Need Help? Ask a Veterinarian
If you need to seek the help of a veterinarian, you can ask a veterinarian anything related to your pet. Veterinarian (or vets for short), or as they are called in Britain, veterinary surgeons, are doctors that treat disease, disorder, or injury in animals. This includes diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare. Unlike in adult human medicine, vets have to rely on clinical signs in order to tell them what is wrong, since animals are unable to vocalize symptoms as a human would. In most cases, the owners can offer a medical history and the vet can combine this information along with observations, and the results of pertinent diagnostic tests, such as MRI, blood tests, CT scans, radiography, urinalysis, and others. You can ask a veterinarian how they have come to their conclusions. Common actions of vets include vaccinations against common animal illnesses, such as distemper or rabies. You can ask a veterinarian to perform these vaccinations.
Some facts about cats and dogs:
* The average dog owner makes 2.6 vet visits every year
* The average cat owner makes 1.6 vet visits every year
* The average cat in the U.S. requires $90 in medical care each year
* 30.4% of American households have cats as pets
* There is an average of 1.6 dogs per household in the U.S.
* 43 million households own dogs, according to the AVMA
* There are approximately 74 million cats as pets in the U.S.
The word veterinary comes from the Latin word “veterinae” which means “working animals.” The term “Veterinarian” was first used in print in 1646 by Thomas Browne. Many veterinarians have 24 hour pet hospitals, while some are all creatures animal hospitals meaning they accept any types of animals. You can ask a veterinarian what types of animals they accept if you are unsure, and you can ask a veterinarian about pet boarding kennels for when you are away. Dogs and cats can usually be boarded at veterinary hospitals while families are out of town, or unable to take care of their pets.