use of vaccines

  Prescribe, administer and manage the use of vaccines, immune stimulants and suppressors and anti-sera.

• Manage animal biosecurity

  Plan and use appropriate biosafety measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure effective overall biosecurity. Maintain and follow biosecurity procedures and infection control when working with animals, including recognising potential health issues and taking appropriate action, communicating site hygiene control measures and biosecurity procedures, as well as reporting to others.

• Perform veterinary diagnosis

  Identify and determine the physiological status of animals and the nature and cause of diseases in animals through evaluation of patient history, clinical examination, and the selection, taking and reviewing of confirmatory imaging, laboratory and other ancillary test data.

• Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting

  Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and work environments.

• Provide anaesthetics to animals

  Select, administer, and monitor anaesthetics in animals in preparation for surgery.

• Practise veterinary professional codes of conduct

  Adhere to veterinary professional codes of practice and legislation.

• Monitor the welfare of animals

  Monitor animals’ physical condition and behaviour and report any concerns or unexpected changes, including signs of health or ill-health, appearance, condition of the animals' accommodation, intake of food and water and environmental conditions.

• Perform laboratory testing on samples of animals

  Conduct and interprete simple procedures in a veterinary practice laboratory on samples of an animal intended to detect, identify, or quantify disease agents, evaluate organ functions, or determine the nature of a disease.

• Manage animal hygiene

  Plan and use appropriate hygiene measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure an effective overall hygiene. Maintain and follow hygiene procedures and regulations when working with animals, communicate site hygiene controls and protocols to others. Manage the safe disposal of waste according to destination and local regulations.

• Collect samples from animals for diagnostic purposes

  Obtain specimens of an animal's body fluids, secretions, excretion or other tissues, in order to facilitate the diagnosis of health and disease.

• Maintain veterinary clinical records

  Create and maintain clinical records for animals according to national regulatory requirements.

• Provide sedation to animals

  Select, administer and monitor sedatives dispensed to animals for a medical intervention.

• Certify the performance of veterinary procedures

  Produce accurate descriptive certification of procedures carried out by a veterinarian.

• Manage licensed animal medications

  Prescribe and/or administer all kinds of medications, including fluid replacement therapy by all routes. This includes assessment of the safety and efficacy of a single medicine, and of combinations of medicines, for use in the animal, while ensuring neither compromising the owner, nor public health.

• Perform gross post mortem examination on animals

  Perform gross examination of the animal corpse for the purpose of diagnosing the aetiology and pathophysiology of disease or death of animals and for the safety and quality of animal products entering the food chain.

• Apply veterinary epidemiology

  Analyse animal and zoonotic disease morbidity and mortality in a given population and relate findings to the norm. This includes collection and analysis of data and information for use in individual animals, groups or more widely as part of a network of disease surveillance. Implement intervention and control measures.

• Prescribe physical therapy to animals

  Prescribe physical methods for therapy in animals, such as modification of exercise, massage, heat treatment, electrical and other wave based treatments.

• Evaluate information in the field of veterinary nursing

  Be able to read, understand and utilise the most current research available to justify decisions based on best practice.

• Issue certificates for animal products

  Issue certificates related to animal health and welfare or to animal products, based on the necessary examination or testing, in accordance with the principles of certification agreed at European level.

• Perform surgical procedures on animals

  Apply operative manual and instrument specific techniques on an animal with the intention of modifying physiological status, and/or restoring normal organ or tissue function or structure.

• Handle veterinary emergencies

  Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.

• Manage animal welfare

  Plan, manage and evaluate the application of the five universally recognised animal welfare needs as appropriate to species, situation and own occupation.

• Assess animal behaviour

  Observe and evaluate the behaviour of animals in order to work with them safely and recognise deviations from normal behaviour that signal compromised health and welfare.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB