Careers in small animal practice

What sorts of jobs are available for a small animal vet?

Graham Swinney

Small animal vets are often in ‘general practice’, but there are a large variety of general practices. There are small animal general practitioners who work in small regional or rural communities, through to those who working in a large multi-centre hospitals usually based in a capital city.  Alternatively there are small animal veterinarians working with universities in ethics, research and teaching roles.

Small animal veterinarians can also consider undertaking further training to become registered as a veterinary specialist. This can be in a wide range of fields, including medicine, surgery, dermatology, radiology, behaviour and ophthalmology.

Similarly some veterinarians, may also focus their work on a particular species such as birds or cats, or a particular discipline such as acupuncture, feline medicine or orthopaedic surgery.

The skils that many veterinarians have in problem solving and lateral thinking also enable many to become managers and business owners. 

Veterinarians need to continuously train and learn to keep up to date with their knowledge and skills. This is a requirement in most states and territories to maintain registration as a practising veterinarian.

There is a wide variety of training opportunities for veterinarians, and ultimately it depends on the career path for the vet as to what education will help them achieve their career goals.

Being a small animal practitioner we have to act as advocates for our patients, and communicate this to their owners. Successful practitioners need to be able to relate to people, and empathise with their patients. They need to be able to take the initiative, think laterally and calmly.

A small animal veterinarian is an exciting challenge. It is truly a very varied job that requires you to be able to perform the whole breadth of the diagnostic chain. On a day to day basis you can be required to perform x-rays, ultrasounds, dental procedures, anaesthetics, surgery, clinical pathology, endoscopy, intensive care treatments and first aid. You can be required to treat anything from a cat who has been bitten by a snake, to a rabbit with dental disease, to clip a bird's nails or perform major surgery on a dog.

Before starting your veterinary science degree (the first step towards being a small animal vet), it is important to gain some understanding of the commitment that you are undertaking. It is worth spending some time in a number of clinics, hospitals and practices to gain some idea of what the day to day routine is like as veterinarian. Being a veterinarian is often a considered to be a lifestyle decision, not a job. Being on call, late nights and treating dogs that fall sick at 5pm on a Friday night all mean that you need to both enjoy and be committed to your job and your patients.

There are huge opportunities once you have your basic veterinary science degree. Most graduating vets will work in a clinic for a couple of years, gaining a good grounding and understanding of all that they have learnt before deciding to spread their wings and try other places. Australian veterinary degrees offer many opportunities to travel and work overseas. Alternatively you can advance into further training with internships, residencies and university placements.

Join our special interest group for small animal veterinarians, the Australian Small Animal Veterinary Association