The degrees required to become a large animal vet vary, but here are a few other than animal science.Animal behavior. Veterinary pharmacology. Animal nutrition. Clinical pathology. Large and small animal medicine. Diagnostic imaging. Anesthesia and surgery principles.
The average annual salary about $39,480-$144,100. …show more content…
They also must be “on call” for potential emergencies on weekends and holidays. The work can be particularly demanding for large animal vets, as they must be capable of restraining and treating animals of substantial size. Large animal vets must be careful to take safety precautions while treating their patients.
Most large animal vets work on a variety of livestock species. Some choose to focus on offering services exclusively for equine, bovine, or porcine patients.
All large animal veterinarians graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. The DVM program is a rigorous course of study that covers all aspects of health care for both small and large animal species. There are currently 28 colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States that offer a DVM degree.
Upon graduation, vets must pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE) to become licensed. Approximately 2,500 veterinarians graduate, pass the NAVLE exam, and enter the veterinary field each year. At the end of 2010, the most recent AVMA employment survey available, there were 95,430 practicing U.S. veterinarians. Large animal exclusive vets make up less than 8% of that